Laundry performance: Effect of detergent and additives on consumer satisfaction

To identify key features in the perception of consumer satisfaction of washing performance, a survey among detergent users from five European countries was run. Respondents from each country were volunteers recruited through the Internet without previous selection criteria. The size of the sample (over 4,000 participants) and the wide geographical distribution of the respondents delivered a large set of data. According to the collected answers, respondents show a significant degree of satisfaction with the detergents they use, regardless of type and country. They were only dissatisfied by tough stains and exceptional problems with their wash loads. Detergent additives are widely used but the use and type of laundry additive showed significant differences from country to country. Respondents understood the usefulness of stain removers and showed a high degree of satisfaction using them. Damages to textiles, when it occurs, are not usually associated with the quality of the detergent used but with other factors in the washing process.