Users Of Tide Laundry Detergent - Are We Being Taken?........

[global1]

Recently the makers of Tide Laundry Detergent - whom I think is Proctor & Gamble - started promoting a Concentrated version of Tide - they call - Ultra 2X. They led us to believe that this way they could get more shelf space because of the smaller plastic bottles - and that shipping/transporting costs would be cheaper as well. One would think then that they would pass any savings on to the consumer. They didn't. In fact this new so-called concentrated version is a bit more expensive than the so-called original version when buying at the best sale price at your supermarket.

So now they are selling this smaller so-called concentrated version for even a higher price than the original 100mL so-called less concentrated version and they are telling us that you use less detergent (because it is concentrated) and you get the same amount of washes and the same detergent/cleaning effect because it is more concentrated.

I think we've been had by a devious marketing strategy. I have heard that actually the concentration of the detergent did not change from the old 100mL bottle to the new 50mL 2X Ultra.

The concentration doesn't matter because the concentrated version is really not concentrated - it is the same formulation - and they are trying to switch the consumers habits to using less and paying more for the product.

What they have essentially done is now they are selling us half the volume of detergent for the same or more than what we were paying before. In essence they have doubled their sales/profits.

In fact now they have even introduced a 100mL 2X Ultra bottle of Tide - so the shelf-space argument and the shipping cost argument doesn't even hold water anymore.

So what they have done - through their marketing effort is essentially more than doubled their sales on this product at the expense of faithful users. They pulled a scam on us.

Original Tide 100mL bottle = $5.00/bottle - best price during a sale

New Ultra 2X 50mL bottle = $5.50/bottle - best sales price

Original Tide = same concentration of 2X Ultra Tide

2 Ultra 2x (2 x $5.50 = $11.00) = 1 bottle original Tide = $5.00

I don't know about you - but I'm feeling cheated - and have decided to switch to a generic laundry detergent now.

Yes - you are right - I don't know for a fact that this was the intention - but - even the rumor of this has upset me enough not to continue to use this product.

Is there anyone out there that confirm this - or shed any light on this?

Looks like in this crisis economy other marketeer's are doing the same thing. Check out the sizes of the coffee you buy. They've downsized the cans and are charging the same or higher prices than before.

How far will these marketeer's go.

Check out plastic containers of candy or cookies that you can buy as some places like Trader Joe's. On the surface when you look at the container - it looks full with candy or cookies. Turn the container over and you will see that they have in fact molded into the container from the bottom - dead spaces. So you think you are getting the same amount of product that you previously purchased - but because of the dead space - less product is actually in the container.

As a good shopper - you really have to be on the ball now - when you go to the supermarket - because there are all kinds of devious ways being used to have you pay more for less.

[panader0]

1. Not just Tide

Everything is that way now. Smaller quantities, higher prices. Cereal, chips, soaps, everything.

[Left Coast2020]

53. I heard a similar "consumer" story the other day on NPR...

they were talking about the bottom of jars of peanut butter, or mayo have a "caved in" look on the bottom. Two-onces less of the product for the same price. Just look at PB or mayo, or other jars in your kitchen or at the store. Marketing.

[JanMichael]

2. Haven't bought that toxic, chemical filled garbage for years:

try this instead-- one tablespoon of the powder is required for one full load. A bag lasts us for over six months (we have no children)-

http://www.charliesoap.com/products.asp

[smiley]

10. thanks for the link

I hate buying laudry soap and the quantities I need to use to get the job done. Hopefully Charlies does the trick for me and I'll never have to look at the laundry soap aisle ever again!

[JanMichael]

12. We bought one bag and were complete skeptics

I fully expected to have to rewash that first load--

Oh, another bennie: we haven't used softening cloths for years either-- you won't need them with this stuff-- kid you not!

[LaydeeBug]

48. I always wondered about the "he" detergent...

I have a front loading washing machine, and have always wondered what's so different from the two supposed formulas.

[yy4me]

62. I agree, its good stuff and one of the best things for me, I don't

have an allergic reaction to Charlie's. When I first bought it directly from them, I thought this little bag is going to last a week. Wrong. It lasts months. Use a level scoop they supply. Not too many suds but this is laundry, not show and tell. Its great stuff. Never use fabric softener either.

[CrispyQ]

19. Thanks! I'll be purchasing some of that!

:thumbsup:

[StarryNite]

31. Count me in for a bag.

Seriously, it sounds like great stuff and well worth trying. And never use fabric softeners, either liquid or dryer sheets! They are one of the most toxic things that people bring into their homes on a regular basis.

