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Laundry detergent
Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean Free & Clear
Consumer Reports' top fragrance-free liquid detergent, and Kirkland's scented version is its best-value liquid out of 49 tested, at about 14 cents a load. Hypoallergenic and free of perfumes and dyes.
Worth knowing
- Sold at Costco. Amazon listings are resellers and usually cost more.
Use about 1.5 oz (a shot glass) per load. Free-pouring wastes detergent and can leave residue.
What we ruled out
Skipping enzymes 'for sensitive skin' while keeping heavy perfume. A review of 40 years of data found detergent enzymes don't cause skin irritation or allergy in normal home use.
Laundry pods and sheets. Consumer Reports doesn't recommend pods because of poisoning risk to children and older adults, and found sheets clean worse than the weakest liquids.
Era 3X Oxibooster. Consumer Reports' liquid to avoid: ineffective on many stains.
Also good
all Free Clear. Perfume- and dye-free, and tied for third in Reviewed's stain tests. Easy to find on Amazon.
Sources
- Enzymes, detergents and skin: facts and fantasies, British Journal of Dermatology 158(6):1177-1181 (2008)
- The best laundry detergents for sensitive skin, Reviewed (2025)
- Laundry detergent buying guide, Consumer Reports (2025)
- Consumer Reports names the top liquid laundry detergent for stubborn stains, Yahoo Shopping (reporting Consumer Reports) (2026)