Opinions on British detergents and softeners

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zipdang

zipdang

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I've finally managed to work down my detergent stash a bit and was thinking of ordering some British detergent and fabric softener just to try something different. Does anyone have recommendations of favorite brands and scents? I was thinking of Persil Bio powder and Comfort Blue softener (which has been stuck in my head since Rob/Aquarius posted a photo of the many, Many, MANY bottles in his stash).

I guess I should also ask, are any of the British brands just thinly veiled versions of American brands that would essentially be an expensive version of something I can buy locally (i.e. Persil Small & Mighty versus Wisk HE)?

Thanks everyone!
David
 
David~

Let me know where you order those products...I am seriously thinking of giving Persil Megapearls powder a try.

What does it smell like?..Would you say it cleans better than TWB powder?

Thanks

Shane
 
I have a box of the Persil Megapearls powder and I LOVE it!!! Personally, I don't think it smells better than Tide W/Bleach, but I don't think anything can replace that scent simply because all of my washer memories contain it! Persil has a very sweet smell to it, and it's pretty strong too! I like it a lot and will continue to use it on my whites as long as I have my Miele to use it with!
 
UK Detergents

Hi David & Shane,
Without question P&G's Ariel is the best performing detergent in the UK. Now don't get me wrong Persil is also an excellent detergent but Ariel definitely has the edge on stain removal. Ariel is unbeatable on whites as it has bluing agents that give whites an icy whiteness; in addition it has a clean fresh citrus scent that actually lasts on laundry.
But seriously folks if you want the ultimate in stain removal look no farther than SA8 with Bioquest; yes I know its an Amway product but in the US you can buy on-line without the hassle and brainwashing techniques normally associated with you know who.
As for softener I prefer Lenor the UK version of Downy, Comfort is also good both soften equally well but I prefer the scent of Lenor especially now that Unilever have ruined the scent of blue Comfort.

David

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Persil Bio Powder (not megaperls) is a delightful detergent, you will get fantastic results with it. Comfort Blue complements the scent of the detergent extremely well.

If you are considering any P&G products, I highly reccomend you try Bold 2in1. I love the 2in1 dearly. Great on towels especially, leaves them soft and fluffy yet doesnt affect the absorbancy! My favourite Bold scent has to be Blue Box Ocean Clear/Spa Minerals/Aqua. All the same fragrance just different sites have it under different names!

As for softeners I reccomend Lenor for stronger, somewhat sharper scents, and Comfort for more 'smooth' scents. LOL

Hope this was of some help to you!

Whatever you do buy, make sure to report back on how you like it :-D
 
Thanks David and Daniel for your suggestions. I had considered Ariel, so it's good to know that it performs so well. I used Ariel (regular powdered version) when I was in Spain a few years ago and loved its scent. Not sure if the UK version smells the same, but if it does I know I'll be happy! As far as Bold 2-in-1, is there a particular performace advantage to using the Liquitabs versus the liquid? I like the idea of being able to adjust the dosage amount of the liquid since I have very soft water and would probably only need to use about half the suggested amount for UK use.

Hey Shane! How's it, Sista? When I referred to Persil I meant the UK version made by Unilever. I have Henkel's Megaperls Color version and really like it. Like Jamie said (hi Jamie!) it's a sweeter smell than Tide w/Bleach, although I find that I use so little in my front loader (around 1/8 cup, give or take) that all that remains after drying is just a light clean scent. Same thing with the regular Henkel Persil powder for whites and lights, just a light scent is left after drying (which is a shame because that stuff smells so wonderful in the box). Oh, and I'm planning on ordering from Britsuperstore.com. I'm not sure how competitive their prices are, but they have a decent selection of brands to choose from. I'm sure shipping charges will be a choker, but I'll just eat tap water and finger nail clippings for dinner for the next month to offset the cost. :)

Thanks guys!
 
The Henckel (German) version of Persil that I have smells herbal--- like fresh rosemary. I that what the Unilever (UK) version smells like? It's very different from any other detergent I've encountered.

I also like the crushed Sweet-Tarts scent of Mexican Ariel. I use the Oxi-Azul version in the blue bag.
 
2DrumsAllergy

You are so right about Unilever ruining the scent of blue Snuggle. I know that Comfort is the UK version of Snuggle. Here in the US the blue Snuggle used to be called "cuddle up fresh". Now, they've changed the name to something else. I don't know what it's called now, and I really don't care because I don't like the smell anymore!
 
We have used a lot of Persil in the past year of so. The liquids we have contain "the essence of Comfort".
We have also used Persil Bio and Persil Non-Bio powders. We like both. They are very good at cleaning anything washable and leave a nice light scent behind. And they are both VERY low sudsing, if at all! Often we have no suds at all, but when you feel the wash water it is very slippery and the clothes come out clean! In fact when the liquid detergents run out, we'll probably use the Persil powders exclusively. And we are using a TL machine!
 
Ariel is the best we have in my opinion with Persil a very close second but as has been said before, Ariel seems to have the edge on stain removal. It also performs outstandingly at low temps. Don't know if you have a US equivalent to Small and Mighty, but I am a big fan of the Persil Colour S&M. Great fragrance and it really lingers on the fabrics. I would recommend Bold 2 in 1 if they didn't keep b*******g about with the fragrances. I will never be convinced of any 2 in 1 softening ability despite several attempts.

Aside from that I can higly recommend some supermarket brands in particular Sainsburys Bio and the Marks and Spencer range. M&S used to do a concentrated powder which was incredibly economical but they, like so many others, keep changing things about!!
 
