Four Generations and Counting
Written: Mar 27 '04 (Updated Apr 11 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Clean, fresh-smelling laundry
Cons: Somewhat costly
The Bottom Line: Over four generations and in a number of variations, Tide has been the detergent of choice for the women in my family. Tide HE follows squarely in that tradition.
|
|
|
| DAnneC's Full Review: Tide HE High-Efficiency Laundry Detergent |
For four generations, the women of my family have selected Tide as their laundry detergent. At first, I chose Tide simply because both my mother and grandmother had used it. But by the time I bought my new high-efficiency, front-loading Maytag Neptune, I had no doubt the free sample of Tide HE that came inside the new machine would produce the best results for my laundry
Tide and a Lesson in Family History
Don't misunderstand, Granny didn't always use Tide. A rural woman who mastered many traditional crafts, she often preferred her own "lye soap," which she manufactured from wood ash and animal fat. But when she bothered to use her hard-earned currency to acquire store-bought soap powders, she usually chose Tide. Having failed to learn the secrets of making lye soap, I eventually opted to follow my own mother's path down the aisles of supermarkets toward the bright orange, yellow, and blue packaging of Tide. My own daughters represent the fourth generation.
My Apostasies
Mind you, it's not that I haven't flirted with other detergents. Despite a rich family legacy of laundry lessons learned, there have been occasions when I've experimented with other brands. From time to time, I've been caught up by the lure of a bargain price or a flashy promotion. Such promotions temporarily captured my attention and my dollars because Tide is typically priced higher than the competition. As a young homemaker, I was also enticed by the promises of other detergents that were biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
The cost differential notwithstanding, the women of my family have always gone back to Tide--and so have I. The explanation for this choice lies in a concept I've heard expressed by my British friends as "value for money spent." Tide has consistently left my clothes looking brighter and cleaner than did the competition. And the quantity of soap needed for a clean load of laundry was often smaller. I've learned to make up for much of the cost by buying from warehouse stores and by looking for coupons and discounts. On the whole, Tide still isn't cheap, but it's worth the difference.
As for my environmental concerns, Tide seems to have heard the ruckus from the hinterland. It now uses fully biodegradable cleaning agents, and its other ingredients are compatible with modern waste treatment plant technology. The residues left behind these days consist of naturally occurring salts and the like. I recognize that this latter is ad-speak for a sideways admission by the Tide folks that they have not yet managed to do away with all adverse environmental impacts. Still, their progress in that area is duly noted and appreciated. Tide's use of phosphates is a thing of the past--in the United States and Canada, at least.
Variations
Tide HE is only one of a number of Tide varieties, most of which I've tried at one time or another, though I usually opt for basic Tide, Tide with Bleach, or Tide with Bleach Alternative. The variations include--
~ Tide Powder, the basic "no gimmicks" variety
~ Tide Clean Breeze Powder, "for the fresh scent of laundry line-dried in a clean breeze"
~ Tide Mountain Spring Powder (not even Tide claims this will make your laundry smell like a mountain spring)
~ Tide Free Powder, for the absence of scent
~ Tide with Bleach (also available in the Clean Breeze and Mountain Spring options)
~ Tide with Bleach Alternative (likewise available in the Clean Breeze and Mountain Spring options)
~ Tide Rapid Action Tabs, tablets of compressed Tide powder
~ Tide Rapid Action Tabs with Bleach
~ Tide HE, of course, specially designed for the new high-efficiency washing machines
Liquid varieties are also widely available.
The Mission of Tide HE
The Tide HE sample that came with my new Maytag Neptune represented my first exposure to this particular variation of my old standby. Tide HE is specifically designed to produce good laundry results inside the new high-efficiency, front-loading machines. The qualities that prompted me to purchase the new machine--its use of less water and the relatively gentler tumbling motion of the tub rather than that of the old-fashioned agitator/beater my grandmother knew--present special challenges to laundry detergents.
My use of Tide HE since purchasing the new washer has consistently brought the desired laundry results--if anything my clothes are cleaner and brighter than ever. I think my new Tide will have to share credit for those results with the design of the new washer. Regardless of what credit goes where, however, the combined effect is most desirable.
Miscellaneous Advertising Claims
Tide (an affiliate of Procter & Gamble) claims to help protect clothing from wear damage. As to whether clothes actually do last longer, I wouldn't swear, but it makes sense to me that if clothes are cleaner, they will be less prone to soil-related damage. For its part, the company insists that Tide products are based on its exclusive WearCare™ formula. According to the adverts, Tide WearCare™ strengthens the threads in fabric (cotton in particular), which in turn helps clothes last longer.
Tide also claims that the Quick Dissolving™ aspect of its products will enhance cleaning. As the ads explain, a more soluble detergent will work better to dissolve dirt and stains and leave clothes freer of residues of all kinds--including the detergent itself.
Finally, Tide claims that its product is packaged in cartons utilizing Moisture Guard Protection™ and Snap-Lock Lids™--all designed to keep our powders dry and loose. All this sounds lovely, of course, and I'm satisfied that the folks at Procter & Gamble are sincere in their claims. Still, laundry powder is typically kept in moisture-rich areas. Despite the manufacturer's good intentions, my powders at times collect moisture and clump together (especially in our humid summers). Such is life.
Availability
In the United States, Tide is a popular brand and is widely available. It can virtually always be found in larger stores, often in all or most of its powder and liquid varieties and in a number of sizes. Because of its widespread popularity, Tide (in one variation or another) can often be found in convenience stores, which are notorious for limiting the number of brand options. It is also widely available in Laundromat vending machines.
© DAnneC/BawBaw, updated 2004
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
DAnneC
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: Small Town America
Reviews written: 213
Trusted by: 279 members
About Me:
Loves history, travel, gardens, and words in general
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.