[AyanEva]

34. Wish we didn't have a shared laundry room

I'd LOVE to use that stuff but I just read it and got all excited but then noticed that you have clear the washer of any old detergent. Not possible when there are fourteen other people using the same laundry facilities. :( Damn. I'm going to hold on to this link though, just in case.

[JanMichael]

41. We have a shared laundry room in our condo complex

use it anyway-- seriously, this stuff works as advertised! We love it!

[AyanEva]

58. Awesome!

[defendandprotect]

42. ...and does it actually get clothes clean? How about sweaty clothing?

Hot or cold water works OK?

[JanMichael]

51. yep

gym clothes. Really nasty gym clothes. Hot or cold. (but, we usually wash on warm)

[defendandprotect]

54. Thank you -- !!!

[GinaMaria]

64. and it's made in the USA

Thanks for sharing that link.

[JanMichael]

67. Right here in NC as a matter of fact!

We try to buy every product we can from cottage industries. We buy homemade soap, shampoo, and this-- and are always looking for others. (we are not wealthy at all-- probably extremely lower middle class, btw-- this stuff is not "luxury" by any means)

[DeschutesRiver]

68. Just installed a new small front loader, and was looking online re what soap to use

when I came across this thread here, of all places. Didn't expect to find my answer here!

Many thanks for that link - I am going to give charlies a try.

[lonestarnot]

70. What else is available for those front loading foamers if not tide (H E washer)?

[L0oniX]

3. Clearly ...the Tide has turned.

[JDPriestly]

4. It's called inflation.

We went grocery shopping yesterday. Prices are way up, and yet the economists claim we are suffering from deflation. Another lie. Another scam.

[MineralMan]

5. Well...you've "heard" that the concentrations are the same.

Have you tested it? I have. I use Tide Original Scent for doing my laundry. When they introduced the new version, I bought a bottle. I measured out 10 ml of each into a container and weighed them. The new version was heavier.

Then, I put 10 ml of one and 5ml of the other in identical 1 gallon plastic bottles, each half full of water, and shook the bottles vigorously. Both had an identical level of suds.

We all "hear" things. Going off on a rant after "hearing" something is usually a bad idea. It's better to find out the facts.

[smiley]

13. Is your conclusion that it is more cost effective to buy the concentrated soap?

Or is it your conclusion that people shouldn't rant off the cuff about anything until they have done their own research?

Seems to me that the poster's rant will persuade people to do just what you have done in your own research.... Find out for themselves.

[MineralMan]

14. No, it's not more cost-effective to buy the concentrated

detergent. It saves some storage space and there's less plastic in the bottle to be recycled. What it is not is an intentional fraud on the part of the manufacturer, as far as I can tell. They say it's concentrated. It is.

And yes, my conclusion is that ranting without facts is not productive of much.

By the way, did you hear that Obama's giving $7 trillion dollars to Internet 2, so you'll only have 1200 sites you can visit?

I heard that. I did not post a rant about it. Why do you think I didn't?

[smiley]

43. I'm guess it's because you didn't feel the need to.

Obviously it wasn't something you wanted to get off your chest or even conjecture about.

Thanks for your conclusion on the cost effectiveness of the concentrated soap.

:-)

[Donnachaidh]

6. I'd been using Tide for years -- UNTIL this newest *mix*

They've also added a scent that is industrial strength. So bad, in fact, that it sets off allergies for myself and other family members. We switched to an organic brand through Whole Foods. I look at it this way - I'd rather use something expensive that is better for the environment than knowingly get screwed by a company that lies to it's customers (ala this *new* formulation), and adds ingredients that can be detrimental to my family.

[Mz Pip]

9. I can't stand scented detergents

Some of the 'fragrances' make me queasy. I've been buying Costco brand (Kirkland) unscented and it works fine and lasts a long time. I think it's similar to All "Free".

[Pab Sungenis]

7. What they don't want you to know

is that we use a lot more detergent than we actually need to here in America. The "measuring cups" they give us with our detergents are designed to waste the product and make us buy more.

Odds are that, if you've got hard water in your area, you can cut your detergent use by 50% and you still won't see an appreciable difference in cleanliness. If you have soft water, try using only a quarter of what they recommend. A little goes a long way.

Also, forget Tide and all of its ilk. Switch to the store brands. Just as effective, much lower cost.

[Festivito]

17. They kept increasing the size of the caps. I kept the old ones.

And still don't use an entire capful. At least they were nice enough to let the old caps fit the new bottles.

But, now they've made smaller caps with the ultra line. Bought one, haven't used it yet. Still using my 1970's washer and dryer.

