4 ms·

A brand of laundry detergent I use recently decreased the size of its 36oz bottle to 28oz. The kicker, however, is the approximate number of loads listed on the

A brand of laundry detergent I use recently decreased the size of its 36oz bottle to 28oz. The kicker, however, is the approximate number of loads listed on the bottle changed from 27… to 28. The instructions on the back now recommend filling the cap to a lower bar for “medium” loads. I’ve been meaning to write to the manufacturer to ask if they’ve quietly changed their formulation to something more concentrated, though I have a pretty good idea of the canned response I'd receive.

Ylpertnodi 3y ago
Why keep it a secret? Name and shame.
- mortenjorck 3y ago
  It's Arm & Hammer, though I presume the branding is a more or less interchangeable packaging detail from the other detergent brands produced by CPG giant Church & Dwight.
- whymauri 3y ago
  At this point it feels like most brands are ripping me off; I'd be more interested in finding out which ones aren't, lol. Edit: this is what Carrefour is doing to an extent, but we don't have them in the US.
Symbiote 3y ago
I doubt they've have done this quietly, as it gives the opportunity for some greenwashing. "More concentrated, so less CO₂ used in transport!"
- Dylan16807 3y ago
  If it's true, and has no downside, then it's not greenwashing.
secretsatan 3y ago
I recently discovered detergents and powders regularly overstate how much is required for a wash, and it even leads to worse results, I'm normally sceptical (or just ignorant) of such articles but I halved how much I used and it seemed to be pretty much true for day to day washing (Don't know about massively dirty clothes, but talking weekly wash here) https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/stop-using-so-much-laundry-detergent/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/stop-using-so-much-l...
- malfist 3y ago
  I learned this a long time ago when talking with some of my appliance repair friends. Lots of washers break because they're gummed up with excess soap. I've been running my loads at 1/4 or less of the soap recommended by the manufacturer for years and years and I've never had any issues out of my washer, mechanical or clean wise. Once or twice a year, something will need a second wash or spot treatment, but otherwise everything is pristine.
- orev 3y ago
  Not to defend the recommendation as they clearly have an interest in trying to get people to use as much as possible, there is a potentially valid reason for this, which is that it depends on the type of water you have. Water from a municipal supply is generally well-treated and usually soft, in which case you can get by using less detergent. However with hard water (often sourced from wells), more detergent is needed to get the same cleaning effect. Maybe they could try to explain this, or maybe they just ignore it for the sake of simplicity (of the instructions on the bottle), and the increased sales is just a nice side effect.
marcosdumay 3y ago
Well, you shouldn't be using the recommended amount anyway. It is probably closer to reality now, but still way more than you should use. Personally, I use a bit less than 1/3 of the recommended amount of the laundry detergent I buy. It's plenty, and maybe it is still too much.

Ylpertnodi 3y ago

Why keep it a secret? Name and shame.

mortenjorck 3y ago
It's Arm & Hammer, though I presume the branding is a more or less interchangeable packaging detail from the other detergent brands produced by CPG giant Church & Dwight.
whymauri 3y ago
At this point it feels like most brands are ripping me off; I'd be more interested in finding out which ones aren't, lol. Edit: this is what Carrefour is doing to an extent, but we don't have them in the US.

Symbiote 3y ago

I doubt they've have done this quietly, as it gives the opportunity for some greenwashing. "More concentrated, so less CO₂ used in transport!"

Dylan16807 3y ago
If it's true, and has no downside, then it's not greenwashing.

secretsatan 3y ago

I recently discovered detergents and powders regularly overstate how much is required for a wash, and it even leads to worse results, I'm normally sceptical (or just ignorant) of such articles but I halved how much I used and it seemed to be pretty much true for day to day washing (Don't know about massively dirty clothes, but talking weekly wash here) https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/stop-using-so-much-laundry-detergent/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/stop-using-so-much-l...

malfist 3y ago
I learned this a long time ago when talking with some of my appliance repair friends. Lots of washers break because they're gummed up with excess soap. I've been running my loads at 1/4 or less of the soap recommended by the manufacturer for years and years and I've never had any issues out of my washer, mechanical or clean wise. Once or twice a year, something will need a second wash or spot treatment, but otherwise everything is pristine.
orev 3y ago
Not to defend the recommendation as they clearly have an interest in trying to get people to use as much as possible, there is a potentially valid reason for this, which is that it depends on the type of water you have. Water from a municipal supply is generally well-treated and usually soft, in which case you can get by using less detergent. However with hard water (often sourced from wells), more detergent is needed to get the same cleaning effect. Maybe they could try to explain this, or maybe they just ignore it for the sake of simplicity (of the instructions on the bottle), and the increased sales is just a nice side effect.

marcosdumay 3y ago

Well, you shouldn't be using the recommended amount anyway. It is probably closer to reality now, but still way more than you should use. Personally, I use a bit less than 1/3 of the recommended amount of the laundry detergent I buy. It's plenty, and maybe it is still too much.