KEY FINDINGS

Based on the overall test findings, in the higher-price category Surf Excel is the top performer followed by Henko. In the lower-price category, Ghari and Rin are top performers. The value-for-money brand is 555. Surf Excel and 555 had higher active ingredients. In soil-removal test, most of the brands performed quite well, especially Ghari and 555. Insoluble material was lowest in Surf Excel (34.4 per cent) and highest in Patanjali (73.6 per cent). None of the brands was ISI-marked or eco-marked – none of them declared their grade. Most of the brands had very low quantity of phosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP). None of the brands declared critical ingredients in descending order. None of the brands was marked with ‘best before’/’best results before’ date.