There are a lot of big name laundry detergents out there, but Purex and Persil are two of the biggest. These detergents are on the shelves of nearly every supermarket and are staples in many people’s homes. They’re both marketed as being able to remove stains, eliminate odors, and give your clothes the deep clean they need. So, which is better?
Determining the better laundry detergent requires taking an objective look at both brands, the products they offer, their effectiveness, and their affordability. We’re going to cover all of that, and more, in this detailed guide.
Wondering what’s the better laundry detergent between Purex and Persil? We’ve got all the pertinent information you need to know! Let’s dive right in and explore these two iconic laundry detergent brands and the products they offer so you can see for yourself which is the better detergent.
What’s the Difference Between Purex and Persil?
Purex and Persil are very similar brands. They’re owned by the same parent company and both are marketed to be effective at removing tough stains, odors, and more. So, what’s the difference between them?
The difference is their price points. Purex is Henkel’s (the parent company) value brand, while Persil is their premium brand. That means you’ll get a little more from using Persil’s products than Purex, though you’ll be paying a bit more. We’ll dive deeper into their price points later in this guide.
Purex
Purex is part of the parent company Henkel, and has the tagline, “a bright clean for a smart value.” This detergent is meant to provide the highest quality detergent for the most reasonable price.
This detergent company started in 1922 as a bleach-based cleaner. Purex obtained many other companies over the decades and eventually released their first liquid laundry detergent in 1975. Since then, Purex has focused on putting out a wide range of laundry-related products, and discontinued its bleach product in 1990.
What Products Does Purex Offer?
Purex offers a ton of laundry-related products, but we’re going to focus solely on their detergents in this guide. Read on for a quick review of each of their detergents!
Purex Liquid Laundry Detergent 
The original Purex Liquid Detergent comes in two natural fragrances: Mountain Breeze and After the Rain. This detergent is full of stain-fighting actives that penetrate deep into the fibers of your clothing to lift and remove dirt, stains, debris, and more! It’s perfect for everyday use and stained clothing.
Purex Liquid Baby Laundry Detergent
Parents want the best for their babies, and Purex wants to help! Purex Baby Detergent is hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested to be gentle enough for your baby’s sensitive skin. This detergent is tough on messes and leaves your baby’s clothes soft with a fresh powder scent.
Purex Liquid Free & Clear Laundry Detergent
This hypoallergenic, unscented formula is free of perfumes and dyes. Purex Free & Clear is tough on stains and odors while being gentle enough for people with sensitive skin to use. If you need a reliable detergent that won’t irritate your skin, then this product is an excellent choice!
Purex Plus Clorox Laundry Detergent
For heavily soiled and stained laundry, Purex Plus Clorox is designed to handle it! This detergent has all the power of Purex’s original formula combined with the stain-fighting and color-protecting power of Clorox. It comes in a fresh, sunny linen fragrance so your clothes will be free of stains and smell great!
Purex Liquid Laundry Detergent With Crystal Fragrance
This detergent combines Purex’s original stain-fighting and heavy cleansing power with a variety of long-lasting fragrances. You can get this product in Lavender Blossom, Fresh Spring Blossom, and Tahitian Breeze. Purex with Crystal Fragrance detergent will keep your clothes smelling fabulous for up to 30 days!
Purex Natural Elements Liquid Laundry Detergent
Purex Natural Elements combines plant-based and traditional ingredients to create a more eco-friendly and still affordable and effective laundry detergent. This product is dye-free and comes in a Linen and Lilies fragrance.
Purex Plus Oxi Liquid Laundry Detergent
This is Purex’s most powerful detergent yet as it combines Oxi with its original formula. Purex Plus Oxi utilizes a 4-in-1 formula that combines advanced brightening, powerful cleaning, stain defense technology, and a boost of freshness.
Purex Powder Detergent With Crystals
Fans of powdered detergent will love Purex’s Powdered Detergent with Crystals. This product will clean your clothes, whiten your whites, and brighten your colors. It comes with advanced crystal fragrance technology that will keep your clothes smelling great for up to 30 days.
Purex 4-in-1 Laundry Detergent Pods
These pre-dosed laundry pods made doing your laundry a simple process. Purex Original and Purex With Oxi pods are available for you to choose from. These pods contain the perfect concentration of detergent to wash your clothes, remove stains, and brighten your clothes.
