April 25, 1997
Prepared for Ms. Dacyszan
by Lisa Stinson and Mike McCarthy
Our products are the different brands of detergent. All of the packaging for the detergent may be produced from recycled paper. These are the messages on the boxes:
Tide
On the side of the Tide box, there are instructions on how to sort
your clothes, what water temperature to use, how much detergent to
use, and what to do if the clothes are extra dirty, if they have
tough stains, or if you are adding bleach. On the front, it shows the
name, size in liters of the box, that it is phosphate free, and a
slogan--Tides In...Dirt's Out. The following is a label about
environmental awareness, found on the box.
- Box made from 100%
Recycled Paper
- No phosphate is added
Trace amounts may be present due to normal manufacturing
conditions.
- Surfactants are
biodegradable Determined
in accordance with O.E.C.D. test no. 201b or equivalent.
- We're doing out part
for the environment -- not every box you buy from now on will have a
scoop so please remember to keep your old scoop.
ABC
On the side of the ABC
box, it tells how to sort your laundry, how to select water
temperature, how much detergent to use, instructions on adding
clothes, what to do if there is a tough stain, and what to do if you
are using bleach. The only other information on the side of the box,
is what to do in case it is swallowed. On the front, it shows the
name, the size in liters, and the slogan--Why pay more? On the top,
it shows that the box is made from 100% recycled paper.
Cheer
On the side of the box it shows how to sort your laundry, how to
select water temperature and to measure and add detergent to water
before placing clothes in the machine. On the front of the box it
shows the Cheer slogan--Fuzz Goes...Color Stays--and how many liters
are in the box and that it is phosphate free. The following is a
label about environmental awareness:
- The carton is designed
to reduce packaging solid waste in the environment.
- Box made from 100% recycled paper.
- Scoop made from 100% recycled plastic
- No phosphate is added
Trace amounts may be present due to normal manufacturing
conditions.
- Surfactants are
biodegradable Determined
in accordance with O.E.C.D. test no. 201b or equivalent.
- We're doing out part
for the environment -- not every box you buy from now on will have a
scoop so please remember to keep your old scoop.
The characteristics of the product related to the function is the cleaning capability of soap based on the stain type. The characteristics of a good laundry detergent would be: good stain fighting capability, colorfastness, fuzz prevention (cotton compatible), and is environmentally friendly. The function of a laundry detergent is to clean material that is soiled. Our test is specifically designed to compare the characteristics with the function.
Trouble spots in the packaging of our product would be that the box could tear, rip, or get crumpled; the scoop handle could break off; the carrying handle could fall off while you are carrying it, leaving a large mess; and/or the cord in which you use to open the box may fail. Trouble spots in the actual product--the laundry detergent--could be that it doesn't live up to its expectations. Trouble spots in the packaging could be solved by using a sturdier cardboard, or another material. The detergent itself could be improved by using a more concentrated formula.
All of the brands we tested are environmentally friendly. They are all made up of 100% recycled paper. Cheer and Tide both claim to have no phosphate, but ABC does not. Cheer and Tide also don't put a scoop in every box, to cut down on plastic use. Cheer's scoops, when they are in the box, are 100% recycled plastic, whereas, Tide and ABC make no such claim. Cheer and Tide both have a label saying that the surfacants are biodegradable; ABC has no such label. The material in our product is recycled paper, plastic (in which only one brand is it 100% recycled), and the soap itself. The cardboard and plastic may be recycled wherever facilities exist. The only safety concerns would be that it is harmful if swallowed, and an eye irritant.
Each test was preformed on a 23cm by 23cm sheet of pale blue cotton that had a five-milliliter stain of mustard, a five milliliter stain of mud, and a 6cm by 4cm stain of red and green nonpermanent highlighter markers. Each test was done in a washing machine on a low amount of water with warm water for the wash cycle, cold for the rinse. The cycle was set to gentle for eight minutes with cup/80mL of the detergent. We used three brands of detergent--ABC, Tide, and Cheer. After washing, rinsing, and spinning--all on gentle cycle--they were put in the dryer for fifteen minutes on medium heat.
