Questions for the Persil People

[bajaespuma]

I'm beginning to see a lot more dealers in the area who carry the full line of Persil detergent products. Is this German detergent really better than normal brands or is this just a fad? Also, do they contain phosphates? Also, what's the difference between the powder and the "pearls"?

 

[launderess]

Answers will vary, but here is my point of view:

First used Persil (normal powder formula with oxygen bleach) with my first front loader (Malber), and didn't see much difference between it and other low sudsing/HE detergents such as Wisk tablets, or other detergents such as Tide or Cheer Free powder with some grates soap added to kill suds. However now that the Miele W1070 is my daily driver can say there honestly is a difference. Persil really does shine well using the traditional washing programs of "Euro" front loaders with their heated and long cycles. Everything comes out clean, white and bright without additives when I use Persil, and more importantly rinses are cleaner. In fact by the third rinse (out of five)the water is totally clear and interim spins are faster and "easier" on the machine since it does not have to force out all the froth which comes from normal detergents.

IIRC Henkel Persil formulas do not contain phosphates, but do have phosphonates.

Mega-perls are the concentrated versions of Persil powders. IIRC Miele USA has been phasing out importing Persil powders in favour of the perls.

Your results with Persil will vary, and the only way to find out is to try some out for yourself.

L.

 

[frigilux]

German Persil (the normal powdered version Launderess references in the post above) came in 2nd only to SA8 in the stain-cleaning tests I conducted a couple of months ago---it beat several version of Tide (powdered Tide w/Bleach; liquid and powdered Tide HE; powdered Tide Coldwater). It removed a wide variety of staings. I think it's an excellent detergent; plus the scent of fresh rosemary is a nice change from the floral/supersweet scent of most American & Mexican detergents.

 

[zipdang]

What Laundress said is true, that everything comes out clean without the use of additives. I've found I never have to pre-treat spots, even on dinner napkins, when using Persil and a long wash cycle. The detergent gets everything clean on its own. I've been using regular Persil powder (about 1/4 cup) and the Megaperls Color powder (about 1/8 cup) for a couple of months now, and have put only a small dent in each box.

 

[whirlcool]

We like Persil (UK) beacuse it:
Smells nice, no overpowering scent. The chothing washed in it just smells clean.
As Laundress has pointed out, it has very high rinsabilty.
It is very low sudsing. Even in our WP TL thrasher it doesn't whip up many suds at all.

Tonight we ran a load of 8 heavily soiled dog beds and towels with Persil Non-Bio powder. We used 100ML. Set the washer for Hot water with the hot water tank temporarily turned up to high. For grins we dumped in a tablespoon of Borax. The water turned black, and virtually no suds whatsoever. The first rinse was kind of cloudy, the second rinse was perfectly clean. After the washed towels and beds were dried, they were perfectly clean. The dogs wanted to lay back down on them. Quite some time ago we discovered that our dogs (Labs, Reveriver, & an ancient Dalmatian) all love clean bedding.

 

[zipdang]

"Persil People" sounds like an underground society of German detergent worshippers. I like it!

 

[maytagbear]

Good for American FL's?

Friends of mine bought a Frigidaire front loader in late December, and were using regular Tide in it. I tried to dissuade them....haven't seen their laundry room since.

Anyway, would Persil work well on the shorter cycles of a Frigidaire? They need to preserve this machine, because they are going to be parents again. They are in their 40s. Their three children are 18(foster), 17, and 9 years old.

This is the other newer Frigidaire, not the Affinity, nor the one that's been around since the 90s.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[launderess]

Henkel like many Euro detergent makers has made changes in their formulas to accomodate the "short wash" cycles now favoured by many in Europe. Persil is one of those detergents, and IIRC there used to be some sort of blurb about this on their boxes.

Being as all this may, you'll have to ask someone who uses Persil in American front loaders, as my Miele is still "old school" and uses rather long cotton/PP cycles, even on when short program is chosen.

L.

 

[bajaespuma]

I'll try it!

Thanks to all of you. Follow up question to Laundress: I'm sure you've explained this before, but what is the difference, practical and technical, between a phosphate and a phosphonate?

