Swap your Persil for a posh wash!
Swap your Persil for a posh wash!
Because of a raft of laundry influencers — ‘cleanfluencer’ Laura Mountford has more than half a million Instagram followers and the hashtag #laundry has been used 3.5 million times — doing the weekly wash has never had more kudos.
Cue a swathe of swanky companies producing specialised detergents and washes that look great, perfume clothes with expensive scent and even care for your skin.
Dr Barbara Sturm, a German doctor and aesthetics specialist with a globally renowned skincare range (fans include Oprah Winfrey, Zoe Kravitz and Kim Kardashian) has just launched a laundry detergent, which rather sets the seal on the trend.
Here, Alice Smellie ditches the supermarket-branded non-bio and tests the latest wave of posh laundry products.
A swathe of swanky companies have launched specialised detergents and washes that look great, perfume clothes with expensive scent and even care for your skin
SKIN-FRIENDLY
Dr Barbara Sturm: Laundry Detergent scored 4/5
Dr Barbara Sturm: Laundry Detergent, 1 litre, up to 28 washes, £40, en.drsturm.com
WHAT: Ingredients are biodegradable, it’s free from preservatives and artificial fragrance and enriched with purslane — which is anti-inflammatory — aloe vera and panthenol for skin health. And it’s suitable for all fabrics, from sportswear to silk.
TEST: Comes with an aluminium measuring cup, with recommended quantities clearly explained. I measure out 50ml and add it to a dark wash including T-shirts, my exercise leggings and some underwear. It all emerges clean and soft against my skin, wafting a light fresh smell around my utility room. 4/5
HEAVEN SCENT
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis Scented Fabric Softener scored 3/5
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis Scented Fabric Softener, 1 litre, 40 washes, £39, franciskurkdjian.com
WHAT: Scented with Aqua Universalis — a citrus fragrance created by exclusive and uber-chic Parisian perfumer Frances Kurkdjian that retails for around £325 per bottle.
TEST: A spritz of Amarige first thing is as far as my personal ‘fragrance ritual’ goes. Nonetheless, I wash my bedding, measuring out 25ml and using unfragranced detergent to allow the expensive softener smell to come through.
After tumble drying, my sheets billow with perfume, and my bedroom is lightly fragranced when I make my bed. I love the result, though £39 is a massive sum. Lovely? Yes. Worth it? Of course not! 3/5
Slip Gentle Silk Wash scored 3/5
SILK ROAD
Slip Gentle Silk Wash, 887ml, 30 washes, £29, selfridges.com
WHAT: No fragrance, sulphates or dyes. It’s made by Slip, a company that creates luxurious products from pure mulberry silk.
TEST: I usually dry-clean silk but loathe the effort, expense and hassle, so I nervously chuck a very old Burberry headscarf into the machine with 30ml of the wash on a delicates cycle. It emerges perfectly clean and the same shape and size. But given how little silk I own, this liquid is going to last decades. 3/5
DREAMY SPRAY
The White Company Sleep Ironing Spray scored 4/5
The White Company Sleep Ironing Spray, 500ml, £15, whitecompany.com
WHAT: They say it helps smooth out creases and gently fragrances clothes. The mist can also be sprayed on to bedding or pyjamas for a quick refresh.
TEST: The spray negates the need for my steam iron, although my sleepwear doesn’t usually get pressed — it crumples as you wear it, right? I spray a light mist about 30 centimetres from my favourite Marks & Spencer cotton pyjamas. My nightwear smells lovely and I breathe in a waft of lavender as I sink into bed. Unnecessary, but a treat. 4/5
SPORTS FRESH
5/5 for the Clothes Doctor Eco Wash for sportswear and synthetic
Clothes Doctor Eco Wash for sportswear and synthetic, 250ml, up to 16 washes, £9.80, clothes-doctor.com
WHAT: An eco-friendly product. Contains lime, peppermint, eucalyptus and lemongrass to fight body odours, remove stains and eliminate chlorine.
TEST: Do I need a special sportswear wash? I’ve never had any problems with non-bio. I find the smell sharp as I put 15ml in my machine on the active wear setting. Not only do the items scooped from a teenager’s floor emerge magically fresh-smelling, but the bikini in which I swim three times a week has lost its swimming pool odour.
This has passed the ultimate washing challenge with flying colours. 5/5
WONDER WOOL
The Lab Collective Cashmere and Wool Detergent scored 4/5
The Lab Collective Cashmere and Wool Detergent, 500ml, up to 34 washes, £14, thelabco.com
WHAT: My delicates liquid cost £2 from Co-op and has always done a good enough job. This is gently scented with cedarwood (to repel moths), cinnamon and myrrh. Suitable for such scary-to-wash items as mohair and cashmere. An alternative to dry-cleaning, it’s very gentle to prevent friction and preserve the fabric.
Stocked by luxury companies such as Net-A-Porter, Selfridges and Liberty.
TEST: Can be used for hand-washing, which I avoid like the plague, and machine-washing. I put two capfuls in the machine on a delicates wash, and my favourite machine-washable cashmere jumper is unshrunk and smells lovely. 4/5
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