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Store-brand detergents keep you just as clean

Detergents that were tested by the Korea Consumer Agency are displayed at the Fair Trade Commission office in Sejong City on Monday. [NEWSIS]

Laundry detergent developed by major retailers turned out to be as effective as those from major companies, including LG Household & Healthcare - although they sell for as much as two-thirds cheaper.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency on Monday, the price of store-brand detergents developed by retailers was an average of 88 won (8 cents) for 7 kilograms (15 pounds) of laundry. That’s one-third the average of 245 national brands manufactured by consumer product companies. The agency tested seven laundry detergents,

The cheapest was Homeplus’s Joeunsangpum detergent, with a 4-kilogram package selling for 6,000 won. E-Mart’s PB detergent Han Spoon retails for 8,700 won for the same-size package. Most national brands cost more than 15,000 won.

The most expensive was Aekyung’s Spark laundry detergent for cold water, which retails for 16,900 won.

Yet there was barely any difference in performance, particularly between ordinary detergents and those that claim to perform well in cold water.

There were differences when it came to the different types of stains.

Power Clean Double Action from Reckitt Benckiser Group showed the strongest performance in getting rid of mixed stains. Power Clean Double Action was the fourth-most expensive detergent at 15,800 won.

Aekyung’s Spark laundry detergent for cold water was relatively better in getting out ground-in stains like blood, milk and ink.

“The study showed that just because detergents are expensive, it doesn’t mean they had stronger power,” an official from the consumer agency said.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]