Customer Reviews

Downy Ultra Liquid Fabric Softener, Free & Sensitive, 40-Load (34 fl. oz.) Bottle (Pack of 6)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I have used Downy April Fresh for years, but this new version has me switching brands. The scent is SOOOO overpowering it made my entire family nauseous and gave us headaches. BAD idea, Downy!

Downy has reformulated its scent with the new "scent pearls." The new scent is biting and unpleasant compared with the older, more subtle version of April Fresh. After decades of loving Downy, I'm looking for an alternative that is not so overpowering. If you read reviews of this product, and if you care about scents, keep in mind whether the review is dated before or after the introduction of "scent pearls."

New April Fresh Downy with scent pearls is horrible. I've used Downy for years, and I always loved it. It was subtle and smelled great. The new scent is overpowering and very strong (perfume). For those who are ordering April Fresh Downy, if you end up getting the older version, you will love the smell and most likely will have a very positive comment/ review. But for those who end up getting the new scent, you will find that it is very strong (perfume), and will probably give it a low rating. When ordering April Fresh Downy, you may be shipped the original April Fresh Downy without the added scent pearls (since the old batches are mixed in with the new), so be careful- it's hit or miss. Too bad they changed the smell. The new smell is really bad, and I would not recommend it.

new scent is horrible. can't believe in a million years someone at P&G thought this was a good idea. EPIC FAIL!!!

I, too, am saddened by the fact that P&G took a product that had such a dedicated consumer base (I myself had been using April Fresh Downy (the original formulation) for well over 25 years, and I remember my Mom using it in 1965), and changed it into something that smells like rancid Sweet-Tarts! I used the new formulation (with the crappy "Scent-Pearls"), in two loads of my laundry, and that was enough for me.
While looking to see if I was alone in my sorrow, I found numerous Facebook/Google pages talking about how horrible the new scent is. There was discussion of possible alternatives (some mentioned Target Up and Up smelled just like the original Downy, however that may have changed by now) while others talked about how they would buy a couple different products and mix them accordingly. There was also more than one mention of how negative comments, left on the Proctor and Gamble website (under the Downy consumer comments section), had been deleted (maybe because P&G doesn't want negative comments about their horrid, "new and improved" April Fresh Downy?). People also talked about how P&G had actually released newly designed bottles of April Fresh Downy, WITH the retro, 1965 label (and no mention on the bottle of any reformulation or "Scent Pearls") that contained the same new, and horrible smelling, reformulated product (replete with that nasty rotting fruit/cheap perfume/Sweet Tart candy smell; for the record, I actually really like the Sweet Tart candies. I just don't want my sheets to reek of them ...) maybe in the hopes of gaining back some of their lost market share?(that must be why, because P&G would never try to fool us into buying their "Scent Pearl laden failure" by just changing the bottle to make us think that we were getting our old April Fresh Downy back, would they??).
The P&G website (Downy section) has 1079 customer reviews, with the Avg. Customer Rating of 1.222 out of 5, and 1000+ people giving the new formulation only one star (and as you all know, there's usually no way to vote NO stars...). I too, only give "New & Improved" April Fresh Downy 1 star, and that's because picking 0 stars is not an option. I will NEVER by April Fresh Downy EVER again, unless they switch back to the old formula .. **sigh**, maybe someday ...

The new scent is so strong and foul that I will be forced to find a replacement product if P&G doesn't return to the original formulation. It's no longer April Fresh. I've used this product for over 30 years and I'm very disappointed!

I have been a loyal customer of P&G for over 30 years buying Downy April Fresh. There was nothing like that soft and comforting scent for my laundry over the years. Imagine my surprise when they changed the scent and then added those scent beads to their formulary. The fragrance is absolutely HORRIBLE. It now makes my entire neighborhood smell like a cotton candy carnival when I put clothes in the dryer. The scent beads turn you into a giant scratch and sniff sticker. God forbid you have an itch and scratch it. It releases the horrible sickenly sweet scent of the new formula. The new scent is headache inducing. I called P&G and they suggested another scent. Why would I want to switch to another scent with the horrible scent beads? If I wanted another scent, I would have been purchasing them all along. April Fresh Downy was not broken and did not need to be fixed. I have now switched to one of their competitors products. I have stopped using P&G fabric softeners and they have lost me as a customer after 30 years of purchasing what was once a wonderful classic product. The blue Snuggle brand softener or the Costco Kirkland brand softener has been working as a replacement product. While they aren't as nice as what the original April Fresh Downy was, they are not migraine inducing and offensive.

I cannot believe how offensive the Downy "scent pearls", well...scent, is. I have contacted P&G to advise them I would no longer purchase the product because of it. It filled my laundry room with such an overpowering odor, I still can't get rid of it. My family HATES it; even the dog ran from the room. If you are at all sensitive to fragrance (believe me, this does not rate as a fragrance), do not purchase this product. Too bad P&G didn't adhere to the adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". There was nothing wrong with the lovely, gentle "April Fresh" scent, period. They have ruined half of my laundering experience; hopefully, they keep their mitts off my Tide.

I have used April Fresh Downy for years, as I associated this fabric softener with home and family prior to the change of scent. I think this new version is horrendous and don't even want it in my home. First of all, it doesn't even resemble the old scent. Why mess with success? If you want to experiment, P&G, carry on with your weird scent combinations (ie. Frankinscensce and Myrrh, or Ocean Air and Effluent).
You know P&G only changed it because it is saving them money somehow, and they are trying to market it to us as if 7 Day 'Freshness' was something new and exciting and not nauseating.
Brutal product- don't buy it.

I can't believe P&G changed the smell of Downy! I've been using it for years. The only reason I use the liquid fabric softener in the first place is because the original scent is so awesome, but this new "Scent Pearls" stink is nasty! It perverts the smell of the original to the point where I've actually gotten a headache from it! It's horrible! I never noticed the new packaging because it's pink like it used to be, but now it stinks! And I can't find any of the old bottles anywhere, so I guess it's back to Bounce dryer sheets for me. It's sad. It's like changing Coke to New Coke and adding a little bit of extra melted plastic taste to the New Coke, then not bringing back Coke Classic!

Actually, I think that's the smell that's giving me a headache: It's a chemical, slightly melted plastic smell. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but it's really bad!

PLEASE! Bring back the old scent! Kill the 'Scent Pearls!'