Persil pro clean in regular scent smells strong in the jug, but as CindyMac mentioned it dissipates quickly and does not linger on clothes. Personally, I like it. For whites... bedding, tea towels, bath towels, etc., I've been using Tide Ultra Professional with oxy bleach for about 8 mo. It is very effective at removing any stains on tea towels.

Haven't tried it but love the commercial. Boom.

The European version of Persil is much better at cleaning, plus it smells better too!

Chloecat, you've said you have a UK connection. You may know that the Persil products sold in the UK are made by Unilever under license. The products sold in Germany, the ones I use, are completely different from the Unilever products and are made by the original German company that created it, Henkel. The German-made dry laundry products contain the trade name Megaperls.

I once brought home a Persil box from Britain and after using it, found it was 1) different from what we'd been using and 2) not to our liking.

I buy it when I have a coupon. I get the original liquid. I like it but our clothes don't get very dirty so I usually use Purex.

Consumer Reports was blown away by Persil. They said it was hands down the best detergent they ever tested. I've used it on occasion and like it.

The back of the bottle of Persil Pearls says* Assembled in the USA with Foreign Ingredients* I know quite a few people that only used imported Persil products for years and can smell no difference in the Euro and US Persils.

I use the Pearls on whites, white sheets, and white towels, brilliant whites.

Summer, Tide Pro with Oxi is one of the best whites detergents I've ever used. Since its formulated for hotels it has a near neutral PH level where regular Tide with Bleach powder has a PH of around 11. Tide Pro was formulated this way do to the frequent washing of bedding. Also although there's a scent in the box it doesn't leave a scent on the textiles other than clean..because hotels need clean bed d ing without perfumed scents. It also has more oxygen bleach than regular Tide with bleach powder..great choice of detergent for your whites. I am having a terriable time locating more. Last I checked Amaxon it said out of stock. Its not sold on the open market as in stores so I don't know where to look lol.

I use Persil and buy whatever is on sale whether it be pods or liquid. I haven't noticed a strong smell in my clothes after laundered but I have noticed my laundry is cleaner looking. I miss Cheer, that was my all time favourite detergent

Mama - I ordered it from Walmart.ca $43.17 for 140 loads. Perhaps your Walmart.com has it.

ETA: Didn't know I was putting in links.....neat! Lol

Scent has nothing to do with it. The products sold in the US are different and have different formulas from the products sold in Europe. Just for a start, European laundry practices typically involve using much hotter water and longer cycle times. This link, a visit to Henkel's product development lab in Scottsdale, explains some of it. Of course the differences go well beyond packaging.

North American Persil

Yes, I have a UK connection. Yes, I'm aware of Unilever's involvement. No, I don't buy the UK stuff. I, too, prefer the German Persil, and that's what I purchase because that's what I used when I lived in Germany. I can buy the German version at many of the UK "foreign-owned" shops.

I use the Persil Pearls on my sheets and towels. No bad smells here, in fact, I can barely smell anything.

Well, I am very disappointed, I thought for sure I was getting a product I would like and it would do a good job. I'm also disappointed that I wasted the money I spent on it. I won't be using it again, that's for sure! I'll look at the bottle I have in the morning, to see for sure which one it is. I didn't see a scent free one, but now I'm gun-shy, don't think I will try any version of it now.

As for the scent left in the mattress pad, it went through 2 rinses, unscented Downy in the last rinse. It hung outdoors on the line for several hours, in bright sun and a pretty strong wind. The smell almost knocked me over when I took it down. No way I'm taking a chance on any clothing smelling like that! Nor would I ever be able to sleep on it! Chalk it up to a rather expensive lesson learned.

For those of you that use it and like it, I'm happy that you do. I'm also glad a couple of you also mentioned an unpleasant odor, I know it's not just my imagination, I was beginning to wonder. (Grin)

Rusty

Rusty - That is a disappointment. Could you possibly return it?

I've never tried Persil. I noticed a bottle at my BILs last month when I went to their house to wash the laundry they'd left undone when exiting for a vacation ;0) But, there was Cheer there that I was more familiar with and I used that.

