It's Irish Dance Night and this is the best I could come up with

I once met a man at a dinner party whose job had something to do with the manufacture of laundry detergent. He told me that you shouldn't use the same brand of detergent all the time, or the fibres of your clothes and linens would 'get used to it' and they would sort of tighten up and become impervious to the soap so it wouldn't clean as well.

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I have no idea if this is true, but I often vary what detergent I buy anyway, based on what's on sale and if I feel like smelling lemons or mountain breezes or nothing that month (my current favourite is Sunlight Morning Fresh -- sincere apologies for the shameless product placement). So I tend to go back and forth. I don't know if it works, but I do think this sort of recommendation applies to other things. I have a lot of very fine hair, and even if I find a great shampoo, one that makes my hair bouncy and light and full instead of flat and stuck to my head, if I use it for too many days in a row the effect wears off. I've always imagine that it's sort of like the effect the laundry soap man described -- or that my hair just gets bored and wants something new. So I go back and forth between a few shampoos also.

The same thing happens with deodorant. I prefer to use the mineral salt deodorant crystal stick -- colourless, chemical-free, works even though I didn't believe the friend who told me about it and have been disbelieved in turn by everyone I've raved about it to. But after a few months it just stops working, even if I use it the exact same way. So I go to the mind-boggling shelves full of deodorant brand and try to find a scent that doesn't smell too fake. I like most of the Dove ones (okay, I actually love the cucumber and green tea one, it makes my armpits smell delicious -- sincere apologies for the overshare). I use it for a few weeks, then go back to the crystal.

In a way, I find this annoying. Can't I just find something that works well and stick with it and unthinkingly reach for the same brand when it runs out? I don't generally suffer change gladly.

In another way, I think it's good that the things that surround me daily have this way to let me know that routine can be stultifying, and small changes, sometimes leading to bigger changes, can be beneficial, and needful, and refreshing, and make your hair bouncier and shinier in the bargain.

Sincere apologies for the tortured metaphor. It's NaBloPoMo and I was feeling a little desperate. Thank-you and good night.