Tide Hygienic Clean vs. Tide Original: What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between Tide Hygienic Clean and Tide Original?

To find out, I contacted a product specialist at Procter & Gamble (the company that owns Tide).

They said Tide Hygienic Clean is a significantly stronger formula than Tide Original. It does a better job removing odors and stains because the ingredients are more concentrated.

Here’s a screenshot from our conversation:

I also spoke with a Procter & Gamble representative via phone. They reiterated the same points: Tide Hygienic Clean and Tide Original have the same dosing instructions, but Hygienic Clean detergent is more powerful and cleans better.

Since Procter & Gamble’s explanations were generic and vague, I dug deeper. And in this comparison of Tide Hygienic Clean vs. Tide Original, I reveal what I found. You’ll learn how these detergents differ in ingredients, scents, formats, price, and more.

Plus, I share the results of the test I conducted to see which brand is more effective at removing common stains: dirt, oil, and ketchup.

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Use the links to navigate the comparison:

• Tide Hygienic Clean vs. Tide Original: Key Takeaways
• Ingredients
• Test Results
• Formulation
• Types
• Scents
• Price
• Bottom Line: Should You Choose Tide Hygienic Clean or Original?

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Ingredients

The ingredients in Tide Hygienic Clean and Tide Original are similar. However, a few key differences give Tide Hygienic Clean more cleaning power on tough stains and odors.

The most notable difference is the addition of the Pectate Lyase Enzyme in Tide Hygienic Clean.

According to Novozymes, a biotechnology company based in Denmark, this enzyme breaks down stains caused by fruits and vegetables by cutting pectin molecules into small pieces that can be washed away.

Tide Original does not contain this targeted stain-fighting enzyme.

Additionally, Tide Hygienic Clean contains higher concentrations of some key cleaning ingredients.

Sodium Cumenesulfonate, which helps emulsify and stabilize the formula, is the 10th ingredient in Tide Hygienic Clean but the 16th in Tide Original.

The proteolytic enzyme Subtilisin, which tackles protein-based stains, is 18th in Tide Hygienic Clean but 20th in Tide Original.

Besides that, each detergent has different colorants. However, those only impact the color of the detergent, not the performance.

Overall, Tide Hygienic Clean lives up to its full name: Tide Hygienic Clean Heavy Duty 10X. The “10X” represents the ten concentrated cleaning ingredients in its formula, one more than Tide Original.

This extra ingredient (Pectate Lyase Enzyme), combined with higher levels of key ingredients like the emulsifier Sodium Cumenesulfonate and stain-fighting enzyme Subtilisin, gives Tide Hygienic Clean superior cleaning power.

The table below lists the ingredients in Tide Original and Tide Hygienic Clean liquid detergents in order of highest to lowest concentration. The numbers indicate the ranking by concentration level of each ingredient, with 1 being the ingredient with the highest concentration in the formulation.

Ingredient	Description	Tide Original	Tide Hygienic Clean
Water	Solvent	1	1
Sodium And MEA C10-16 Alkylbenzenesulfonate	Cleaning Agent	2	2
C10-16 Pareth	Cleaning Agent	3	3
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate	Cleaning Agent	4	4
Polyethyleneimines Alkoxylated	Suspends Soils	5	5
MEA Laureth Sulfate	Cleaning Agent	6	6
Sodium Borate	Stabilizer	7	7
Propylene Glycol	Solvent	8	8
Alcohol	Solvent	9	9
Fragrances	Perfume	10	13
Sodium And MEA Salts Of C12-18 Fatty Acids	Suds Reducer	11	11
Sodium And MEA Citrate	Water Softener	12	12
C10-16 Alkyldimethylamine Oxide	Cleaning Agent	13	15
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate	Cleaning Aid	14	14
Ethanolamine	Stabilizer	15	16
Sodium Cumenesulfonate	Stabilizer	16	10
Calcium Formate	Stabilizer	17	17
Hydrogenated Castor Oil	Stabilizer	18	20
Phenylpropyl Ethyl Methicone	Suds Reducer	19	19
Subtilisin	Enzyme to Clean Protein Stains	20	18
Diethylenetriamine	Odor Remover	21	21
Fluorescent Brightener 71	Whitening Agent	22	22
Methyl Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate	Odor Remover	23	23
Amylase Enzyme	Enzyme to Clean Starch Stains	24	24
Pectate Lyase Enzyme	Enzyme to Clean Fruit and Vegetable Stains	N/A	25
Trimethylsiloxysilicate	Suds Reducer	25	26
Simethicone	Suds Reducer	26	27
Mannanase Enzyme	Enzyme to Clean Vegetable Stains	29	28
Polyoxyalkylene Substituted Chromophore – Violet	Colorant	28	29
Polyoxyalkylene Substituted Chromophore – Cyan	Colorant	27	N/A
Polyoxyalkylene Substituted Chromophore – Blue	Colorant	N/A	30
Polyoxyalkylene Substituted Chromophore – Yellow	Colorant	N/A	31

Test Results

When it comes to cleaning performance, Tide makes big claims about its Hygienic Clean detergent. They claim it’s “50 times more powerful” than Tide Original.

