Top everyday items Aussies are loving in lockdown

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The extended lockdown in NSW and Victoria has not only changed the way we shop - with so many of our purchases now having to move online - but it’s also influenced the kinds of products we’ve been buying.

Interesting items like hooded blankets and massage guns have started trending, and all that extra time spent at home has left many of us looking at our coffee machines and pet-hair covered couches with a more critical eye.

Here we take a look at some of the everyday things we’ve been buying more of in lockdown, apart from toilet paper and face masks of course!

Cleaning musts

With so many offices shut, home coffee options have been very popular with lots of people stocking up on pods and instant coffee as well as cleaning and maintenance items like coffee machine descalers, which have been trending on Amazon Australia.

According to a household germ study by public health and safety organisation NSF International, coffee makers were one of the top ten germiest places in the house. It found yeast and mould in the coffee reservoir of home coffee machines in 50 percent of the houses they swabbed, and frighteningly, coffee makers were only beaten by dish sponges, kitchen sinks, toothbrush holders and pet bowls for the number of germs found per 10 square centimetres.

It’s recommended that all detachable components of your coffee machine be thoroughly washed every day, and that the inside of your machine be cleaned at least once a month, so it’s no wonder that with the increased use, we’ve also been reaching for coffee machine cleaning products.

Another cleaning product that’s being snapped up is The Pink Stuff, a multipurpose cleaning paste that’s become TikTok-famous thanks to the millions of videos of people using it to scrub down everything from ovens to stove tops to showers.

Lint rollers and fabric shavers that remove pet hair from fabric and furniture have also been trending among cat and dog owners on Amazon Australia.

Indoor gardening gems

With spring well and truly kicking into gear, people are taking the opportunity to give their indoor jungle a little TLC and indoor potting mix and fertilisers have spiked in sales.

It’s a good idea to give your potting mix a refresh if your plant babies have been sitting in the same soil for 12 to 18 months. A good quality potting mix with Australian Standard ticks will produce the best results as you really do get what you pay for with potting mix.

Spring is also a great time for rootbound plants to be potted up into a slightly larger container but it’s recommended that you choose a pot that’s only slightly bigger than your current one as that will give the roots the space and access to nutrients needed to support good growth without leaving the plant with cold, wet feet which can easily happen if you place it into a container that’s too big.

Giving your indoor plants a gentle feed with a weak seaweed solution or fertiliser will help pep them up and give them the fuel to power into the growing season. Too much fertiliser can lead to leggy and straggly growth, so it’s better to ease off and give them a weaker dose regularly, rather than load them up in one big hit now.

Home cooking essentials

In terms of groceries, Woolworths has noted sizeable growth in home cooking staples in NSW and Victoria over the past few months, with cooking oils, pasta, rice and spices proving particularly popular.

Chicken, beef mince and casserole cuts have been selling well, as have ready made pasta sauces. We’ve gone back to baking this lockdown too with a Woolworths spokesperson saying they’ve noted “strong growth in cake mixes and baking goods”.

Easy instant meals like frozen dumplings have also been really popular and shoppers picked up a staggering 21 million bags of Golden Wok’s frozen dumplings made in collaboration with 2017 MasterChef Australia winner Diana Chan, in Woolworths and Coles last year.

On Amazon Australia, Brita and Breville water filters, multipack soft drinks and snacks to keep us munching throughout the work day have been other everyday items we’re frequently adding to our carts.

Other lockdown favourites

With the current Sydney lockdown having started in winter, one item that shoppers have been bagging to keep cosy and warm is the Oodie.

According to the Aussie brand, more than 100,000 Oodies were purchased in NSW in the first eight weeks of lockdown, which equates to almost 1,800 sales a day. That’s compared to last year which saw Victorians buy over 85,000 of these oversized hoodies while they were in lockdown over the colder months.

Sales of sex toys for both individuals and couples have also risen over the past few months.

A spokesperson for adult retailer Wild Secrets said that since June, clitoral vibrators and vibrating male masturbators have spiked in popularity, and that in general, shoppers appear to be investing in more expensive, premium toys.

Couples are also getting in on the fun and sex swing purchases have increased by 40 percent in recent months. Another online retailer, Sexyland, also reported a significant increase in demand for couples related items, including games, dress up costumes, pleasure items and massage oils.

An item that’s been trending on Amazon Australia is the massage gun - an odd-looking contraption that can be used to target individual muscles while non essential visits to a massage therapist aren’t possible.

Massage guns use strong pulses or vibrations to work muscle tissue and increase blood flow to the area, helping to reduce tension and inflammation. Some people use them to relieve aches and pains, while others incorporate them into their workout routines, using them to warm up muscles pre-workout, or to help with recovery afterwards.

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