10 Best Tried and True Japanese Laundry Detergents in 2022 (Laundry Expert-Reviewed)

Unlike American washing machines, Japanese washers mostly operate on cold water, except for a few high-end machines and at laundromats. Laundry detergents are thus accordingly formulated to be used primarily with cold water.

Moreover, Japan has mostly soft water, compared to most parts of the US, which have hard water, which is higher in minerals. The difference is that soft water penetrates fibers easier than hard water, which is why when doing laundry with hard water, it needs to be warmed up to help loosen up the fibers to make it easier for the water, and therefore the detergent, to penetrate your laundry.

However, since warm water is more effective at cleaning clothes, Japanese laundry detergents compensate for this by generally being stronger than their American counterparts. Moreover, Japanese laundry detergents place heavy emphasis on antibacterial properties, since Japanese people also tend to hang up their laundry, which means their laundry stays damp for longer, potentially causing bacteria growth and leading to stale laundry. This is even more important since Japan gets a lot of rainfall, meaning people often hang their laundry indoors.

Finally, it's worth noting that while front loaders are also gaining popularity in recent years, most washing machines in Japan are top-loading impeller washing machines, otherwise known as high-efficiency washers. These machines feature a spinning disc at the bottom of the machine rather than an agitator. These machines are more water and energy efficient, as well as being gentler on clothes. Since they use less water than agitator top-loaders, this also means that the detergent must also be formulated for minimal water use.

If you want to be more environmentally friendly by using cold water to do your laundry, then Japanese laundry detergents will help keep your clothes fresh and clean without having to use warm water!

Below are three essential points to keep in mind when choosing a Japanese laundry detergent.

For this article, we tested each laundry detergent to see how well they'd remove ten different types of stains, and we found that powder detergents were unparalleled in their cleansing ability.

While light stains (water-soluble stains like soy sauce, coffee, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup) were easily removed by all types of detergents, powder detergents really shone through with how well they removed heavier oil-soluble stains, like bolognese sauce, and even blood.

Powder detergents are made with weak alkalines that are effective at removing oil-soluble stains, which helped easily remove the bolognese sauce. If you want to effectively clean clothes that have been stained by greasy food, or want to do a deep clean of your workout clothes or workwear, consider using a powder detergent.

The second best in terms of cleansing ability was laundry pods. Compared to liquid detergent, laundry pods have a higher concentration of surfactants, meaning they can remove grease stains easily. However, liquid detergents also work just as fine on all but the heaviest of stains, so it's best to choose the appropriate detergent type based on how dirty your clothes are.

When laundry is left damp for too long, it can lead to bacteria growth, which won't go away even if you hang up your laundry under the sun or throw your clothes in the dryer. To prevent your laundry from going stale, it's not only best to quickly dry your laundry, but also to thoroughly clean your clothes to prevent bacteria from growing, which causes stale-smelling laundry.

When testing how well each product removed smells, we found that most products performed just fine. However, we did find that powder detergents and laundry pods had a bit of an edge. These types of detergents are high in cleansing ability, making it more difficult for bacteria to grow, successfully removing and preventing smells.

On the other hand, we found that some liquid detergents were unable to remove strong smells entirely. If you plan on choosing a liquid detergent, consider one with enzymes or bleach which can help remove dirt better.

Laundry detergents contain various ingredients in addition to those that remove stains. Check which components play what role and use different laundry detergents depending on your needs.

If you want to accentuate the whiteness of your clothes, choose a detergent with optical brighteners. Optical brighteners absorb invisible ultraviolet light and turn it into visible bluish-white light, increasing the white appearance of the garments.

Optical brighteners are also found in newly purchased white clothing. The reason why the white color of new clothes gradually becomes dull is that the optical brighteners are slowly removed through repeated washing. Retain the original whiteness of clothes by renewing optical brighteners when washing.

If you want softer laundry, detergent with fabric softener included is the way to go. In particuar, if you regularly use both laundry detergent and fabric softener separately anyway, you can save time, money, and space by switching to a two-in-one detergent that already includes fabric softener.

However, don't expect the softening properties and added fragrance to be as powerful as an individual fabric softener. Since these two-in-one detergents have two properties to offer, it's good to think about these products as detergents first with fabric softening as a bonus. 

Now to introduce the 10 best Japanese laundry detergents. We gathered the 25 best-selling Japanese laundry detergents from popular Japanese e-commerce sites such as Amazon, Rakuten, and Yahoo! Shopping and tested them all.

We tested each of the products for the following:

• Cleaning power
• Deodorizing power
• Ease of use

We then ranked the 10 best Japanese laundry detergents based on our test results.

※Prices for some products have been given in JPY; they've simply been converted to USD for reader convenience. Prices were gathered on July 19th, 2022 from respective e-commerce sites.

※※Please note that these products were chosen after extensive research and testing by mybest writers. The choices are not necessarily affiliated with or recommended by our experts.

We gathered and tested the 10 best-selling Japanese laundry detergents from e-commerce sites popular in Japan, such as Amazon, Rakuten, and Yahoo! Shopping.

