Yahoo News 'We both tried the latest laundry cleaning trick and can't agree if it's useful'
It seems as though every week there's a new viral cleaning product around.
From smiley face shaped sponges dubbed Scrub Daddies to the Pink Stuff, cleaning products have become less about removing grime and more about social media 'aesthetics'. The growing trends have only been amplified by the likes of influencers such as Mrs Hinch - who made a name for herself by showcasing how she keeps her home clean.
But where's the limit between keeping clean and a trend? An interesting debate ensued in the office this week surrounding scent boosters - small balls you can add to your laundry to give them an added pop of fragrance. We're putting the debate to you, so you can have your say and decide who is right.
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Here's what Deborah had to say:
There appear to be more and more adverts telling us how we need to make our laundry smell like the outdoors. That, or every garment we wash needs to be sanitised to within an inch of its life. What happened to just getting your clothes clean?
I don’t hold by all these scent-boosting pearls of wisdom, or smelling people’s feet to see if their socks have that still-freshly-washed fragrance. Nor do rays of sunshine burst forth when I unscrew the cap of the simple bottle of detergent I use in my washing machine.
I recall the days when a hard, green brick of Fairy soap did for the dirt on your shirt collars and cuffs; you just used that and plenty of elbow grease before the item went into the suds.
People talk of washboard stomachs these days. The said washboards – wooden frames with corrugated ridges up the middle that you used to rub wet clothes on – were still commonplace when I was little (a quick internet search has revealed that these are still available to buy, amazingly).
You also hear of folk being “put through the wringer” – well, I was quite proficient at using one of those, although we knew it as a mangle, and you had to slacken off the rollers slightly before putting through a blouse or you’d crack the buttons while you were turning the handle to squeeze out the water.
Almost a museum piece myself, then, I am pleased the chore of washday has been alleviated greatly with the mechanisation of the task. I am also glad we have more of a choice than soap powder (it used to leave marks on my jeans, as well as irritating my skin) and I don’t get on with capsules, they never seem to dissolve properly.
I gave up on fabric conditioner some years ago and just stick with a liquid detergent that has an in- built fragrance. One thing I do include, though, is a capful of limescale preventer, which has done wonders for my machine, and my clothes.
All this other stuff that’s out there, with big brands vying for sales with their promises of weeks of lasting freshness or senses-awakening experiences, is unnecessary and costly, in my opinion.
Here's what Laura had to say:
Deborah does raise some perfectly valid points - but she won't sway me away from team scent boosters, disinfectants and fabric softener.
In the whirlwind of life, I like to get ready as quickly as possible and often times that means very minimal makeup and a quick brush of my hair. Smelling nice gives me that added boost that I am well presented and ready for the day.
I also like to get my clothes washed as quickly as possible (partly environmental reasons, partly being busy busy busy). I know if I've added something like disinfectant into a quick cold wash, at least the clothes are definitely clean.
That's not to say I think they're vital - I save money where I can often by bulk buying and shopping around - so this is probably the one area of cleaning I like to splurge on. It's a luxury, but one that gives me a confidence boost and makes my weekly clean go a lot quicker, so I won't be giving them up any time soon.
