h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi, Has anyone tried these Ecoballs? 3p per wash. No washing powders needed. Environmentally friendly etc.
Things that sound too good to be true usually are, so I'd love to hear from anyone who's tried them................

There was another thread on here somewhere about these, if you want to read back through Ask h2g2, you may find it.

If you've actually got something better to do with your Sunday, I'll repeat (roughly) what I said.

I didn't find them reliable enough at a low temperature (I wash at 30 degrees with the occasional hot blast when really required) on a normal wash. What I do use mine for is when I'm washing sheets, towels, dog beds and blankets, dog coats etc, that sort of thing that doesn't get dirty or 'stained', just dingy and grubby!

Thanks for that. I will have a look back.

What are they, something I know as 'Waschnüsse' (washing nuts)maybe? I'm with cunningly there, they're not reliable at very low temperatures, i.e. they don't even remove stains from sweat in an polyester tissue or whatver the cycling gear is made of.

I use ecoballs for all my washing. They work by ionising the water.

I do all my washing on a 30degree wash and they usually come out clean. if there is a mark on anything by ecoballs came with a stain remover stick to rub on first. I have been using them for about a year and had no problems.

i use a 50 degree wash for towels and bedding and they are fine for that too.

Surely using 50 kind of negates the eco friendly of the ecoballs?

things like bedding need to be washed on at least 50 in order to get rid of any dust mites. i have allergies and ezcema so is defenitly needed. i used to do iton 60 so 50 is more eco frienly!

im also quite economical with my letters and spaces!

Aaah, and to think that you have been chastised in the past for missing out punctuation etc- in fact you are saving energy!! It is very true that every key-stroke does in fact require electricity to be registered, so you are in-fact being green by misng out letrs and pncuation. Well done- hurrah!

"Surely using 50 kind of negates the eco friendly of the ecoballs?"

The two are different things - the ecoballs stop pollution of waterways etc because powder is not being used. Most people use way too much powder. Plus there are the resources saved by not having to keep delivering washing powder to shops etc.

Heating water to a high temperature is more about saving energy and lowering carbon dioxide emissions, but if you use solar water heating and fill the machine with that, that isn't an issue.

"things like bedding need to be washed on at least 50 in order to get rid of any dust mites"

Dust mites can survive at 50, so if you are washing your bedding that hot for that reason you're not doing any good. You need to wash at 60 to kill them, which usually mean specialist duvets etc because most won't take that hot.