Tide Original is no slouch, having been a trusted cleaning staple since 1946. According to tests performed by Reviewed.com (a website owned by USA Today), Tide Original out-cleans competing detergents, removing up to 14% more stains.

It also placed 3rd in The New York Times’ laundry detergent tests, performing well against wine, cocoa, and sebum stains.

After testing dozens of detergents, Good Housekeeping named Tide Hygienic Clean the best overall. They praised its ability to remove oils you can only see with a UV light and highlighted the jumbo pods that contain more cleaning ingredients than two standard Pods.

Tide Hygienic Clean also topped Consumer Reports’ list of the best detergent pods. According to their tests, it performed exceptionally well against dirt stains, body oils, and salad dressing.

I also tested both detergents in my laundry room to see how they perform head-to-head. I applied olive oil, ketchup, and grass/dirt stains to fabric swatches, then washed each stain with both detergents.

Here’s the before:

And here’s the after:

Tide Original and Tide Hygienic Clean performed equally well on the olive oil, eliminating 100% of the stain. They also tackled the grass and dirt stains with similar success, though the discoloration was slightly more noticeable on the swatch washed with Tide Original.

The most significant difference was on the ketchup stains. Neither detergent fully removed the ketchup, but Tide Hygienic Clean performed better than Tide Original.

The ketchup stains washed with Tide Hygienic Clean faded significantly. However, the stains washed with Tide Original remained quite dark and noticeable.

Formulation

Standard washing machines use more water and can handle detergents that produce more suds. High-efficiency (HE) machines use less water and require detergents that create fewer suds to prevent machine malfunctions and residue buildup.

Tide Original is available in two distinct formulations: one designed for standard washing machines and one made specifically for HE machines. With two distinct formulas, you can select the most suitable option for your machine type.

Tide Hygienic Clean, however, simplifies this by offering a single formula that is effectively compatible with both machine types. The benefit here is the convenience of a one-size-fits-all solution.

Types

Tide Original is offered in three formats: liquid, powder, and pacs. Tide Hygienic Clean is available only in liquid and pacs formats.

Liquid and pre-measured pacs are the most popular detergent formats because they’re less messy and dissolve better in hot and cold water, but powder detergents still hold significant benefits.

According to Jennifer Ahoni, the director of scientific communication for North America fabric at Procter & Gamble, powder detergents remove dirt, clay, and mud stains better than liquid detergents and pacs.

Additionally, powder detergents often come in eco-friendly cardboard packaging and are less expensive than liquid detergents and pacs.

Scents

Tide Hygienic Clean is available in two scents: Original and Spring Meadow. There’s also an unscented and dye-free version called Tide Hygienic Clean Heavy Duty 10X Free, which is ideal for those with allergies or sensitivities to certain fragrances and chemicals.

Tide Original comes in Original Scent, Mountain Spring, Clean Breeze, and Fresh Coral Blast.

Price

While researching these two detergents, I was surprised to learn that despite the higher concentration of cleaning ingredients, Tide Hygienic Clean and Tide Original cost around the same. I checked Amazon, Target, and Walmart; both detergents range from 20 to 30 cents per load at all three retailers.

That said, Tide Pods (the pre-measured pacs) are generally more expensive than liquid detergents; Tide Original Powder is the least costly option across both detergents. Prices vary by retailer, but larger container sizes tend to cost less per load.

Tide Original and Hygienic Clean are available on Amazon (Tide Original, Hygienic Clean), where you can compare the current prices.

Bottom Line: Should You Choose Tide Hygienic Clean or Original?

After closely comparing Tide Hygienic Clean and Tide Original across ingredients, performance, and price, I highly recommend Hygienic Clean for most households.

While the formulas are similar, Tide Hygienic Clean’s upgrades, including the fruit-targeting enzyme and higher concentration of cleaning agents, give it an edge against tough stains.

Based on my testing, both perform well, but Hygienic Clean is tougher on ketchup, grass, and dirt stains. And since Tide Hygienic Clean costs about the same per load as regular Tide, you get enhanced performance without paying a premium.

I’d only recommend Tide Original if you like the Mountain Spring, Clean Breeze, or Fresh Coral Blast scents that Hygienic Clean doesn’t offer or if you prefer powder detergent.

 Otherwise, go with Tide Hygienic Clean for maximum cleaning power.

Check out Tide Original and Hygienic Clean on Amazon (Tide Original, Hygienic Clean), where you can read more reviews and compare the current prices.