Comparing the OMO/ Persil range

The OMO/ Persil range is a firm favourite here at Clean Cloth Nappies. It’s well-loved for good reason. It’s reliable, readily available and performs well in both liquid and powder form. 

We wondered, is there really any difference between the different varieties or is it just a marketing strategy to appeal to the masses?

We decided to put all the different OMO/ Persil products to the test and see how they stack up. 

The OMO/Persil range

We scored the ingredients list on the Unilever website to determine which varieties contain enzymes.

Remember: not every product variant is sold in both Australia and New Zealand. Product line-ups are subject to change and some are store exclusives. Please check what is available to you locally.

We didn’t review any capsules as part of this roundup, but we have reviewed the Ultimate capsules previously. We found they cleaned well, but are expensive and hard to dose.

OMO/ Persil Professional

Unfortunately, Unilever does not list ingredients for the professional range alongside their other products. We reached out to Unilever in both Australia and New Zealand to confirm which varieties contain enzymes. 

We didn’t review any capsules as part of this roundup, but we have reviewed the Ultimate capsules previously. We found they cleaned well, but are expensive and hard to dose.

Testing methodology 

We asked experienced cloth nappy users to test these detergents. We used Active Clean as our baseline and compared other variants to that. 

All testers used front loaders and washed family laundry and cloth nappies on their usual 40°C/60°C long cotton wash. 

This differs from how CHOICE tests detergents. They use a cold (20°C) standard wash, which we speculate means a washing cycle around an hour in length. They also use pre-stained laundry swatches. Their tests give a consistent way to compare different detergents, but they don’t translate well for washing full loads of family laundry.

Active Clean (powder, liquid, dilutables, capsules)

This is the flagship product. The stock standard blue and white bottle/box that we all recognise. 

The dosage instructions on the packaging are exactly the same as Ultimate, Scents, Touch of Comfort & Black Wash.

This product line includes liquid, powder, dilutables and capsules. It has a large range of sizes. We noticed the available sizes vary between Persil and OMO.

The Active and Ultimate liquids perform identically for me. I use them interchangeably with the same dosage. I like both scents, they’re slightly different. The Active is “fresher”. The same is also true for the Tropical Moment Scent in terms of performance.

~ Amy, Australia

I almost exclusively buy refills. I love the OMO Ultimate smell, don’t really like the Active smell. Love the Tropical Scents, don’t love the Touch of Comfort. Wish the Tropical came in refills because I would buy it over Active every time.

~ Denise, Australia

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: Moderate
• Stain removal: Excellent
• Value for money:
  • Powder: Good
  • Liquid: Good
  • Dilutable: Excellent
  • Capsules: Poor

Scents (liquid)

These include Tropical Moment, Sunset Dream & Floral Indulgence. This is a liquid only, and is sold in 2L bottles.

Some fragrances are exclusive to certain stores. A great option if you like a more scented detergent, particularly floral scents. 

The lids on these are clear, which makes it so easy for dosing. 

The tropical scent is my favourite, smells like lollies.

~ Amy, Australia

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: Moderate with floral notes
• Stain removal: Excellent
• Value for money: Okay.

Touch of Comfort (liquid)

Same dosage on packaging as Active and others listed above. Performs exactly the same as the other ones. Only available in a 2L liquid.

This has a strong “potpourri” scent that will not be popular with everyone.

OMO Touch of Comfort works well but the fragrance isnt for the faint hearted, it’s strong and lingers. I don’t mind it on my line dried items but I suspect if you were drying inside it could get pretty overpowering.

~ Megan, Australia

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: Strong 
• Stain removal: Excellent
• Value for money: Okay.

Black Wash (liquid)

A rare New Zealand exclusive product. As with the other liquids, the same dosage is listed on the package. It had a similar performance, although slightly lower stain removal power. 

This one has additional colouring agents in it. They don’t affect the wash, but it does give the liquid a luxurious, rich colour. 

The most expensive per litre and only available in 1L bottles.

