British Detergents

[state-line]

Hi group...I'm thinking about ordering some British detergents from either the British Corner Shop or Brit Super Store. What sort of success has anyone had ordering from either of these places? Is one better than the other in terms of price or shipping? Also, how do the British laundry products compare in performance to our American products? I know there's some experts out there, so I open to suggestions! Thanks!

 

[peterh770]

I have used British Corner Shop to order both Persil and Ariel tablets. Besides the long wait for everything to clear Customs, or whatever it has to go through, and some slight damage during shipping, everything arrived fine. I would recommend them again.

My order was quite robust:
4 large boxes of Persil Bio tabs
4 large boxes of Persil Colour tabs
1 small box of Persil Aloe Vera tabs
1 small box of Ariel Bio tabs
1 small box of Ariel Colour tabs

Persil wins hands down. Ariel is stinky and sudsy even after 4 high water rinses in my Miele. Persil Bio tabs have a really great fresh clean smell, almost smells like you used chlorine bleach. You KNOW your clothes are clean after washing in that stuff! I use this for whites and light colors. Persil Colour tabs are slightly more sweet floral smelling and slightly more sudsy. I use this for darks and jeans.

The only possible drawback for Persil tabs is that you are supposed to put them into a provided little mesh bag and "pop them into the tub". I didn't like doing this, so instead I crumble them in the package and then open the package into the dispenser drawer.

Because of the shipping distance, I am afraid to order the liquids. Besides, I'm a powder guy and have been extremely pleased with the results I get with Persil. I will definitly order them again.

Brit guys: it seems that the tabs now have the gel layer on them. Do they perform any differently than the old classic 2 powder layer tabs?

 

[peterh770]

Three different sites for ordering Brit groceries:

http://www.britsuperstore.com/acatalog/copy_of_Laundry.html

http://www.expats-shoppingarcade.co.uk/

http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/default.asp

 

[zipdang]

Brit Superstore

I've ordered from Brit Superstore and had a very good experience. The one drawback is that the shipping charges can easily match or exceed the cost of the merchandise. Beyond that, everything arrived very quickly (about one week from the UK to Portland) and in great condition.

The products I'm using that I can comment on are Unilever Persil bio powder, Ariel Colour & Style liquid, and Comfort Pure softener. All three are terrific, and I would order them again. I was apprehensive about ordering liquids, but both bottles arrived in perfect shape with not a drop spilled. (The Ariel even included the dosing ball.)

 

[MrX]

Why not just get persil powder?

Persil Powder is much better value than the tablets, more flexible and cleans as well or better !

Can't really see the point of the tablets, particularly if you're crumbling them up.

Using them in the net provided works perfectly, they dissolve fully and completely.

 

[peterh770]

I didn't like the high concentrated powder dissolving on the fabric while the machine is filling. I rather it dissolve in the filling water into the outer drum before coming in contact with the load. Another time, the bag worked its way to the front and smeared detergent on the window and it took a while for the load to wipe it clean as it tumbled by.

One tablet works perfectly for a light/normal load. Using just the one makes the tablets more economical.

 

[MrX]

That's why I just use powder

 

[frigilux]

I use the powdered 'bio' versions of UK Persil and Ariel and would recommend both.

I conducted a stain removal test with both and they did very well, Persil edging out Ariel. UK Persil was third in stain removal after Quixtar's SA8 and the
German (made by Henckel) version of Persil. UK Ariel came in 4th, barely edging out Tide With Bleach (powdered version), which came in 5th, but still did an admirable job of removing some very tough stains.

Note: When I posted those test results, several AW members from the UK were surprised; their experience showed Ariel to be the better stain remover. Still others sided with Persil and my results. They are both top-notch detergents.

UK Persil also rinses out very well, even in very soft water. That's the main reason I keep some on hand. I like to use it on loads of bath towels, which tend to hold on to detergents in soft water.

UK Ariel has a bright, citrusy scent which I really like, but it doesn't rinse out as well as Persil, in my experience. Even when using a front-loader (which tends to be more airtight than most top-loaders, you can expect to smell Ariel in the areas adjacent to your laundry room. If you like the scent (and I do) that's a bonus; if you don't care for it, it's going to bother you.

I order from the Brit Superstore and have had no problems. By all means, expect shipping to be more than the cost of the actual product.

Let us know what you think of the products, should you decide to place an order.

 

[launderess]

Didn't a member say he purchased Ariel "30" somewhere in the Northeast?

L.

