It took Tide a decade to make this product

Tide is launching a new detergent format designed to simplify laundry even further.

The brand, owned by Procter & Gamble, has spent the past decade developing Tide evo, a pre-dosed, fabric-like detergent tile that users can drop into the washing machine.

Unlike powders or liquids, Tide evo contains 100% concentrated cleaning ingredients, including surfactants and enzymes, without fillers or added water. 

A team of 15 PhD-level scientists engineered the palm-sized product that looks like a white tile. It contains more than 15 miles of woven fibers and dissolves quickly in water, cutting down on energy use, through six functional layers that tackle stains, odors, and whitening.

P&G filed 50 patents and built a new manufacturing plant in Alexandria to produce the tiles. The lightweight product comes in recyclable packaging, reducing shipping emissions.

A 42-count box of tiles sells for $19.99 on Amazon, compared with $12.97 for a 42-pack of Pods.

After more than two years of consumer testing, Tide projects annual sales could reach $500 million. Tide evo will hit US stores in April.