The results of The Bellybutton Lint Survey conducted by Australian scientist and media personality Dr Karl Kruszelnicki in 2002, still make for fascinating reading.

Not only does acquiring a navel ring help reduce belly button lint (BBL), but anecdotal evidence gathered from survey participants suggests front-loading washing machines also play a part in eliminating BBL.

There is a fundamental difference in how top-loaders and front-loaders treat your clothes. A Choice magazine survey showed that in general, a top-loading machine can either be gentle, or can remove a lot of dirt from the clothes - but it can’t do both at the same time. Only a front-loading washing machine can be both gentle and thorough. About 80% of people used a toploading machine, 16% used a frontloader, and about 3% said they didn’t know.