I buy Tide HE powder, Original, 180 washes sized box at Costco...and really, I'm sure I get more than 180 wash loads from a box, I don't measure like they do. ;0) I'd rather have a powder than a liquid, but for darks and my better jeans, I use Woolite for Darks formula, also Costco. Costco runs a $6 off coupon every several weeks for the Tide, often at the same time $3 off the Woolite for Darks.

It's funny - I only use Persil when I'm overseas, unless I bring some back with me. That's rare, though, because I generally never check a bag (carry-on all the way for me!). Here, I use my homemade detergent, and have for years. :) You can't buy one of the main ingredients (borax) in the UK, so I don't make my detergent over there.

I think it was the Persil ProClean that I tried. I liked it ok but couldn't really tell that much difference in the laundry, other than the stronger smell. It wasn't unpleasant, just different. I had been using Gain a long time ago. We actually liked the original formula scent a lot (not the others). Then we tried a few other brands and have settled on Tide HE Free and Gentle unscented. I really love it. I decided to add a few drops of lavender oil when my latest bottle got about half full. It's not strongly scented but I can get a slight whiff of lavender when I add it to the machine.

I will add that we didn't use Tide for years because DS#2 was very sensitive to the powder, back when that was the only thing available. I was hesitant to try Tide again, but no problems.

I've been using All Free & Clear for years. When we got Persil locally, I thought I'd give it a try. Opening the bottles in the store, the scent almost bowled me over. I was bummed.....I smelled the Sensitive Skin formula (white liquid) and it still had a scent but not as bad. I picked up a bottle and use it for sheets, towels and light colors. The scent doesn't linger post wash and the clothes get clean.

It doesn't take much detergent; I think I use a tablespoon per wash. I started using the ProClean formula on my husband's work clothes. I don't like the smell too much but it gets the job done. ProClean will be the replacement for Wisk Heavy Duty HE.

I have used Tide "forever" and then when Persil came on the market, I bought a bottle . . . and have never went back -- I LOVE it! I use the original scent and love the way the clothes smell. It cleans well and IMO is better than Tide. I don't like "smelly" stuff so never go for different scents but prefer just original.

Persil Pro-Clean liguid in Intense Fresh is the B.O.M.B! I have been using it exclusively since it hit the shelf at my local Walmart, very expensive though, so I am always searching for coupons! It cleans better than anything I have ever used & I ADORE the scent, especially on my sheets!

I want to mention Henkel recently bought The Sun Corp. They decided to discontinue Wisk. As soon as the stores stock is gone so will Wisk be gone. As many of you probably know Wisk was the f irst liquid detergent in the US.

I went out and bought some Persil Pro-Clean Two-In-One today, I look forward to seeing how it performs, thanks Summer for the Consumer Reports info. You'd think that being retired I would not need a high performance laundry detergent, but with more time exercising, out in the garden, and playing with the dogs I really do.

Persil 2 in 1 is a heavy duty detergent. Should give you great results. The Pearls are loaded in Sodium percarbonate and should only be used on whites.

I must live in a bubble because I have never heard of Persil .Never saw it around here. I have always used Tide powder but it's hard to get now so I use Tide Liquid.

I avoid liquids. I first bought Persil because it was the only dry laundry detergent on the shelf -- the while w/blue flecks variety. I love it for whites. Prior to this I'd used Tide Free (or whatever the unscented variety is called) on everything. Now I can only find *that* in a liquid and am stuck for what to use on colors.

I could easily believe that liquid detergent was developed to get you to use more product. I don't like it in my front load washer. Liquids seem to create a 'build-up' in it, even though I use white vinegar instead of 'softener'.

My go to detergent is Era and I like to use it with Biz. Our clothes get really filthy....greasy, muddy, nasty...and that combo works well on it. I don't care if a detergent has a perfume or other fragrance. Doesn't bother me.

Lucille, my regular clothes don't get overly dirty, but my
dedicated work clothes get very grubby. When I get home, I take them off in the
laundry room. Hope the Persil works for you.

ElizabethA

If
I recall correctly ( correct me if I don't ) A couple years ago,
Consumer Reports listed Costco's Kirkland detergent as the best,
followed by Wisk and then Tide.

This is correct. However the powder version of the Costco Kirkland detergent, which is what CE rated, is no longer produced. And I think Costco reformulated the liquid version. Go figure.

