P&G to change Tide Pods packaging

[supersuds]

According to the Wall Street Journal, some children are mistaking the detergent pods for candy! Poison control centers have recorded 320 calls this month about children eating Tide Pods, or one of their competitors, so there will now have to be a double-latch lid.

What I thought was most interesting was this statement:

"Tide Pods is one of P&G's most important launches of the year, aimed at marching consumers up to higher-priced products, the same way they did when manufacturers shifted from powder to liquid detergent."

So far shipments are running 30% ahead of expectations.

I have to admit I don't understand what is so hard about measuring a little bit of detergent, but there's apparently a market for the things...

 

[tolivac]

From a report I have read-besides the double latch lid on the jar-P&G was going to change the appearence of the pods-make them NOT look like peices of candy.I use these-they work quite well-I have no children in the household.and on the jar-its has several warnings to keep the container out of kids reach-guess some parents can't read.

 

[qualin]

Well, I guess my question is.. Why on Earth would they use bright colors for the detergent? What purpose does it serve? They could easily use food colouring to give the pods a rather unappetizing look. Either that or they could make the pods opaque.

Even when I looked at buying them briefly, they did look a bit like candy, especially with their bright colours and swirly shape.

This is, in some ways, corporate negligence. There's no reason for them to do it this way, short of making them look attractive to adults.

 

[chestermikeuk]

"This is, in some ways, corporate negligence."

Really.....!!! well what about a tub of salt, box of washing powder, bottle of anti-freeze or a lovely yellow bottle of bleach.....many items come in lovely colours......WHATEVER happend to Parental Guidance and locking the kitchen cupboard or all harmful things out of a childs way!!!

What I cant work out is like you, the amount of packing for inferior products in so many different ways that use well more resources than the real thing!!!

Stick with powder - does what it says on the tin!!!

 

[whirlcool]

aimed at marching consumers up to higher-priced products,

Pass the FOCA please....

 

[frigilux]

Colorful, candy-like Pods: It's easy to see from their TV advertising that Pods are being marketed to college students and young, hip adults. A theme song called "Pop Goes The World" isn't aimed at my demographic (49-60). It makes sense to aim at the youth market: If that group learns to use Pods, they'll probably stick with them throughout their lives. They'll look back at how quaint it was that we oldsters had to measure powders and liquids to do our laundry.

My initial experience with Tide Pods wasn't great, mainly to do with the horrible scent. I did buy another version--Ocean Mist--which is far easier on the nose. I use the Pods on lightly soiled loads, and have to admit it sure is convenient to just toss one into the tub.

I have yet to put the Pods to the ultimate stain-cleaning test: A big load of greatly-stained kitchen whites. UK Persil Bio powder is the gold standard for that laundry challenge. Tide recommends using two Pods in very large or heavily-soiled/stained loads, but I've only ever used one, only to find that stains which are tackled by liquid Tide HE with Bleach Alternative weren't fully removed by the Pod.

Another issue: You'll need to keep another type of detergent on hand if you want to do a prewash. The Pods can't be used in a front-loader's detergent dispenser. I rarely ever use a Prewash, but others may.

I once scoffed at dishwasher tablets/pacs (No detergent in the prewash? Balderdash!) but now Finish Powerball Tabs are my daily driver, although Cascade Complete pacs aren't wrapped, and thus even easier to use.

 

[mrb627]

PODS

Well, for one thing, you can look in the baggie and see how many loads of detergent you have remaining. There is no measuring cup to deal with and no spillage. When you are living in an apartment and have to use a shared coin-op machine, it is certainly easier to carry a couple of pods down to the machine than a jug of liquid.

I will say that I have used them and they do work quite well.

On the packaging note, whenever I attempt to fish one out of the bag, all the dogs come running thinking the treats are being passed out...LOL!

Malcolm

 

[jerrod6]

I tried Tide pods.  Used them on 2 loads then trashed the rest of the bag.  Yeah they clean, but they left  everything feeling rough and hard...even with using FS in the final rinse.   There is way too much scent in these things for me.  The pod scent even overtook the scent in the fabric softener.  On the first load the pod fell into the tub boot in the door and would never move out of it.  I eventually opened the door and flung the thing into the tub.

