Does Purex 3-in-1 really do it all?

The claim

"A load's worth of detergent, softener, and anti-static all in one powerful sheet," says the Web site for Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets. You drop a sheet in the washer and transfer it to the dryer with the rest of your laundry. The initial dispenser plus 20 sheets cost us about $7, as did a refill pack of 24 sheets. You use one sheet for regular loads, two for extra-large ones. It's supposed to be OK in both top- and front-loaders.

The check

To test cleaning, we used Purex in a 6-pound load with 24 stained cotton swatches, washed in warm water, and rinsed in cool (our standard detergent test). To test softness, four trained panelists judged towels that had been washed and dried with Purex. And we checked for static cling after washing and drying identical loads with Purex and another detergent not claimed to be anti-static.

Bottom line

Convenient? Yes. Worth it? No. It rated only fair in cleaning in a top-loader and good in a front-loader. It eliminated static cling (many softeners do) but got our towels barely softer than did water alone. And it's pricey: Cost per load using the dispenser pack was 35 cents; with the refill pack, 29 cents. Far better, less expensive products include the CR Best Buy Tide 2X Ultra for Cold Water for top-loaders, 19 cents per load, and Cheer 2X Ultra Color Guard for High Efficiency HE for front-loaders, 17 cents per load. Our top-rated dryer sheet, Bounce, costs 5 cents per load, so even having three purposes in one doesn't make Purex a bargain.