 

[launderess]

Only tablets one ever loved were those wonderful Wisk tablets. However never bunged a tab into the wash tub or drawer, but mashed them up whilst in the wrapper and put the "powder" into a jar. Damn good stuff!.

The only American detergent I find which rinses well as German Persil megaperls is the Tide "Pro-Line" detergent(in wash stain remover actually, but MSDS says it is plain ole Tide). By third rinse in the Miele water is totally clear, whereas with the vintage Wisk "Free and Clear" water is still a bit frothy even after the fourth rinse.

Amercian powdered detergents would go well in taking a leaf from European detergents and cutting out the insoluble fillers such as Zeolites, saw dust and to an extent lots of washing soda. Switching to low foaming surfactants would help as well.

L.

 

[lederstiefel1]

Zeolite

Sorry, but zeolite is not a filler - it is the nowaday's water softening agent that substitutes the former phosphates -German compact powders contain about 30% of it in it!
Otherwise you have to buy an extra water-softener like Calgon or equivalent!

We had never saw-dust in detergents here! Only sulphates but these are taken off in the compact powders.

And what do you have against soda?
I use a lot of it to boost cleaning. I use it also as a handwash detergent for those items which cannot go into the dish-washer as I hate these liquid "foamers" that dilute only fat but are hopeless on protein and starch!

Ralf

 

[lederstiefel1]

btw

Forgot to say....

I prefer English PERSIL but German ARIEL!

ARIEL in Germany is different than in GB and slightly better than the German PERSIL; but in the UK it's the other way round as to me!

Ralf

 

[spoodles]

PeterH770

The Persil Gel tablets are no better than the old style tablets. Unilever have also shrunk the pack sizes from 24 and 48 packs to 18 and 20 packs.

 

[spoodles]

oops!!

^^ that should be 18 and 40 packs!

 

[peterh770]

Ugh! Oh well, it is still worth it...

 

[MrX]

Persil vs Persil

How does UK/IRL Unilever Persil stack up against German Henkel Persil?

E.g. Persil Bio Powder (Unilever) vs. Persil Universal (Henkel)

and Persil Colour vs Persil Colour...

 

[frigilux]

I found the German Persil (bio powder) did a little better at removing stains than its UK counterpart. But both are top-notch detergents, and I like how clean-rinsing the UK version is; therefore, I've switched to UK Persil.

I let SA8 handle the big stain issues. Nothing else I've encountered can beat it.

 

[launderess]

Zeolites

Are basically a form of insoluble clay and can build up in on laundry. Many times that "lint" one sees when fluffing laundry or on dark coloured laundry is Zeolites.

As for water softening ability, Zeolites are a poor reproduction to phosphates. Indeed Henkel, Germany has phased out Sasil (Zeolites) from Persil detergents and returned to soda and other surfactants.

Zeolites are on the EU's hit list of banned substances due to the environmental damage they cause. Damn stuff simply does not break down, and is causing harm to EU water ways and aquatic plants/life.

Washing soda has it's place in the laundry room, just not too fond of the stuff in large doses. Very alkaline and can harm fabrics if used in excess, especially coupled with boil washing.

L.

 

[lederstiefel1]

Hi Launderesse

Yes, that's what I often found on dark/black items: white streaks and smear from the Zeolites, which is the reason why we switched to liquid detergents for coloureds and blacks (ARIEL Liquid with fibre guard - what ever that might be...?) and also avoid PERWOLL Powder but use the liquid version instead.
Well, we're lucky, having very soft water here!

Concerning the Zeolites: I have never heard of being harmful to the environment. Here they tell us that they are the best solution since the banishment of phosphates in washing-powders. Phosphates nearly killed our rivers and lakes here in Germany due to the eutrophycation followed by anoxia.
I still think phosphates are the best solution for water-softening but need modern up-to-date sewage plants to take the phosporus out before the water goes back into rivers and lakes.

It seems to be the well known problem with quick solutions: one problem is replaced by an other and the actual problem is just shifted. They needed immediate political action and an upgrading of sewage plants would have cost too much and needed too much a time, so they quickly substituted phosphates by zeolites....

Soda was told to be a bad idea as it is a precipitating water softener (is zeolite not???) and need too long a time to act in cold water....

I, personally, use soda in wise amounts in different situations and think it is one of the best "olde stuffs" I've ever used; no foaming, strong against dirt and grime, leaves glass and other dishes sparkling clean (squeaking clean) and also boosts any washing powder action.
Naturally it's forbidden to use it on silk and woollens or downs!!

Ralf