P&G Strikes Again - Downsizing Continues

[launderess]

Popped into shops earlier for few things and wandered down detergent aisle. Didn't need anything from that area, but as it was opposite paper products....

Noticed something odd about those new Tide liquid bottles with clear caps. The smaller size seemed strange. Looked at label and saw jug contains only 37 ounces. Thought to myself "that's funny", as am sure once got more for money.

And I was right of course; when got home looked at bottles of Tide liquid in my stash and they are all 50 ounces. Didn't look at new containers to see if Tide is now more concentrated, but have my suspicions.

Smaller bottles are easier and cheaper to package and ship. With huge growth of online shopping such as Amazon, P&G and others have had to respond with often new containers. Less bulk, and that sort of thing.

Question is what does public get for those missing thirteen ounces? Did P&G merely remove water leaving a more concentrated product? This would mean could use less and still get same number of washes per container and results.

Or, was container made smaller but product is same so now get less washes per bottle.

 

[gizmo]

does the packaging have any indication of number of loads you can do with one bottle?

Detergents here always say a number of loads per box/bottle. Usually "up to X loads" ...

This is what I'm using at present ... see "up to 50 washes" on the package.

 

[thomasortega]

They also have another trick

"X" loads (printed huge) followed by an asterisk.

Then somewhere on the bottle, usually hidden and using the smallest font ever possible, a note: "Loads considering line 1"

Soon they will come of with "Loads considering 50% of line 1"

 

[roscoe62]

P&G like Hollywood with Actors

Just when you think they like you they turn around and boot you one right square in the knockers!
Been having issues with their TideHE powder it's become too sudsy and the scent nothing to my liking. So I gave that away to a friend who uses a top loader.
P&G did say they changed their concentrations in March and the dosage to match on the cap, that being said still wouldn't tell me if the concentration number changed from 2 to 3 or 4. No help to me getting the load & go dispenser number to correct number for dispensing. Used it on 3 seems still a bit too foamy, so will put it to 4 and see what results I get.

 

[helicaldrive]

Not surprising

When I switched from a full fill top loader to a front loader, I was stunned at the difference in detergent usage — a quarter to a third of a cap in the full fill TL down to just a dab in the FL. I thought, hmmmm, as more and more people get HE machines, the detergent industry’s revenues are going to plummet. I wonder what they will do.

Then I tried buying some German Persil online for fun and curiosity. Everyone in Germany has front loaders, right? The German Persil bottles are much smaller than American, and It is nowhere near as concentrated as the American — it takes 1/2 to 3/4 of a cap of the German to do a load in the FL.

So then it was obvious to me. Of course. To keep their revenues the same in the transition to HE as people start using less and less detergent, the American detergent manufacturers will gradually reduce bottle sizes at each price point and lower the concentration.

BTW JMO but even with much larger dosages, the German Persil is much more suds controlled and rinses out far easier than the American counterpart. I like both, but they are different.

 

[launderess]

European Laundry Detergents In General

Must often cope with water far harder than one finds in many parts of USA. Have never used suggested dosage for Persil or any other European product, but experimented until found sweet spot.

For liquids or gels find about 34ml is good for a full eleven pound load.

Half loads use about 15ml or 25ml depending upon soil load.

Powders anywhere from 1/4 cup or less depending upon formulation. Megaperls and a commercial product are more concentrated so use less.

For Tide Free and Gentle liquid again about 35ml for a full load works out well, less when doing smaller.

The older Miele is more forgiving of excess detergent since it uses more water for both washing and rinsing. OTOH the AEG Lavamat one has to be careful; it uses far less water so too much detergent is difficult to rinse.