Ecover

BargainHunterCat

I'm a big fan of the ecover products but another one you could try is aloe vera based.
My landlady swears by her aloe vera Multi purpose Detergent which you can use for washing the floor, all household cleaning, washing clothes & washing up. It's pricey but apparently lasts a long time because you only need to use it sparingly.
Try having a look on https://www.foreverliving.co.uk

1sttimer_2

pink_phantom wrote:

This may seem a stupid question but what are they made of and how do they work?

No question is ever stupid - no one would learn anything if they didn't ask questions.

The site I gave you does explain it more fully, but they are nuts from a tree that grows in India/Asia and these are the shells left over from the nuts - which are used in the pharmecutical (sp) industry. They are a natural product and have been used by the indian/asians for centuries but for some reason or other have only recently been promoted here (or perhaps they've always been around but never appreciated before).

gritts

I can recommend the washing up liquid and if you buy some at the moment it will probably have a cardboard tag thing on it with 'how healthy is your home?' written on it.

This will give you info about a competition:

http://www.tryecover.com/healthyhome/index2.html

and also 2 x35p coupons off 2 of there products - cleaner spray and loo cleaner.

Give it a try.

pollys

I can recommend the toilet cleaner, it smells lovely and fresh but not overpowering, it cleans well too.

hardpressed

I use Ecover washing up liquid, it's very good, as it come in a large bottle I decant it into a 'normal' size bottle and water it down, roughly two thirds liquid to one third water so one bottle goes a long way.

Gingermonkey_2

I agree with pollys, the toilet cleaner is fab, works, smells nice and doesn't leave your loo stained with blue or green if you don't flush it quick enough after cleaning!!!!

Their gentle wash is brilliant too, cleans delicates and smells gorgeous. Alas I can't afford the normal washing liquid, would use it if I could stretch to it

rackstar

I have found all the Ecover products to be really good. My husband swears by the heavy duty hand cleaner, the washing up liquid is better than anything and the squirt Eco does the trick when an e-cloth is just not enough.
http://www.honestycosmetics.co.uk/e%20cloth%20general%20glass%20cleaning%20cruelty%20free.shtml

I think the worries about grey water are unfounded - the products are suitable for septic tanks, surely they'd be fine. I also like the fact that they are made in an "environmentally friendly" factory.

As for laundry, I've almost given up on all liquids now that I have Ecoballs. We've had them for about ten months now and haven't had any problem with them. We do still use Ecover liquid occasionally for muddy washes or add the Ecover bleach for hot white washes sometimes, but apart from that the balls do the trick.

Basically, you put these three balls in your machine with the wash and it does the job... £30 odd quid (with a money back if you're not pleased) and then that's just about it for 2-3 years.

That's money saving for you, and it saves the bother of buying washing liquid or powder every month.

Full info here: http://www.onevillage.org/ecoballs.htm

We got them partly because my husband has excema. We don't really think about it now, but the clothes come out smelling like fabric (rather than fake flowers - although you can add softner if you want) and are lovely and soft.

You just shove them in the drum and put it on the shortest cycle the machine allows. That's it. Pretty cool if you ask me.

chrisico

I've been experimenting recently with reducing the amount of detergent in the washing machine.
I have a magnetic ball which I got from Poundland a few months ago which is supposed to soften the water. The science seems dubious to me but the clothes are softer and just as clean and the amount of detergent has been reduced to 1/2 cap of Ecover liquid and 2 spoons of washing soda + ball for a full load,with a cap of vinegar in the rinse.The only problem is the noise!!
I lent the ball to my daughter and decided to try using an ordinary childrens ball,a bit bigger than a tennis ball ,in the machine, keeping the rest the same and the results were just as good and no noise!
Seems to me the ball just beats the daylights out of clothes and the detergent is just 'back-up'.
Anyone else tried this?

little_miss_thrifty

Hi, new to this so bear with me - I have used Ecover for a few years now for the environmental factor. Find it wonderful, especially the stain remover. Try lemon juice on a stain and hang in the sun if stain is really stubborn..worked on spag bol on my white t-shirt. Also, to make washing liquid go further in hard water areas especially, use washing soda crystals or borax, and vinegar too, as it acts like a fabric conditioner as well as cleaning washing machine pipes (no need for CALGON expense!!) I have a outside loving 3 year old - other wise, buy second hand clothes or swap play clothes so it doesn't matter if they get a bit grubby for the garden!!
LMT xx

Confused_Jo

I can honestly say I have had nothing but praise for Ecover Products. I use the laundry liquid, the clothes bleach and the washing up liquid and all are great. They are better for the planet because they are plant based, whereas your oridinary detergents and washing powders are petrochemical based!!!!!

The Ecover factory recycles its water, is solar powered and uses recycled board for packaging. Large detergent manuafacturers use loads of electricity made from fossil fuels. They also encourage their staff to cycle to work.
I don't work for them, but am impressed with their commitment to improving the environment.

I've also found this book really useful for other tips: Janey Lee graces Newish Book The Imperfectly Natural Woman
:money:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1904424899/ref=sr_11_1/202-8901355-5579829?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance