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Consumer Reports: How does your favorite household item measure up? – Metro US

Consumer Reports: How does your favorite household item measure up?

Consumer Reports examines all home related  cleaning products in their August 2013 issue / CREDIT: Consumer Reports Consumer Reports examines all home related cleaning products in their August 2013 issue / CREDIT: Consumer Reports

Whether you have an affinity for quilted toilet paper or laundry detergent with bleach included, it’s apparent that these things are life’s necessary evils. When purchasing it however, you’re likely to see upward of twenty different kinds of household items in the store. But, how do you determine which is best? Well, the good folks at Consumer Reports have answers for you in their August 2013 issue.

In terms of toilet paper, Wal-Mart seems to be a one-stop shop for the best picks. The site found that the White Cloud 3-Ply Ultra toilet tissue received the highest ratings by consumers with top scores in softness and strength. While judging the company evaluated four different categories: softness, strength, disintegration and tearing ease.

Overall, two-dozen different types of toilet paper were judged with five of them making it into the Consumer Reports winner’s circle including three brands only sold at Wal-Mart, CVS’ Premium Ultra or Quilted Northern’s Ultra Plush.

In the testing process the agency found a few bad apples in the derriere-wiping bunch. The lowest scoring toilet papers included Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value, Walgreens’ Big Roll and at the very bottom, CVS Earth Essentials.

As for laundry detergent, the report also found that despite the many brands on store shelves none are created equally. Tide, which is referred to as a “powerhouse” in the market, came in first place for high efficiency washers while Wisk took the top spot for standard ones.

Similar to the toilet paper evaluation, there were also some detergents that just didn’t measure up. Whole Food’s 365 Organic Everyday Value came in at number 59, while home and garden guru Martha Stewart saw her Clean detergent round out the 60.

However, one of the biggest issues stemming from the reports is ongoing concern about the safety of laundry detergent pods. Their candy-like appearance makes them a direct risk to children who can ingest them. Frontrunner Tide has introduced a new opaque casing instead of the traditional plastic one to avoid the possibility of children mistaking them for being edible.

Additionally, new containers will have a double-latch lid, re-sealable sticker and warning icons on the packaging.

Follow Courtney M. Fowler on Twitter@Court_Nation.