Ecoballs are magic balls! (Eco Balls)

Member Name: shoz09

Product:	Eco Balls
Date:	23/07/09 (115 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: do work, save money in the long run

Disadvantages: expensive initial outlay, no freshly washed smell

Ecoballs are basically balls that you place in the washing machine with your washing, and are intended to replace washing powders and conditioners. They come in a green box, in which there is a set of three balls, three bags of refills (of the pellets which do the washing) and some stain remover. A box of three will set you back thirty pounds, which is expensive, but over the 18 month life of the ecoballs that will probably save you money. You can get these from John Lewis.

These balls are 100% hypoallergenic, residue free and antibacterial. They contain no chemicals whatsoever either, so they are ideal for sensitive skin and for those with any allergies. Even though there is no conditioner used on our clothes any more, they still come out of the washing machine really soft, and dont seem to fade at all either. Including the refills that come in the box, the balls last for about 18 months, or up to 1000 washes. They work best between thirty and sixty degrees celcius, so you could reduce your electricity bills.

As with any normal methods of washing your clothes, always check the label before washing. Place your wash in the machine as normal, but only fill the drum by two thirds, as doing this will allow the balls to work at their best (explained further on). Use your normal cycle, but DO NOT use a reduced cycle wash as the balls need to circulate throughout the wash. As the clothes wont have any chemicals in from washing, you can omit the rinse cycle if your machine allows. You can use these balls in any sort of washing machine, and also for washing delicate clothes.

The manufacturer, Ecozone, does give a couple of tips to get the maximum number of washes out of your balls. Firstly, they recommend you let the ball air dry out of the machine every night-you can use them one wash after another, just try to remember to take them out. Secondly, dont put them in the tumble dryer as this will reduce the life of them.

You may wonder how they actually work as they dont contain any chemicals. I will try my best to explain how they do work, but if you struggle, let me know and I will try again.

The balls increase the levels of alkaline in the water. When in water, the balls exceed OH (I dont have a clue what this means, so if anyone knows, I will adjust the review accordingly), which reacts with stains and dirt under saporification(this creates surfact-active agent which takes dirt away dirt). Activated molecules filter into clothing fibre and reduces the connection between dirt and your clothes. As the washing machine spins, the dirt becomes separated quicker and scatters into the water, and reaches cleanout. Mineral oxides somehow condition the water by changing its ionic structure. Sodium and potassium oxides dissolve into the water, increasing alkalinity (bacteria cant live in alkaline conditions, thus making the water antibacterial).

I got these originally as my partner has problems with washing powders. Since using these balls his skin has become a lot better. The cleanliness of our clothes is better than the non-bio we used before, so that is another plus in my book. If you think a stain will be tricky use the stain remover (rub into the stain and leave for a few minutes and put in the wash as normal), and this does help a great deal. Also we are saving money on not buying washing powder or conditioner, which is a plus at the moment.

For me the only real downside is that there is no 'freshly washed' smell. Our clothes do smell clean, but not like they do with a fabric conditioner. Some stains dont get out from clothes out but you cannot get every stain out with normal washing powder anyway, especially with a 17 month old running round!

I would certainly recommend these balls as they do work really well. If you dont like them, they have a thirty day guarantee.

Summary: worth a go-if you dont like them, you can return them!