I got a couple coupons for Persil and thought I'd try it out. Menards had a 92 or 96 load jug on sale, then a rebate down to $9.99 then knock off $2 for the coupon it'd be about $8 plus tax. The only had 2 stenches available. One was like a bad cough medicine and the other was more obnoxious. I saw that it's made by Dial and I knew they were different than Henkel. I went back and forth whether to try it and then thought, no, I'll stick with Tide and ERA free. Both have been doing an excellent job and I don't need all the additives I used to need and the smell is not obnoxious.

I do NOT for the life of me understand people who have to stink all the time. Between soaps, deodorants, hair sprays, detergents, fabric softener, dryer sheets, then Febreez the clothes because they don't smell bad enough and marinate in perfume, I want to hook up an automatic Lysol sprayer when I go through a store these days.

Why not just sell detergents stench free and people can add their stench at home? Which reminds me, people are already adding stench pellets to their stench-filled detergent and fabric softener.

Here's one you might want to try if you don't have a HE machine. Foca powder from Walmart. I tried it because people in a laundry related FB group really like it. It's quite cheap and works very well. They think it's on par with Tide. It contains enzymes which many products do not. There is a liquid version for HE but it has no enzymes do you eoukd need to add Biz. It's lightly scented and the smallest bag is $2-something if you want to try it. I started using it when I switched from home-made and my clothes were instantly brighter. About the Persil vomit smell-I've never had it but many people have. It disappears completely in a second wash. It's thoughtbthat too much product was used and it didn't rinse out the dirt,etc.

" I saw that it's made by Dial and I knew they were different than Henkel."

Henkel, a German company, bought Dial in 2004. As parent and wholly owned subsidiary, they're one company.

Cynic, we could start a whole new topic about scents vs no-scents. I'm with you on all the artificial scents in EVERYTHING! I try really hard to buy unscented products, but it's getting harder and harder.

Remember when Febreze came out and it had no scent at all? Then they just had to ruin it by adding all the 'flavors'. I've heard they have an unscented spray out again but I haven't looked for it. Deodorant is one of the worst IMO. I don't like my deodorant (or hairspray or lotion) to interfere with any cologne I might want to wear & I'm really picky about my deodorant anyway. Heavily scented shower gel either for that matter. Then there is all the detergents as we've discussed here.

Apparently scent is very personal, but I would guess/hope (I don't know) that the companies who produce scented stuff do some testing to see how their scents are judged by consumers.

Outside Playing, you seem to have definite preferences when it comes to scent, yet you wear cologne, which means that others near you smell the scent that you, but not necessarily they, have chosen. Maybe their definite preferences do not include your cologne?

I'm not criticizing, I wear perfume sometimes, it's just an observation.

My GF is prone to migraines and she often complains about perfumes and how they can trigger a migraine. I'm very careful to keep my colognes to myself when I'm with her.

I find some of the avon night creams are nice, but the odors are so strong, they actually wake me up at night so I can't use them. If they made them unscented, I bet they'd sell more.

I have an awful time with most scents I, am an unscented girl as much as possible. I know those of you who wear perfume think that it is light and non-offensive for other people, but I'm here to tell you that you are wrong. Sorry, but those of us with sensitivities and/or allergies can be made really miserable, but we have no choice but to be uncomfortable, feel nauseous from your perfume and take our Zyrtec. That's just my life.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why it's so darn difficult to find fragrance free things. In particular, try to find fragrance free (not unscented) shampoos, conditioners and soaps. It is nearly impossible. OH and how about dish cleaning products...why do our dishes need to smell good? The older I'm getting, the more sensitive I am to scented things. I now cannot use any scented bar soaps or laundry detergent. I'm even allergic to borax now...sheesh!

Borax can get cligged up in the fibers causing skin issues. Anytime you use Borax do an extra rinse.

Lucille, I hear what you're saying. I do wear cologne (a very light scent and usually just the body lotion), on occasion & when I do I'm very light-handed with it and am usually complimented on the scent itself. But never ever when I'm about to go to public places where I will be sitting close to people I don't know (the theater or a concert) and especially not to choir rehearsals or our choral performances. Those are definitely no-scent zones.