 

[mrboilwash]

As Launderess pointed out correctly, the average European "short wash" is still much longer than an American TL cycle.
Some of the enzymes in European detergents are coated with wax, I think it is to protect the workers from inhaling the dust. Therfore I would recommend to check for undissolved residues when used in a TL and I would not use a real cold wash except with the liquids, perhaps.

 

[danemodsandy]

zipdang:

"'Persil People' sounds like an underground society of German detergent worshippers. I like it!"

Their days are numbered- there has been a sighting of a one-eyed, one-horned, flying Persil People eater.

Dammit- at LEAST groan in unison!

 

[zipdang]

Persil People eater

Oh, Sandy...that deserves a groan for sure!

Ritchie (Irishwashguy) was nice enough to tip me off that a store here in town just started selling the full range of Persil products. The prices he noted are about the same as ordering online, without having to meet a minimum requirement for free shipping. In the next week I hope to zip across town to the store (the Stark's on Canyon Road for all the other Portlanders) and check out the Persil items I've never seen in person.

Also, Ritchie said the store employee he spoke to said that by the end of the year the Persil products will all be re-badged with Miele's name on them. Interesting. Imagine using "Miele Megaperls." C'mon Sandy, what can you do with that name?

 

[launderess]

Persil like most other products sold by Miele is kept within a pretty tight price range. Some vendors charge more others the same price as ordering directly from Miele; one never finds Persil on "sale" or discount unless the store is going out of business or otherwise liquidating stock. The later was how one was able to nab a case (well five pack), of Persil and a job lot of Perwoll liquid and Black Magic detergent.

L.

 

[danemodsandy]

zipdang:

"C'mon Sandy, what can you do with that name? "

Not a whole lot- my only Miele pun came when my housemate was slick-talked into buying a White Star vac with the turbo brush, which was completely ineffective on our carpets. The saleswoman (who owned the vac shop) refused to accept it for return, saying that we'd need the power nozzle attachment (which is what my housemate thought he was getting) for another $250 or so on top of the nearly $700 he'd already spent. We unloaded the vacuum on eBay and got involved with vintage Electroluxes, which are much better for our purposes.

Anyway, that saleswoman was a pale-faced, Miele-mouthed ninny and I hate huh.

You GWTW fans may groan at will.

 

[zipdang]

Fiddle dee-dee

I have two Miele canister vacs, one with the air-driven turbo brush and one with the electrically powered brush. I love both vacuums, although neither can remove pet hair from my carpets like my Hoover and Kenmore uprights.

 

[launderess]

Speaking of Miele Vacs

Have a bunch of Miele vac bags need to move on, if anyone is interested, please let me know.

L.

 

[jetcone]

Black Magic Detergent??

What is that?? Pray tell?

I have been using Persil German in my Bendii for over a year now. Like everyone has confirmed no need for additives. I also find one shot into the prewash/soak cycle and then directly onto hot wash has covered all my laundry needs. If you prewash in the Bendix in warm [ofcourse] then move onto wash you get 20 minutes of wash as the Persil is soooo persistant, you don't need to put another charge in at the wash start.
Clean clean clean.
However I should qualify the above, I have naturally soft water at the taps.

Now as to the merits of Powder vs Megapearls>>>>>

I like the concept of Megapearls, I used them exclusively all last year. Then I tried the powder. Hands down powder user here from now on!!

I found the pearls if you are not very careful will ROLL off the scoop onto the floor. Never have I had tons of detergent stuck to my floors in ALL the years I have been doing laundry.
And the little cellophane window on the package to show you the pearls can leak a ton of pearls out before you even scoop if you tip it or even move it to the countertop!!

jetcone

 

[zipdang]

Laundress: I would love to help you with those Miele bags. I use both F/J/M and G/N bags, should you have any of those you wish to find a new home for. Please e-mail me offline (address in profile) if you have the above bags.

Jetcone: I thought I was the only one with pink Megaperls all over my laundry room floor! Mine spilled on the very first scoop out of the box, and sort of set the stage for many more spills to come. D'oh!

 

[dixieland]

persil

I just ordered my first box of Persil from some supplier on amazon.com. I could not find it here in Brazil (still here) as someone had warned me. I look forward to using it when I get home. I will test it against SA8 and Original Tide.