Put Eco Balls in your Washing Machine
Eco balls offer a whole new way of washing clothes that do away with the need for earth-damaging detergents and conditioners. They can also save you a small fortune in washing powder. You might be skeptical and not want to switch wholesale, so why not try using them every other wash or for certain types of wash (eg bedding and towels, for instance)?
Eco-balls care for your clothes, your washing machine and your environment. They are natural, environmentally friendly, efficient and cost-effective, and deliver a clean, fresh, sensitive alternative to conventional washing powders that pollute our water supply, reduce the lifespan of our washing machine and break down the very clothing they’re supposed to care for.
Just put three eco-balls in your washing machine instead of detergent / 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. They are reuseable for over 1,000 washes and make the average cost of a wash about 3p. There are no harsh chemicals and so there is much less pollution. You can also shorten your rinse cycle to save water and electricity.
They will not fade bright colours or damage clothing fibres. Because they are hypoallergenic they are suitable for sensitive skins/eczema (including babies and children). They soften clothes even in hard water, meaning fabric conditioner isn’t as necessary either. And because they are anti-bacterial they also kill Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus.
They were voted one of the Ten Best Green Household Products by The Independent January 2005.
Join the fray by signing in.
Cardiff, GB , 28 Apr 2006
We use them, they’re fab. We still use an eco-friendly detergent (Sodasan Liquid Laundry Detergent) for really dirty clothes.
Cardiff, GB , 28 Apr 2006
We use them, they’re fab. We still use an eco-friendly detergent (Sodasan Liquid Laundry Detergent) for really dirty clothes.
Stroud, GB , 29 Apr 2006
Sounds wonderful…slightly surprised that Paul is the only generous soul with any info, though. Before I commit £34 odd, does anyone else have any experience of using these?
Cheltenham, GB , 04 May 2006
Kathryn, we have some and also live in Cheltenham. Would you like to borrow ours to test them? You’d be welcome!
04 May 2006
We’ve been using ours for a few months now and have been pleased with the results. They are hopefully saving the life of our washing machine too as we now turn the dial on to miss out the rinse cycles. This means a washing cycle is now 1/2 hour instead of 1 hour. When washing things that have been weed on by the cat(!) we still add a bit of washing powder, but the balls seem to cope with everything else ok.
Stroud, GB , 06 May 2006
Paul, thanks so much….it would be really good if we could manage that. Will email you to sort out handover for a brief loan, if you’re sure you wont’ miss them with 2 tinies in the house.
Oxford, GB , 07 May 2006
Sounds great – im always forgetting to buy detergent now I dont have to.
07 May 2006
Ok, they sound good, and the reviews on the website that sells them are all positive, still seems a bit bonkers, but, I’m going to see if they sell them at my local, independant shop that sells healthy food, healthy living type products, and if they do, I’ll buy them, if not I’ll order some on line, but I’ll try the local shop first as i walk past it every morning on my way to work, so that would save on the carbon emissions of delivery and keep a small shop keeper happy!!
07 May 2006
We’ve been using them for a few months and it did seem bonkers initially but they seem to work. As I was hanging out one of the kids shirts on the line yesterday I noticed that while they were clean and fresh, there was a hint of a playing field stain on one elbow… but I figure that’ll be there again next week even if we painted over it in white emulsion. So – except for the worst of stains – they seem pretty damn fine. Saves quite a bit of money too.
GB , 09 May 2006
I have been meaning to do this for a while but have been pondering over whether the Betterware version for about £8.00 (?)is just as good? They look the same, and they seem so simple it is hard to imagine how different they could be. Any comments gratefully received. Thanks
18 May 2006
well I ordered them from the shop and they arrived and so far so good, they really do seem to work, and the washing does smell nice
20 May 2006
Rozi and I bought these together as they were cheaper that way. So far they have been great and I’m looking forward to spending the money I’ve saved on washing powder. The washing feels a bit strange but sure we’ll get used to it.
23 May 2006
We use them most of the time but add eco friendly detergent for really dirty stuff… in the winter when the drier is a must we use drier balls too they cut down the drying time dramaticaly
23 May 2006
We use them most of the time but add eco friendly detergent for really dirty stuff… in the winter when the drier is a must we use drier balls too they cut down the drying time dramaticaly
24 May 2006
Haven’t seen the Bettaware ones but I know my sister started out with a single ball which wasn’t very effective and is now happy with her pack of 3 which are the same as ours. It may be that you only get one from Bettaware or they may not have so many beans – the ones we have give you top up beans and claim to manage 750 washes (+ another 250 with the top up beans). Hope that helps to compare them – let us know if the bettaware ones are any good!
