Australians reeling as cost of household essential soars in price

A household essential has copped a major price hike, leaving Aussies furious – but manufacturers are blaming “increased production costs”.

Australians have been left reeling after discovering the cost of a household essential has soared dramatically in price.

Brisbane woman Tanya Roberts shared the current price of dishwashing tablets during a recent in supermarket trip – and the staggering cost has left many shocked.

The clip shows several different brands of the common household product, including a packet of 45 capsules from Fairy priced at $72 and a Finish packet, containing 65 tablets, on sale for $64.

Meanwhile the popular “Finish Powerball” is priced at $68 for 52 tabs of dishwashing detergent.

The price of dishwashing tablets have recently soared in price due to ‘increased costs’ across the industry’s supply chain. Picture: TikTok/princesspepper76

“You are kidding me,” she said, as the camera pans across the Woolies shelf.

“The price of this ... far out. It’s highway robbery.”

Both Coles and Woolworths have similar pricing across the product range.

The revelation sparked an intense response on TikTok, with many stating they “refuse” to pay those prices.

“That is insane,” one commented.

“Living in Oz is like living in Harrods with the sun,” another scoffed.

As someone else mused: “72 dollars??? That’s like the price of gold.”

The product is the latest in a long line of everyday items that have had a dramatic price hike recently, with a spokesperson for Finish telling news.com.au it was caused by “increased costs across our supply chain”.

“We, like many manufacturers, have been impacted by increased costs across our supply chain and as a result, have had to make the decision to change the pricing on some of our products.

“Please know that we provide our retailers with recommended prices, with the final on-shelf price being set at their discretion.

“We understand this is a challenging time for many Australians. We remain committed to making sure we closely monitor costs and pricing to continue delivering the best value possible.”

One woman spotted popular brands were selling packets for around $70. Picture: TikTok/princesspepper76

‘Far out... It’s highway robbery.’ Picture: TikTok/princesspepper76

Fairy, which is owned by Proctor & Gamble, have not responded to news.com.au’s request for comment.

While many have been shocked at the current price of dishwashing tablets, others suggested switching to a cheaper alternative, such as making your own – or washing dishes by hand.

“You can make your own by mixing bi carbonated soda with dishwashing detergent and place into moulds,” one wrote in response.

“Buy the loose powder instead, it’s heaps cheaper and lasts me ages,” another suggested.

As one left a tongue-in-cheek remark: “Kmart sells plates for $1, just keep buying new plates. It’s cheaper.”

Others said they purchase dishwashing tablets at a much cheaper price in places such as Aldi, the Reject Shop and Chemist Warehouse.

The price hike is the latest in a long line of items Australian consumers have spotted increase in recent months, which includes milk, eggs, chips and even the iconic supermarket mud cake.

Cereal in Australia has also risen in price recently due to soaring production costs. Picture: TikTok

Aussies labelled it an ‘absolute joke’. Picture: TikTok

Cereal also recently incurred a hefty price adjustment, causing uproar among irate shoppers after one spotted the price of a 650g box of Coco Pops is now $9.50. In comparison, a similar sized box had a $7.50 price tag last year.

Despite Kellogg’s Australia explaining the increase was due to “high food production costs” as well as “the impact of supply chain and inflationary pressures” – consumers weren’t happy the grocery staple is now a lot more expensive.

Lauren Whitney took to TikTok after spotting Kellogg’s’s Coco Pops were on special in Coles, priced at $17.10 for two boxes, saving $1.90 from the regular price of $9.50 each.

“This is a joke right? One average sized box of cereal, or two for $17,” she said.

She captioned her video with a series of hashtags, including “costofliving”, “poverty line”, “broke”, “unaffordable” and “help”.

Her shock was shared by many of the 500,000 viewers who watched her clip, who labelled it “crazy” and “ridiculous”.