Proper tarts we are, when it comes to washing detergent and the like. We'll go with anybody if the price is right. Well, not strictly true because Mrs B won't buy the cheap own brand stuff. She's fine with any of the major brands though, so I knew when I came back with the shopping, she'd be fine with this Persil.

It was an absolute bargain at only £5.00 in Tesco for a very large bottle, sufficient to do 54 washes.

It's a non bio detergent and there is a little logo on the front, advising the consumer that the British Skin Foundation recognises Persil's research into skin care. Ah - so it recognises it but whether they agree it or not, we're left to speculate. Such a meaningless statement - they must think we're all fools. Many of us are, of course.

Well, back to the product and is it any good? Well, we've used Persil many times before, but there are that many new improved variants and rebrandings these days that we really can't remember whether we have used this Small and Mighty before. I guess like so many others, we just trust the brand.

This is a liquid washing detergent and takes the form of a viscous white liquid. It hasn't got much of a smell to it, but what smell there is is vaguely reassuring in that it is clearly a washing detergent smell rather than burnt toast or over-ripe bananas, two smells which are all too obvious in our kitchen as I write this.

The container is white plastic and contains reputedly 1.89l of product. It has a blue screw on top and an opaquely transparent measuring cup on the top, with measures of 35ml and 52 ml clearly marked on the side. As with all such measures, the biggest measure is still some way down the side, so they are clearly hoping that washerwomen up and down the land just fill it up to the top and rush back to the shops to buy some more.

Rather naughtily, the washing instructions advise the consumer to pour one capful (35ml) into the machine, yet the 35ml mark is only half way up the cap. In a less chilled mood, this would make me angry, but today, all is well in the world. Tomorrow may be different!

For reasons which I don't fully understand, the container on this 'new improved Small and Mighty' (Marketing speak for not selling enough - relaunch it!) has a representation of a cart-wheeling sprog on the front. What's all that about? And now I come to look at it, it isn't even accurate in that aforementioned sprog's hair is set at an angle which just wouldn't happen. I suppose it is seen as being more visually appealing. Sigh!

And another thing,......I see that the product contains between 15 and 30% anionic surfactants. Well, I'm sorry, Unilever, but that's not good enough. Is it 15% or is it 30% and why can't you be more accurate? I can feel a letter coming on. I need answers!

In use, this washing detergent is fine - nothing spectacular and no unique selling points to make you aware of. You put your washing in dirty and hey presto, with the requisite amount of this stuff, some water and some agitation from the washing machine, it comes out clean. Although we don't have to wash dirty rugger gear or urine ridden bedding, it certainly does a decent enough job on our lightly soiled washing.

In fact, with the weather having taken such a turn for the better these last few days, we have been washing a lot of our winter clothes - a lot of those things which have been worn but are not dirty enough to wash - jumpers and the like. These days, there are that many programmes on the washing machines and with such low washing temperatures now the norm, it's been a while since we put in an XL and brought out an S.

At as little as 10p per measure, this seems very good value, yet somehow, I find it distinctly ordinary so it's going to get a pretty ordinary 3 from me. Surely these things are pretty much all the same?