Does anyone work for Unilever and can explain the pricing of Persil to me?!

[RNBrie]

Not a burning world issue, but I am still curious!

The number of washes that a box of Persil non-bio powder says it does, doesn't add up to the same weight....

So for instance:
a box that says 77 washes, weighs 3.85kg which is 50g of powder per wash
a box that says 130 washes, weights 8.385kg which is 64.5g of powder per wash

I presume the actual powder in the box is the same?

It makes a difference to the pricing, the 77 wash box is £12.50 which is 16.2p a wash, but £3.25 per kg and the 130 box is £24.45 so 18.8p per wash but only £2.91 per kg - so much better value if you use the same amount of powder (with 50g of powder per wash you'd get 168 washes from the box, not 130!)

I understand that prices can change and be on offer etc and that there aren't always economies of scale - but really I want to know why one box thinks 50g is the right amount for a wash and the other that you need 64.5g....

Does the weight also include the weight of the box? Which would be heavier for the larger box. Are you pouring it into a container to weigh it? I don’t know anyone who actually weighs their soap powder per wash though.
I thought it was well known that you actually need a lot less, they just advise more as it =more sales.

The stated weight should be the weight of the powder, not including the box and the box won't weigh that much more.

Are you comparing like with like on washing machine sizes, water hardness and degree of soiling?

We get liquid and it says use X ml, and add Y ml if you're in a hard water area, Z ml if your washing machine is bigger than 6 kg and A ml if your washing is extra dirty, so could this be it. The example on one box could be for a larger machine?

I definitely don't weigh my washing powder and not comparing washing instructions or anything!

Just curious about the weight and wash numbers written on the box - 3.85kg for 77 washes and 8.385kg for 130 washes doesn't add up to the same number of grams per wash... by quite a big factor....

I love this, very much, but also OP, it would be more efficient to ask them directly.

I did ask them! They haven't responded... I generally buy the 130 wash box which lasts a really long time. When it runs out I do another price comparison and it starts to bother me all over again...

Its one of life's unresolved mysteries... like where do all the hair elastics go and why my dd minds so much when I throw away her old socks that have holes in them....

..........and where do all the odd socks go🤔 (three sons I always had a box full🙄) I've got same kind of brain and stand in front of the laundry products trying to work out which is best value per wash! My suspicion would be that whoever designed the box can't do arithmetic as well as you😉

I presume the actual powder in the box is the same?

I would tend to think that your calculations have ruled out this possibility that the concentration of active ingredients are the same across different size boxes.

@FinallyHere You are CORRECT!!

I've had an email back from Unilever and apparently the 77 wash/3.85kg box is a new more concentrated formula and the 130 wash/8.385kg is an old formula that is no longer being manufactured but is still available from some retailers.

They were not clear on whether a 130 wash box will be available in the new formula and I'm not entirely sure I can be bothered to ask 😬

@RNBrie

Good old logic 😁

I'm so gutted you beat me to the answer as I could have actually answered this!

I switched to persil recently as my usual one wasn't dissolving properly from the drawer and mum recommended persil. I looked at the dosage and it was all "hey you only need 50g now instead of 65g per wash" so I was going to answer that the new formula is more concentrated.

Goddammit it @Sunnysidegold where we're you when I needed you at 8am this morning?

Do you have any other secrets of the universe up your sleeve??

......like where the odd socks go oh wise one🙏😜