[annabanana]

32. ding ding ding on the caps...

I must be working on 10 year old caps by now..lol

[Contrary1]

8. Last1standing posted this recipe for home made detergent several months ago.

I have passed it along to my adult children, and several friends. Everyone loves it. It costs pennies on the dollar to make compared to anything you can buy at the store.

3 Pints Water
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
Cold Water

Dissolve Fels Naptha in 3 pints of water over low heat. Add washing soda & Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 Gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with cold water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3502520

[enlightenment]

16. I've been using this recipe for months; adding about

12-15 drops of lavender essential oil with the cold water.

A 1/2 cup of vinegar in a "downy ball" for the final rinse - it also cuts the residual soap build-up.

Bought a couple of those dryer balls they advertise on TV - the blue plastic hedgehog looking things . . .

it all works incredibly well, for a fraction of the cost.

[DeschutesRiver]

69. Thanks to you and the previous poster for those recipes/tips

I had the fels naptha, washing soda and borax here because I'd meant to try it, but hadn't done so. Because of this thread, I just did.

Tried one version of the powdered type - 1 bar fels naptha, 1/2 cup washing soda, 1/2 cup borax and crushed some lavender that I had harvested last summer and stored in canning jars in my freezer. Put in a load of kitchen towels (going to try the vinegar rinse next time!). I've been making a lot of things from scratch in the last couple of years, and this soap gave me yet another one of those "wow" moments that occur to me when I make something from scratch that turns out better and far cheaper than the store bought version.

This smells good! This cleans better than what I'd been using! This is not expensive either! And I FINALLY have a use for that lavender!!! (I'd plant lavendar anyway, because I am addicted to the smell and looks of it, but finally am making it useful).

This worked so well I'd be stupid to ever buy laundry soap again.

[zagging]

45. I took this. I'm going to try it next week.

If I blow up the block, remember me.

[Contrary1]

50. Nah, all that happens is that your house will smell nice when you're cooking it.

A helpful hint, if you or someone you know has cats and buys litter in a bucket. I found it much easier to make a mark on the outside of the bucket at the 2 gallon level with a marker. That way there's less measuring, and you'll have a lid.

Also, you will need to shake it before adding to your washer. There are no coagulants to keep it from clumping up a bit.

[zagging]

56. The stars have aligned.

My fiance has a miserable, hissing, spiitting, couch stealing, lazy, plant eating waste of space called a cat.

Anyways, my fiance was going to throw a 40lb kitty litter bucket into recycling, as usual. I told her to hang on to it and I would find a use for it in her utility room. When I saw this detergent recipe that bucket popped into my head. So the question is, did the cat truly serve a purpose?

[Zomby Woof]

11. Try this brand

http://www.ecos.com/pages/ecosliquid.html



It's a staple in our laundry supplies.

[defendandprotect]

39. You only use one ounce, evidently . . . looks good . . .

[beac]

49. And it gets the second highest rating from the Good Guide:

http://www.goodguide.com/browse/184448-laundry/top


Tide... not so much. It receives a scary ZERO on "Health Performance":

http://www.goodguide.com/products/172535-tide-ultra-detergent

[stevedeshazer]

15. We never buy detergent in petrochemical plastic bottles, regardless of brand

Unless you're a careful recycler, the bottles end up in a landfill, on a beach, or floating in the North Pacific Gyre.



http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/great_pacific_garbage_patch.php

[defendandprotect]

40. What are you buying and using???

[stevedeshazer]

60. Whatever generic brand comes in bulk in a cardboard box.

:)

[JCMach1]

18. We use this Australian eco-friendly stuff

concentrated and comes in liquid form... Works great...! If we want the 'smell' we add a small amount of fabric softener.

[AlCzervik]

20. i use Tide HE and i use about half what they recommend. I have a Bosch front loader

and when i used what the bottle read it foamed up too ,much so i cut it in half and it works fine. I also do the same with my Bosch dishwasher, i use abut what the box recommends and everything comes out clean. Needless to say i use way less det and water.

[JerseygirlCT]

36. A few years ago, we had a repairman in for the (old) washer, and

that's just what he suggested. He filled it with just water, and showed us how much foam was being created - leftover detergent. Said it was making our clothes gray and wasting detergent to boot. Half is more than enough, in his opinion. So I do the same as you - half what they say - if that.

[carlyhippy]

21. I have found that the Purex concentrate is just as good

and it's alot cheaper.

[Lars39]

30. I bought some Purex free and clear at Big Lots a few days ago....$3.30.

Most every other brand the same size is running between 5 and 7 dollars. :hi:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

52. I'm a Purex girl!

the clothes seem to smell better especially my grandson's stinky socks! I'd like to be more green but the green detergents don't seem to clean well and more expensive. I line dry though.

