Tanaka conducted an experiment to test how different liquids, including tap water, lemon juice, Coca-Cola, laundry detergent, and bleach, would affect plant growth when sprayed on plants over the course of a week. Tanaka's hypothesis that the bleach would destroy the plant due to its harmful effects was partially correct, as the bleach resulted in the worst growth, but surprisingly the tap water also negatively impacted growth. The experiment found that Coca-Cola allowed for the most growth, followed by lemon juice and tap water, with laundry detergent being more harmful than expected. The results provided insight into what substances near plants should be avoided.