24 May 2006
After researching these on the internet,I decided to do a few experiments. The science behinds these looks a bit’dubious’to say the least. I found a plastic ball that the children played with years ago,put it in the washing machine with 2 tablespoons of soap powder and a spoon of soda,and using vinegar as a fabric conditioner,have extremely soft,clean clothes.Also tried it with Ecover laundry liquid(1/2 cap) and the results are just as good.Have come to the conclusion that it’s the banging the clothes about in the machine,similar to beating them on a rock, that makes the difference. Save yoourself some money and try this first.All my friends who’ve tried it were very impressed.
25 May 2006
Great for everyday, not sure about my daughters socks though, they need a good scrub first!
Reading, GB , 04 Jun 2006
Mine arrived yesterday and have used them, they seem ok so far. It does seem slightly insane to wash without detergent, but we’ll see. They’re much bigger than I expected somehow!
22 Jul 2006
Does anyone know how the eco-balls affect excema? I have been pretty wedded to fairy and half the amount because of my sons viciously scratchy skin if we use anything else? Any ideas?
23 Jul 2006
I’m evangelical about these to friends, so about time I added a comment. I find them very effective – really proved their worth when washed a friend’s stuff who was passing through with a week’s worth of clothes worn skiing from hut to hut: from super smelly to clean in half an hour. Howeverm they’re not terrific on stains on their own – I’ve been using them with Ecover’s hedgehog bristled stain remover if needed. And I also found the rings around the balls were disintegrating in the wash – after manufacturer’s advice, I’ve simply taken them off.
23 Jul 2006
Re the eczema, I know someone with a small baby who uses wash balls. Her experience is that they don’t irritate his skin.
23 Jul 2006
I’m evangelical about these to friends, so about time I added a comment. I find them very effective – really proved their worth when washed a friend’s stuff who was passing through with a week’s worth of clothes worn skiing from hut to hut: from super smelly to clean in half an hour. Howeverm they’re not terrific on stains on their own – I’ve been using them with Ecover’s hedgehog bristled stain remover if needed. And I also found the rings around the balls were disintegrating in the wash – after manufacturer’s advice, I’ve simply taken them off.
15 Aug 2006
Sad to report that after more than a year of experimenting with these, we have recently given up.
We’re not convinced that there is much difference between using these and washing in hot water – and whilst of course we don’t want to use more soap than necessary, well… basically we’d quite like to wear clean clothing.
15 Aug 2006
I got some of these a few weeks ago and was initially disappointed. Not because they weren’t getting the dirt out (they were – amazing!)but because the clothes came out with a horrible musty smell. HOWEVER then discovered that it was due to a mouldy machine. After some vigorous cleaning (unfortunately bit too vigourous and resulted in having to pay £30 for a engineer to come and replace the door seal – DOH!) I now have lovely fresh smelling clothes and still using the Ecoballs. Quite scary to think what my previous detergent smell was masking – at least I now know I am not washing my clothes in mouldy water!
Stroud, GB , 29 Aug 2006
They have just coped with several loads of post-Greenbelt muddy clothes and come up smiling. I’m convinced.
31 Aug 2006
Used these and found they worked fairly well but after a few months they fell to pieces in machine – result all small holes in drum clogged with granules. A good half hour picking them all out! Machine is a top loader anyone else had this problem?
09 Sep 2006
Lakeland now has some which are rubber and act like a washboard when placed in the washing machine—as opposed to the type with little beads in them.
Chatham, GB , 10 Sep 2006
How about Soap Nuts? We tried Ecoballs and were never quite convinced, but find Soap nuts as good as detergent, even on nappies! I add Ecover laundry bleach or a eco-friendly nappy sanitiser to some washes just to be sure, but really they get stuff as clean as the Ecover liquid does! Have a look here: http://www.inasoapnutshell.com/
GB , 26 Sep 2006
We have been using eco balls for 3 years plus. We are on our 2nd set but not bad for a family of 5. It solved all the itchy skin problems from soap powder and gives beautifully soft clean clothes. My eldest daughter went to boarding school 2 years ago and couldn’t get over the “disgusting ” smell of her clothes back from the school laundry. Within weeks she was off to Lakeland to get her own (cheaper) version of a wash ball and has done all her own washing since. We did have one disaster of a cracked ball sheding granules, but rather that than endless spills of soap powder or detergent every where. They even cope with muddy rugby kit!
Wendover, GB , 26 Sep 2006
Very neutral on this. Stains don’t come out, they bleach the clothes, and we started to see holes developing in pretty new clothing after a few washes.
Something I will use intermittently, but not on favoured clothes and definitely not on bright colors.
18 Oct 2006
Been using these for over a year. Fine (with stain treatment when necessary) when combined with a good blow on the washing line; but for drying indoors my teenage daughters sneak chemicals in when they can, to make clothes smell like other peoples’ do. I’m interested in the banging-on-the-stones theory, and don’t know how you can tell when you’re supposed to change the pellets. the natural collection website reckons their ‘t-wave’ version are better, but then they would, wouldn’t they? Why are we all so obsessed with cleanliness anyway?