ABC did not do a good job, only getting out most of the mustard, but barely any of the mud or marker. ABC would be a good choice of detergent if you are on a tight budget and/or you rarely get stains on your clothes.
Tide did a very good job, getting most of the mustard, marker and mud out. Tide is our best pick, for it is the best value for your money, and does a more than acceptable job.
Cheer got out all of the mustard stain, and most of the marker and mud stain. It was slightlybetter that Tide, but is not a good deal money-wise. Cheer is a good pick if price is not a concern and if you have many tough stains to get out.
ABC
Tide
Cheer
Amount of soap
12L -or- 3.7kg
12L -or- 3.7kg
4L -or- 1.8kg
Price of box
$3.99
$7.35
$9.49
Price per liter
$0.33
$0.61
$2.37
Price per load
$0.11
$0.15
$0.45
Price per box was calculated by adding current value with the value when purchased and averaged. Price per liter was found by dividing the price of the box by the amount of liters. ABC had 36 loads per box, Tide had 49, and Cheer had 21--these are based on instructions for measuring found on the box. The total cost was divided by the number of loads per box to get the price per load. (These costs are in Canadian currency)
Questions in general . . .
1. What is the major factor you look for (such as stain fighting capabilities, price, etc.) when purchasing a laundry detergent?
11 - Stain Fighting - 46%
3 - Colorfastness - 13%
5 - Price - 21%
2 - Environmental Concerns - 8%
3 - Fuzz Prevention - 13%
2. Is price a major concern to you?
6 - Yes - 62%
4 - No - 31%
3 - Somewhat - 23%
3. Is the value for your money (getting thirty loads per box compared to twelve, price of each load, etc.) a major concern?
8 - Yes - 62%
4 - Somewhat - 30%
1 - No - 8%
4. Are the environmental concerns (such as is it biodegradable, recycled, etc.) a major factor in your purchase?
6 - Yes - 69%
4 - No - 15%
3 - Somewhat - 15%
5. Which brand of laundry detergent do you purchase most frequently?
8 - Tide - 50%
4 - Cheer - 25%
3 - Sunlight - 19%
Questions based on our findings . . .
6. Which do you believe to be the best value for your money?
13 - Tide - 100%
0 - Cheer - 0%
0 - ABC - 0%0
7. Which do you believe preformed the best?
12 - Cheer - 92%
1 - Tide - 8%
0 - ABC - 0%
8. Which do you think is most environmentally friendly?
13 - Cheer- 87%
2 - Tide - 13%
0 - ABC - 0%
9. Have you ever experienced problems with the trouble spots we listed? If so, please list.
6 - None - 29%
5 - Opening Cord - 24%
4 - Scoop Related - 19%
10. Based on the value for your money, price, stain fighting capabilities, environmental concerns, and trouble spots, which brand would you choose? Why?
11 - Tide - 85%
2 - Cheer - 15%
0 - ABC - 0%
7 - Performance - 35%
5 - Value - 25%
3 - Price - 15%
2 - Tradition - 10%
2 - Environmental Concerns - 10%
1 - Scent - 5%
Based on the general questions, consumers who purchase laundry detergent are buying it for stain fighting performance and price. Since Tide excelled in these categories, it is the main choice by the people surveyed.
With the questions based on our findings, one-hundred percent of the people we surveyed agreed tide has the best value for your money.
Dealing with trouble spots, twenty-nine percent have never experienced any. Of the ones who did, twenty-four percent said it was the opening cord, nineteen-percent had some problem with the scoop, and fourteen percent had the lid or carrying handle fall off. This shows that the manufacturers should pay more attention to the packaging and how it is constructed.
Based on performance (stain fighting, etc.), value for your money, price, tradition, environmental concerns, and scent, eighty-five percent of the surveyed consumers chose Tide as the brand they would choose. When asked why they chose Tide, the main reasons were that of its superior performance, value for your money, and reasonable price. Fifteen-percent said Cheer, and no one chose ABC. We believe these survey results back up our prediction that Tide is the best choice.
Just to letchya know . . . we received 100% on this project . . . *grin* . . .
©1997 Mike McCarthy and Lisa Stinson