Dhobi dilemma As busy professionals, Anna and her husband Matthew follow flexible work shifts, making it extremely difficult for them to maintain a schedule that works with the neighbourhood dhobi. To complicate matters further, Matthew travels often on business and Anna's elderly parents come to live with her for a couple of weeks every now and then. There is always a growing pile of dirty clothes that need washing and the couple are becoming increasingly frustrated that their busy lives leave them little time to get daily chores done.    

To quit or not to quit With the new baby having just arrived, Sophie's household has been in a state of excitement. But she is worried. Sophie has returned to work and her mother has now left, bringing the responsibility of running the household back onto her. Her little one, Miriam, has extremely sensitive skin, and her five-year-old, Thomas, appears to love the sand pit at school. Washing their clothes separately by hand along with all her other household tasks is taking its toll on her and she is afraid she might have to quit her job if she is unable to manage her home.  

Running out Rita recently moved to Bangalore to train with the state hockey team and work part-time at a bank nearby. Her day is packed with training, and living alone makes it difficult to ensure she has a fresh set of workout wear free of grass stains for 5am every morning. Rita is also often in the starting line-up for matches every weekend when the team wears their striking white cotton uniforms. Exhausted from play, she resorts to buying extra sportswear to avoid running out. She needs an easy solution before the situation gets out of hand.  

Sense of style Being a stylist at a prominent fashion house in Mumbai has been Anisha's dream job. It allows her to wear the latest trends, try out new fabrics and be creative. Her wardrobe is filled with delicate silks, chiffons, satins and sheers that need careful handling when being cleaned. It seems like every day ends with the backbreaking task of washing each garment by hand to avoid damage. Anisha is always looking for a way out of this annoying chore so she can continue wearing her favourite clothes and also have more time to engage in creative hobbies.   Not everyone has the same laundry needs. IFB understands that these needs not only change with each family but also over time with the same family.

How can IFB help?

There is more to a washing machine than simply putting clothes and detergent in a chute and hoping it will do its thing. Types of fabric, the weight of each washing load, intensity of stains and even skin sensitivity come into play when searching for the ideal solution to your daily washing woes. IFB is aware of all these issues and, so after intensive research, has designed wash programs that deal with any fabric, stain situation or washing load to take care of your laundry with the mere touch of a dial. No matter how dirty your clothes are or what type of fabric they are made of, IFB's easy-to-use wash programs help you get your desired result. Whether you have cotton, synthetic or delicate silk; whether it's dark, coloured or whites that you're trying to wash; perhaps even soft toys or curtains, IFB's smart washing machines have a specialised program for each.

Thanks to IFB, Anna and Matthew no longer have to worry about dhobi schedules or unannounced visits from parents. They simply choose the Mixed wash program when their laundry load consists of various fabric types, the Express'15 program when Anna is alone at home, and the Daily Wash program when they have visitors. Sophie, on the other hand, can now handle home and work with ease thanks to IFB's special wash program for Baby Wear that automatically adds an extra hot rinse cycle to thoroughly remove detergent and keep clothes soft, and the Uniform program that ensures stain-free clothing with a strong and clean wash. IFB's Sports Wear program is ideal for Rita, and she has fresh, clean workout wear ready every morning, while her match uniforms are spotless thanks to the Cotton Whites program.   And Anisha's delicate clothes get a thorough pampering with the Cradle Wash program which uses a gentle rocking movement and slows spin speed to clean them with extra care. The smart washing machines have additional programs for lingerie, wool, jeans, shirts, silk sarees, and even duvets. If you are concerned about germs, the Hygiene wash program rids clothes of bacteria, while the Sanitize option kills allergens and treats the highly soiled material. Based on changing requirements, you can even choose a variety of different wash programs that suit your needs – Use Soilage if a particular garment is badly soiled, Water Plus if you want more water to rinse out a load, Pet Hair to remove fur from clothes and kill allergens, Quiet Wash to do your laundry at an odd hour of the night, Rapid Wash to complete the washing in a hurry, and Steam to keep your clothes soft, fresh and clean.     Thanks to IFB's special air bubble and steam wash system, Anna, Sophie, Rita and Anisha do not need to worry about wear and tear on their clothes. They can even choose a delayed start to their washing or a special anti-crease cycle that takes the worry out of their day. So choose IFB for laundry done in minutes with the care of a specialist. Explore the range of washing machines from IFB and turn an everyday chore into a pleasant and less time consuming one. Buy one here.    

