A tale of two P&G detergents…

[launderess]

Did you know?

Detergent makers test their TOL products at least against soils and marks commonly found in particular market.

In France it's red wine.

UK - Beetroot

India - Curry

Asian countries - soy sauce

Middle East - Hummus

And so it goes...

Curry has become nearly a universally favored dish in UK for years, so wouldn't be surprised if TOL detergents include that soil in their rage of testing. Indeed most TOL products will be tested up against a mix of most common soils or marks in a particular market.

https://www.vanisharabia.com/en/news-and-articles/stains-from-around-the-world/

How to Remove Beetroot Stains from Clothes

Want to remove beetroot stains from clothes? Follow this 7-step guide by Ariel's experts and learn how to remove beetroot stains for brilliant results every time!

www.ariel.co.uk

 

[me]

Here's that ariel vid with english text.



The advice I normally follow is a full load should be about two thirds full when wet.

 

[volvoman]

Yet another update of sorts...

Earlier today, I stopped at a local Indian supermarket on my way home from work. Towards the back of the store where the cleaning products were, what did I see?

Liquid Tide-Matic. In both top load AND front load varieties.

Not going to lie; I was a bit unhappy that I spent $40 ordering it through Bonanza, when they were selling it for $5.99. Such is life, I guess. And yes, I picked up another bottle.

Fun note: The top-load version smells completely different from the front-load version. While the latter has a very soft, almost soapy smell....the top load version smells quite a bit like Mexican Ariel "Doble Poder Concentrado".

 

[frigilux]

Steve- Glad you found a local source for reasonably-priced liquid TideMatic! Interesting that the top-load and front-load versions have distinctly different scents.

While the ArielMatic powder, sourced through an Amazon vendor, arrived quickly and without issue, I have the feeling I’m being scammed by ShipRocket, a shipping company that numerous vendors in India use. The package of TideMatic I ordered through NavaFresh was to arrive today (Feb 24). I received a fishy-looking e-mail from ShipRocket nearly two weeks ago informing me the package would arrive late because of a “delayed flight” and that I should sign up for an account with them to learn more. I wasn’t comfortable with some of the info they wanted, so checked for online reviews of the company. Lo and behold, there were numerous complaints that ShipRocket was stealing or holding products for ransom. I have no desire to delve any further into it, so lesson learned. We’ll see if the TideMatic eventually arrives. Honestly, if the product is similar to ArielMatic, it produces more tenacious suds than I expected, so would probably have no interest in future orders.

I still have a box of powdered Tide Ultra Oxi, a box of powdered Amway SA8, partnered with their All Fabric Bleach, the ArielMatic, and of course a huge stock of UK Persil in Bio and Non Bio variants. The Persil products continue to be the ones to beat for me, especially the Bio version.[this post was last edited: 2/24/2024-18:46]

 

[launderess]

Prefer to get one's foreign detergent stash from eBay or those accepting payment via PayPal. Have seen too many fingers burned via online scams. That and you really don't know what some of these places are doing with all your CC and other personal information.

 

[frigilux]

Wise you are, Launderess! I’ll certainly stick to known quantities going forward. British Essentials proved itself to be on the up-and-up, so will continue to order U.K. Persil from them. I should look at their entire range of detergents to see if any other brands pique one’s interest.

 

[powerfin64]

Just discovered that there is 2 versions of TideMatic powder, which are on Amazon.

1. TideMatic Topload powder $25.00

2. TideMatic Ultra topload powder $30.00

Both are the same size. (2.2LB)

any idea what would be the difference between them?

 

[launderess]

Likely same difference one once saw with powdered laundry detergents in USA

"Ultra" version is more concentrated than plan "top load"

Peeped over on Amazon and the "Ultra" version container has references to dosage that the top load box does not.

In parts of Europe and elsewhere you still find P&G, Lever Bros, Henkel and others flogging "big box" powdered detergent for laundry. That is stuff which isn't concentrated versus "ultra" or "compact" which, well is...

 

[powerfin64]

I thought that would be the differences between them, wasn't sure about it.
I noticed the dosage reference on only the ultra as well. Scoop included?
I am still intrigued with TideMatic Powder, either version. It's a want, not a need. I think it would be interesting to find out how either or both do with dirty laundry, and the outcome of it.
It might happen sometime.

 

[volvoman]

@ Eugene

Yikes. I'm sorry to hear that the Tide Matic powder might be coming from a scam site. Kind of reminds me of when I came across Dash Pods being sold by a vendor on eBay for an unusually low price. I ordered it, and heard nothing. Several days later, eBay emailed me, stating that the seller's account was fraudulent, and that they were canceling the transaction and refunding me.

 

[powerfin64]

Question for Eugene

just curious, which Navafresh location did you order your Tide Matic Top load powder from?

Rich

 

[volvoman]

@ Rich

Pending Eugene's response, I see that Amazon has both the top load, as well as a universal-type for sale. The top-load is $30 with free P&H. The universal is $23, with $27 in fees for P&H.

 

[powerfin64]

I meant to say Tide Matic Front load powder. I posted about what amazon has earlier.

 

[frigilux]

A final update:

O me of little faith! Look what arrived last week: a 3kg box of TideMatic from India. The box contains three 1kg bags of detergent, which makes storage less messy.

