How Wal-Mart May Give Detergent Overdosing — And Sales — A Boost

[mich]

Laundry makers are about to get another chance to make more money by selling less detergent.

Wal-Mart has announced an initiative to cut the amount of water in each dose of liquid laundry detergent it sells by 25% by 2018. The change is being framed as good for the environment, but detergent makers like the business implications, too. Why? Because their customers tend to overuse detergent when they do laundry, and the more concentrated the product, the more they tend to overuse.

During the last round of compaction, in 2008, laundry sales for companies like Procter & Gamble, Church & Dewlight and Sun Products got a 5% bump simply from overuse of the more concentrated detergent, Church & Dwight CEO Jim Craigie has said. The mandate from the world’s largest retailer essentially marks the start of another shift in a direction that could boost sales in the $7 billion U.S. laundry category.

Liquid laundry sales that have flatlined in recent years. They fell 1.7% in 2013, according to a Jefferies & Co. analysis of Nielsen data, and have only grown on average 1.1% in the previous three years.

 

[danemodsandy]

It Is Amazing....

....How much longer detergent lasts if you measure. Most people seem to free-pour. I used to do it myself, because that's what I saw Mom do the whole time I was growing up.

No more. And a big box of detergent (I'm a powder user) lasts a helluva long time now.

Something that would help with liquid detergents is clearer markings on those crappy measuring caps. Their markings are very hard to read.

 

[washer111]

I too think it would help if they improved the dosage measurement for liquid detergents.

 

Not only that, but also discern the dosage requirements between Top and Front-Loaders for HE and TL detergents!

For example, the bottle of Radiant Liquid I have, for darks (Can be used in HE or Non-HE machines) suggests a full-cap dosage for either machine on a full load. To me, it seems as if they have their head in the sand - an FL/HE machines requires about half the detergent as a traditional machine.

 

The same can be said for all the powders I have used for HE machines thus far - their dosages are IDENTICAL to the suggestions for the Non-HE detergents.

 

So in most cases, I will dose at about half the recommended, since that still cleans well, but also prevents the ill-reputed "Bubble Monster" appearing during the rinsing phase on the Miele.

 

[frigilux]

I have no problem being parsimonious with powdered detergents, but not so with liquids. Take Wisk, for example: When I measure to the medium load line on the cap, it just doesn't look like enough to my eye, so I tend to pour in a little extra. If one measures very carefully, the smaller dosage will look right after awhile, I suppose.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

I do measure, always, and everyone I know does, I do not use liquids since IMO they do not clean as good as powders , but I have to be honest, I think that It's not that people overuse them always, but is also that often products are phantomly concentrated, IMO the thing of concentration is often a swindle, I can see products claiming being concentrated not actually being as concentrated as they now claims, not to mention ones, that actually are the same exact stuff they used to sell in bigger bottles, no greater concentration, just a reduced amount with the addition of a print stating concentrated, and not less important for an higher cost compared on loads printed on the package! So some may be honest, yes, but we alo have to be honest admitting not everyone is the same way to us consumers and take advantage of the new "concentrated" tendency, that is a thing I could experience on my skin and clearly see.
So they say that consumer simply overuse because are used to use higher diluited detergents, well, that's their version, but if so, I find really weird how so many are OK with using one Pod, but not the same amount inside a cap, what changes? By having it poured in a cap or in an hydrosoluble casing? Anyway, I do not know anyone who would use more product if it is not actually needed just for sake of doing that because of an impression, rather that is more like a consequence, needed and fair iin some cases and in some others as result of much confusion, but either ways, they will keep using more than suggested, this is what happens and that's what companies wants, cares about and are happy for, this until people stop yielding to their new stratagems.

Then there are total formulas revolutions cases like ones of liquid Dixan, not just concentration, , its even more watery consistency, but they claim it is concentrated, well it is not, it just creates the double of froth, the old one wasn't so, cleaning ingredients are not good as the ones in the old and less , it totally changed formula, smell etc.... Then there is the thing of powders, this , more recently with Dash powder change, it looks it got more water softening but less cleaning agents, you need even more of the former non-concentrated... Dixan till now decided to keep things as they're for powders, and folks over here love them for that, infact since the change shelves for dash are still full and do not see many people as I used to before the change with dash in their shopping carts, they get Dixan indeed....
.I always try what's new, and have a good memory in remembering how the old stuff was...... Some stuff ain't concentrated as they claims now they're! And you actually realize you need to use more, you see that from results and sudsing ability.
Also, another thing that misses in certain countries, is a clear indication of dosification for every soil level or water hardness....The "use more for heavy soiled or hard water" sentence you read in packages, is just too vague and can mean everything or nothing! You do not even have indications and datas to make a logical rapportation, for what means "harder"...or "larger" etc... This was okay with a mindset of 20-30 years ago with learned housweives knowing their stuff, but today you have so many folks doing laundry that barely knows what they're actually doing...and totally depends from instructions as they have no personal knowledge.
Infact:
Many people also lost the use to check "sudsing" or visual and tactile aspect of wash solution, just toss measure, pour and go away... so if they don't get results first time with reccomended dose, they put more and more, arriving to a point to free pour and using really too much to ensure their load to get clean , this as the result of packaging not stating any limits or clear indications, but I believe that's made on purpose and they will keep it so until folks will ask for it, no wait, they prefer using pods now..ah ah.. Thats's smart isn't it? NOT!

So.... Yes, either way is something that will be only an advantage for companies, not for customers.
A reason more to use powders! And or purchase detergents where people are wiser or even eventually in countries where they just do not accept being passive to whatever companies wants to stick in their....you know what I mean... Even if it cost you more money, for me it's a matter of principle.[this post was last edited: 5/22/2014-11:45]

 

[retropia]

It is convenient using pods, as the detergent amount always seems to be just right. I've been giving Costco's Kirkland "Premium Laundry Detergent Pacs" a whirl, and so far I'm impressed. They contain a small amount of liquid detergent, but it cleans fine and no problem with suds. I like being able to toss one in, and forget about it.

Meanwhile, I've noticed using Wisk liquid that I still on occasion have problems with oversudsing. It is tricky for me to get the dose just right, as what is required seems to vary dramatically depending on the type of laundry. I find I'm checking the laundry at least once or twice mid-wash, to see if I need to beat down the suds.