Improving our detergent index

This year, our detergent index underwent a much-needed cleanup.

Over the past 10 years, we’ve used different testing methods with various testers, and we didn’t always consider factors like water hardness or how dirty the laundry actually was. That led to some inconsistencies in recommended dosages and minimum wash temperatures.

In some cases, we had listed every single variant of a product. In others, we had only included one specific version. That meant dosing advice could vary by 25% or more within the same product line. This made it seem like they were totally different formulations. In reality, it had been more about differences in how we tested them, not what was in the box.

It’s all banana bread

Many detergent brands have huge product lines, but underneath, they’re often using the same base formulation with minor tweaks, such as with the scent or enzyme levels. It is much easier (and cheaper) for companies to change the fragrance than to swap out raw ingredients.

Think of it like banana bread: you might add walnuts or chocolate chips, but it’s still banana bread at its core.

Sensitive or enzyme-free varieties are a bit different. They’re more like swapping sugar for honey in this banana bread analogy. It’s still kind of the same, but it behaves differently. Where a detergent’s underlying formulation differs in a way that significantly affects performance, we still differentiate them.

What’s changed for our detergent index

We’ve consolidated listings, removed duplicates and cleaned up discontinued products. Where different versions had the same base formulation, we merged them into one listing. And when dosages differed for no good reason, we standardised them to keep things consistent.

To make it clearer when a listing covered multiple versions of a product, we’ve appended ‘(all varieties)’ to the end of the title.

This cleanup project is now complete. 🙌 As a bonus, we moved our global detergent index to the prime position on the website. This makes it easier for our international audience to find detergents.

Finding the right detergent dose for your laundry

Of course, our dosing advice is just a starting point. If your laundry is still coming out stained or not quite clean, it’s a sign you might need to tweak your wash settings.

Want to help out or spot something we’ve missed? Reach out to us on Facebook, we’d love your input!