August 2007
Liquid laundry detergents lighten the load
Procter & Gamble’s new concentrated formulas come in eco-friendly, smaller bottles
DOUBLE DUTY Procter & Gamble is rolling out new concentrated versions of its liquid laundry detergents, including Tide.
Savvy shoppers who prefer liquid laundry detergent often trade convenience for value: Larger bottles and containers--some
up to 300 ounces in volume--typically cost less per load. But the tradeoff is that bulkier packages are heavier to schlep
and clumsier to use than smaller-size containers.
One company is trying to lighten your load. Procter & Gamble, maker of Tide, Gain, Cheer, Era, and Dreft detergents, is doubling the concentration of its entire line of liquid laundry detergents with new "2X" cleaners. If you haven’t already seen them in stores in your area, you’ll soon notice smaller detergent bottles that promise to wash the same number of loads as their huskier predecessors. The price per load for the concentrated formulas is not expected to change, says P&G.
P&G’s double-concentration detergents are in some U.S. markets now. The final concentrated formulas will arrive in stores in the southern part of the country beginning in September and will appear nationwide by April 2008.
P&G is not the first or only company to release concentrated detergents. Unilever rolled out triple-concentrated versions of All and Wisk beginning in 2005. The manufacturer says consumers reacted positively to the product. In the fall, Unilever will start to replace its remaining standard-concentration laundry liquids with double-strength products. Church & Dwight, maker of Arm & Hammer, has announced that it will also release concentrated versions of its liquid detergents this fall.
P&G is promoting the new bottle sizes as a convenience for consumers: A 50-ounce, 32-load bottle of the new 2X Tide weighs less than 4 pounds while its unconcentrated 100-ounce, 32-load predecessor tips the scales at more than 7 pounds, according to the manufacturer. The 2X versions are available in 50-, 100-, and 150-ounce sizes.
But, tapping into the ever-louder green buzz in this country, the Ohio-based company is also touting the decreased effects on the environment of its new detergents. The concentrated cleaners result in "less plastic for bottles, less corrugated cardboard for crating, and less gasoline used because we need less trucks to move the shipments," says P&G spokeswoman Carol Berning.
Smaller bottles also mean more room for products on store shelves. Wal-Mart, P&G’s biggest customer, has been pushing manufacturers for a reduction in package sizes. Smaller packages allow retailers to stock their shelves with a larger inventory and array of brands, resulting in increased sales per store square footage.
You won’t get any financial payoff unless you heed the directions on the new concentrated products and use less detergent per load. P&G has placed a graphic indicating, for example, "100oz=200oz" on the front of some detergent bottles and printed "2X CONCENTRATED" on bottle caps. But many consumers still might use the incorrect amount. A 2003 poll by the Soap and Detergent Association, a trade group, showed that only 49 percent of Americans had ever read directions on detergent packages.
A strong education campaign is needed to make consumers aware of the new concentrated detergents, according to consumer-psychology expert Marian Friestad. In a May 2007 interview on the American Public Media radio show "Marketplace," Friestad said that because regular household habits like laundry can be the hardest behavior to change, persuading consumers to change the amount of detergent they’ve been using for years won’t happen easily. "Doing laundry becomes a little mindless," she said. "We just don’t have to pay very much attention to it."
More information
As part of our scheduled March 2008 report on laundry detergents, in the coming months we’ll be testing an array of products, including: new concentrated formulas, conventional liquids and powders, cleaners made for high-efficiency washers, detergents with fabric softeners, and eco-friendly versions. Our technicians will gauge how well each removes the toughest stains, including chocolate ice cream, grass, and red lipstick.
Washing machines are obviously a key component in the degree of clean your clothes achieve. Our report, Dirty laundry, will fill you in on the latest models, and our Ratings of washers and dryers (both available to subscribers) will tell you how each model fared in our tests. Also, learn the best spot in your home for placing a laundry room and find out the truth about dryer fires.
One company is trying to lighten your load. Procter & Gamble, maker of Tide, Gain, Cheer, Era, and Dreft detergents, is doubling the concentration of its entire line of liquid laundry detergents with new "2X" cleaners. If you haven’t already seen them in stores in your area, you’ll soon notice smaller detergent bottles that promise to wash the same number of loads as their huskier predecessors. The price per load for the concentrated formulas is not expected to change, says P&G.
P&G’s double-concentration detergents are in some U.S. markets now. The final concentrated formulas will arrive in stores in the southern part of the country beginning in September and will appear nationwide by April 2008.
P&G is not the first or only company to release concentrated detergents. Unilever rolled out triple-concentrated versions of All and Wisk beginning in 2005. The manufacturer says consumers reacted positively to the product. In the fall, Unilever will start to replace its remaining standard-concentration laundry liquids with double-strength products. Church & Dwight, maker of Arm & Hammer, has announced that it will also release concentrated versions of its liquid detergents this fall.
P&G is promoting the new bottle sizes as a convenience for consumers: A 50-ounce, 32-load bottle of the new 2X Tide weighs less than 4 pounds while its unconcentrated 100-ounce, 32-load predecessor tips the scales at more than 7 pounds, according to the manufacturer. The 2X versions are available in 50-, 100-, and 150-ounce sizes.
But, tapping into the ever-louder green buzz in this country, the Ohio-based company is also touting the decreased effects on the environment of its new detergents. The concentrated cleaners result in "less plastic for bottles, less corrugated cardboard for crating, and less gasoline used because we need less trucks to move the shipments," says P&G spokeswoman Carol Berning.
Smaller bottles also mean more room for products on store shelves. Wal-Mart, P&G’s biggest customer, has been pushing manufacturers for a reduction in package sizes. Smaller packages allow retailers to stock their shelves with a larger inventory and array of brands, resulting in increased sales per store square footage.
You won’t get any financial payoff unless you heed the directions on the new concentrated products and use less detergent per load. P&G has placed a graphic indicating, for example, "100oz=200oz" on the front of some detergent bottles and printed "2X CONCENTRATED" on bottle caps. But many consumers still might use the incorrect amount. A 2003 poll by the Soap and Detergent Association, a trade group, showed that only 49 percent of Americans had ever read directions on detergent packages.
A strong education campaign is needed to make consumers aware of the new concentrated detergents, according to consumer-psychology expert Marian Friestad. In a May 2007 interview on the American Public Media radio show "Marketplace," Friestad said that because regular household habits like laundry can be the hardest behavior to change, persuading consumers to change the amount of detergent they’ve been using for years won’t happen easily. "Doing laundry becomes a little mindless," she said. "We just don’t have to pay very much attention to it."
More information
As part of our scheduled March 2008 report on laundry detergents, in the coming months we’ll be testing an array of products, including: new concentrated formulas, conventional liquids and powders, cleaners made for high-efficiency washers, detergents with fabric softeners, and eco-friendly versions. Our technicians will gauge how well each removes the toughest stains, including chocolate ice cream, grass, and red lipstick.
Washing machines are obviously a key component in the degree of clean your clothes achieve. Our report, Dirty laundry, will fill you in on the latest models, and our Ratings of washers and dryers (both available to subscribers) will tell you how each model fared in our tests. Also, learn the best spot in your home for placing a laundry room and find out the truth about dryer fires.
