Save money - no more laundry powder

Charis

geordie_joe wrote: »

OK, I'm going to ask because I've wondered for so long.

What are essential oils, where do you get them from and how much do they cost.

When I first heard about them I wondered why they were "essential" but after reading in here I know it's because you put them in everything.

Essential oils are distilled aromatic oils from natural plant sources. Like Lavender, tea tree, pine, neroli, geranium... there are dozens, if not hundreds. Holland and Barrett do a range. Boots probably do but not in our tiny store. For most purposes you only need a few drops but they are very small bottles and the price starts around the £2-£3 mark and some can be £12 or more. I use them for oil burners (to make the room smell nice - they evaporate the oil, not burn it). Some are reputed to have healing properties, particularly the first two on my list. Although they are natural substances there are some which are not advisable for use during pregnancy and almost all must be diluted in oil before using for massage. Some must not be put onto skin which will be exposed to sunlight as they hasten the burning process. I have never tried them in my laundry. There are other, sometimes synthetic, oils available for oil burners. The real McCoy should have the latin name of the plant on the bottle, but that may be no guarantee. Better to buy from a reputable source.

Charis

geordie_joe

Charis wrote: »

Essential oils are distilled aromatic oils from natural plant sources. Like Lavender, tea tree, pine, neroli, geranium... there are dozens, if not hundreds. Holland and Barrett do a range.
Charis

Thanks Charis, that explains everything.

There's a Holland & Barrett just down the road so I'll pop in tomorrow.

Now all I have to do is decide if I want to spend £30 trying ecoballs.

happyhappygal

For cheap washing, I highly recommend soap nuts. Amazing little things.

Great for environment, no harsh detergents and they work a treat - AND I have a 2 year old ;o)

Google them, they're fab (and VERY cheap!!!!!!) xxxx

MissEyre

Think if you check some of the OS back threads, there has been some lively debate over there about how good these thigns actually are-might be worth checking to see what the consensus is, as it's a lot of money to spend if they don't work as well as you expect...would post links, but can't, sorry!

Swan_2

MissEyre wrote: »

Think if you check some of the OS back threads, there has been some lively debate over there about how good these thigns actually are-might be worth checking to see what the consensus is, as it's a lot of money to spend if they don't work as well as you expect...would post links, but can't, sorry!

yes, there's been a lot of debate over on the Old Style boards about those Eco Balls, far too many to post links to MissE

definitely best to do some research before splashing out, just go over to Old Style, do a search & the relevant threads will appear

mrs_baggins

I bought some and have used them. If stuff is just mildly dirty ie no stains etc but been worn then I find they are ok but if anytging has marks etc on them then they have to be done again. there was a thread sometime last yest i recall about the pros and cons. Some reckon that we use far too much powder/liquid anyway and get just as good results washing with nothing

hypatia

mrs_baggins wrote: »

I bought some and have used them. If stuff is just mildly dirty ie no stains etc but been worn then I find they are ok but if anytging has marks etc on them then they have to be done again. there was a thread sometime last yest i recall about the pros and cons. Some reckon that we use far too much powder/liquid anyway and get just as good results washing with nothing

Agree about the 'too much powder' - I rarely use the amount specified even in a hard water area. What sort of water do you have? I've toyed with the idea of these having had friends say much the same as yourself for mildly worn clothes but wondered if they would be in a hard water area. I'm assuming they work simply by agitating the washing more in practice - do they make much difference to you over running the machine without anything beyond water?

whiskylizzie_2

I agree about using less washing powder - I have hard water but usually use about half the recommended amount & have good results, especially with everyday sort of loads.

lindseykim13

If you go to http://www.inasoapnutshell.com/id20.html you can get a sample of soapnuts for the 75p postage, thought it was worth a go and they are cheaper than the eco balls, i have used neither but i always prefer natural stuff with the kids so will let you know how the soap nuts worked.

Stevie01

Hi all,

Re the performance of these things....

Reading the comments above someone hit the nail right on the head in my humble opinion - it depends on how heavily soiled the clothes in question are. I work in an office and my days of playing outdoor football in the mud are long gone so I rarely get my clothes in much of a state. Thus these washballs are fine for me most of the time. The manufacturers themselves say the performance won't match that of detergent because detergents usually contain bleach. Down side of bleach of course (among many) is that it accelerates the fading of clothes. Anyway for my needs washballs are fine say 24 times out of 25. On the 25th time when I do have something that needs a more thorough washing then I use a non bio wash powder or liquid. If my needs generated the sort of stuff referenced above (eg 'muck magnets') then I would look at an alternative such as wash nuts mentioned by someone else.

It is says in the instructions for washballs that to look after them every now and again they should be soaked in soapy water to clean oil off - the oil would inhibit performance.

Best wishes all for the New Year

Stevie