Гель для стирки находится в отсеке для порошка.

Because both phrases are built with the pattern noun + для + genitive, which often means for / intended for.

• гель для стирки = gel for washing / laundry gel
• отсек для порошка = compartment for powder

So the sentence literally has two separate for-phrases:

• the gel is for washing
• the compartment is for powder

Because для requires the genitive case.

Dictionary forms:

• стирка → стирки
• порошок → порошка

So:

• для стирки
• для порошка

This is a very common pattern in Russian, and learners quickly get used to seeing для + genitive.

В отсеке is in the prepositional case.

Here, в means in and shows location, not motion. When в answers where?, Russian normally uses the prepositional case:

• в отсеке = in the compartment

Compare:

• в отсеке = in the compartment (location)
• в отсек = into the compartment (motion, accusative)

In your sentence, the gel is already there, so location is meant, not movement.

Находится means is located / is situated / is found.

Russian often omits the verb to be in the present tense, but when talking about location, speakers often use verbs like:

• находиться = to be located
• лежать = to lie
• стоять = to stand
• висеть = to hang

So Гель для стирки находится в отсеке для порошка sounds like:

• The laundry gel is located in the detergent compartment.

It is a bit more explicit and slightly more formal/neutral than simply rearranging the sentence without a verb.

Yes, it is somewhat more formal or neutral-descriptive than everyday speech in some contexts.

For example:

• Книга находится на столе sounds a bit formal or written.
• In casual speech, Russians might prefer a more natural position verb:
  • Книга лежит на столе = The book is lying on the table

In your sentence, находится is perfectly correct and natural, especially in instructions, product descriptions, or explanations.

It means laundry gel or washing gel.

Literally:

• гель = gel
• для стирки = for washing / for laundry

This is a common Russian way to build noun phrases:

• средство для мытья посуды = dishwashing liquid
• машина для стирки = washing machine
• порошок для стирки = washing powder / laundry detergent

So гель для стирки is just a standard descriptive phrase.

Отсек means compartment.

In this sentence, отсек для порошка refers to the part of a washing machine where detergent is put. In everyday English, you might call it:

• the detergent compartment
• the detergent drawer
• the powder compartment

So отсек is a general word for a separate section or compartment.

Because the phrase names the compartment by its usual function, not necessarily by what is inside it at this exact moment.

So отсек для порошка means:

• the compartment intended for detergent powder

Even if someone puts liquid detergent or gel there, the compartment can still be called that. This is very normal in both Russian and English: things are often named by their typical use.

Yes. Russian word order is much more flexible than English word order.

Your sentence:

• Гель для стирки находится в отсеке для порошка.

Another possible order:

• В отсеке для порошка находится гель для стирки.

Both are grammatical. The difference is mostly about emphasis:

• starting with Гель для стирки focuses first on the gel
• starting with В отсеке для порошка focuses first on the location

English usually has to keep a more fixed order, but Russian can move parts around more freely.

Because Russian has no articles.

So:

• гель can mean gel, a gel, or the gel
• отсек can mean a compartment or the compartment

The exact meaning depends on context. Russian speakers understand definiteness from the situation, word order, and surrounding information rather than from articles.

Yes. Стирка is related to washing clothes, so depending on context, для стирки can be translated as:

• for washing
• for laundry
• for doing the wash

In product names, English usually sounds more natural with laundry:

• гель для стирки = laundry gel

But grammatically, the Russian phrase literally means for washing.

It breaks down like this:

• Гель для стирки — the subject noun phrase
• находится — the verb
• в отсеке для порошка — a prepositional phrase showing location

So the pattern is:

[thing] + [is located] + [in location]

More literally:

• Laundry gel is located in the powder compartment.

Yes, it is correct and natural, especially in an explanatory or instructional context.

It sounds like something you might read:

• in appliance instructions
• in a product description
• in a helpful explanation

In casual speech, a native speaker might also use slightly different wording depending on what they want to emphasize, for example:

• Гель для стирки в отсеке для порошка.
• Гель для стирки залит в отсек для порошка.
• Гель для стирки находится в отделении для порошка.

But your original sentence is absolutely fine.