Wash balls - Laundry balls - Eco balls (merged)

samcat_2

angelatgraceland wrote:

I have one of these "balls" and it realy is not brilliant-I think it rather expensive all things considered. I have now got some soapnuts(soap pods) which I found to be better and much much cheaper. .

Looking through most of this merged thread ... its seems to be 70/30 against balls. :whistle:

Thanks this has hopefully saved me from a disappointment

fred_davies

Ok, i'll add a word and make it 72/28 !

we bought some eco balls six months ago, and they seem to be working pretty well. Clothes don't smell when they come out, but we don't really have 'dirty' clothes in the mucky sense, we both work in offices. Collars still need a little scrub before they go in the machine, but I did that with powder as well.

We still get some froth in the window of the machine, so the pellets in the ball are doing something, not just helping to agitate the clothes. Without them we wouldn't have had the confidence to not use powder, so even if they don't work 100% on really dirty clothes, think of the environmental savings.

noirist

Why spend £10 in JML for two washer balls when you can spend £3 or so for them from a pet store!

This may sound funny but my mum bought two ball dog toys and they fitted the bill exactly.

They were plastic and un-painted, with 'spiky' protusions on them to seperate clothes in the wash.

A tad odd I know, but hey they were new and never been used (and we don't even have a dog!) so why not try your local pet store! *lol*

Solomon_Broad

We've been using the £30 one's since Xmas, and are quite pleased with them.

One caveat, though. They will clean all kinds of washing - whites, darks, delicates, towels, etc - but they won't make your whites dazzlingly white. They'll be clean, but they wont glow. Mind you, knowing that the optical brighteners in normal washing powder irreversibly bind themselves to the skin is enough to make us think twice before using Persil. The Other is experimenting with using Oxy (the fizzy stuff - "trust pink, forget stains"?) in the wash when doing whites, and it seems to be working OK. They also wont remove oily stains, but oftentimes we'd have to put them through with Persil twice anyway - the Other works with machinery, very oily machinery.

I'm pleased with them, and would definitely recommend them.

jenpoptab

I've got the lakeland washer ball and jml dryer balls and I am pleased with both.

I'm considering the £30ish eco balls next time but concened that they won't do a decent wash on washable nappies when I have baby no 3 but although £30 is a lot of money to me, it wouldn't be a hardship to use powder as well for nappies or oxy them first, however can you oxy them in the machine with ball or do you have to stain remover stuff first?

Solomon_Broad

Never tried stain remover, and never dealt with nappies, but the Other puts the Oxy in the bottom of the drum, then washing, then Eco balls on top. Seems to work fine.

As I said, I've never had to deal with nappies, and nor has the Other, but I seem to recall some instructions that you soak nappies in a solution of something before washing? Might be a good idea, as the balls don't handle stains very well.

inkie

Hi everyone

Just a quick querry, if you don't mind!

I have been to the cash and carry this morning and picked up a 'laundry pack' (84p). This pack consists of a laundry net (for delicates), but also 4 washballs. They are blue, rubbery and patterned, (can't find camera at the mo - arrgh!)
What I need to ask is this - the packet says
ideal for washing clothes and shoes
can be used over and over again
detergent free cleaning action
just put the balls in your washing machine with your laundry and they will need the laundry thoroughly and make it softer.

This is implying that you don't put power in, just the balls - can that be right - it doesn't seem to follow logic!:o
Do I use power or not? I supost the sensible answer is to try and see what happens, but i'm in the process of doing a big laod that i don't really want to wash again if they don't work - what d'yall think?

TIA INkie:T

donny-gal

I had some a few years ago, and they work on the oxygen action method, they seemed fine unless really heavily soiled. Still use mine for towels as they are soft when they come out.
DG

inkie

Thanks for that - I think that i'll give them a go with some towels and see what happens!

morganb

I tend to use mine for 'clean' washing, i.e. handtowels, towels, swim kits, etc., not for anything stained.