Litegreen Lifestyle, Change to Eco Balls
Change to Eco Balls
Topic: In the Home
These strange UFO looking gadgets are the newest trend in eco-washing but do they really work? Dave and his family gave them a trial run and were surprised with the results.
It took me a long time to persuade my wife Jo to use these but since we made the change we've not looked back. With a four year old son and a rugby playing husband I'm surprised she gave in so soon.
My argument was that Eco-Balls were better for the environment, we'd stop washing our clothes in petroleum based products and most importantly...it would save us cash! Jo's counter argument was valid - they wouldn't smell as nice.
In the end I won (actually I just went out and bought them) and we gave them a try. To our amazement they are actually very good and still going strong twelve months on.
For me the great thing is it's so simple. Before I had to run through a list of questions every time I put the washing machine on (much to Jo's annoyance): What powder do I use? How much powder do I use? Do I need conditioner?...and so on.
Now I just stick the washing in with the three Eco-Balls and I'm off. No feeling of incompetence on my part at all!
Jo still wants the bedding to smell nice so I let her have her way (I like to think that anyway!) and to make sure we're looking after the environment we only use Ecover products.
Joking aside, we're now much more comfortable knowing we're washing our clothes with something cleaner. It might sound funny but at least we know we are not using chemicals to clean our clothes.
Some interesting Eco-Balls facts
- They produce ionized oxygen which activates the water molecules naturally and allows them to penetrate deep into clothing fibres
- They are reusable for up to 1000 washes
- There are no harsh chemicals so less pollution
- Hypoallergenic, so suitable for sensitive skin/eczema
- Rinse cycles can be shortened
- They won't fade or damage clothing
Cost saving
£220 per 1,000 washes or approximately £110 a year
Where to buy
Both the Ethical Superstore and Nigel's Eco Store sell Eco-Balls and they also offer some great kits which include other environmentally friendly goodies.
If you're after Ecover then Ethical Superstore also sell a wide range of their products. However my choice is British Eco who offer a useful 'pic and mix' option.