[Lars39]

55. I'm not loyal to any one brand, but it does have to be free of dyes,etc...

we've got sensitive skin.:D

[tn_eagle]

59. Big Lots is great ...

...and I shop there frequently. For liquid laundry detergent I use the generic "Astra" brand from Aldi. It says "compare to Purex" right on the label and works just as well for me. I used Purex for years before there was an Aldi here. Anyway, the last time I bought "Astra" I think that the 100 oz (3.12 qt) 2.95 liter bottle was only $2.49.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

61. yes we have an Aldi around here - Astra is fine too

Aldi is a German firm. It is inexpensive especially for basics. Their tortilla are only about 80 cents for a pack of 10.

[Sheltiemama]

22. I'm allergic to Tide.

I am, my father is, my mother's father was. Just thinking about it makes me itch.

[TNDemo]

23. Make your own.

Cheap and you never have anything to throw away (until you finally recycle your one well used bucket).

[niyad]

24. this kind of crap has been going on for years with all sorts of products. I haven't used tide

since I had a house with a septic system--and the first instructions with the system were "NEVER use tide"

[no limit]

25. I see DU takes its laundry detergent very seriously.

[DCKit]

29. Fooled you. It's really a sex thread in disguise. n/t

[tabbycat31]

26. the other brands are smaller too

I read somewhere last year that all of the laundry detergent brands are going to a concentrated form and using smaller bottles. I've noticed it across the board, even the store brands followed.

[Thickasabrick]

27. I'm sorry - I cannot live without my Tide. Everything else smells

like crap and I have to re-wash again....in Tide to make it smell right.

[Triana]

28. P & G sucks - they test on animals too

f*ck them.

[IGotAName]

33. If you can use half as much and get your clothes just as clean, they're not

jivin' you.

[JerseygirlCT]

35. That's happening with all sorts of things. With detergent though

you can usually use much less than the "suggested amount". It's sort of like how shampoo bottles always tell you to "repeat". No need, just a way to get you to use more shampoo.

[Liberal_in_LA]

37. Doesn't it cost more to manufacturer 2 small bottles than 1 large bottle.

More plastic in two 1/2 size bottles than 1 full size bottles.

[defendandprotect]

38. Check out the prices on the ever shrinking toilet paper and my toothpaste is now $6.00!!!

[cherish44]

44. I find I can get away with using half the amount that the box says to use for a load

Granted my laundry isn't full of really sweaty, oily, dirty stuff. I'm actually someone who will "gasp" wear things two, three times before I wash them. I remember someone telling a story about how when he was in Europe people would wear the same clothes for a week at a time. Well some people were just aghast! Didn't they smell????? Well, no, not that he noticed... Americans are a little uptight about some things for sure.

[GeorgeGist]

46. The most obvious they make you pay more for less ...

is called PROFIT.

[RagAss]

47. Pepsi did the same thing 12 pack to the 8 pack !

[demokatgurrl]

57. Although I must admit I don't fully understand the different

prices and the math... I do know
1) all detergents now are pushing the "HE" detergent for high efficiency washing machines. They are supposedly low suds, but also cost a lot more because you use a lot less in those machines, so they companies are trying to make the money back. To beat this, simply buy regular detergent and use a lot less, maybe half, in the high efficiency machine. In general, in fact, use LESS than the amount recommended by the detergent manufacturer. I started doing that because I felt my clothes were itchy due to soap residue, and also in the rinse water there was a ton of suds. Now I don't have the itching problem or the suds.

2) When buying ANY product, compare prices based on the weight or volume noted on the package, not how the stuff looks in the container. It's easy to deceive customers by the shape of a container, and also, the larger size is NOT always a better buy. If the store has a sticker on the shelf that shows the price per ounce or some other unit, that's the best way to compare. And a lot of stores have stopped doing that so if you really want to shop by price, maybe taking a calculator is a good idea.

[IDemo]

63. This looks like a very promising site ->

http://www.makeyourown.net/

[Taverner]

65. Absolutely. And in no way is it concentrated

I tried it. Nope - same strength, although it has a darker blue dye in it

As for me, Generic Detergent works fine

The eco stuff is actually WORSE for the environment, by the way, since you end up washing your clothes twice (unless you don't mind the smell of stale body odor - not me, I gave up being a deadhead years ago)

[hootinholler]

66. How do you know the 2x or 3x is not concentrated?

How did you measure it? Where's your data from?

-Hoot