It's Great - But is it Green? (Morning Fresh Washing Up Liquid)

Member Name: jo1976

Product:	Morning Fresh Washing Up Liquid
Date:	16/10/08 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good value compared to premium brands, nice fragrance, lots of bubbles

Disadvantages: Not sure how environmentally friendly it is.

I never realised how susceptible I am to the power of a well-written consumer review, until I found myself at the supermarket the day after reading a review of Morning Fresh washing up liquid on DooYoo. I found myself hesitating at the washing up liquid shelf, instead of just reaching for my usual brand. I stood there, trying to compare the different prices in my head and eventually worked out that Morning Fresh was slightly cheaper than my usual brand and decided to put that in my trolley instead.

The last time I used 'value' ranges of washing up liquid was when I was a student living in a shared house and when cleaning was bottom of the list of our priorities! I can still remember the cheap own brand rubbish squirting out with the consistency of water - needing half the bottle to actually produce any bubbles and any cleaning ability! I was confident that Morning Fresh wasn't going to be like those cheapo varieties and I wasn't to be disappointed.

Since becoming a wife and mother, I've tended to use Ecover washing up liquid. It's slightly cheaper than Fairy, for example, if bought in a 1 litre size and also claims to be more environmentally friendly than other brands. Unfortunately, this time my green credentials took a battering as I selected the Morning Fresh over the Ecover. I blame the credit crunch! Sorry, environment.....

I can remember Morning Fresh being the brand that my mother always used when I was a child. Back then, the packaging was a simple white round bottle with the Morning Fresh logo on the side. Now, it's been sexed up and the variety that I bought (Oxygen) came in a curvacious bottle (sort of like a mannequin without any arms or legs) which was see-through.

When washing up (not my favourite activity) I was struck by two things in particular - the strong, but very pleasant, fragrance and the amount of bubbles that a very small squirt of the Morning Fresh produced. The liquid seemed thicker than Ecover and definitely produced more bubbles. (I did wonder whether the extra bubbles might be the things that Ecover have less of and what makes Ecover more eco-friendly.)

I studied the ingredients on both brands but found myself baffled by science and washing up jargon! The Morning Fresh bottle proudly tells me that it contains Sparklex, which much be something of merit as the name itself has been trademarked! It also warns me that it contains Limonene and warns that it may cause an allergic reaction. (Luckily, I haven't suffered any adverse effects as yet and I do have very sensitive skin and dry hands.) Ingredients wise, I was just faced with a list of various different sorts of surfactants which meant very little to me. (Perhaps I should have paid more attention in those Chemistry lessons all those years ago.)

In comparison, the Ecover bottle also tells me that it contains surfactants (although a lesser percentage than the Morning Fresh.) It also states that it cleans effectively 'without producing excessive bubbles.' This is probably why the Morning Fresh seemed to produce such a mountain of bubbles in comparison! Cleaning wise - both brands seem to clean equally well so far. The Morning Fresh just seems to be more effective as it gives you the visual impact of lots of suds and a really strong, fresh fragrance filling the kitchen.

Now, I face a bit of an ethical dilemma. I've been using Ecover for a long time, on the basis that it is 'greener' than other brands of washing up liquid. Pricewise, there isn't that much difference although Morning Fresh is the cheaper of the two and even a few pence difference can quickly mount up over the course of a few months. I also feel a little guilty but I have to admit that I prefer the fragrance and the amount of bubbles produced by Morning Fresh. The worst bit is that those are probably the factors that make it not as desirable for the environment!

I'm still undecided as to whether my green principles are going to win over my tight-wad tendancies! What I would say to anybody wanting to switch from a premium brand is that Morning Fresh is certainly a brand worth considering. It's lovely bubbly!

Update May 09: Switched back to Ecover!

Summary: Lovely bubbly!