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: Moderate
• Stain removal: Good
• Value for money: Poor

Ultimate (powder, liquid, dilutables, capsules)

Generally considered the top of the range, but performs almost the same as those above and has the same dosage. 

This detergent has a milder fragrance than Active, but not by much. Available in various sizes. Australia has a dilutable whilst NZ does not.

It cleans so well that I don’t need a booster and it’s often on sale. I also appreciate that it doesn’t have a strong floral scent like a lot of other brands, which is a big plus for me.

~ Sammy, New Zealand

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: Moderate
• Stain removal: Excellent
• Value for money:
  • Powder: Good
  • Liquid: Okay
  • Dilutable: Excellent
  • Capsules: Poor

Ultimate Sensitive (liquid, capsules)

Unlike the light blue Sensitive, Ultimate Sensitive contains enzymes. It washes well at 40ºC. An excellent option for those who want a low-fragrance option with the extra cleaning power of enzymes or don’t want to wash at 60°C. 

This is an excellent detergent, especially if you want to avoid fragrances. 

You need to use a lot if you have filthy laundry or hard water. If you have filthy laundry and hard water, you’ll need to use significant amounts. This means it would be a costly detergent. If you have hard water, try Professional Fragrance-Free powder. 

I like it (both Sensitive and Ultimate Sensitive) because I’m sensitive to fragrance and really don’t like the smell of Ultimate. We can still get reliably good results every time.

~ Katherine, New Zealand

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: None
• Stain removal: Excellent
• Value for money:
  • Liquid: Okay
  • Capsules: Poor

Sensitive (powder, liquid, dilutables, capsules)

Sensitive liquid and powder are both enzyme-free. We recommend washing at 60°C. 

In contrast to the Sensitive liquid and powder, the Sensitive Dilute at Home Refill and capsules contain enzymes. These products wash well at 40°C.  

Reminder: do not use the Sensitive Dilute at Home Refill on wool as it contains enzymes. 

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: Fragrance-free
• Stain removal: Varies
• Value for money:
  • Powder: Good
  • Liquid: Okay
  • Dilutable: Excellent
  • Capsules: Poor

Professional (powder, liquid)

Professional, and its counterpart Professional Fragrange-Free are bulk products found at rural supply stores and hardware stores (Bunnings, Mitre 10). They come in a range of sizes 4.2L for liquids and 5kg/6kg or even 8kg for powder.

Both powder and liquid versions contain enzymes. The liquid has a different lid shape and slightly smaller cap than non-professional varieties. The fragrance is milder and less perfumed, more soapy-smelling than the other varieties. 

Although on paper the formulation looks similar to the Active range, our experience is the Professional range is not quite as good at stain removal. They usually require a larger dose to be as effective. Even with the increased dosage, they work out as the best value of the range. 

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: Mild
• Stain removal: Good
• Value for money: Excellent, best of the lot!

Professional Fragrance-Free (powder, liquid)

The powder contains enzymes, whilst the liquid does not. This makes the powder a great fragrance-free option for people who have moderately hard or hard water. 

I was using Ultimate but found the fragrance too strong. Professional Fragrance-Free worked out to be the cheapest way to buy fragrance-free. It does take about 20% more liquid to get a good sudding compared to Ultimate though!

~ Jamie, New Zealand

Admin assessment

• Fragrance: Fragrance-free
• Stain removal: Good
• Value for money: Excellent, best of the lot!

Final thoughts

With minimal ingredient differences, most of which are fragrance or colours, there isn’t really a huge difference between the range. 

All options have the cleaning power and dose of ½ cap for the first wash or 1 ½ caps for main wash in my 8kg front loader. The exception is Professional, which needs ¾ cap for first and 2 caps for main wash to achieve the same result. The lower price point means it is still the best value for money. If I’m being honest, I upped it to 1 cap for the first wash purely out of convenience and it still works out as the best value for money.

Buy the one you prefer and if you don’t mind, simply stock up on whichever is on sale at the time.