Battle of the (laundry) boosters
There are many different laundry boosters on the market. We put 12 different products to the test to find the best option for our members.
We asked experienced members of our community to share their experiences using cloth nappies. This series covers childcare, travel, returning to work and more.
Did you know that Skittles are all the same flavour with different coloured shells? Red, green, purple, blue, the colours of the rainbow are all the same underneath. Each colour has an individual scent. Paired with a different outer it is enough to trick our brain into thinking they taste different.
The Skittles laundry parallel is laundry boosters (oxygen bleach). There are many different products on the market and they all do basically the same job. Manufacturers use different plastic containers, granules, scents and pricing to make it seem like their products are widely different.
Reminiscent of three small people stacked on top of each other in a trenchcoat, the average laundry booster contains three stain-fighting ingredients. These are sodium percarbonate, enzymes, and surfactants .
Sodium percarbonate – Releases active oxygen to lift out stains and odours safely.
Enzymes – Break down food, starch and outdoor stains.
Anionic & Non-Ionic Surfactants – Remove greasy stains safely.
~ Vanish
Clean Boost Triple Enzyme Power Soaker is specifically designed to whiten brighten your whites.
~ Woolworths
The contenders
The products’ varying effectiveness comes from the percentage of sodium percarbonate. While laundry boosters are not a true commodity, a supermarket offering performs similarly to the leading brand.
| Product | Fragrance | Sodium percarbonate | Rec dose | Actual dose | $/kg | $/load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Boost | Sharp | 25.7% | 22.5g | 45g | $6.00 | $0.27 |
| Earthwise | Strong | unknown | 30g | 45g | $8.50 | $0.38 |
| Frend | Moderate | 14.8% | 180g | 200g | $8.30 | $1.66 |
| Sard | Sharp | 20% | 40-60g | 60g | $10.00 | $0.60 |
| Sard Super | Sharp | 20% | 40-60g | 60g | $11.10 | $0.67 |
| The Pink Stuff | Moderate | 15% – 30% | 30g | 30g | $16.00 | $0.48 |
| Vamoose Colours | Mild | 33% | 20g | 20g | $10.00 | $0.20 |
| Vamoose Whites | Mild | 29.7% | 20g | 20g | $10.00 | $0.20 |
| Vanish Gold Multipower | Moderate | 33% | 30g | 30g | $18.90 | $0.56 |
| Vanish Gold Multipower Whites | Moderate | 29.7% | 60g | 60g | $18.90 | $1.14 |
| Vanish Gold Pro | Moderate | 25% | 60g | 60g | $20.00 | $1.20 |
| Vanish Pink | Moderate | 25.7% | 30g | 30g | $12.50 | $0.37 |
Clean Boost (Woolworths)
Sharp oxygen bleach scent with very fine granules that get right up your nostrils and tickle the back of your throat. Best added straight to drum in for large volumes or in cooler temps as it doesn’t seem to dissolve as readily as others. Definitely need to use a bit more than recommended.
Earthwise Oxygenated Whitener
This product does not list the percentage of sodium percarbonate (written as sodium carbonate peroxide on the packaging) and when I reached out to Henkel, the parent of Earthwise, requesting this information they provided a Safety Data Sheet that stated there was less than 50% sodium percarbonate. I needed to use a loaded scoop which weighed in as averaging 45g. You canβt really smell any of the typical oxygen bleach smell, but the lavender and eucalyptus fragrance is quite strong. I like the idea of a cardboard box and scoop but it is a bit flimsy and each scoop of product is inconsistent. Overall the scoop is a bit annoying. I ended up using the scoop from my Vanish tubs as it was more consistent and didn’t unfold in the box or spill powder out the back although this didn’t fix the issue of the box dropping granules everywhere each time I grabbed it out of the cupboard.
Frend Oxy Power
Needs large volumes and best added straight to the drum as it doesn’t dissolve properly in the drawer or use as instructions state and dissolve in water first but honestly, who has time for that nonsense, just biff it in the drum and be done with it. I did find I needed to add a bit more than recommended but only around Β½-ΒΎ of a scoop more. Be cautious of suds with this one if youβre using a front loader in soft water like me.
Sard
Unable to really tell the difference between the green and orange options. The ingredient list doesn’t even show a difference.
Whites has a brightening agent (Disodium Distyrylbiphenyl Disulfonate) that the others donβt list but thatβs really it.
Sard Super Power
The Super Power variety states it is βour strongest inwash boosterβ and still only has 200g of Sodium Percarbonate. It is likely the βpowerful blend of enzymesβ that makes it the strongest of the range. I didn’t notice a big difference in stain removal so wouldn’t bother with it.
