Robert Hudson invented the first dry soap powder, "Hudson's Dry Soap" in 1837. In his small pharmacy in West Bromwich, he ground up his original batch of soap powder in his pestle and mortar, probably using the coarse bar soap of the day. It was popular with his customers, and this led to an increase in demand. Hudson got his female staff to pack the soap, apparently singing as they worked!

However, it was Hudson's flair for advertising that led to it becoming a household name. He took a risk by paying for local, then national advertising, at a level that no other manufacturer was carrying out.

For example, a coach carrying Hudson's adverts made a twice-weekly journey between Liverpool and York. His most renowned slogan was "A little of Hudson's goes a long way."

His production was based at a factory in West Bromwich. However, in the 1880s, a bigger factory was built at Bank Hall, Liverpool, and it became the company's head office. The supplies of soap came from another pharmacist, Gossage, who began production in Widnes from 1854, taking advantage of the lifting of tax on soap in 1853. Hudson branched out into the production of "liquid soap" or soap extract. His pharmacy had two later owners before it was given up in about 1880.

After Robert's death in 1884, the business was taken over by one of his sons, R W Hudson, who managed it until it was taken over by Lever Brothers Ltd in 1908.

The flair for advertising obviously ran in the family. In the early twentieth century, R W Hudson used painted balloons with the words "Hudson's Soap" in letters large enough to be seen from the ground while they were in flight. He offered free flights in the balloons to brave passengers.