How to Use Purex Laundry Detergent?
Purex makes doing your laundry a simple task with their pods. All you need to do is drop one into your washer and road a load as normal. For their liquid and powdered detergents, you’ll need to follow these easy steps.
1. Place laundry into the washer
2. Measure the detergent using the cap provided (fill to the 2nd bar for medium loads and the 3rd bar for large or heavily soiled loads
3. Run your load as usual
What Are The Ingredients in Purex Laundry Detergent?
The ingredients will differ slightly between the different laundry detergent products Purex has to offer. We’re going to take a look at the ingredients in their original detergent so you can use them as a reference for the rest of their products.
The ingredients in their original detergent are,
- Water
- Sodium c12-18 Alkyl Either Sulfate
- Sodium Carbonate
- Sodium Chloride
- Sodium c10-16 Alkylbenzenesulfonate
- Laureth-12
- Sodium Polyacrylate
- Sodium Cocoate
- Fragrance
- Fluorescent Brightener
- Color
Is Purex Toxic?
Purex does contain some toxic chemicals. They received a D rating on EWG, which means there is some concern about this product based on their ingredients. Overall, this product should be safe to use as intended.
However, if you develop a reaction to using this product or accidentally ingest some, then it’s best to contact a health care provider.
Persil
Persil is also owned by the parent company Henkel. It was introduced in 1907 and was the first detergent of its kind to combine bleach with its original formula. Their name originated from the two base ingredients in their first product- sodium perborate and silicate.
This brand focused on providing laundry products that could solve modern-day problems. They introduced their first phosphate-free detergent in 1986 and continued to create innovative products over the years.
What Products Does Persil Offer?
Persil offers a solid range of products with specific laundry-related solutions. Let’s dive right into the laundry detergent products they offer!
Persil Original Laundry Detergent
This phosphate-free detergent uses Persil’s ProClean formula to penetrate deep into the fibers of your clothing. Persil Original Detergent eliminates dirt, stains, and odors while delivering a long-lasting fragrance. You can get this product in a 2x concentrated formula to tackle the most heavily soiled laundry.
Persil Liquid Laundry Detergent With Oxi
Persil With Oxi combines their original formula with the stain-fighting power of Oxi. This product removes even the toughest of stains while whitening and brightening your clothes. Persil With Oxi provides fiber care and long-lasting freshness for all your laundry.
Persil Liquid Laundry Detergent, Intense Fresh Scent
This powerful detergent works to clean away visible and invisible dirt from your laundry, all while imparting a powerful and long-lasting fragrance. Persil Intense Fresh Scent also comes in a 2x concentrated formula that’s perfect for activewear, pet bedding, and other odor-heavy laundry.
Persil Liquid Laundry Detergent, Free & Sensitive
This hypoallergenic formula is free of perfumes and dyes, and has been dermatologist-tested to be safe for people with sensitive skin. Persil Free & Gentle will remove stains, brighten your clothes, and freshen your clothes without using any common irritants or allergens.
Persil Liquid Laundry Detergent, Odor Fighter
Persil Odor Fighter is the perfect detergent for heavily soiled laundry. It works to completely eliminate odors while cleaning, freshening, and brightening your clothes. This detergent comes in Persil’s original fresh scent, which is described as fruity with green citrus notes.
Persil Liquid Laundry Detergent, Stain Fighter
This product combines the power of Persil’s original formula with a boosted stain fighter. Persil Stain Fighter penetrates deep into the fibers of your clothing to eliminate stains even at the deepest level. This detergent is perfect for use on grass, coffee, wine, mud stains and more!
Persil Liquid Laundry Detergent, Active Scent Boost
When you want truly reliable, long-lasting freshness, Persil Active Scent Boost is the perfect detergent for you! This detergents digs deep into the fibers of your laundry to destroy unpleasant odors and replace them with a fresh fragrance that can last for up to 100 days!
Persil Disks Laundry Detergent
Persil’s Disks are much like other brand’s laundry pods. A pre-dosed amount of concentrated detergent has been formed into a disk shape so you can get your laundry done without risking messes or spills. You can get their disks in their Original, Stain Fighter, Active Scent Boost, and With Oxi formulas.
How to Use Persil Laundry Detergent?
Persil’s laundry detergent products are convenient and easy to use! Their disks take the least effort, as all you have to do is drop them in with a load of laundry, then run a load you normally would.
