Eco-balls reduce laundry cost by 75% Eco-balls are a way of doing the washing without using detergent or soap. If you live off-grid that means you can reuse water more easily, and if you live on the grid, it means you are adding less to the world’s pollution especially water pollution, while saving a bit of money. And yes, they do really work. We were sent a free sample by Insight EcoStore in Brighton, and so far have used them in 30 washes with no ill effects on the clothes or the machine. The clothes come out softer than with fabric softeners and there’s none of that yucky sludge to clear out of our washing machine. They are less sparklingly white, but we are not worried about that. No more hassle and expense of carting bulky powders and liquids home from the market! Eco-balls also care for your washing machine according to the producers. You place the three eco-balls in your washing machine instead of washing powder. Together they produce ionized oxygen that activates the water molecules naturally and allows them to penetrate deep into clothing fibres to lift dirt away. The makers say they save water and save energy by doing without the need for a second rinse cycle. They are reuseable for over 1,000 washes and cost abpout ’35 — on average 3.5p per wash (compared to 15-30p for normal washing powder). There are no harsh chemicals so less pollution. They will not fade bright colours or damage clothing fibres. They are Hypoallergenic so suitable for sensitive skins/eczema (including babies and children). Eco-balls soften clothes even in hard water, and no fabric conditioner is necessary. They are also anti-bacterial and kill Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus. Eco-balls come with a 30-day money back guarantee, and include free refill pellets and a stain remover. They were voted one of the Ten Best Green Household Products by The Independent snoozepaper in January 2005. You can buy them from www.theinsightecostore.com, who sent us the sample, but they are also available elsewhere on the Internet.
3 Responses
There is an old spanish tradition of using an olive oil concoction. I will get the recipe. All I know is that it is easy to make, looks gloopy and makes your washing smell great!!! better than surf jiji
Will post recipe when mate comes back to uk next week.
Kitty-piranyah
Nice! But the only places I can seem to find that sell these are in the UK. Does anybody know of a place in the US that carries them?
They do work – takes a mindset-shift, but give it a try. I bought two when the prototypes were first around, maybe 8 or 9 years ago – they last pretty much forever. I do still use eco-laundry liquid at times, dependent on the load, but the laundry balls must have saved a lot of pollution by now. I recommend my washing machine as well, one of the current LG series, the only range working on direct drive. No belt to go wrong, therefore I expect it to last for 20 years at least! – the cylinder capacity is much greater because there’s no belt assembly taking up room, so you save by having larger loads, and direct drive also reduces running costs by its efficiency. Also highly recommended – go naked – create less washing!