P&G ERA Detergent disappearing from stores

I know everyone has their favorites detergents, and some they wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, and ERA is probably one of the latter for a lot but it's been a staple for me as far back as I can remember. When I first moved out on my own and made use of the basement laundry in the apartment complex across the street, illegally because I didn't live there.. but that's another story, it's what I bought to smell like 'home'. While I like to experiment with various detergents and am always game to try new stuff, ERA has always been on my shelf ever since.

Over the past few months I've had a tough time finding the regular ERA detergent. My local grocery store, Wally World, and Dollar General no longer carry the regular ERA (Active Stainfighter with classic scent) Walmart now only has the version with Oxygen bleach mixed in, or Oxibooster as it's called, and they've marked the price on that to almost twice what the regular ERA sold for.

In Google searches you can see many people are clamoring about it disappearing, so it's a country-wide thing not just a local problem or contained to one area of the U.S. I landed on ERA's Facebook page with a lot of disgruntled shoppers complaining and whoever runs the ERA account answering over and over with the same form-letter type post that says they just need to let their local store know that they want ERA and that way they will know to restock it... or something like that.

You can still find regular ERA online to buy, but it's obvious the decline in availability has been noted because the price gouging is ridiculous on sites like Amazon and other resellers... sometimes as much as 5 times over what it sold for originally. Smaller retailer sites will have it at better prices but the shipping is a killer, not to mention having liquid goods shipped can sometimes be a very disappointing experience when you receive a sticky wet box on your front step.

Using the Oxiboost version isn't really an option for a lot of long time users like myself. I generally only use Oxyclean type bleaches for a pre-soak that gets rinsed out, and don't like it added in the main wash. ERA with Oxiboost also has an overly perfumed scent which is one thing I always liked about regular ERA... it just smelled clean, not overpoweringly flowery.

But... regular ERA isn't quite gone for good just yet. You can still find the classic version if you look hard enough. I just recently discovered my local Menards carries it in their grocery section, and actually a little cheaper than the grocery store sold it for, and I've read where others have discovered it at smaller retailers and farm and tractor type stores. Sam's Club sells the extra concentrated version as well, but you obviously need to be, or know, a member.


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Post# 1124535 7/31/2021 at 04:36 (1,000 days old) by Sudsomatic (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I know everyone has their favorites detergents, and some they wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, and ERA is probably one of the latter for a lot but it's been a staple for me as far back as I can remember. When I first moved out on my own and made use of the basement laundry in the apartment complex across the street, illegally because I didn't live there.. but that's another story, it's what I bought to smell like 'home'. While I like to experiment with various detergents and am always game to try new stuff, ERA has always been on my shelf ever since. Over the past few months I've had a tough time finding the regular ERA detergent. My local grocery store, Wally World, and Dollar General no longer carry the regular ERA (Active Stainfighter with classic scent) Walmart now only has the version with Oxygen bleach mixed in, or Oxibooster as it's called, and they've marked the price on that to almost twice what the regular ERA sold for. In Google searches you can see many people are clamoring about it disappearing, so it's a country-wide thing not just a local problem or contained to one area of the U.S. I landed on ERA's Facebook page with a lot of disgruntled shoppers complaining and whoever runs the ERA account answering over and over with the same form-letter type post that says they just need to let their local store know that they want ERA and that way they will know to restock it... or something like that. You can still find regular ERA online to buy, but it's obvious the decline in availability has been noted because the price gouging is ridiculous on sites like Amazon and other resellers... sometimes as much as 5 times over what it sold for originally. Smaller retailer sites will have it at better prices but the shipping is a killer, not to mention having liquid goods shipped can sometimes be a very disappointing experience when you receive a sticky wet box on your front step. Using the Oxiboost version isn't really an option for a lot of long time users like myself. I generally only use Oxyclean type bleaches for a pre-soak that gets rinsed out, and don't like it added in the main wash. ERA with Oxiboost also has an overly perfumed scent which is one thing I always liked about regular ERA... it just smelled clean, not overpoweringly flowery. But... regular ERA isn't quite gone for good just yet. You can still find the classic version if you look hard enough. I just recently discovered my local Menards carries it in their grocery section, and actually a little cheaper than the grocery store sold it for, and I've read where others have discovered it at smaller retailers and farm and tractor type stores. Sam's Club sells the extra concentrated version as well, but you obviously need to be, or know, a member.