Their liquid detergents take slightly more effort. You’ll need to measure out 46ml and add it to your washer’s dispenser or drum. Then you can run a load as normal.
What Are The Ingredients in Persil Laundry Detergent?
Persil is devoted to full transparency with their ingredients, which is why they’re all listed online through SmartLabel. Here’s the full list of ingredients in Persil’s original laundry detergent.
- Water
- Sodium laureth sulfate
- Laureth-12
- Sodium C10-16 alkylbenzenesulfonate
- Sodium citrate
- Sodium C12-18 alkyl ether sulfate
- C12-18 fatty acids sodium salts
- Propylene Glycol
- Polyethyleneimine alkoxylated
- Sodium metaborate
- Tetrasodium EDTA
- Fragrance
- Sodium formate
- Sodium Chloride
- Disodium Distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate
- Protease enzyme
- Amylase Enzyme
- Dimethicone
- Silicone Emulsion
- Enzymes
Is Persil Toxic?
Persil has received an F rated on EWG due to the toxic nature of several of their ingredients. Some of their ingredients, such as Sodium metaborate, can cause developmental or reproductive issues with prolonged exposure in the system.
However, this product should be safe to use as intended. It will only harm you if it gets into your system, or you have an allergic reaction to it. If you have any concerns after using this product, then you should contact a health care professional immediately.
Comparison Questions (Purex vs Persil)
Is Purex or Persil More Affordable?
Affordability is a big component when choosing a cleaning brand. Most people live on a strict budget and finding the right product for the right price is a necessity. Purex and Persil have different price points and sizes available for their products.
The best way to see which is the more affordable brand is to break down their price for fluid ounce. Take a look at the table below to see how Purex and Persil compare.
| Brand | Price Per Fluid Ounce |
| Purex | $0.17 |
| Persil | $0.27 |
Persil costs $0.10 more per fluid ounce than Purex does. This does make sense if you consider the marketing of Purex. Purex is a brand dedicated to providing high-quality detergent at a price that anyone can afford. They’re definitely the more affordable brand here.
Which Detergent is More Powerful?
Purex and Persil are both owned by the same parent company, so naturally they have very similar ingredients. However, if you look at customer reviews on both products, it becomes clear which detergent is more powerful.
Both detergents are excellent at cleaning clothes and leaving them smelling fresh. While they’re both marketed as being effective at removing tough stains, Persil beats out Purex in this category. Persil is more effective at removing deep, ground-in stains and leaves your clothes smelling fresh for longer. This definitively sets Persil as the more powerful detergent.
Which Provides a Larger Variety of Products?
Each brand has a solid variety of products, including detergents that specifically target odors, stains, and more. They each have a laundry pod or disk option for even more convenient washing. However, in terms of just laundry detergent, Persil has slightly more options.
Purex has more laundry-related products, but for detergents alone, Persil is the clear winner. They have a larger variety of specifically targeted detergents, such as the Active Scent Booster, that Purex doesn’t have.
Are Both Cruelty Free?
Both brands are cruelty free. Purex and Persil are both owned by Henkel, and this parent company doesn’t allow any of their brands to do animal testing. They’re committed to delivering safe and effective products that are tested in humane ways that don’t involve animals.
Which Product is More Environmentally Friendly?
Since Purex and Persil are both owned by the same parent company, it would be reasonable to assume that neither is more environmentally friendly than the other. However, Purex beats out Persil with their eco-conscious Natural Elements detergent. This detergent is partially plant-based using sustainably sourced ingredients. Since Persil doesn’t have a similar product, this makes Purex the more environmentally friendly laundry detergent brand.
The Verdict – Which Is Better?
As we compared Purex vs Persil, we reviewed their products, effectiveness, affordability, and more. In almost every category, Persil proved to be the better laundry detergent. They offer a wider variety of products, are more effective at removing stains, and have better reviews than Purex. If you’re looking for a reliable laundry detergent that’s cruelty free and offers targeted laundry detergent products, then Persil is the perfect brand for you!
Jamie is the Founder of My Home Dwelling. He is a homeowner and enjoys sharing his homeowner tips with others. He has real estate experience working as a new home construction Realtor. Jamie has worked on numerous residential construction sites helping with interior and exterior renovations. He loves refinishing furniture, DIY home projects, and sharing his knowledge online.