Outsmart Proctor and Gamble (They're betting that you won't...)
September 28 
The "Fill" Line Has To Be Around Here SomewhereHave you ever wondered why the measurement cups for laundry detergent are so impossible to read?
Consider that the outside of your box, carton, or bottle is stamped in bright colors in a giant font. Yet the cup they send you to measure out the high performance serum (or powder) is barely legible.
This is not an accident.
Companies are very, very savvy about their packaging. They spend thousands of dollars testing their packaging with focus groups. No detail is too small--the way the cartons fit into the shipping case, the way the cases stack onto the forklift... there are production engineers and consultants who optimize every step of the operation. Even the slant of the letters on the package is designed to convey a mood and message to the consumer before she ever touches the handle.
So why is the measuring cup so bad? Specifically, why is the "fill line" near the bottom of the cup, and
It shouldn't be this hard. difficult to read? Why is the cup so much bigger than necessary?
Think about it: because the error is always in their favor. The #1 fill line is tough to find. If you add just a 1/4 inch more detergent, that's 33% too much liquid or 40% too much powder. And evidence suggests that Americans use too much detergent most of the time. The #1 fill line is enough for all but the dirtiest loads, even in a full-sized washer.
Too much detergent is bad for your bank balance and bad for the environment. And the manufacturer knows this. The past several years have seen laundry detergents become much more concentrated. This is potentially good environmental policy- why ship more water (as an ingredient in detergent) around the nation? It's true that concentrated products fit more tightly into delivery trucks, which takes diesel-belching vehicles off the road.
But it only works if you don't use 33% to 40% more detergent than necessary. Either way, the company gets "green" press for concentrating their products. So don't let them chuckle all the way to the bank.
Take a sharpie marker and blacken the fill line on the outside of your measurer. Or better yet--substitute an equivalent (like a 1/4 cup measurer--check yours) for the poor one the company gave you. This took me five seconds.
Actually, it really took me 39 years and five seconds, but at least I'm getting smarter.
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Reader Comments (8)
Luckily, I get the HUGE size that comes with a clear cup that I can read much better. But I've been there!
You are SO smart! I have to admit I rarely use the cup that comes with the detergent. I just pour some in and hope for the best. I'm positive that I'm a detergent over-user. Thanks for making me aware.
Thanks Lori & Lisa!
Great post--dish detergent is the same way, and food containers are designed to be easy to pour out in large quantities and difficult to use in small quantities (soy sauce is this way, and the openings on ketchup and salad dressing encourage consumption).
I use Charlie's Soap for laundry now, and it comes with this teeny tiny little scoop, less than a tablespoon's worth. And I only use a third of that in my high-efficiency washer. It took getting used to because it just doesn't seem possible that such a small amount could actually get my clothes clean. But it does.
Sarah, I used to work in marketing at Procter & Gamble, and you are right - this is exactly what Brand Managers spend time on. As I have 2 kinds of Tide, I just checked and Regular (HE) Tide says fill to line 1 but Tide with Bleach Alternative says line 2...and both have a 3 marked! So I'll be taking out my sharpie and marking that #1 line... and use for all. Thanks for the great post (and pics!) -karen
I too use Charlie's soap. <3 it. It cleans stains the others have left behind.
Thanks for your comments! I recently noticed that Method brand laundry detergent (which I have not tried) has a pump. And the instructions say to use "two pumps." Kudos to them--that's a very, very simple mechanism, and one which is clearly not meant to deceive.
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