Laundry detergent caps are designed to waste so you buy more detergent, say experts

Toronto Sun ^ | March 29, 2016 | Washington Post, Postmedia Network

[rickmichaels]

There's a reason those little lines on laundry detergent caps are vague and hard to read. It's so you pour more than you need to. And it apparently accounts for a huge part of the industry's profits.

Without perfect lighting conditions and sharp vision, the faint markings that blend in with the plastic cups have left many consumers squinting. And the related instructions are often vague. As a result, consumers are left to over-pour, and that's just what the flawed creators are counting on, say industry watchers.

[Graybeard58]

I do miss the consumer advocates who used to alert the public of such malfeasance.

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“Consumer Reports” still does a fair job of it.

[betsyross60]

I dilute my liquid detergent by 40%, using water. So, I actually use a mixture of 60/40 and it gets our clothes clean just fine.

[Mears]

I dilute also-—and I do most laundry in cold water.

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[discostu]

You don’t need to be an expert, just look at it. Most people just fill caps and scoops, but if you actually look at the lines they declare 1 load worth is usually about 1/4 scoop/lid. And the REAL punchline even that is usually too much, use about 1/2 of that and everything comes out clean. Too much soap doesn’t just waste soap, it’s hard on the clothes too.