Laundry detergent tests in Switzerland: what counts per wash

How do you work out the cost per wash?

The arithmetic is simple, and the retailers hand you the divisor: pack price divided by the declared number of wash cycles. On Migros and Coop product pages that figure sits in the product name itself, «Total Waschpulver, 36 Waschgänge» or «Oecoplan Color, 25 wash loads» (Migros and Coop product pages, retrieved August 2026).

The wash-cycle count is the manufacturer's own dosing claim, not an audited standard. Under-dose for lightly soiled laundry, or dose up for hard water, and the maths shifts. To compare two packs on the shelf, though, it beats the price per kilo comfortably.

Do eco detergents really clean worse?

It depends on what «eco» means. For conventional eco detergents the answer is clearly no: in the Kassensturz colour test of 17 October 2023, Sonett and Coop Oecoplan led the field of twelve powders alongside Ariel. In the full-detergent test of 27 February 2017, Migros Ökowaschmittel Plus scored 4.9, the same as Aldi Suisse's Tandil.

Detergent-free alternatives are a different story. On 23 August 2022 Kassensturz had eight products tested: four laundry strips, two soapnut products and two washing balls. None removed stains better than plain water, and lab lead Zena Malocho said every product failed the test. Strips came off best with scores between 3.7 and 3.9, while soapnuts and washing balls left white textiles greyer after six washes than a water-only wash did. In the same programme, ecotoxicologist Marion Junghans noted that these alternatives use roughly ten times less washing substance per cycle: an environmental argument, not a cleaning one.

The same trade-off shows up in French-speaking Switzerland. In 2022, in «Couleurs et efficacité: le grand test des lessives», RTS A bon entendeur had colour-laundry detergents tested for stain-removal effectiveness and colour retention, and also classified them for ecotoxicity. The programme's conclusion, verbatim: «les lessives les plus efficaces sont les moins écologiques», the most effective detergents are the least ecological.

Powder, liquid or caps: which format performs best?

For whites and heavy soiling, powder still leads, and the reason is chemical. As early as 7 January 2014 Kassensturz noted that liquid detergents contain no bleaching agent and therefore work less well against greying and certain stains; in that same test a good universal powder protected against greying as well as a dedicated white detergent did. The liquid test of 12 November 2018 confirmed it: eleven liquid universal detergents were run against a powder used as reference, and the liquids did not remove stains adequately. The best liquids were Lidl's Formil aktiv and Persil Universal Gel, both at 4.7, but at 20 versus 60 Rappen per wash.

Portioned detergents have moved a long way since. Saldo tested ten portioned universal detergents in issue 11/2025, and its headline says it all: the cleaning power is finally there, but the price stays high. Almost all removed stains well; the test winner, per Saldo, was Total Multicaps 1 for all 5 in 1 at 54 Rappen per wash. That is roughly five times the 10-Rappen powders from the 2017 test: convenience carries a measurable price here.

When does a promoted brand beat the budget line?

It does when the promo price per wash drops below your own-brand baseline, and once you know that baseline, checking takes thirty seconds. Work out once what your usual own-brand powder costs per wash and remember the number. Every brand promotion is then measured against it, not against the struck-through reference price.

The spread makes it worth the effort: for the colour test of 17 October 2023, Kassensturz gave a range of 10 to 97 Rappen per wash. Buy a brand that sits around 60 Rappen at half price and you will not get down to the 10-Rappen products, but you do get tested quality at mid-range money.

It depends on the week. Which retailer is running which brand, and how deep the cut goes, changes weekly: Migros, Coop and Denner have started their weekly promotions on Thursday since 5 February 2026 (Coop since January 2025), while Aldi Suisse and Lidl Schweiz each run a Monday and a Thursday drop. That is why this guide gives you the method rather than a price table. Current promotions across seven chains (Migros, Coop, Aldi Suisse, Lidl, Denner, Aligro, Otto's) are in the Rappn app, updated daily, with unit-price comparison. For the promo rhythm over the year, see our guide to laundry detergent deals in Switzerland. The whole category, including dishwasher products, descalers and paper goods, is covered in the cleaning and laundry price guide.

What does this mean for your shopping?

For whites and heavy soiling, choose powder, because that is where the bleaching agent is (Kassensturz, January 2014 and November 2018). Own-brands are not a compromise: they reached «good» in several Swiss tests, Tandil and Prix Garantie in February 2017, Formil White and Tandil White Wonder in January 2014. And «eco» does not mean worse, but «detergent-free» very much does, per Kassensturz of 23 August 2022.

Across the border, Stiftung Warentest examined 20 full detergents in test 4/2025, published 19 March 2025: 13 powders, 6 liquids and 1 tab, in a range of 16 to 34 euro cents per wash. Eight were rated «good», for the first time including a liquid. It is a German test with a German assortment and German prices, so treat it as an indication, not as a Swiss price reference.

Next step: work out the Rappen per wash for the detergent you currently use, then set a price alert in Rappn on the two or three products that are genuinely in the running. That way you buy in the week the promotion actually undercuts your baseline, instead of guessing at the shelf. Rappn is free and is not paid by any retailer.