Instructions on Tide

[nickuk]

About a year ago I acquired a bottle of regular Tide, and something has always confused me on the label. On the front it says something like `Use Tide as an Oxybooster! See rear for details'.

When one `sees rear', the instructions for using Tide liquid as an oxybooster simply state to `dose as usual', then refill the cap to line one and throw in some more!

I don't understand....(a) I thought that liquid detergent couldn't contain oxygen bleaches due to their formulation (b)even if it did contain oxygen bleach, how is it appropriate to simply double the dosage to get more benefit? Surely this would create overdosing conditions etc etc.......

Sorry - a bit of a random query, but it's always bugged me.....

NickUK

 

[gyrafoam]

Same old sales gimmick------

Sounds a lot like how (back in the day) Tide used to say "start with One cup to one and a half cups" ADD MORE depending on degree of soil! YEAH!!!!!! That was fine if using a wringer washer. But in the old days Tide was VERY high-sudsing and if you lived in area that already had soft water-------WOW SUDS OUT OF CONTROL! If you had an automatic that had very vigorous agitation----suds from HELL!

I always figure to back off on whatever dose is reccommended as like shampoo, the manufacturers just want you to use more so they can sell more of their product. Not only that but they can only have so much active ingredient. To add something they must reduce something else.

I always go ahead and use additives as I want the detergent to do its job (ge-greasing, de-odorizing, etc.) and I let the additive handle spots ( or I spot treat with something---I LOVE "SHOUT" gel).

Anyway---just my opinion!

 

[kirk280980]

Hi Nick -

Is it just me, or is this possibly bordering on being deceptive? Upping the dosage may improve cleaning somewhat, but that's simply due to an increase in the level of surfactants, enzymes, brighteners etc. in the wash water. If a product contains no oxygen bleaching agents, adding more will not magically change this fact. And to the best of my knowledge, there isn't a single liquid detergent on the market that contains oxygen bleach, at least not for residential use.

Of course, the average consumer most likely doesn't know all the finer points surrounding this, and by following the instructions will end up using more of P&G's product, instead of purchasing a true oxygen bleach additive from a rival company.

Kirk

 

[nickuk]

`Bordering on deceptive'.... I would have thought so, Ki

It's so blatant (I'm not misquoting or misunderstanding the bottle, I'm sure) I just wondered if any of our US friends could enlighten me. Otherwise, as you say, it is indeed deception or at very least `sales gimmick' as suggested by gyrafoam.

Out of interest, I've just got the box of Tide powder from the same era which makes the same claim - well sort of. I'll quote directly from the box. This time it advises that to `get more out of tide as a pretreater / oxybooster', one should...

1. Fill your machine or tub with a low level of the warmest water allowed by your garments' care level instuctions.
2. Add a full scoop of Tide and dissolve.
3. Add your clothes and let sit for 30 minutes. Soak longer for tougher dirt. Check clothes for colourfastness before soaking.
4. Wash as you normally would.

Now a crucial difference here is that on the side of the box it says `with activated hydrogen peroxide - helps lift off stubborn stains and dingy build up'. This would make the above instructions relevantish.

This would suggest that much like our standard UK powders, US Tide powder contains oxygen bleach. This is a surpise to me - remember, this is just a standard box of regular suds / regular scent Tide. This then begs the question in my brain, what is different about `Tide with Bleach'?

What do you reckon folks?

 

[mixfinder]

How Much Detergent

I have fed my addiction to laundry by washing everything in sight at my house, my relatives and my friends, using every brand and type of washer and detergent I could find.
Years ago, my Grandma, who immigrated from Holland, would add soap to the wash in small increments and feel for the slipperiness of the water. When the water was slick feeling and her fingers would slide agaisnt each other she would close the lid and call it good.
She first had a gasoline powered Maytag square tub, she bought in 1933, from a taveling salesman. The story went: The salesman was coming and she was directed to have hot water ready. My grandpa, told his mother, my great grandmother, who had 6 kids still at home, 5 of them boys who wore bib overalls. She did wash every two weeks. The salesman had just begun the demo, when my Grandma looked up and saw her mother in law coming down the lane, in a spring wagon, piled high with dirty clothes. The salesman and my Grandma washed until after dark. Grandma said she was so embarrassed she had no choice but to buy the machine.
Then she had a square tub, double tub, Maytag she bought in 1948 and finally a sears 70s series, with the lighted dial that she bought in 1966 for 218.oo. I was there!
I have used the slick water test every since. Consumer Guide did a test recently about adding more soap and at what point you began to experience deminishing return.
Kelly

 

[kirk280980]

Hi Nick -

Yep, I would agree that for a powder containing hydrogen peroxide, the "oxybooster" claims/instructions are far more relevant. At least in this case the product actually contains what the marketing blurb is hinting at!

Now, if regular Tide powder does indeed contain an oxygen bleaching agent, it does indeed make one wonder what the difference is compared to Tide with Bleach. Maybe the two varieties use different *types* of oxygen bleach? Probably all will be revealed in the MSDS, if these are anywhere to be found.

Kirk

 

[launderess]

Tide with Bleach

Apparently, according to MSDSs I've read, contains not only oxygen bleach, but a bleaching activator as well. Other versions of Tide contain oxygen bleach to some extent, just as with most other American detergents except Cheer and others designed for colours/darks.

If the bleach in question is sodium perborate, then without a bleaching activator, bleaching action decreases rapidly below 120F to 100F, so washing in cool or cold water is not likely to cause much "bleaching" as warm, hot or very hot water. Sodium percarbonate on it's own will bleach starting at 100F (warmish water), but again action decreases at lower temps. All oxygen bleaches CAN bleach in cool or cold water, but the action is very slow.

Detergent chemical makers have long figured out away to add oxygen bleaches to liquid detergents. If one looks at the shelves there are several liquid detergents besides Tide that claim to have "bleaching" action. Purex, Wisk, and even Cheer "complete" come to mind.

As for adding more detergent to use as an "oxy-booster", one simply adds oxygen bleach on it's own rather than risk over dosing on any detergent. This is quite true with detergents known for easily over-sudsing/hard to rinse such as Tide.

"Activated" simply means the detergent contains a bleaching activator.

L.

 

[nickuk]

Thanks Launderess

I am understanding that the difference between regular Tide powder and Tide Powder with bleach is a bleach activator such as TAED in the latter.

I am enlightened that in the US, liquid detergent does actually contain oxy bleach. Here in the UK this is not the case. They only contain brightener. I wonder why this is so, and if PandG can do it with Tide, surely there must be a future opportunity for our equivalent, Ariel?

Thanks for the information Launderess

Nick UK

 

[launderess]

It is very difficult understanding Amercian laundry products because they are not required to list all chemicals. So unlike Persil where one can easily read a listing of just what is the product, products like Tide will only list categories of chemicals like "surfacants and enzymes".

Material Saftey Data Sheets are only required to show hazardous chemicals, not a total listing, so even seeing one of them does not give an entire picture.

Sometimes if one contacts a company direclty, like P&G, they will tell you if a certian chemical is in a product, say like OBAs. Again they cannot/will not tell you by name what is in the product, but you can at least find out something.

 

[nickuk]

Thanks Launderess

I will try to look up some of the MSDS on the deteregents mentioned.

It's true that in the UK all major ingredients are listed, though I do look on line for specifics such as which scents are added.

Regards,

Nick