INGRID THOFT
During a recent visit to my mom's house, I grabbed a pen and added something to the grocery list attached to her fridge. Perusing the list, I could predict exactly which brands she'd purchase because they mirror those on my own list. Or vice versa, I suppose. The laundry detergent I purchase is Tide; the butter is Land 'O Lakes; and the paper towels are Bounty. Are these the best products in their class? I wouldn't know, I'm so accustomed to pulling them off the shelf having seem them in my childhood home for so many years.
I did have an epiphany a few years ago when I discovered that I prefer regular spaghetti to thin spaghetti! It had never occurred to me that there even was a regular thickness spaghetti! Does that mean I'm ready to switch my Tide for All? Probably not, but they say awareness is the first step to change. How about you, Reds? Do you reach for certain products out of muscle memory?
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, Jenn, Miracle Whip is not even real mayonnaise. It's another thing entirely. Gah. I could never eat that. Anyway, I'm weird about brand names, too. I've always used Tide--until recently (brand awareness? TV) I tried Persil and Oxiclean, and now I love those. I've used Cascade for years--sometimes I look at other items, but I can never do it. Bounty, yes. Dove soap. Land O Lakes yes. Stonyfield. Saran Wrap. I kind of gravitated to those 1950's looking dish soaps, what're they called? And the sunflower one smells wonderful. And you know, as much as it could, my mom's grocery cart would've looked just like mine. I'd love to hear what everyone else says!
RHYS BOWEN: I really wasn't aware what brands my mother used. Food arrived on the table. Clothes came back washed! But I have stuck with Tide, Cascade, Palmolive for years now. One thing I discovered early in marriage was that cheap brands didn't clean as well. Same with toilet paper. It has to be Charmin! But I have switched to local organic milk and yoghurt and don't buy cans of soup any longer ( too much sodium). And my son buys natural cleaners for me every time he comes to my house. ( but I still use Comet and Soft Scrub!)
HALLIE EPHRON: Miracle Whip is to mayonnaise what Dream Whip (Cool Whip) is to cream. Here in New England we have a Cain's mayonnaise.
I grew up with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and I still use it. Lawry's had a restaurant in LA and that seasoning was what made their roast beef so good. I don't make roast beef, but it's perfect for seasoning a chicken before roasting. Combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and of course, sugar, and you get a similar taste... but not. Beyond that we used all kinds of products I wouldn't touch now: Cheez-Its. Wonder Bread. Pancake "syrup." Frozen vegetables. Canned tomato soup.
INGRID: Full disclosure, I still prefer Mrs. Butterworth's to real Vermont maple syrup. I know, I know. It's a source of shame, but in my defense...wait, there is no defense.
My other must-buy brands: Coke (regular), Arm & Hammer Unscented detergent (for my sensitive-skin offspring). Arm & Hammer Clump 'n Seal Cat Litter. I swear I don't have stock in Arm & Hammer, I just love these products.
LUCY BURDETTE: I did recently try some earth-kind dishwasher soap and ended up with a load of dirty dishes after the machine ground through its cycle. I decided washing dishes twice wasn't the least bit earth-friendly so I bought some Cascade. sigh. Alpenglow lavender face cream--I bought this in Alaska some years ago and now I MUST have it in stock. Nature's Gate herbal hand lotion. King Arthur flour. Windex. Cottonelle toilet paper. I gave up my mother's Tide and Campbell's soup years ago, but I still feel drawn to their graphics!
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Miracle Whip will never darken the door at our house. Ditto Cool Whip. And of course the only proper mayonnaise is Hellman's--unless it's homemade. Bounty paper towels. Rhys, I bought Charmin for years until a plumber told us that was what kept clogging up our sewer pipe (It doesn't disintegrate), so now we use Kirkland (Costco) brand and haven't had a stop since. Also Kirkland Eco laundry detergent and Kirkland dishwasher pods and Kirkland tissues. I thought I wasn't very brand loyal until I started noticing things around the house. Dry Idea Unscented Deodorant. Alba Botanica lotion. Pears Soap (I order by the case from Amazon.) And lots of things from Trader Joe's now.
I try to notice what brands I buy in the UK, so that I don't have my characters use something that's not available.
INGRID: Good point, Debs! I'm sure you would hear about any errors from eagle-eye readers!
What about you? Do you practice blind brand loyalty?
