Time for companies to up their game in China

The washing machine in my apartment recently decided to down tools after working perfectly for 10 years. That meant I had to take a look at what's on offer in the market to prevent the dirty laundry from piling up.

I took a trip to a home appliance store, and it was like visiting "Tomorrowland", because I hadn't checked the appliance sector for years.

One washing machine I saw allows you to do all your laundry with a few taps on a smartphone app. The detergent and softener are preloaded, and the machine allocates a certain amount of each based on the volume and texture of the clothes you place inside.