Big Scoop

Originally uploaded by laundrylessons.

Because I have a thing for laundry, either hating it or inspired by it, depending on the day, I sometimes Google “Laundry”. So occasionally I’m enlightened by a few interesting stories or facts. Do you know how many crimes are committed at Laundromats? And that one of the best restaurants in California is called the French Laundry? And of course the majority of the Google hits concern celebrity “dirty laundry” so I don’t have to buy People Magazine when I read these. But yesterday I saw a laundry story that spoke to my laundress’ heart. A major break through that could change the way we launder…concentrated soap.

According to Adweek, concentrated laundry soap is in our near future. Most of the big-wig soap makers will be reducing container size by 50%. It is a very green decision to concentrate the formulas and shrink the boxes and jugs. But, now they have to convince all of us who use a standard scoop or capful, that half is better.

I don’t know, something about hauling my industrial-sized, thirty pound box of Tide home from Sam’s Club speaks to the hardship of my job. The neighbors see me unloading that puppy from the car and they must think, “Wow, all those kids, she must be swallowed up by dirty clothes. What a good mom.” Right? I bet even my husband, who doesn’t know how to do the laundry is impressed by the huge tool of my trade. “John,” I say, “Could you please get that heavy box of laundry soap out? I don’t want to hurt my back.” And he feels the weight of my toil as he positions the fresh box of soap in the laundry room.

But this wimpy packaging in our future may rob the allure of the big soap. Sure little boxes with miniature scoops will save resources and space and be precious, but like super-sized cookies and king-sized Reeses Cups, sometimes bigger is better. Can you picture a construction site with mini-backhoes? No, we love to see huge, gnarly equipment completing the job. Or how about reduced-sized Kitchenaid Mixers in our kitchen? No we want the one used on Top Chef – professional sized!

So after decades of ad campaigns convincing us to super-size everything from televisions to cheeseburgers, the soap guys may have more of a sales job to do on me. Lots of free samples may be the soap guys only hope. But then again they may be so small they’d get lost in the mail. Until I see that a tablespoon of soap will clean mud and Popsicle drips and baby spit up, I’ll keep using the BIG scoop like the trophy I’ve earned.