The detergent business was further revolutionized with the discovery of the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which, when combined with the use of chemical "builders", made machine washing with hard water possible. [6] This presented Procter and Gamble with the opportunity to create a product such as Tide. Choosing between pods, powder, gel or liquid to get the best results is a decisive topic split by skin type, budget and personal preference, but at the heart of it all is a universal want to have clothes that are cleaner than clean and make us feel good. After all, it is one of life’s daily essentials, and with energy prices rising, no one wants to run multiple cycles trying to lift the stubborn stains of tomato soup from baby grows or grass stains from a school P.E. kit. So, how do you choose between those that’ll have you slipping between clean, scented bed sheets and those that’ll discolour clothing and irritate skin?

Of course this is an off shoot of liquid, gel and other fluid detergent formats displacing powders. It is not easy to combine oxygen bleach with such detergents (especially if they contain enzymes). This is the other reason you've seen P&G, Henkel and others launch and promote various booster products for the wash. Now you know all about the major brand and supermarket brand washing powders on the market, you might have a few questions which have been thrown up by some of the words we have used. For instance, what is the difference between biological and non-biological? Bio vs. non-bio washing powderThe Development of Tide Synthetic Detergent". National Historic Chemical Landmarks. American Chemical Society. Archived from the original on January 3, 2021 . Retrieved January 18, 2018. Under the 2010 Detergents Enforcement Regulations (as amended), enforcement officers (trading standards officers) from the constituent councils in Great Britain can issue enforcement notices if there is a breach of the Detergents Regulation, setting out the action that needs to be taken and the time period in which the problem should be rectified. With such huge selection of laundry detergent available, it’s not always obvious which is best for your needs. Here are some things to consider when buying a quality laundry detergent: But P&G already stopped using phosphates in laundry detergent sold across the US in the early 1990s as part of a voluntary commitment from the American Cleaning Institute, an industry group of which the company is a member. It also removed phosphates from its detergents sold in the Europe several years ago. If Pocter & Gamble’s goal was to help customers make an accurate measurement, the scoop would be tall and narrow. If their goal was to sell more detergent, the scoop would be short and wide. Guess which they chose?

Leu, Chelsea (May 27, 2016). "Here's What's Inside Those Magical Stain-Erasing Pens". Wired . Retrieved January 18, 2018. The Clorox Company Puerto Rico, Plaintiff, Appellant, v. The Procter & Gamble Commercial Company, Defendant, Appellee (Court case). United States Court of Appeals, For the First Circuit. October 3, 2000 . Retrieved January 18, 2018– via FindLaw.It’s also worth remembering that if you’re doing a half-load of laundry, you need to use half the amount of powder than normal. For these reasons, some people choose to keep both washing powder and washing detergent in their homes, to suit different laundry requirements.