Edited to add: I meant to imply that I don't like all the other products to interfere. In other words I don't want to smell like my cologne plus vanilla/spice/kiwi/fresh spring/April rain/lemon/whatever.

LOL, Cynic! I agree with you pretty much 100%!

I am one of those 'unscented' and 'fragrance free' people, as much as I possibly can be. Always look for products without any 'stench' added, but it's not always possible to find them that way, in which case I try to find the least obnoxious. I have no idea why I didn't open this bottle of Persil to check it out before I bought it. Nor do I have any idea why I decided to try it. Just one of those really foolish moments, I guess. I have no complaints about how my laundry comes out, and I would pit my whites against anyone else's, any time, any where.

Due to various changes and interruptions in plans, I have not gotten to the store yet to buy a detergent I like. So the mattress pad is still in its basket. It no longer overwhelmingly stinks up the whole area, but the smell is still very evident. So in spite of what others say, I find the smell definitely does stay in the fabric!

Never thought to try to return it, I guess I should have. I took it to a local animal rescue place. Hopefully they won't find the smell too much worse than the wet dog smell. (Personally, I'd rather smell a wet dog.)

Arkansas Girl, I have a very similar problem, my sense of smell got more and more sensitive as I aged. To the point where I just automatically planned on using my migraine meds and something to settle my stomach every time I went to the store, or even just out in public. Now I find it is going the other way, I haven't gotten a migraine in the grocery store for almost a year now! So that's a very good thing.

I had gotten a sample of Era when it was first put on the market, so I used it. It made me itch all over, so I've never used it again. From now on I am sticking to the products I know work well for me, and I like!

Rusty

I recently started using Persil pods and love them! Everything looks clean and fresh and smells nice.

Rusty - Everything turned out well in the end. I'm sure the Rescue Place appreciates your donation. Ours is always requesting detergent, so I usually pick up a few jugs of Arm and Hammer with Oxiclean when it's on sale to donate.

Speaking of migraines, feverfew which is a migraine remedy.......gives me a migraine. Different strokes for different folks. Lol

After reading this thread, I tried Persil 2 in 1 pods. Unfortunately, I won't be finishing the bag. It took a ton of color out of my towels (these towels were previously safely washed at least 50 times). This product needs to be relabeled to read: for use on whites only. I don't like the strong smell either. The closest comparison would be rubbing alcohol.

Very strange that the pods would do this. Persil pods do not contain sodium percarbonate (oxygen bleach) so I don't know why they took the color out of your towels. They are not a whites detergent. Persil does have a stronger scent and requires good rinsing expecially if too much was used. I don't smell anything remotely resembling alcohol. Have you called Persil (Henkel) to file a complaint? Out of curiosity what brand of detergent do you usually use on your towels?

I don't mind most scents in products, but with clothes nothing beats the smell of clothes dried outside on a clothesline. I guess I remember my mother hanging sheets and other items outside. And they didn't smell like fresh linen or fresh cotton artificial scents. Persil is very expensive around here at the grocery store. I tend to get what is on sale. If Tide is on sale I snatch it up. It cleans most consistently especially whites. I still wear white undershirts under dress shirts and don't like them getting dingy.

Hi, mamapinky0. I usually use All detergent. It seems All recently changed their scent, so I was looking to change brands. I only used one Persil pod. I have not contacted Persil to file a complaint. I don't feel like it's worth the hassle over one load of towels. FWIW, the pods were on clearance at my local Publix.

Persil hands down is my favorite. I used Tide for years until I tried Persil and never went back

I have used Persil since Henkel released it into Canada a few years ago and it is the only detergent I use. I am using it to hand wash my clothes right now and don't notice a strong scent.

I didn't know ALL changed its scent but it doesn't surprise me. As you probably know The Sun Corp no longer owns ALL...Henkel (Persil) bought out Sun awhile back. Walmart also had the Persil Pods on clearance recently. I hope this doesn't mean they are being discontinued like the Pearls were.

Scott, I agree with you about clothes dried outside on a clothes line! NOTHING beats the scent of pure fresh air! And the artificial 'fresh air' scents are no where near the real thing! I almost always hang my sheets and towels on the line, weather permitting. Everything else goes in the dryer because I don't want to have to iron.

Rusty