Theyβre all average at best and a pain to use as pouring out of the container into the lid is messy. Not to mention the finer particle tickles your nose and the chemical citrus smell is not my favourite.
The opening is too small to use a scoop once it’s below half full so you canβt even cheat and use another brandβs scoop. The sizes range from 900g to 3kg and vary by the type.
Dosage recommended is Β½-ΒΎ scoop for front loader but I definitely needed the ΒΎ scoop which averaged out to be around 60g.
The Pink Stuff
Big fan of the scoop, it looks like a cute little baseball cap which I got weirdly emotionally attached to. Easy to use and the container is easy to open and get into. Has a slightly sharper chemical smell for a booster but not as strong as Sard and definitely not Clean. Larger granules that dissolve easily. No need to add to the drum unless using liquid detergent.. I did get a chuckle out of the little pink sprinkles in this product which is very on-brand for something called The Pink Stuff π€£
Like Earthwise, The Pink Stuff has the sodium percarbonate listed as a range instead of a specific amount with it listing 15-30% on the colours and less than 30% for the whites which is a bit stupid since they basically mean the same thing.
Vamoose
The same volume of Sodium Percarbonate as Vanish Gold MultiPower at just over half the price. Very little odour, in fact, this has the mildest smell of all the ones I’ve tested. Easy to pour with a handle for nice control and smooth, narrow neck. The large granules dissolve readily. Pleasantly surprised.
Vanish Gold Multipower
Comes in a 300g pouch, 900g & 2kg tub or a 3kg bucket. The Crystal White versions are only in the 900g & 2kg sizes. Claims to work as an antibacterial soaker however the volumes needed for this are massive and volumes that high do not easily dissolve in water, hot or not. As with the pink range, the dosage recommended and required for the whites version was more than the colours. The scoop has markings for 10g, 30g & 60g which is very handy. Same scent as other Vanish boosters
Vanish Gold Pro
Has a lower volume of sodium percarbonate at only 250g/kg or 25% but is advertised as their best stain removal.
Pricey but effective and easy to use coming with a scoop and in a 1kg tub with a wide mouth. Granules dissolve readily and a single scoop is effective for most uses. Available in Crystal White or Vibrant Colours and unlike the other whites varieties in Vanish, one dose is sufficient. Same scent as other Vanish boosters.
Vanish Oxi Action (Pink)
Most of the range comes in a 1kg or 2kg wide mouth tub, or a 3kg bucket with a scoop. The Crystal Whites variety only comes in 1kg tub. Easy to use and granules dissolve readily. The 2kg tub is quite tall and a pain to store. Does sud a bit more than the other varieties so keep an eye and adjust dosage accordingly. Itβs irritating that you have to use a larger dose of the whites variety.
There is a mild chemical smell, which is found in all oxygen bleach products. However, itβs mostly masked by a moderate but pleasant fragrance.
The results
Easiest to use
Vanish Oxi Action Pink. With its versatile sizes and a handy scoop that has 3 different measurements on it, it was gonna be hard to beat. No mess, no fuss and no hands stuck.
Hardest to use
Sard. Pouring large volumes from lipped container into a high-sided lid is just as pain in the proverbial. The only reason Clean is any better is because you fill the whole lid so youβre not trying to find the ΒΎ point (which isn’t marked).
Best fragrance
Iβm gonna have to go with Vamoose on this one. There is almost no scent which is the best fragrance in my book!
Worst fragrance
Clean. I swear I could taste this booster just by opening the lid and unlike Earthwise, it was not a pleasant fragrance. Somewhere between burnt polystyrene and lawn clippings.
Most Expensive per load
Frend. Coming in at a whopping $1.66 per load, itβs one of the cheapest per kg. How does this happen? The low sodium percarbonate volume means that you have to use a massive amount for any real success.
Cheapest per load
Vamoose! Reasonably new to the market, launching in 2023, Vamoose is tied for the highest volume of sodium percarbonate (330g/kg) but hard to beat at only 20 cents a load!
Final thoughts
When it comes to choosing a laundry booster for your laundry, you need to decide what it is that is important to you. The only real difference is how you get the oxygen bleach out of the container and into your machine or what it smells like.
If you donβt care about either of those things, go for the one that gives you the most sodium percarbonate for the lowest price.
Donβt get caught up in fancy marketing. If you have a good wash routine and understand the cleaning factors, look for the percentage of sodium percarbonate. The rest is irrelevant.