Persil ProClean Power-Liquid Original Scent

Newer to the Canadian market, Persil arrived on the scene about a year ago, but this European laundry brand has been around for more than 100 years. As we learned in our testing, Persil ProClean Power-Liquid Original Scent laundry detergent can hold its own in the stain-fighting, clothes-cleaning arena.

To put Persil to the test, we stained white 100-percent cotton onesies with everything from grass to spaghetti sauce, and then hit the laundromat to see how well detergent alone tackled both fresh stains and stains left to sit overnight. Persil completely removed grape juice, baby formula, washable marker and sweet potato puree. None of the detergents we tested were able to completely remove spaghetti or coffee stains with a single wash, but Persil nearly did the job with spaghetti sauce, leaving only faint stains. Persil also significantly reduced grass stains with one wash. Our hands-on parent testers noted that Persil did a good job removing sweat, spit-up and urine, and they said that the detergent kept their whites white and brights bright.

All of our hands-on parent testers described Persil's fragrance as very strong, but most also said that the scent was very pleasant. (The one tester who described the scent as "somewhat unpleasant" typically uses an unscented detergent.) In our lab tests, we found that the fragrance mellowed significantly after clothing had been dried. If you like fragranced detergents, odds are good you’ll enjoy Persil.

We didn’t love that the measurement instructions of the back of the Persil bottle don’t correlate to the measurements on the inside of the detergent cap. You could easily end up using too much or too little detergent, meaning clothes may not get clean enough or may have detergent residue on them post-wash. Plus, if you're using too much, the cost per load goes up from the standard $0.21 per load. 

Final word

Overall, the majority of hands-on parent testers agreed that Persil ProClean Power-Liquid Original Scent is a high-quality product, and based on the cost per load, they also felt that Persil offered above average value. Of the testers who usually use a scented detergent, the majority said they would buy this product and recommend it to other parents. Combined with the results in general cleaning and stain-fighting, Persil is a very good choice in the original scent laundry detergent category.