Move over Persil… putting on a load of washing gets posh! Detergents rebranded as ‘laundry shampoo’ in spa-style packaging with scents including ‘patchouli’ and ‘Cocoa Butter Kisses’
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Putting on a load of washing is the pinnacle of domestic drudgery for many of us; a triple-pronged process – wash, dry, put away – that takes hours, days even, if you have a particularly large brood under your roof.
Bottles and boxes of detergent and fabric conditioner have traditionally been large, clunky affairs, emblazoned with science-based logos. Purely functional, they’re hidden away in cupboards as soon as they’re brought home from the supermarket.
However, detergents are in the midst of a makeover so dramatic that homeowners might soon be putting them on display in the way they do a posh hand lotion or fancy candle.
Indeed, push the trolley down the aisle marked home laundry in Waitrose, Tesco or Sainsbury’s and you might be mistaken for thinking you’ve taken a wrong turn into the beauty section.
Washing liquids that look like the posh shampoos you might find in your bathroom are taking over the laundry aisle at supermarkets
A new breed of washing liquids, packaged in statement bottles in muted colours are beginning to edge out the big hitters such as Persil, Aerial and Bold, targeting discerning shoppers who want housework to feel a little more sophisticated.
Dubbed ‘laundry shampoo’, these beautifully packaged detergents come in scents with evocative names, from patchouli and cedarwood to Date Night and Cocoa Butter Kisses.
Even beauty brand SpaceNK has branched out into bougie washing with its DedCool Dedtergent.
A 946ml can of 01 ‘Taunt’, which has, says SpaceNK, notes of bergamot, cassis, amber and vanilla, retails at £28.00 for 60 washes.
Leading the charge in the supermarkets are companies such as Wilton and Tallow+Ash; the latter appears to be doing for washing what trendy paint brand Fallow&Ball has done for decorating.
The brand says its scents have been carefully created by master parfumiers to make ‘incredible top, mid and base notes that make your home and clothes smell amazing’.
It also subscribes to ‘clean chemistry’, with detergents that are plant-based, non-toxic, biodegradable, dye-free, vegan and cruelty-free.
Wilton, meanwhile, says its eco-friendly detergents are blended with natural essential oils and also conjured up by perfumiers.
Are they cleaning up when it comes to price? They’re actually pretty competitive.
An 800ml bottle of Tallow+Ash, promising 26 washes comes in at £7.50 at Tesco, £9.38 per litre and a litre of Wilton London Non Bio Laundry Liquid Patchouli costs £8 for 30 washes.
A bottle of Ariel Original Washing Liquid Gel has 26 washes in an 858ml bottle for £7, which works out at £8.16 per litre, and a home-brand M&S bottle of Bio Colours Laundry Liquid – which is remarkably similar to the Wilton range – comes in at £5.50 for 1.5litres (£3.67 per litre).
It’s not just washing liquids that are entering a new era, machines are fast evolving too.
Earlier this year, Hoover released the ‘Multi-Wash’, an appliance that has three independent drums, including a 10kg main drum and two 1kg mini drums to help families wash multiple loads simultaneously.
