Saving the planet one day at a time (Ecover Automatic Clothes Washing Liquid)

Member Name: SueMagee

Product:	Ecover Automatic Clothes Washing Liquid
Date:	17/09/03 (434 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A non-biological product which is kind to the skin and to the environment. , Not tested on animals.

Disadvantages: More expensive than other non-biological laundry liquids.

A long time ago I used Bold for all our laundry. It cleaned well and had a pleasant smell. At the time our elder dog was but a puppy (she's nearly five years old now) and one day I found that her tummy was covered in oozing spots. We saw the vet that morning. He obviously has a prepared set of questions for these occasions.

"...and do you wash the bedding regularly with a biological washing powder?"

"Of course" I said "the bedding's washed every week and I use Bold".

"That's almost certainly the answer then." he said. "Biological washing products are a common cause of skin problems in animals and humans."

I changed to Fairy. For some reason I equated Fairy's logo of the baby in a fluffy nappy with a seven-stone Rhodesian Ridgeback dog. There was an immediate improvement in her skin condition and Peter and I noticed that our skin felt more comfortable. Our clothes weren't completely comfortable though and my next stop was Persil non-biological liquid. This was much the same and I was beginning to think that this would be as good as I could get.

Trying Ecover was on the basis of "I can say I've tried them all". After all, a laundry liquid which took ecological considerations into account wasn't going to be as effective as one that didn't have to, now was it? Wrong ? I think it's the best of them all, by a long way.

Ecover began producing environmentally-friendly soaps in a farmhouse in northern Belgium in 1979. By the late 1980s it became obvious that they needed larger premises and they built their own factory. Even this is ecologically sound, being built as far as possible from recycled and recyclable materials. It's been designed so as to have minimal impact on the surroundings. Importantly for me Ecover are against animal testing.

Their non-biological liquid won't stand out on the supermarket shelf,
with its colourless, opaque bottle. I like it though because it has an inset handle, which makes lifting, carrying and pouring easier for me. The bottle and the cap are 100% recyclable, but I wish I had some way of refilling it. The bottle says that it is refillable, but I can't find anyone locally who supplies the contents without the bottle! The cap doubles as a measure and here I have a slight quibble. When the bottle is very full it is difficult not to tip too much into the measure, but this only applies for the first couple of washes, after which the flow becomes more controllable. The cap is designed so that any residue drips back into the bottle rather than down the side of it!

It's a clear light-amber colour and is not quite as thick as washing-up liquid. I had come to favour laundry products which were dispensed in the machine's drum. If it's necessary to put liquid or powder into the dispenser drawer of the machine I've frequently found that there was some left there at the end of the cycle, but I've never had this problem with Ecover. The drawer is sparkling clean!

The smell of the product is difficult to describe. I think "soapy with minimal undertones of lavender" is the closest I can get! It's very easy to think that if clothes smell clean they are clean and the producers of laundry products play heavily on this. Unfortunately the strong perfumes of most products come from synthetic fragrances which stick to the laundry and are in close and constant contact with the skin. For some people (or animals) this will mean skin irritation or an allergic reaction. Even small amounts of these synthetic fragrances can cause problems for fish and insects when the water is drained away. Ecover doesn't use synthetic fragrances, but only plant-based fragrance. I'll gladly do without the smell of a summer meadow or a pine forest! It also has an excellent level of biodegradability with the least effect o
n fish and insects possible.

So, how well does it perform? My normal cycle for the washing machine is at 30°C and I use the minimum amount of liquid recommended ? two capfuls or 60ml. I use this for washing both whites and coloureds. The bottle label does suggest that Ecover bleach should be added to the wash for the best results with whites, but I've never found this necessary. White underwear remains white for at least as long as it did with other products.

I was concerned that my coloureds would fade. Ecover doesn't contain optical brighteners, as they attach themselves to the skin irreversibly, but I've found no noticeable fading. Peter's office shirts still look bright and crisp and the golf kit he's wearing this afternoon looks new despite the fact that it isn't.

I use a 40°C cycle for more heavily stained laundry, but I've found no need to increase the amount of liquid. The old towels used to dry muddy paws come clean, as do the jeans splattered with mud from the same paws. I spot treat stains such as tomato sauce or curry, but I've had to do that with every non-biological product.

Once a week I do a 60°C wash for dishcloths, tea towels, face cloths and the like. The results are on a par with the other non-biological products which I've tried.

I'm not big on hand-washing, but I have occasionally used Ecover for this. One capful of liquid in a bowl of water will deal with all those fragile things which you don't want to risk in the washing machine. I haven't felt the need to use rubber gloves either ? something which I would never have risked with other hand-wash liquids.

You're thinking that all this is too good to be true aren't you? Well, it does work out a more expensive than other products. I compared it with the Persil non-bio liquid. In Sainsbury's this week the Persil liquid is £3.29 for the same size bottle. The recommended dose for each w
ash is 50ml, so a bottle will provide 30 washes, at just less than 11p per wash. The Ecover was priced at £3.99 and gives 25 washes at just less than 16p per wash. Personally I think that an extra 5p per wash is a small price to pay for a product which is better for me, my family, our dogs and the environment in general.

It even stops a spotty dog!

Quick notes

Approved by The Vegan Society

Bottle size: 1.5L

Suitable for septic tanks

Information on other Ecover products can be found at www.ecover.com

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