Launry detergent, or washing powder, is a substance which is a type of detergent that is added when one is washing laundry to help get the laundry cleaner. It is often colloquially called laundry soap or simply detergent or soap but because detergents lack glycerin, they are not true "soaps". It helps wash the fabric in a manner rather analogous to the way soap helps wash hands, other parts of the body, or other things cleaner than washing with water alone. Laundry detergent has traditionally been a powdered or granular solid, but the use of liquid laundry detergents has gradually increased over the years, and the popularity of liquid detergent now rivals that of solid detergent. Some brands also manufacture laundry soap in tablets and dissolvable packets, so as to eliminate the need to measure soap for each load of laundry. In some countries where washing clothes by hand is more popular, detergent bars are more popular. Recently, environmentally friendly detergents have enjoyed a surge in popularity.