Sweet smelling laundry?

megsykins

How well do the eco balls work?
I'm interested in getting some - cos of both the savings and the eco-friendly-ness, but OH is a chef and I have to wash his whites every couple of days - usually need 24hrs worth of soaking then 90 degree wash (with added Napisan!!) Would ecoballs get these clean?!?
Is it still worth getting them anyway for the 'normal' washes?

Chipps

I used to use ecoballs, and I think they suggested adding a little zoflora disinfectant to the final rinse. (Although Aldi do one much cheaper!)
I don't think they can be used on a hot wash, and whites definately don't look perfect. Again, they suggest using ecover bleach. Colours are better, as very dark things don't get that white "bloom" which is excess washing powder.
To be honest, I have stopped using them, although still have them. I used them for quite a time & they did save a lot of money.
The first few washes with them may still seem as if there is soap in the machine, but this is just the residual soap in the clothes.

penrith

Lillibet wrote:

Try periodically running your machine without adding ANY soap powder/conditioner/vinergar!! You will have enough residue in the pipes & drum for a very light load & this also helps keep it smelling fresh as there are no blockages for smells to develop in. If it smells to start with I'd run an empty cycle to prevent any smells transferring to the clothes though.


HTH

I received a little surf booklet in the post this morning with exactly this advice!! It advises doing this 3-4 times a year just to clear the gunk out of the pipes.

Excellent advice!

penrith

Could someone please tell me how much vinegar i would use instead of fabric conditioner for a full load?

Am i right that i used the vinegar plus 2-3 drop of lavendar/orange essential oil as well. Just bung it in the normal fabric conditioner tray in the machine?

secretsquirrel_3

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all your relplies. I have only just received the 'Eco Balls' today but have already done a couple of washes with them. Time will tell whether they are any good. I want to get more environmentally friendly though and these claim to last for a thousand washes (they also come with refills) at a cost of 3p per wash instead of the usual 25p per wash. Have a septic tank so thought it would be a lot better for that although I have been using Ecover. I will be planting some lavender and rosemary round the whirly washing line - but these will probably take a couple of years to establish! In the meantime I will be using the vinegar and essential oils. A note to Billieboy - the Eco Balls work by "unleashing ionic cleaning power to penetrate deep into clothing fibres to lift away dirt without fading bright colours". You can use them for washes up to 60 degrees F. Really hope they work.

katiepops_2

penrith wrote:

Could someone please tell me how much vinegar i would use instead of fabric conditioner for a full load?

Am i right that i used the vinegar plus 2-3 drop of lavendar/orange essential oil as well. Just bung it in the normal fabric conditioner tray in the machine?

I use three dessertspoons of white vinegar in the softener drawer for a full load, and less for a half load. I must admit I haven't tried using essential oils in with it, must dig mine out of the bathroom and see what I've got.

I also use just one heaped dessertspoon of washing powder, and the same of soda crystals - that plus the vinegar and my clothes still smell nice and fresh.

Kate

Austin_Allegro

There's rather a lot of evidence to suggest that 'eco-balls' may be a load of...well...'balls'. See this link:

http://www.sniggle.net/Laundry/index.php

Supposedly they are a swizz that rely on residual detergent in the fabric and agitation to do the cleaning. If you want to save money/the environment, you can probably do it just as easily and more cheaply by using half doses of economy washing powder.

secretsquirrel_3

Whoops! Perhaps I did not do my research very well before I opted to buy them. Should have put a post on here first. I have 30 days apparently to change my mind though and send them back. What do other users think of them? Chipps what made you stop using them please?

kingshir

Nile wrote:

Every couple of months (or when I remember:D ) I remove the soap dispenser drawer and give it a scrub with an old toothbrush and soap.

I'm lazy and put mine in the dishwasher occasionally when I haven't got a full load.

Chipps

Chipps what made you stop using them please?

Just the fact that they didn't always get everything clean first time. This would be things like ground in grass & mud etc. Socks were always a problem, because our boys were/are home educated they tended to not always bother putting on shoes & would run round the garden in socks!!!!! :mad: So there were always dirty socks to wash, and they quite often needed to go through twice. (On the other hand, the socks didn't always last very long before getting holes - but that's nothing to do with the washing!!)