With a plethora of products flooding the Indian market, each claiming to be the best, the consumer is perpetually at a loss. Ill-equipped to choose a product on their own, consumers are forced to rely on television commercials and product labels where most manufacturers tend to make tall claims. The taller the claims, the greater the expectation and perhaps greater the disappointment. In an attempt to examine the reality of these products’ claims and their subsequent performance, Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), Ahmedabad, conducted tests on stain removers and detergents to reveal the real story.

Stain remover for clothes

Surf Excel Quickwash: The manufacturers claim in their TV commercials (TVCs) that the use of the product helps remove stains from clothes. They also claim that “if stains help you in your life, they are good”. The ad implies that all types of stains can be removed easily by using Surf Excel Quickwash.

When CERS tested Surf Excel for these claims, it found that it removed tea and pickle stains but failed to remove mud stains. So don’t go for this product based on what is implied in the advertisement.

Vanish Shakti -2: The manufacturers claim in their TVCs and their product label that the product removes tough stains, even dried ones, and that it also removes grease stains from clothes.

CERS’s test showed that Vanish failed to remove pickle and tea stains from clothes. However, it did remove grease stains completely. Incidentally, Vanish has to be added to the detergent. So, remember, the cost doubles.

Testing method

To create stains, CERS dropped one teaspoon of pickle and tea in the middle of separate pieces of cotton cloth. For mud stains, a small quantity of wet garden soil was rubbed on another cotton cloth piece. The stained cloth was then washed as per the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

General stain remover

Easy off Bang: The product claims to remove oil and grease stains. The TVC also claims that the product “powerfully cleans grease oil and other stains around your house, for example, kitchen slabs, gas burners, tiles, vessels and frying pans, kitchen cabinets, stainless steel sinks, exhaust fans, appliances like ovens, toasters, refrigerators and vehicles”. Easy off Bang says for its new green-top bottle, “just spray, keep for some time and mael gayab”.

When CERS tested Easy off Bang, it couldn’t remove rust stains from the floor, ink stains from the chair seat, grease from a frying pan, grease from the kitchen slab, oil from the frying pan and burnt food stains from a stainless steel bowl.

Testing method

Rust stains were identified in the laboratory. Ink stains were created by a pen on the rexine seat of a chair. Easy off Bang was sprayed, as instructed, directly on areas with these stains. After a minute, the stains were wiped off with a cloth. The area was rinsed with water and wiped again with a damp cloth. For vessels and frying pan surface tests, the stains were created in the same manner as was done for testing dishwash liquids. In line with the instructions on the label, after the utensils cooled, Easy off Bang was sprayed directly on the stain, left for half an hour and then cleaned with regular cleaning agents and water.

Utensil cleaners

Vim Drop Dishwash Liquid: The TV ad mentions that a drop of Vim liquid removes heavy grease easily. It also shows in a subtle way that using Vim would mean less scrubbing and hence less work.

Vim, when tested at the CERS lab, could not remove grease stains from frying pans and burnt food stains from stainless steel bowls. However, one drop of Vim was sufficient to remove oil stains from the frying pan.

New Pril Utensil Cleaner Concentrate: The TVC and the label claim that the product is tough on grease. Other print ads of the product claim that it can remove any type of stain, even burnt ones; it is soft on your hands and improves the shine of the utensils; it will not allow the grease to last on the utensil; it’s a concentrate (without water); has a nice fragrance — and all of this at a reasonable price. All this thanks to the mixture of the lime and vinegar.

The tests revealed that Pril could remove only oil stains from frying pans. It couldn’t remove grease stains from frying pans and burnt food stains from stainless steel bowls.

Testing method

To test the product claims, CERS created the stains. After frying, the cooking (cotton seed) oil remains on the surface of the frying pan. CERS used these pans. A grease-like mass that sticks to the frying pan was created by excess heating of the vegetables in cooking oil. CERS burnt oily food material by dry heating it without stirring, allowed it to stick to the surface of the stainless bowl. Thus were created oil, grease and “burnt-food” stains.

Conclusion

After the tests, CERS concluded that many of the claims made by the manufacturers about their products are tall and the products don’t perform as claimed. The stain removal actually depends on the fabric, the type of stain, the extent of the penetration of the stain into the fibrils of the cloth and on how long the stain is left untreated. So don’t get carried away by the claims. No detergent or stain remover can perform any magic.

Manufacturers’ response

As a policy, CERS conveys the test results to all manufacturers, irrespective of whether their brands have passed or failed. The results are posted to their registered offices by registered A.D. or courier. All manufacturers receive the results of their own product only and are given two weeks from the date of receipt to respond.

Henkel Ltd.: The manufacturers of Pril Liquid Dishwash informed that Pril was one of their flagship brands and had gone through stringent quality tests at various levels. Product tests are also conducted both internally and through external agencies.

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL): The manufacturers of Surf Excel Quickwash, said, “The general consumer practice and immediate reaction when a pickle or tea is dropped on cloth, is to wash the affected portion with water and then the residual stain is treated with a detergent paste. Secondly, it is common knowledge that stained portions are normally washed with more concentrated detergent solutions and soaked for a longer time than normal. The stained portion is then vigorously rubbed during the wash, rinsed and sun-dried.”

Insight

If these are the common practices to remove stains, they should be specifically mentioned in the advertisement. Just saying daag acche hain doesn’t tell the consumer the procedure to be followed prior to using Surf Excel or during and after the use of the product. Further, the label of the product should give the washing instructions clearly. The manufacturers of Vanish Shakti -2, Easy off Bang and Vim Drop Liquid didn’t respond till the time of going to press.

For more information write to cerc@cercindia.org