Post# 1124539 , Reply# 1 7/31/2021 at 07:02 (1,000 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)
Checkrate/Likes 1 they introduce new products, as if their really new....when actually their reintroducing products from the past.... Tide Pods...Salvo Tablets Cold water washing......All-Temperature Cheer, and Cold Power HE detergents.......Low Sudsing Dash ERA was one of the first 1/4 cup liquid detergents that I recall... and liquids date back to WISK... ohhhh, how we miss the detergents and scents from our past....when the whole house would smell that laundry was being done......now all you get is dryer exhaust scent!

Post# 1124540 , Reply# 2 7/31/2021 at 07:16 (1,000 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There�s a Lady on Stage)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Far as one knows....* ERA liquid detergents aren't being discontinued. That brand along with others however will see a price increase come September. P&G announced a few months ago many of their brands worldwide would see price increases in September in response to various inflationary costs (raw materials, etc...).

Post# 1124547 , Reply# 3 7/31/2021 at 10:42 (1,000 days old) by kenwashesmonday (Carlstadt, NJ)
Checkrate/Likes 2 I used Era liquid for over 10 years. I liked it because it washed well and wasn't heavily scented. About 2 years ago I noticed that they seemed to be watering it down. I complained to P&G, and they sent me a refund in the form of a gift card. I used the money to buy some Tide original liquid, which seems to work fine. Edit: Looks like the Era page is no longer on the P&G website. Perhaps they watered it down and stuffed their pockets before doing away with it. This post was last edited 07/31/2021 at 14:15

Post# 1124555 , Reply# 4 7/31/2021 at 12:37 (1,000 days old) by Pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)
Checkrate/Likes i know canada discontinued selling era and era plus laundry detergent

Post# 1124594 , Reply# 5 7/31/2021 at 18:52 (999 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There�s a Lady on Stage)
Checkrate/Likes *Protein gets out protein....* That was ERA's big marketing thing back in the day. Unlike original Wisk liquid which didn't have a whiff of enzymes, ERA did. Thus the latter was far more effective on body soil, grass, and marks caused by certain foods or beverages. This was about the time Dynamo and ERA were battling it out as newcomers to laundry detergent world but as liquids not powders. Wisk had been around for ages but housewives just didn't trust liquid detergents fully. Of course P&G soon did what it always does; technology developed for one product found its way into a top shelf brand in their stable. In this case it was introduction of liquid Tide detergent. It has been off to the races ever since. So much so that powdered Tide is now almost a poor relation to the dozens of liquid or pod versions of Tide.

Post# 1124600 , Reply# 6 7/31/2021 at 19:05 (999 days old) by lakewebsterkid (Dayton, Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *ERA* A relative of mine used it for years. Not the worst product, but certainly not incredible. I did like the older versions scent. Can�t say I will miss it, though.

Post# 1124605 , Reply# 7 7/31/2021 at 19:58 (999 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)
Checkrate/Likes *"Wisk . . . didn't have a whiff of enzymes"* So that whole "Wisk around the collar beats ring around the collar every time" was total BS? That was some seriously brazen false advertising. But I still loved the scent of the original stuff.

Post# 1124614 , Reply# 8 7/31/2021 at 22:02 (999 days old) by agiflow ()
Checkrate/Likes What I don't like about Liquids is they are often too foamy and they don't give the water a slick feel like powders do.I imagine that can't be good for machines.

Post# 1124740 , Reply# 9 8/2/2021 at 11:06 (998 days old) by Iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *I saw Era* At Target and at Sam's club the last time I was there. They had quite a few at Sam's, the big jugs. I had heard that Era was going into a hiatus of production sometime ago, but since I rarely purchased it, I didn't pay that much attention. I used to keep a small bottle for spot treating, but as Our Dear Laundress stated other liquid detergents have dominated the shelves since then.