Here are the results of the NATCP's large-scale test of washing detergents, washing powders, and washing capsules!

The National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection (NATCP) tested a total of 72 products, which helps consumers not only in terms of price but also in comparing product ingredients. Based on the tests, if companies have misleadingly listed ingredients on product labels, official proceedings can be expected.

The NATCP accredited Food and Chemical Laboratory compared 39 liquid detergents for colored fabrics, 14 washing powders for colored fabrics, and 19 laundry capsules based on various criteria. The comparative tests covered, among other things, the content of anionic surfactants, soap-type surfactants, and total salt-free surfactants.

With regard to consumer purchasing decisions, the tests also showed the surfactant content of a recommended dose of detergent, which is important because the surfactant content indicates the proportion of surfactants in the detergent that are actually effective for cleaning, i.e. how much of the detergent actually consists of cleaning components rather than water or other additives.

The higher this value, the more concentrated and stronger the detergent. There is a fairly large variation in this respect among the products tested: for example, in liquid detergents, the total salt-free surfactant content ranges from 3-43 m/m%, in washing powders from 2-13 m/m%, and in washing capsules from 3-82 m/m%, so it is better to choose products with higher numbers in this range.

The tests also looked at how much a wash costs in Hungarian forints for a given product, based on the manufacturer's recommended dosage. Here, too, there is a very wide range. The cost of one wash (in HUF/dose) ranges from 29 to 244 for liquid detergents, from 43 to 198 for washing powders, and from 56 to 324 for laundry capsules. Therefore, when making an informed decision, it is worth considering not only the surfactant content but also the price.

Dr. Lilla Német-Weingartner, head of the NATCP, said that "the tables for the three product categories are available on the authority's website at www.nkfh.gov.hu. Our authority will continue to provide every assistance to consumers in order to enable them to make informed, considered and comparable decisions."

However, the tests were not only used for comparison purposes, but also covered potentially misleading information. If the measured test parameters did not correspond to those indicated on the label, official proceedings were initiated against the distributors.