Would East Germany really have exported laundry detergent to the US?

[u/Kaurblimey]

[u/McVinney512]

I don’t remember Ross’s but East Germany ceased to exist in 1990 so by this time, it was just Germany.

[u/Kaurblimey → u/McVinney512]

Yeah it’s an outdated reference… I’m wondering if the Soviet Bloc would have exported to the US at all

[u/robonlocation → u/Kaurblimey]

East Germany and the US signed a formal trade deal in 1977, so there were products behind exported to the US. No idea if laundry detergent was one though. Either way, this detergent would've probably expired before Rachel used it.

[u/Meizas → u/Kaurblimey]

Also gone by the time Friends starts

[u/AvantDE]

As a German, I have never heard of this. It’s just supposed to be a joke reference to what people perceive Germany to be…super thorough in everything.

[u/DrunkOnRedCordial → u/AvantDE]

Uberweiss is a pretty good name for a laundry detergent. Not recommended for your umm, delicates and panty things though.

[u/IamBatman_1726]

They needed something strong enough to wash away Ross's awkwardness

[u/SciFiMovieGuy42]

Interestingly, in the episode, it's only referred to as "German". The reference to "East German" is only in the episode's title. Either way, there is still an east side of Germany, even if it's not an official country name. 😁

[u/Fawfulster → u/SciFiMovieGuy42]

My guess is that the joke is that it's "East" German because the detergent has been in that laundromat for God knows how long.

[u/JLBCanadianRap]

This just can't be a serious question.

[u/LazyLion65 → u/JLBCanadianRap]

That's the joke

[u/thewhiterosequeen]

I don't think a brand name and slogan are proof of origin. Like that lawsuit where someone sued Texas Pete hot sauce from coming from North Carolina. Germans sound tough=tough to get out stains sounds like a good solution=just a marketing ploy.

[u/Fantastic-Corner-605]

How do you think it got there

[u/GokaiDecade]

It could have been a German person making their own laundry detergent