Then, we tested each product for the following:

• Cleaning power
• Deodorizing power
• Ease of use

Finally, we ranked the 10 best Japanese laundry detergents accordingly.

First, we tested how well each laundry detergent was able to do its main job of cleaning. To test this, we applied the following stains to white T-shirts and left them for a day:

• Water-soluble stains (soy sauce, coffee, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup)
  
• Oil-soluble stains (sebum, lipstick, foundation, bolognese)
• Insoluble stains (mud)
  
• Other stains (blood)

Then, we washed the stained T-shirts in our top-load washing machine on standard mode (two rinses). We then used a color meter, a device that can measure the difference in color, to test how much of our stains were removed.

Next, we tested how well the laundry detergents were able to deodorize dirty T-shirts. To do this, we left T-shirts soak in dirty bath water for a day and added one drop of a liquid containing a pseudo-sweaty smell created by experts. 

The stinky T-shirts were then washed in a vertical washing machine using each detergent and hung out to dry for a day in a well-ventilated environment. Finally, our testers sniffed each of the T-shirts to test each detergent's deodorizing abilities.

Finally, we tested to see how easy it was to use each detergent. Since laundry detergent is something we use on a daily basis, it's best to use one that isn't too complicated. We evaluated each laundry detergent based on its type and container, giving high scores to products that were easy to use.

We graded each product on a seven-point scale:

7 points: No measurement required
6 points: You only need to push the pump to measure out an exact amount
4 points: The cap or measuring spoon has a scale of three or more lines
3 points: The cap or measuring spoon has a scale of two or fewer lines
2 points: The cap doesn't have a scale, just a line
1 point: The cap has a colored scale and is easy to read
1 point: The cap or measuring spoon has no scale

※Note that there's intentionally no 5 point, as we found the difference between point 6 and point 4 were pretty vast, and the products were evaluated on multiple points. For example, if a product has a cap or measuring spoon with a scale of two or fewer lines, it earns 3 points. If a cap also lacks a scale, and only has a line, it gets three more points (points 2 and 1) for a total of 5 points.

If you're thinking, "I bought the right laundry detergent but it doesn't seem to remove stains for some reason," it may be that you're not using the laundry detergent correctly.

We spoke with a professional and asked exactly how to use laundry detergent correctly. We were also able to learn some tried and true techniques for removing stains that we hope can make your laundry routine easier. 

One of the major causes of poor stain removal is overloading the washing machine. A good rule of thumb is to only fill a vertical washing machine up to 70% capacity, and a horizontal washing machine up to 30 to 40% capacity.

The trick is not to pack your laundry in too tightly, but rather, to fill the machine lightly and gently. 

Additionally, it's worth noting that it's better to use less detergent rather than more for the amount of water you're using, since using more detergent than recommended means there's a greater likelihood that you'll end up with residue on your clothes, which can not only reduce the lifespan of your garments but also potentially trigger skin problems.

When washing clothes for babies or for people with sensitive skin, increase rinsing from once to twice to thoroughly rinse out the laundry detergent. Detergent ingredients not being thoroughly rinsed out is one cause of skin irritation.

If you're particularly concerned about washing your baby's clothes with regular laundry detergent, you can also choose one specially made for babies. Check your baby's skin type and condition frequently to find the appropriate laundry detergent for them. 

Even with the right kind of detergent, there are still some pesky stains that are hard to clean out. If you ever find yourself in that situation, try the following tips. 

For spills and other food-related grease stains, we recommend spot-cleaning with dish detergent. Apply the dish soap to the stained area and gently rub it in before putting it in the washing machine.

Dishwashing detergent is very effective at removing pesky stains because it contains surfactants that are resistant to grease stains. Dish soap also tends to be gentler on the hands so you don't have to worry about any skin irritation you may encounter if you try spot-cleaning with laundry detergent. 

Using this method could also help save time and money, as it'll save you from buying additional laundry detergent.

While none made it onto our top 10, for partial stains on collars and sleeves of shirts, we also recommend spot-cleaning with bar detergents. Gently rub the bar directly into the stain and scrub it gently before rinsing it off. Alternatively, you can leave the bar detergent on for a while before lightly wringing it out and chucking it in the washing machine.

Adding alkaline sodium sesquicarbonate when washing will dramatically increase cleaning power. We recommend it for messy stains caused by blood, grime, spills, and other stains you want to remove thoroughly.

Unlike bleach, it has no bleaching component, so you don't have to worry about it altering the color of your clothes. Just add it into the washing machine at the same time you add laundry detergent.

If you want added bleaching benefits, consider adding sodium percarbonate (soda carbonate) into your washing machine with detergent. We recommend applying it directly to the stains before washing to remove partial stains.

As a rule of thumb, the standard amount to add to your load would be about 2.7 tablespoons per 16 gallons (60 liters) of water. Simply add it into the washing machine at the same time that you pour in your laundry detergent.

Now that you've gotten the best laundry detergent, time to look for other products to help you clean your clothes.

Author: /Translation: Kazuma Fujiwara, Mai T.,

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