Detergent Performance Testing
Independent detergent performance testing that delivers meaningful answers
d-labs provides specialist performance testing for detergent and cleaning products, helping companies understand how products perform, how they compare with relevant benchmarks and whether observed differences are meaningful.
Testing is designed around the technical and commercial question rather than simply applying a standard method and reporting a set of numbers.
Testing Capabilities
What can d-labs test?
d-labs provides specialist performance testing across detergent and cleaning categories, with test programs designed around the product, market, benchmark and commercial question being investigated.
Laundry Detergents
Performance evaluation across relevant stain sets, wash conditions and product formats, including comparative testing against market benchmarks.
Dishwashing Products
Evaluate the performance of automatic and manual dishwashing products under controlled conditions, including cleaning performance, grease and soil removal, rinsing behaviour and comparative performance against reference or competitor products.
Hard Surface & Cleaning Products
Testing designed around the intended application, soil type, substrate and performance claim for household and specialist cleaning products.
Stability
Assess product stability under controlled storage conditions to identify physical or chemical changes and support shelf-life, formulation and packaging decisions.
Competitor Benchmarking
Independent side-by-side evaluation to understand how a product performs against selected competitors or relevant market leaders.
Claims & Performance Validation
Testing designed to generate evidence around specific performance statements, comparative claims or product positioning.
Our Testing Process
From test question to meaningful result
Effective performance testing starts with the question being asked. d-labs designs each test program around the product, benchmark, market and commercial decision the client needs to make.
01.
Define the question
Clarify what the client needs to know, the products involved, the intended market and the decision the testing needs to support.
02.
Design the test
Select or adapt an appropriate methodology, define controls, benchmarks, sample numbers and test conditions.
03.
Control the conditions
Set relevant variables such as dosage, water hardness, temperature, wash program, soil type and substrate so comparisons are meaningful.
04.
Run replicates
Conduct repeat testing to reduce the influence of random variation and improve confidence in the result.
05.
Analyse the data
Apply appropriate calculations and statistical analysis to determine whether observed differences are meaningful.
06.
Interpret the result
Translate the data into a clear technical conclusion the client can use for development, benchmarking, claims or commercial decisions.
The objective is not simply to generate data — it is to generate evidence that answers the client’s question.
Fit-For-Purpose Testing
The method should answer the question – not define it.
Not every performance question is best answered by applying a standard method without modification. d-labs selects, adapts or develops test approaches according to the product, market, benchmark and decision the client needs to make.
Where an established industry or standard method is appropriate, we can use it. Where it is not, we can modify relevant test conditions or develop a fit-for-purpose protocol designed around the specific performance question.
The aim is always the same: to generate data that is technically sound, commercially relevant and capable of supporting a clear conclusion.
Standard methods
Use established methods where they are appropriate to the product and question.
Adapted methods
Modify relevant conditions such as dosage, water hardness, temperature, substrate or soil set to better represent the intended market or use case.
Bespoke protocols
Design fit-for-purpose testing where no existing method adequately answers the client’s technical or commercial question.
Controlled Test Conditions
Reliable comparisons depend on controlling the variables.
Performance testing is only meaningful when the factors that influence the result are understood and controlled. d-labs designs test programs so products are compared under consistent, relevant and repeatable conditions.
Water Conditions
Control water hardness and other relevant water parameters so testing can reflect the intended market or use conditions.
Temperature
Set and monitor appropriate test temperatures to ensure products are compared under equivalent conditions.
Dosage
Use defined product dosages and application conditions so differences in performance can be attributed to the products rather than inconsistent use.
Wash or test program
Standardise cycle settings, contact time, agitation and other relevant process conditions across comparative testing.
Soil and substrate selection
Choose appropriate stains, soils, dishes, surfaces or other substrates to represent the performance question being investigated.
Replication
Repeat testing using sufficient replicates to reduce random variation and improve confidence in the result.
Consistent conditions make meaningful differences easier to identify.
Data Interpretation
Testing is only useful when the result is understood.
Performance data can show that products are different, but the important question is whether those differences are meaningful.
d-labs combines comparative testing with appropriate statistical analysis and technical interpretation so clients can understand not only what happened, but what the result means for product development, benchmarking, claims or commercial decision-making.
Results are presented to highlight meaningful differences, equivalence where appropriate, and the practical significance of the findings.
Statistical significance
Identify whether observed differences are likely to represent genuine performance differences rather than normal test variation.
Practical interpretation
Translate the data into a clear technical conclusion that is relevant to the client’s product or commercial question.
Clear reporting
Present results in a format that makes it easy to see where products perform better, similarly or worse against relevant benchmarks.
Benchmarking & Claims
Know where your product stands — and what you can support
d-labs helps clients understand how their products perform against relevant market benchmarks and whether the available evidence supports the intended product positioning or performance claim.
Benchmark testing can compare a product against selected competitors, category leaders or agreed reference products under controlled conditions. Where claims support is required, the test programme can be designed around the specific statement being considered so the evidence generated is relevant to that claim.
Competitor Benchmarking
Compare products side by side under consistent conditions to identify meaningful performance differences and understand where a formulation sits within the market.
Claims Support
Design performance testing around a specific product claim or comparative statement, with appropriate controls, replication and analysis to generate supporting technical evidence.
Selected Performance Testing Projects
Performance testing applied to real commercial questions
d-labs supports clients with comparative testing, benchmarking, formulation optimisation and independent market evaluation across detergent categories. These projects illustrate how performance data is used to support practical technical and commercial decisions.
Independent Market Performance Evaluation Across Detergent Categories
Independent comparative testing for consumer organisations, retailers and detergent companies across laundry, automatic dishwashing and manual dishwashing products.
Dishwasher Tablet Development to Outperform the Market Leader
Comparative performance testing was used throughout development to optimise a dishwasher tablet against the established market-leading benchmark.
High-Performance Naturally Derived Laundry Liquid Development
Performance testing and iterative optimisation enabled d-labs to develop a naturally derived enzymatic laundry liquid that achieved the client’s benchmark performance while remaining within target cost.
Start a Testing Project
Need to understand how your product really performs?
Talk to d-labs about performance testing, competitor benchmarking, claims support or a fit-for-purpose test programme designed around your technical and commercial question.