The scent is identical to the ArielMatic powder—also from India—that arrived earlier. TideMatic has far more orange granules than Ariel. Other than that, they look pretty much the same.

I thought it fun that the back of the box is a children’s board game that can be cut out (request an adult to…), although the game tokens (the tiny squares at the top) will undoubtedly be lost quickly.

I’ll wash a load tomorrow or Wednesday to compare its cleaning ability and sudsing qualities with the ArielMatic.

Rich- Not sure where the US distributor is located. I didn’t keep the e-mails or any paperwork, although I seem to recall the mention of one of the states in the northeast. Delaware, maybe?

Thanks to thread creator/original poster Steve (Volvoman) for acting as the catalyst in my little exploration of detergents from India.

Photos:
1-4: TideMatic packaging and enclosed scoop
5: TideMatic on the left; ArielMatic on the right. Both specified for front-loaders.
6: The detergent cupboard above the Speed Queens organized in canisters.

[this post was last edited: 3/4/2024-19:05]

 

[volvoman]

@ Eugene

Well, huzzah for miracles! I'm glad it finally arrived!

Several years ago, I stumbled across Indian Ariel, sold in the same style container (cardboard box, with a scoop and a bag). So, at least P&G is consistent with their packaging.

What throws me, is that both the Tide and Ariel powders are nearly identical, save for the color of the scoop (Ariel had a clear, fully squared-off scoop), and the amount of colored specks in the powder. Although, from the photo, they're both similar in appearance. I'm kind of surprised that P&G wouldn't do something to differentiate one from the other (a different perfume or color). In fact, it makes me wonder if Ariel is sold in one part of India, and Tide in the other. Who knows...

You'll have to let us know what you think of it!

 

[frigilux]

Steve: Did a load of kitchen and bath whites, featuring some stained dish towels using TideMatic. Used the Whites cycle, max soil (30 minute wash tumble), and warm water. It performed almost identically to the ArielMatic. Kind of sudsy; removed coffee and blood stains completely, but fell short of the mark on bbq sauce and mustard.

It’s fun to try detergents from around the world! Still, in my particular circumstance, the one to beat for stain removal and clean rinsing is the UK Persil Bio. That and liquid Tide Ultimate Stain Release, which cleans beautifully but doesn’t rinse as cleanly as the Persil powder. I really liked American liquid Persil + Stain Fighter, but it produced way too much suds during the wash tumble. I kept reducing the dose to the point where it lost cleaning power and it STILL produced a lot of suds. So had to wave goodbye to that one. Too bad, as it worked perfectly in my previous washer, a top-loading Speed Queen.

Don’t know that I’ll ever order the detergents from India again, but they’ll be fun to use for loads that aren’t heavily stained.

 

[launderess]

Out and about doing marketing Saturday morning popped into local discounter to see what there was.

Spotted bottles of Indian liquid Tide "Matic" for top and front loading washers. A voice at once said "no and "put it down" so that was that. *LOL*

Bottles looked like this: https://www.amazon.in/Tide-Matic-Liquid-Detergent-850/dp/B0B6J1GM93

Left place empty handed. Hahaha

To be fair do have more than enough laundry products about, both vintage and modern, so can see point being made.

Adverts for this stuff are simply killing:

 

[launderess]

Dear Lord, the stuff is everywhere now...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/299/i.html?_ssn=marketcol&store_name=marketcol&_oac=1&_ipg=240&_pgn=1

 

[gyrafoam]

Laundress-------

I bought my FriGEMore new in '96/'97. It came with two packets of Tide HE and no instructions. I had never used HE detergent before so I did not know what to expect. I used the whole packet and nearly sudz-locked my kitchen.

Went back to my regular detergent and just used a few tablespoons per load and had no more trouble.

 

[launderess]

Word in shell like ears...

Wherever people choose to get their laundry product fix other than down at the shops make sure what's being offered is fresh stock.

P&G, Henkel, Unilever/Lever Bros and rest pull stock from supermarket or shop shelves that is stale, old or near/past sell by date. Where such stock goes varies but usually it's sold onto discounters who buy things in job lots. They in turn mark things up and sell them on.

You'll notice on auction sites such as H-Bid there usually is tons of laundry products and other household cleaners often sold in cases, job lots and so forth.

Amazon and Target for one unload large amounts of unsold or "stale" stock via job lot auctions. Discount shops and chains long since bought up such goods; think Nationwide Warehouse in USA, but am sure there similar places worldwide.

P&G, Henkel and others will admit when pressed that laundry detergents, fabric softeners and other products do have a shelf life. If you contact P&G with a complaint about say bottle of detergent CSR will ask for code from package. From that number they can tell when thing was produced and if it's past or near sell by date.

While perfectly acceptable to use by most, stale laundry or other household products may not have same "oomph" compared to fresh. Certain components break down and people might notice a difference in performance.

Scent is one of first things to go. One notices things don't have same whiff from a bottle that has sat sitting versus fresh. Liquid products from fabric softeners to detergents can change appearance. Things can curdle, separate, or otherwise look like bad Hollandaise sauce. No amount of shaking or other agitation will make product back into a stable emulsion never no more.