Class Action Says Xtra Laundry Detergent Does Fewer Loads than Advertised

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges Church & Dwight Co. has misleadingly labeled its Xtra detergent given that a 4.65-liter container cannot do as many loads of laundry as consumers are led to expect.

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The 13-page lawsuit says that despite the label’s large-print claim that the Xtra container holds enough detergent for 116 loads, a small, asterisked message found on the back label amid “hundreds of words of directions, warnings and ingredients” reveals that this number can be reached only when doing “medium loads when measured to Bar 5” on the cap.

The suit argues that the detergent’s label is misleading because studies show that typical households regularly do large or very large loads of laundry, and with loads of that size, consumers will get no more than roughly 58 loads from out of a container of Xtra detergent.

As a result of the alleged misrepresentation, the defendant is able to sell the product at a premium price of $7.99 for 4.65 liters, the case relays.

The plaintiff, a Chicago resident, has purchased the Xtra detergent in the last two years and believed, based on the front-label representations, that it would suffice for 116 loads of laundry at a size typical for most Americans, the complaint shares. The woman did not see the tiny, printed asterisk on the front label or the disclaimer on the back of the product and was therefore surprised to find she was only able to do about half as many loads as she was led to expect, the filing explains.

The plaintiff claims that she would not have paid as much for the detergent, or purchased it at all, had she known it would only cover half as many loads of laundry as represented.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone residing in Illinois, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, West Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina or Utah who purchased Church & Dwight Co., Inc.’s Xtra detergent within the applicable statutes of limitations period.

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