Which one of these scenarios are you currently facing?

Soiled for school: As a working mother of two, Sarah juggles child care and her career as a 24/7 job, leaving barely any time for herself. Her eight-year-old daughter often turns up after football training with grass-stained shorts, and her teenage son somehow manages to stain his white uniform with ink almost every other day. It's hard enough that she has to work and manage household chores every day, without having to make mid-week runs to the laundry or squat in the bathroom with a brush and detergent after midnight to clean their uniforms. Sarah is tired and frustrated with what is increasingly turning into a regular practice.

Wine & the dress: Three years into her corporate job, Rhea is finding that things are finally looking up – she has received a promotion and a pay raise, and is becoming one of the most dependable members in her team. She believes that striking appearances set her apart during meetings, and therefore spends her hard-earned money on upmarket clothing to enhance her image. At a recent networking do, while in the middle of an engaging discussion, she accidentally spilled wine down the front of her new Stella McCartney silk shift dress. It broke her heart to think that one silly mistake would land the new dress in the bin, all because she would never be able to get the stain out.    

Pet problems: Vicky volunteers at an animal shelter close to his house after work. He loves playing with the growing puppies and kittens, and recently adopted a playful, fluffy brown dog he named Mutley. Even though living with Mutley is wonderful, Vicky can't help finding fur on his trousers and shirts, and even on his linen at home. Keeping his house tidy and free of pet hair is proving to be exhausting and Vicky is concerned that he might have to give Mutley up. Stains often run deeper than the surface of our clothes and fabrics, affecting even our lives. IFB understands this and is here to make life better.

A How can IFB help?

IFB understands that doing laundry is more than a routine of soak, lather, rinse, repeat. Sometimes, washing clothes means putting in a little more effort so your children can go to school wearing clean uniforms, so you can wear that trendy new dress again, or so you can enjoy time with your pets without having to worry about all the cleaning that comes after. That's why IFB designs washing machines that take care of all these issues so that you don't have to worry about them. IFB's latest smart washing machines put stain removal at the forefront, offering easy solutions for a range of discolourations. They allow you to select programs according to the type of fabric and stain you want removed and offer options (light, normal or heavy) based on how badly stained a fabric is. There are programs for a variety of stains – from ink, cosmetic and tomato sauce to sweat, mud, beverages and even baby food. With an IFB washing machine, Sarah can now put her children's clothes through a program specially designed for uniforms involving a strong and thorough wash for spotless garments. Now, it doesn't matter how often they stain their uniforms or how late she finishes work. The children will have clean uniforms the next day, and Sarah will have more time on her hands. Rhea, on the other hand, can rest assured that her new dress is not ruined. With the Beverage Stain program, she'll have it as good as new in minutes. For a particularly strong stain, she can also opt to put it through a pre-wash or choose Delicates if it is a garment she normally hand washes. The latter uses a very gentle movement to avoid stretching or damaging clothes, and she can now wear her new shift dress to look stunning yet again.   IFB's smart washing machines have a solution for Vicky too. All he has to do is opt for the Pet Hair Removal cycle, a special three-cycle program that loosens and rinses out fur from clothes and kills all allergens with a hot blast. Now, he and Mutley can enjoy many more moments together at home. All of IFB's smart wash programs use a special air bubble and steam wash system that protect clothes from wear and tear. The steam wash refreshes clothes with fabric-penetrative steam that helps detergent break down even tough stains. The programs are most effective with IFB's Fabo Stain Remover. So go ahead and don't worry about the stain. IFB will take care of the rest. Explore the range of washing machines from IFB and turn an everyday chore into a pleasant and less time consuming one. Buy one here.