Many years ago, my Mother discovered this product and began to use it on principal, rather than on merit, because it said that it was good for the environment. My own opinion of it back then was that it didn't work, and had the grease-shifting power of instantly filthy dish water, but she stuck with it and somehow managed to keep our crockery clean. Those were the days (back in the 1980s)when you could only purchase such products from health-food shops. Nowadays they've grown in popularity, with the increased concern about ecology and the damage we're wreaking here there and everywhere, and every supermarket chain seems to have its own version of the stuff as well as the original.

Ecover themselves are a Belgian company founded in 1980, who specialise in producing cleaning products made from predominantly plant-based ingredients. The intention is that these products will break down into harmless residues in the drains and water treatment systems, thus causing little or no chemical pollution of the world's waterways and seas. By 1993 they had been recognised by the UN Environment Programme for their contribution to the environment, and according to their website they continue to work on ways to improve their products and packaging and minimise their environmental impact.

So have they improved the washing up liquid? I decided to have another attempt at using it several years ago when I was having problems with dermatitis and conventional washing up liquids. The most commonly available aromas are Lemon & Aloe Vera, and Camomile & Marigold. (There are two other 'flavours', which are Pomegranate & Lime, and Grapefruit & Green Tea, but I've not seen these very often).

It's the lemon one that I chose initially, as I prefer a washing up liquid of that scent to counteract particularly strong food smells. It produced a lot more lather than I remembered from my early experience, despite the fact that the packaging actually states that it is a low-lather product. I found over time that in fact it worked equally as well with our dishes as my previous washing-up liquid had (store's own from either Tesco or Sainsbury's, NOT the value brands though). I didn't find that it was any kinder to my hands, but then neither is Fairy so I just have to resign myself to wearing washing up gloves, but that's fine as I can then have the water nice and hot! A further thing about the bubbles - there are enough but not so many that I can't see what's in the sink. Some high-end liquids are so frothy that you can't see what you're doing, so they're out as far as I'm concerned for that reason alone!

I have to say that we don't do a lot of frying, so I probably haven't tested it as much as some would - but when there have been very dried-on or even burnt-on remains of meals, with a soak and a bit of elbow grease they've come up clean. I do not expect my washing-up liquid to dissolve such things with no effort, since to do that they'd probably contain the harmful chemicals I'm avoiding by using this product! I think in the end it boils down to the issue of whether you prioritise environment or 'instant cleanliness', since in my opinion this washing up liquid is now as good as I need it to be to keep our family in spotlessly clean dishes. I have tried the Camomile & Marigold variety and it works just as well, but personally I dislike the scent so I stick to the Lemon and Aloe Vera, which I buy in 1 litre bottles from either Tesco or Sainsbury's. The one I bought this last week from Tesco was £2.25, sometimes they'll have two for one offers or just a price reduction for a time so it's worth keeping an eye out.

So I'm glad to say that I've found a great improvement since those early days, and I hope that Ecover continue to produce this successful quality of washing up liquid for many years to come!