Feel smug while you slave at those dishes! (Ecover Washing Up Liquid)

Member Name: Loopykate

Product:	Ecover Washing Up Liquid
Date:	06/08/03 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Kind to the environment, Economical, Does the job well

Disadvantages: Wobbly bottle!

Anyone who is a health-shop fiend or who buys products from "green" manufacturers can't have helped notice that the company Ecover has introduced a wide range of products recently. Judging by the presence of some of these in supermarkets such as Tesco the company is finally beginning to reach the "average" shopper, and those of us who prefer to purchase eco-friendly items won't have to visit specialist shops anymore (hmmm, thus creating losses for smaller independent shops...oh dear).

Anyway, one of the Ecover products that is springing up everywhere is the washing-up liquid. In my case I buy the camomile and marigold "flavour". Unlike other liquids, which boast a host of unpleasant-sounding chemicals, this contains milk whey, plant-based fragrance, extracts of flowers and biodegradable preservatives. It comes in a good sized bottle (one litre) and is a very pale translucent colour (not bright green/yellow/purple like so many!)

It looks far less fiendish than well-known ordinary brands, but this product certainly works. It doesn't produce masses of suds, but it does cut through the grease and do the job really well. Some reviewers have commented on the smell, but personally I've found it very light, refreshing, and, well, "natural". It doesn't pong like half a ton of lemons, but as that odour is a chemical one then I'm happier without it.

Ecover washing-up liquid states that it is "kind to your hands" and I would agree with this too. My skin is often very dry after a washing-up session, but I've used far less of my hand cream since buying this brand. It also lasts for a long time, thus working out as an economical choice. The nice thing about all Ecover products is that they aren't a ridiculous price.

My only criticism, and it's a VERY small one, is that the design of the bottle renders it a little bit unstable when it is perched on the edge of m
y sink. Unlike the conventional cylindrical bases it very occasionally topples over. Not a big deal, though!

I've tried other "green" manufacturers of washing-up liquids, and Ecover's ranks about the same as Clear Spring's (ie. very highly indeed). I'm sure that the Ecover range will continue to expand as shoppers in mainstream supermarkets abandon their bottle of over-perfumed chemicals and experiment with greener products. Yes, it is a "feel-good" thing that allows you to feel a wee bit smug when you're standing at the sink, but what's wrong with feeling positive?

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