26 Oct 2006
Been a bit dubious of these, what with lots of food and other spills on our two year old’s clothes and inevitably on ours. Ecover is green enough surely? and works satisfiably enough. But we’re going to give it a go ourselves having read other’s comments. They do sound a bit weird and wacky – Can someone say (simply) how they work, why do they oxygenate clothing?
28 Oct 2006
I looked at these in Lakeland a couple of weeks ago, but decided against because one of the ingredients in the pellets is sodium lauryl sulfate which is derived from palm oil. I don’t know if all eco-balls are the same – I saw some on Goodness Direct which had different ingredients, but I didn’t know what the ingredients were, so was going to research it. Anyway – the thing about palm oil is that I’m trying to cut down on it where possible due to the effect plantations have on orangutans – I want the next generation growing up being able to see orangutans, not just read about them in books.
28 Oct 2006
I have tried using soap nuts, which I quite like, but Marky is convinced they give everything a horrible apply smell, especially towels. However, noted Z’s comments above, and maybe we need to give the machine a long overdue spring clean!!
30 Oct 2006
i have found that eco-balls work but am also fond of soapnuts. I tend to alternate eco-balls one week and soapnuts the next, with the occasional bit of ecover laundry bleach from time to time. If you want to make your clothes smell nice then put a couple of drops of essential oil in the fabric softener drawer.
15 Nov 2006
The Eco-balls work fine for me. I use a bit of Ecover bleach on white loads and stain remover on really obvious splodges. I find the smell of normal washing stuff really over-powering now.
Gloucester, GB , 16 Nov 2006
They work OK most of the time but just occasionally a black clerical shirt smells like grubby socks while everything else comes out OK including the socks! Yeuoow! Don’t understand them really. I find they are better for a swish in soapy water every so often (Ecover of course!).
Manchester, GB , 06 Dec 2006
We used them for a while but although did seem to make smells go away the clothes didn’t always seem that clean (still odd mark left behind), so we’ve now switched to ecover. Maybe we’ll try them again. I’d be interested to know what temperatures do people use them at and also does it help adding a little detergent in with the balls or does that affect the balls etc.?
Harrow, GB , 24 Jan 2007
I’ve just started using these, and so far so good. I’ve also bought some soapnuts as a back-up. I’m trying to work out how I can save the water that comes out of the back of our washing machine so I could put it on the garden. Does anyone have any ideas?
London, GB , 08 Feb 2007
Eco-Balls very good, I put my husband’s smelliest socks and the toe-cheese was all washed away! Not so great on body odour, but I think I’ll get some soapnuts and essential oils for back up.
London, GB , 10 Feb 2007
I’ve just bought some eco-balls. They’re only £29.99 and you get free delivery from www.greenandeasy.co.uk. Registration process slightly tedious though.
Aberystwyth, GB , 03 Mar 2007
Mum bought me and my brother a pack each for Christmas, after she’d tried them and LOVED them! They clean up nappies, bibs, baby clothes, husbands work clothes… any obvious stains and i rub a bit of soap on them first before bunging them in the machine… would like to try soapnuts too…
Richmond, GB , 01 Apr 2007
We’ve now been using the same set of balls for two years… and they’re still cleaning (though I may have to put the refill things they came with in, in the next month or so). Not bad for £30.
The only honest warning is for other slacker dads like me out there. Once washed the washing, unlike my now hazy memories of chemical loads, needs to be removed from the drum within an hour or two; otherwise it starts to get a little funky.
Birmingham, GB , 03 Jul 2007
I’ve been using these for about 18 months and they are great. I still use stain removers occasionally, but I did that with soap powder as well, so it’s still an improvement.
Reading, GB , 06 Jan 2008
Been using mine 20 months now!
Sheffield, GB , 04 May 2008
ok we are on our 2nd set the first set lasted well over the recommended number of washes and the plastci finally craxked and i had to hoover out lots of little balls from the wahing machine drum i love eco balls as a family of excema ites they are great as no chemicals are getting near our clothes i donn’t use them on the boys nappies though i use ecover and bio d nappy powder and occasionally bicarbonate of soda for bad stains i rub in a bit of ecover stain remover
Leicester, GB , 10 Nov 2008
I have been using them for nearly a year and find them to work well generally, no problems with mud, etc. However they are not so good on sweat removal and I need to wash t-shirts with detergent every so often. Because of this my housemates have switched back to detergent. I’ve read on the ethical supermarket website (or somewhere) that poor performance might be because we have hard water and buying a magnoball (removes limescale) from the same supplier might help. I haven’t done this but might do as it will also mean that less detergent is needed and potentially be good for the machine? Although I’m not sure how good having 4 balls in there will be.
I also asked once if the ecoballs could be used with detergent. Apparently this wont damage them, although defeats the point!