Household detergent
is an area where individuals can reduce wastes as well as environment impact substantially.
We use on average 12lbs of detergents per person every year, just for washing our
clothes. Laundry balls cut the release of foam and phosphates into the eco system
and dramatically reduce waste by avoiding creation of cardboard and plastic packing.
They also cost as
little as 3p per wash to use, compared to 20p for traditional detergent, The Resource
team tried out four of the market leaders to see if they really offer a challenge
to traditional detergents.
Lasts for: 60 washes, refillable with new pellets
Technique:
Cleans by releasing
ionised oxygen, which increases the PH level of the water and activates the water
molecules. These penetrated deep into the fibres lifting dirt away. (Contains: Higher
alkyl sulfate, non-ionic surfactant, sodium metasilicate, calcium and sodium carbonate)
Verdict: This rubbery,
spiky pair was one of the panel’s favourites. “Impressive”. “Very nice result, soft,
clean and nice fresh smell” and “Positively funky design”. “Compares favourably
with Ecover washing powder”, were some of the comments from our testers, who forgave
Aquaball for having the shortest lifespan of all the samples on test.
Laundry balls are
a tempting buy – they replace the need for chemical detergent and fabric softener,
they eliminate the necessity for a rinse cycle so saving water and energy and they
are hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial.
Not only that but,
depending on which brand you go for, they reduce the average cost of a wash from
30p to around 3p. Of course, there’s always the possibility they don’t work as well
is claimed, and this is the main reason why many green consumers haven’t tried them
as yet.
Aquaballs pass the test
In the last issue
of Positive Consumer the Aquaballs tested were part of an old batch. They have since
been redeveloped and no longer tend to split in hot washes
New tests of the Aquaball
by Positive Consumer can confirm that they are excellent value for money – washing
away the blood, sweat and tears of everyday life, leaving clothes really soft and
vaguely scented. PC has been using laundry balls of several descriptions for three
moths now with great results. Recommended: Value For Money.
Using Natural Cleaners
Test Aquaball
The first test using the Aquaball was a tough one:
Curry stains on a
sweatshirt and grass stain on jeans. The Aquaball washed the clothes at least as
well as eco-friendly washing powder, but for complete removal of stains, manufacturers
do suggest the assistance of a stain-remover on the grubbiest areas as a guarantee
of a good wash. One word of warning thought the Aquaball couldn’t cope with a 60
degree hot wash for whites – the heat of the water seemed to unstuck the seal and
the end result was hundreds of small pebbles spilling out of the machine.
New life for old balls
Aquaballs the tried
and tested laundry balls that give cleaning results similar to most eco-detergents
are now reusable.Having
cleaned your clothes in the washing machine using the Aquaballs for up to 60 washes,
you can now open the ball up and add new pellets the ionic crystals and salts that
produce the active cleaning power. This means less packing, less waste and better
value for money.
Natural Cleaning Products
Summary of test results
October 1995- US testing
company SGS: tested the ability of the Aquaballs to remove stains from polyester/cotton
fabric (using 2 balls at 40 °c) Where 5 means ‘most effective’ and 1 means ‘least
effective’, the Aquaballs is scored: corn oil 3.5; tomato sauce 3; Soy sauce 4.5;
tea 3.5.
August 1998- Hong
Kong testing laboratory ACTS compared the dirt removal ability of Aquaballs with
Axe Plus detergent. The two were equal in one test removing dust/sebum from cotton;
where Aquaballs performed significantly better (18%).
May 1998 – US testing
company SGS used Aquaballs to wash cotton sheets. The result was compared to sheets
washed identical but using Ultra Tide. The chemical residue left on the fabric by
the Aquaballs was approximately 60% less than left Ultra Tide.
