Mystery solved: The "load-down" on Tide detergent

Some grocery aisles are pretty easy to navigate. In the baking section, for example, you probably buy the same brand of baking powder all the time and choose the granulated sugar that's on sale. But when you head over to the crowded cleaning-supplies aisle to pick up laundry detergent, confusion can set in, especially when you're confronted with myriad formulations for powders and liquids touted to produce Brighter! Softer! Cleaner! loads.

Zack, an eagle-eyed reader of Consumerist.com from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, became a bit bleary-eyed several weeks back when comparing Tide laundry detergents (photo, right). As this post on the site notes:

". . . Each of these three kinds of Tide laundry detergent gives you a different amount of loads - 48, 52 and 64. They all weigh and cost the same, they're all '2X Ultra' formulation. The only difference is they have different scents, Clean Breeze, Mountain Spring, and Original. Can anyone crack this detergent dilemma?"

We're happy to report that we were able to suss out the situation:

Each container of the 2X Ultra Tide detergents shown holds 100 ounces of concentrated detergent. A bottle of Tide Mountain Spring scented cleaner (right) washes 64 loads. When Tide adds a bleach alternative (center), in this case to an "original scent" detergent, the number of loads per bottle drops to 52. Incorporating a fabric softener to the mix results in even fewer loads—a bottle of Tide Clean Breeze with Downy (left) delivers 48 loads.

Procter & Gamble, manufacturer of Tide, had two choices in determining detergent prices: It could have charged more for products with a bleach alternative or a fabric softener, cleaners that a company spokesperson, Lauren Thaman, calls "value-added products." Or the Cincinnati-based P&G could have set one price for the same amount of cleaner but with differing numbers of loads.

Thaman notes that P&G took the second approach, common among manufacturers, because it's more economical for the company and easier for retailers. What's more, things could get complicated when detergents with different prices go on sale.

As for the consumer, Thaman says, the same-size-and-price-but-different-loads method "is more transparent. . . . The shopper is used to shopping for a price, and the number of loads is right on the label."

Still, this pricing structure could be confusing, especially since a unit-pricing label indicating cost per quart like the one Consumerist.com reader Zack saw is not nearly as helpful as cost-per-load information.

Bottom line: When you're choosing among detergents, compare the cost per load (total cost divided by the number of loads). And, of course, use the ratings from our latest report of 34 detergents to find the product that can best handle a variety of tough stains.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Before you shop for new laundry equipment, visit our washing machines and dryers product pages.

Photo courtesy of Consumerist.com

Comments

[Leon Kenman]

This discussion of Tide is unusually clear and complete for Consumer Reports. Put its writer in charge of your articles.

An example of your usual writing is your (often) discussion of car headlights. The jargon used and the incompleteness of relevant information leaves me scratching my head: "Huh?

[Alba]

I recently purchased a front-load washer and now use Tide HE detergent. One thing I noticed is that the line on the Tide cap that signifies “one load” is much less than the “one load” line on the washer soap drawer. And if I fill the drawer to the recommend amount I get too many left over suds. So I’ve decided to follow Tide’s recommendation, which will save me soap yet still cleans my clothes just fine.

[saltshaker]

I guess I don't get it. Does it really wash less loads per bottle? Does it require you to use more detergent per load? I always wondered-I just assumed it had to do with the 3 different fill lines in the cap for small, medium, and large loads.

[hang2dry]

To saltshaker:

My understanding regarding the number of loads differing with the same number of ounces per bottle has to do with the number/amount of 'extras' added to the detergent. The amount of detergent needed to clean remains the same, but when there are 'extras', the TOTAL amount of detergent mixture needed to clean clothes increases because its now detergent plus, leaving available a lower number of loads per container of same weight with just detergent.

Hope this makes 'cents'!

[Vickie Plasterer]

I LOVE TIDE. Everyone of their products works just as it says on the label. I use less detergent than my HE detergent measuring device stipulates, but that is A-OK. Follow Tides instructions and not the instructions on your washer. I have never had a disappointment using Tide as instructed. Works great, smells good and ultimately costs less to operate an HE machine than the HE MFG suggests.

[Beverly Dunham]

Why mess with a good thing? I don't need any of the
additional scents, bleach, softener, etc. - just the plain
old, reliable Tide, which is very hard to find among the
forest of bottles now on the shelf. Please just give me
plain old Tide. It works great and I have used it for
years and years. Change is not always good....

[Beverly Dunham]

Why mess with a good thing? I don't need any of the
additional scents, bleach, softener, etc. - just the plain
old, reliable Tide, which is very hard to find among the
forest of bottles now on the shelf. Please just give me
plain old Tide. It works great and I have used it for
years and years. Change is not always good....

[Susan Huizinga]

I have an old fashion top loading machine. The newer front loader won't fit down my basement, so I'm stuck with what I have. My problem is I can't find the regular detergent anymore. All I see is the HE or 2X detergents. My laundry has been smelly. I'm assuming it's because they don't have enough suds! Help, where can I get old fashion Tide detergent, liquid or powered at reasonable rates?

[Gail Oranchak]

I began using Tide after reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about it's stain removing abilities. That was probably 10-15 years ago. I tried it an low and behold the claim was true. I threw away my pre-spotter for good I thought. I sent in and received a little plastic gadget in which you poured in some tide and used the ball top to rub the Tide into the spot. Tide removed EVERYTHING--ink, chocolate, you name it. Then comes the new concentrated Tide; it removes nothing. It's the worst. I want the old Tide back; I still have a top loader too.

[Jody Smith]

I just had my septic system pumped and the operator asked me to come out and take a look. There was a white sludgy/waxy looking substance floating on top and inside the pipe. He asked if I used Tide. I said yes. He said he has been running into this more and more and it's causing the failure of leach fields and he recommended I stop using it. I have been searching the internet for information on this and can find none. Has anyone heard of this phenomenon?