Ariel 3in1 pods - A review

The Savvy Circle was running a campaign on Ariel 3in1 pods.
I have been using Ariel pods for colours for a few years but always stuck to my non-bio washing tabs from another brand for white.
This was a good opportunity to try the new Ariel. 
One claim is the new brightening power. 
Can I ditch my expensive soft-bleach for keeping whites white and bright ?

So what does Ariel says about the new pods ?

Small is powerful

Ariel 3in1 Pods are Ariel’s most concentrated detergent ever – at only 28ml each and use 40% less packaging than Ariel liquid detergents, so are more environmentally friendly too. 
How do they deliver such mighty cleaning power we hear you ask? Well, it’s down to their unique combination of new technologies:

Green – Cleans your clothes
A super compact detergent, reinforced by the inclusion of new ‘cleaning active boosters’, to help the detergent reach the dirt quicker.

White – Lifts stains off your clothes
A unique cocktail of six enzymes designed to combat a large spectrum of everyday stains.

Blue – Brightens your clothes 
Thanks to the revolutionary three compartments, meaningful combinations of the right ingredients are released at just the right time to deliver outstanding brightness for your laundry.

What do I think ?

How did I try it ?

The Savvy Circle sent me a full-size box of the new Classic Ariel 3in1 pods (16 washes), an information booklet, 10 samples to give to friends, a report booklet with detachable surveys to accompany the samples and a few money off coupon.




The Classic version is best suited for whites. 
I therefore tried it on : 
- "White" tea-towels (heavily stained)
- Cream bath sheets 
- White bedlinen
- White shower curtain

How convenient is it ?

This is what I used to do with tea-towels : Spray the stains with stain remover, add a couple of powder tabs to the draw, fill a measuring ball with 100ml of soft-bleach to add to the drum and add a sanitizer to the draw.
For the bed-linen, a simpler combination of powder tabs, conditioner and soft-bleach.

If Ariel delivers on its brightening and stain-lifting promises; the effort is dramatically reduced ! 
Pop a pod in the drum, add some conditioner to the draw and wait for the washing machine to complete the cycle ;-)

How did it fare on stains ?

Unfortunately, not that great. 
Some of the stains disapeared but many persisted (albeit lighter).
I tried to give it another chance as my shower curtain developed mould patches during my time out of the country.

I used to wash the shower curtain every 4 weeks or so. Ariel has really not done much for the mould here; despite the fact it was washed on the longest 60c cycle.
Not impressed so far !

What about the brightening power ?

As far as my bed-linen are concerned, I am adopting Ariel without hesitation.
I haven't washed the sheets often enough to notice the difference but they sure came out feeling really clean and fresh whilst looking bright and light.
I am happy to trust Ariel on their brightening claims here.

How does it smell ?

Fresh but really too strong.
The Ariel fragrance over-powers my favourite conditioner .
As I washed the sheets a couple of days before a trip away, and only changed the bed on my return.
Not only the linen had been sitting, folded in the draw for over 10 days but after a further 3 days of use, the bed still offered this over-powering smell of laundry detergent.


This may be good news for some, but I miss the soothing smell of my conditioner.

Any surprises ?

Yes, Yes and Yes !
I certainly didn't expect this and Ariel never came up with the easy-iron argument but my bed linen has never been so easy to iron.
Ironing the duvet cover took a third less time than usual !
For this reason alone, I am adopting Ariel for the bed-linen without hesitation.

My final verdict ?

I am unfortunately not impressed by the stain removing power and will keep on using my old and trusted method.
I wish the smell wasn't quite as strong, but that's my personal opinion.
On the other hand; I would never dream of using anything else for bed-linens, I love the reduced ironing time; the new Ariel 3in1 pods is definitely replacing my old products for bed-linens.

All things taken into consideration, I can only give Ariel 3in1 pods two different ratings :
- Stained whites : 1 out of 5
- White bed-linen : 4 out of 5

Disclaimer:I recieved the product for free as part of a SuperSavvyMe campaign. However, this post has not been sponsored or endorsed by the PR or manufacturing company of the product.  All words and opinions are my own.