Best biological powder for me time and time again has proven to be Persil biological powder - seems to shift any stain and doesn't leave a heavy scent like Ariel does. Ariel does a good job too but after a recent experience of it leaving blue blotches on whites I've been put off by it, so if you were to order Ariel I would probably get the tablets - plus I've found that Ariel powder often struggles with blood stains where they disappear every time with Persil. When it comes to liquids though you can't beat Ariel bio liquid - the Persil range of liquigels and small & mighty liquids IMO aren't very good at all.

Now if you're ordering a British detergent I would get a colour version too as our biological and non biological detergents of any brand will fade your coloureds, especially darks. Best colour detergent I've found to be are the Ariel Colour & Style tablets and liquitabs - the Persil colour care range is alright but just doesn't cut it like Ariel Colour & Style does. I'm currently working a box of Persil Colour gel tablets down and to be honest they leave a lot to be desired - and they take about 10 minutes to dissolve and have to be dispensed in a net along with the laundry whereas with Ariel Colour & Style tablets (my normal colour detergent) they can be dropped straight in the drawer, or liquitabs can be dispersed straight in the drum, and are dissolved activated straight away.

Softener wise my favourite are blue or pink Comfort, and blue or yellow Lenor. Dan is right in that Comfort has more subtle scents and while the blue scent has changed slightly it doesn't smell too offensive and still smells fresh as it always has done. Lenor is good too, though if you use too much it will give your clothes a greasy feel.

Hope this helps,

Jon
 
Thanks everyone for the great information and suggestions. Domestically, our detergent manufacturers try and create singular products that attempt to handle all of one's needs: detergents that pre-treat, bleach, freshen, soften, brighten, etc. Like Hoovermatic said with regard to the Bold 2-in-1, none of our all-in-one products work as well as seperate products used in tandem. If a detergent whitens, then it will likely fade colors. If it contains softener, then it probably doesn't clean or soften as well as seperate detergent and softener. For that reason I love that European detergens are specifically targeted for whites and light colors and for bright and dark colors. Makes total sense, plus it gives me an excuse to have extra products in my stash!

Hoovermatic, I believe we do have equivalents to Persil UK's Small and Mighty range. Ours are Wisk and All, both Unilever products. Wisk contains enzymes, and All does not. The bottles are even similar in shape to Persil S&M bottles, including the "splat" graphics. I like Wisk HE, but have not tried All Small and Mighty.

Jon, you've convinced me that I should get a bio detergent as well as a color detergent. Enabler! How does Persil Bio powder, and one each of Ariel Bio and Ariel Color liquids sound? Just out of curiosity, how well does Fairy range work? Haven't heard much about their products, other than dish washing liquid.

Whirlcool, do you use both the Unilever Persil and the Henkel Persil, or just one or the other? I've only used the Henkel versions so I'm excited to try the Unilever versions.

Again, thanks to all you guys for the great information!
 
David--- Are you planning to order your UK products online? If so, from which vendor? Having tried the Mexican and German versions of Ariel and Persil, respectively, I'm also interested in trying the Unilever versions----especially since in my stain detergent tests Persil Bio (Henkel) outperformed Mexican Ariel (OxyAzul) by a long shot. Our UK contingent's experience would suggest that in Unilever versions, Ariel outperforms Persil for stain removal.

I swear to god, if this continues I'm going to be the detergent equivalent of the eccentric person with 50 cats in the house, LOL!
 
Persil

The small and mighty formulations are not necessarily the same at all. I don't know how they compare as you can't see the full detail for the ingredients of All and Wisk, so I can't really compare with Persil..

Persil S&M works pretty well, doens't over-foam and smells fantastic - really nice citrus smell
The universal bio version is a clear green liquid
The colour version is a clear, free running purple liquid.
Surf S&M is creamy.

Persil Bio Powder is excellent at shifting stains and has a very light smell. It's quite hard to put my finger on what it smells like, but it's certainly not overpowering.

Ariel does a good job but smells way too strong. I find it has an odour that's comparable to a pine car air freshner or pine toilet cleaner!
I don't like it.

It used to smell quite nice. I don't know what P&G did to it, but I now find I can't use it at all.

The bold product don't really soften, but they smell fantastic.

In terms of softeners, I would rate Comfort as light years ahead of Lenor.
Comfort Blue is very 'old style' smell
However, I'm a major fan of comfort pure, it has a very mild smell and is completely hypoalergenic and leaves clothes really soft.
Great product!

I find Lenor doesn't soften as well and has a rather 'chemically' smell in comparison to Comfort.
 
Hey, Eugene! (OT: "Hey, Eugene!" is also the name of my favorite Pink Martini album.) I was planning on ordering from Britsuperstore.com. I've never ordered from them before, but a lot of the other British online shops (many of which seem to cater to ex-pats) don't even offer laundry products. Prices may or may not be reasonable, but there doesn't seem to be many other choices. Like you, I'm totally curious how UK Peril and Ariel compare to what we can buy here in the States. I love German Persil, but I think the scent of Mexican Ariel is overpowering. I love the Ariel available in Spain; I should've brought a box back with me.

I'm a complete detergent whore. Just when I thought I was making some progress working down my stash I was bit by the overwhelming urge to get some new stuff. In the last month I've finished off a box of Ecover powder (not very effective), a bottle of liquid Tide with Bleach HE 2x (too sudsy), and Fresh Start, and it looks like I'll be replacing each of them and then some. I think I need bigger cupboards.

If I do end up ordering through Britsuperstore.com I'll let you know what I think of them.
 
While I love Pink Martini (and have Hey Eugene!), I've always preferred the more sinister-sounding "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" from Pink Floyd, LOL. PM is a great band; They do such a wide array of styles but don't get overly campy with it.

The BritSuperstore has a good selection of products and their prices aren't bad; it's the shipping that make it outrageous. However, I never let price stand in the way of trying a good detergent. As Sparks once sang, "They're cheaper than paintings and don't need explaining!"
 

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