Using More Fairy Liquid than you used to years ago?

horsechestnut

london_saver wrote: »

I like to put my washing up liquid in a pump bottle dispenser, then you know how much you pump into your washing up rather than giving a random squeeze every time you use. A measured pump vs a random squeeze.

I have done this for years. It started because I have Arthritis and kept dropping the bottle, but I quickly realised that I was using much less product. The problem is finding another sturdy dispenser when the old one wears out!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I find I am using less, well I think I am lol..... Arsda had the large bottles on offer last December, and I bought 10 bottles they were 70p a bottle, went back the following day to buy more, and they had all gone...


I have used all brands and quality of washing up liquid over the years, and I always end back with fairy... as its def false economy using a lot of the cheaper brands

Stompa

daveybea wrote: »

i used to use persil washing up liquid until they did the same thing...

Yes, the old Persil dumpy bottles had a much larger hole. Fortunately, the thread size of the cap was the same size as on the fairy bottles, so I just replaced the cap with a Fairy one.

geordie_joe

alanq wrote: »

The TV claims are about the amount of washing up done per bottle.

In 2013 Fairy successfully defended a claim that a bottle of Fairy lasted longer than two bottles of its leading rival.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2424224/Fairy-liquid-really-does-twice-long-rival-brands-advertising-watchdog-rules.html

I don't know how the comparison would go with today's formulations but in 2011 Which? found that ALDI sold a brand that beat Fairy by performance as well as price.
http://www.which.co.uk/news/2011/08/59p-washing-up-liquid-beats-fairy-in-which-test-263921/

The problem with tests like this is they are not realistic and do not reflect real life use.

They test them by having a seemingly endless supply of dirty dishes and continue washing them until the washing up liquid "runs out".

Most people don't wash dishes until the washing up liquid runs out, they wash dishes until the dirty dishes run out, then they stop. Even if the washing up liquid is still capable of washing more dishes.

So, unless you can use just enough liquid to wash they dishes you have. So the liquid runs out at exactly the same time as the dirty dishes then claims of how long the liquid will last are not relevant.

Lilyplonk

Repairman77 wrote: »

Well there's a reason. Over the decades I've noticed that the hole in the top of the Fairy Liquid bottle has slowly been getting larger and larger so every time you give it a squirt you're using more.

I'm always saying that 'use of washing up liquid' is a habit of how long you actually squeeze the bottle for ............... so I'm so pleased to see that somebody else also thinks the same thing.

............ and YES, I think they've widened the opening in the nozzle.

It's one reason why I'd prefer to still perhaps buy it, BUT to then transfer the liquid to 'an empty shop's own bottle'. I'm not sure that trying to put another cap onto a Fairy Liquid bottle would work properly :rotfl:.

good_advice

Thanks. I never thought of them being this sneaky.
I am watching the pennies though and thinking of branding down next time I buy. Just pour it into the posher bottle.

Seakay

Repairman77 wrote: »

Well there's a reason. Over the decades I've noticed that the hole in the top of the Fairy Liquid bottle has slowly been getting larger and larger so every time you give it a squirt you're using more.

The difference between the bottle I last used up today and the new one I just started was very noticeable.

The old bottle had a hole of 3.2mm diameter whereas the new one had a hole of 4.5mm. Not much difference you say? But just do the maths and you'll find that the area of the 3.2mm hole calculates to 8.04mm whereas the 4.5mm hole calculates as 15.9mm. A smidgen under twice the area!

That means every squirt you use with the new bottle is giving you twice the amount. No wonder it runs out so fast.

Best way round it is to save the cap from a bottle with a small hole in the cap and keep swapping it over, or find a way of blocking part of the hole.

Now I would never dispute that Fairy Liquid is the best washing up liquid but that's a pretty cunning plan by the company to sell more.

Are you saying that the hole in the cap to squeeze w'up liquid through is nearly half a centimetre across? If so that is twice the size of the old Cussons bottle which I use!

skylight

I noticed that Sainsbury had changed their own brand to a larger hole last year too, so its not just fairy.

ragz_2

daveybea wrote: »

i used to use persil washing up liquid until they did the same thing..ok its cheaper than fairy but its just a false economy...I use my old white and green bottle (from the queens anniversary) and fill it up with fairy as that style always brings a smile to my face

Me too! Well, until I lost it, but I think I found one the other day.
I did wonder why I have been using more, it does seem to go down quicker...

EndlessStruggle

I use a pump bottle dispenser too and one pump is more than enough. I have an older style bottle (when my partners grandmother died and they sorted out the house they found a large stock of hoarded cleaning products including fairy liquid so we have 3 "special edition" bottles from 2011) and you can see the difference against a modern bottle. I'll switch to Aldi one when we have used it up.