Laundry detergent, or laundry sauce , is a type of detergent (cleaning agent) that is added for cleaning laundry, commonly mixtures of chemical compounds including alkylbenzenesulfonates, which are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water.

Liquid detergent is not more effective on food and greasy or oily stains. ... Some inexpensive powder detergents, especially those with lots of fillers, don't dissolve well and can leave a residue on clothes. This is especially true if you have a high-efficiency (HE) washing machine that uses little water.

Washing machine manufacturers recommend HE detergents for front-loading washers and high-efficiency top-loaders, which use significantly less water than agitator top-loaders so they require low sudsing detergent. Most HE detergents are dual-use, and can also be used in agitator top-loaders.