Persil

Remember when you were a child? How you were free to explore, returning home covered in dirt and other stains that you wore like the badges of an intrepid discoverer?

Unbeatable cleaning

As the first commercially available laundry detergent launched in 1909, Persil has been at the forefront of innovation – from playing a major role in abolishing ‘wash day’ at the turn of the century which radically changed women’s roles and their working week….to being the first laundry detergent to feature a man in their TV advertising….and all the time leading technical invention to deliver the best cleaning results as the tough stains of our days have changed, Persil has been delivering whiter than white results for a century….

How it all began

In 1903 Professor Herman Giessler and Dr Herman Bauer from Stuttgart produced the world's first soap powder with a bleaching agent – Persil.

Persil was launched in the UK in 1909 as the 'Amazing Oxygen Washer'.

The washday revolution brought about a complete change in the way washing was done. From the mid 1920s Persil went on the road demonstrating results to entire neighbourhoods at a time. The 33ft caravan was kitted-out with everything from wash boilers to electric irons.

In the 1930s, Persil employed "Expert Washers" to call upon more than 6 million people a year, showing them the best ways to use Persil.

In 1998 and 2000, Persil again changed the laundry market with the very first tablets and capsules - making washing clothes even more convenient.

Persil liquids were replaced with Persil liquigels in 2003. The gel pours like a liquid and works through the fibres for a really deep clean.

Our Persil small & mighty range was launched in March 2007. The UK & Ireland's first double concentrated liquid detergent, Persil small & mighty is packed with pre-treating agents so you'll only need a capful of liquid to get brilliant results in every wash.         

Things You Might Not Know About Persil

  • Posh Spice was famously quoted as saying that her ambition was to be as famous as Persil.

  • Placed side by side, all the 18-tablet Persil packs made in a year would stretch from London to Tokyo – and back!

  • To being the first laundry detergent to feature a man in their TV advertising.

  • Mums have been a key theme in Persil advertising over the decades, showing a Mum as being firm but fair and depicting the Persil brand as embodying the spirit of motherhood.

Innovations

With a product to suit every consumer, Persil allows you to continue exploring and living life to the full, no matter how dirty you get in the process. Today, you can still trust Persil to provide unbeatable cleaning that gets the washing clean first time, every time.

Key Facts

  • When asked to name a laundry detergent, 80% of people say Persil (according to a survey by Reader’s Digest 08)

  • Persil is still the UK's number one laundry brand with 21% share of Main wash. In Ireland, Persil is the leading laundry detergent, outselling it's nearest rival by 2 to 1. For further information please call our customer careline on 1850 445555