 

I can understand if you need to use a commercial  laundromat that the pods would be easier to handle, but using these at home there is no way to control the dosage to the load size or soil level.  My mind is telling me that this is a waste of product and nothing but a way to get people to use a predefined dosage so that companies can  better plan their financial income. All the manufacturers are coming up with these pods so you know something is going on and there is  corporate chatter  behind the scene.

 

 

 

 

[macboy91si]

Irresponsible Parents

I think it comes down to parents should secure dangerous items and keep an eye on their children instead of passing that concern to the rest of the populace. It's one thing to make a product safer, but there are so many things dumbed down to the point of frustration in using them. I really don't think this should be one of them, if a parent doesn't watch their child and they eat something they should (and it would really be awful if that happened), if it's marked clearly (which is irrelevant to a child that can't read or care for themselves) then I don't see how the blame could be shifted to the product.

"It's OK Mary, you didn't see the need to keep the cleaning products out of reach of your kids and they got sick from drinking them. Now go post it on your Facebook how bad the company that made the bottle that you decided to leave out in the open is and how you're going to sue them and get rich... "

Also I think even if you made the PODS look like mud, it would not deter kids anymore than mud itself, which they find pleasant to eat on occasion.

The idea really that bothers me I suppose in this rant is that people can be lazy and inattentive with their children and when something happens it's everyone else's fault somehow. I guess there is no way to measure common sense, maybe stupid people should have wear a warning label?

"WARNING: Contents volatile, may make erratic and generally uneducated decisions about all aspects of their life."

 

-Tim

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Tim -- how about a POD for common sense?

Maybe that would help those who aren't smart enough to dose it on their own, and need to sue others when they screw up. P&G or Tide wouldn't have to sell the product, maybe One-a-Day brand could?

Funny what others said about the Tide PODS above. My mother felt her laundry was stiff and "scratchy", and using one POD in a fairly large machine didn't take out cooking splatters and splashes from her kitchen apron.

Incidentally, Mom complained to P&G about the product, and got a coupon in the mail for a 64-load packaage of any type Tide.

I think one POD is good for a standard capacity machine, but using two, or obviously double the detergent for a large capacity machine, is over-dosing. For the general crowd here at AW, I don't think the POD concept offers much benefit unless we just like the scent (one of the three scents smells EXACTLY like 1980s YES detergent, which I liked). Otherwise, the PODs are a money-making POS if you ask me.

Gordon

 

[macboy91si]

PODS @ Wash-in

I liked the smell of the PODS at Kevin's, the Westy did not so much like them, lots and lots of suds flare-ups, these are not to be used in FL washers even with the HE logo that they bear on the packaging. I tried one on my Asko combo and it was spewing suds out the vent tube... The A407 seemed to have no real issue with them the GE can churn one into suds on the floor so who knows. I had some samples, I think it could potentially be a neat concept, but I find the results erratic.

 

-Tim

 

[tolivac]

I have no sudsing or frothing problems with the pods-even in my WP IMP 90 BD washer-usually other types of Tide froth and suds in that machine-the whipping action of the Surgilator will do it.that is a reason I like the pods.

 

[mrb627]

Throw Pillows

So, when do you think they will come out with the Tide POD throw pillows as a product promotion?

Malcolm

 

[jerrod6]

Malcolm

 

They are working on it right now!  And don't forget the orange T shirts with a Tide Pod smack in the center. 

 

[jerrod6]

Sudsing

I didn't notice any sudsing problem when the load was dirty, but on the light soil  smaller load the rinses where not very good.

 

[frigilux]

I have mechanically softened water, and the Pods are pretty sudsy in my ultra-low water use Frigidaire front-loader--even though I only use one pod. I'm going to use two Pods in a load of heavily-stained kitchen whites this weekend. We'll see if that triggers a tsunami of suds.

 

[angus]

Speaking of the detergent pods, are they safe to use? Let me clarify the question. I have read that the dishwasher pods coating material doesn't properly dissolve and over time, will cause problems. Do we think the same is true for the detergent pods? I have occasionally used the Ajax "toss ins" in the top loading Speed Queen and the whole package seems to dissolve well, but thought I would check.