Consumer advocacy group Choice has released the results of its latest laundry detergent test, evaluating 48 powders, liquids and capsules across both front loader and top loader machines. Aldi's Trimat Advanced Laundry Powder Concentrate and two Omo powder formulations tied for equal-first in the front loader category at 82%, while the Aldi product edged ahead in top loader testing at 66%. The results were published on 5 August 2026. The Guardian

In the front loader test, Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Powder Concentrate, Omo Active Clean Powder and Omo Ultimate Powder each scored 82%. Omo Ultimate Liquid followed at 81%, and Cold Power Advanced Clean Laundry Powder rounded out the top five at 80%. Choice

The top loader category told a slightly different story. Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Powder Concentrate led with 66%, ahead of Omo Ultimate Powder at 62% and Cold Power Advanced Clean Laundry Powder at 60%. Choice notes that detergents generally score higher in front loader machines, and the organisation tests each product in both machine types because the two perform differently. The Guardian

The price gap between the top performers is stark. Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Powder Concentrate retails at $10.49 for a 2kg box, or 44 cents per wash, making it the best value detergent in the test. Omo Active Clean Powder costs 71 cents per wash. Omo Ultimate Powder retails at $36 for a 2kg box, or $1.16 per wash, making it the most expensive laundry powder Choice tested. Omo Ultimate Liquid sits between them at $1.00 per wash. The Guardian

At the bottom of the rankings, five detergents scored below 50% in top loader testing, barely better than plain water. Choice established a comparison baseline by washing soiled laundry in water only in a top loader, which scored 43%. Earthwise Sensitive Laundry Liquid was the overall worst-ranked product at 47%. Active Expert Laundry Capsules and Earthwise Orange & Eucalyptus Laundry Liquid both scored 48%. The two Earthwise liquids cost 50 cents per wash, while Active Expert capsules cost 33 cents per wash. The Guardian

In front loader testing, Ecostore Laundry Powder Lemon and Biozet Attack Plus Softener Liquid tied as among the worst performers, each scoring 57%. Ecostore cost 21 cents per wash; Biozet cost 76 cents per wash. Choice

Choice conducted the testing in an external laboratory, using fabric swatches stained with perspiration, grass, mud, general soiling, olive oil, tomato, chocolate ice-cream, baby food, mineral oil, makeup and blood. After washing, performance was measured using a spectrophotometer — a device that reads how much light bounces back off the fabric to quantify how much stain residue remained. The Guardian

Choice household expert Chris Barnes said the results were "not surprising," noting that Omo and Aldi Trimat laundry powders have historically performed well in Choice tests at different price points. Omo has had at least one product recommended by Choice experts in every laundry detergent test over the last decade. In this round, three Omo detergents — Active Clean Powder, Ultimate Powder and Ultimate Liquid — received Choice expert recommendations for front loader use. The Guardian

The broader context here is a persistent and widening gap between cleaning performance and per-wash cost. The front loader category's top scorer at 44 cents per wash matched a product costing $1.16 per wash. Meanwhile, several worst-performing products in the top loader category cost more per wash than the best overall value product. Active Expert Laundry Capsules, at 33 cents per wash, scored 48% in top loader testing — five points above the water-only baseline. The Earthwise liquids, at 50 cents per wash, scored only four points above plain water.

Choice's testing methodology has remained consistent enough year over year to enable direct comparison. In its 2024 media release, Choice reported Omo Ultimate Powder at 86% in front loader testing, taking the top spot that year. The same product scored 82% in the 2026 front loader test, a four-point drop, though it retained a share of first place in a more competitive field. Whether that reflects formulation changes, test-protocol adjustments, or normal variance is not addressed in the published results.

For consumers and procurement professionals weighing cost-per-wash against stain removal efficacy, the 2026 results reinforce a pattern Choice has documented across multiple test cycles: concentrated powders from budget and premium brands consistently outperform liquids and capsules at comparable or lower per-wash cost, and the price premium attached to certain brands does not reliably correlate with measurable cleaning performance.