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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Zoe Wood

Green sleeves? Laundry detergent being tweaked owing to gen Z’s love of matcha

Two models despicting friends while sipping iced matcha lattes while looking at a phones
The ranking was compiled by Unilever and identified ‘new and emerging stains based on evolving lifestyles and culture’. Photograph: Luis Alvarez/Getty Images

It used to be curry sauce, egg yolk and red wine that ruined Britain’s clothes but in a sign of the times laundry detergents are being reformulated to tackle stains left by matcha lattes, Aperol spritz and bubble tea.

In a month when year-end gongs are dished out, from BBC Sports Personality to Pantone’s Colour of 2026 (a white called “cloud dancer”), matcha has received the dubious accolade “stain of the year”.

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