[PV post] Ecoballs

[oobers]

It might be that plain water is good enough for my needs (and I might experiement more with this...), but I have the ecoballs now so I might as well use them.

I have been reading"Sewage Solutions" - CAT book devoted to the subject of dealing with effluent. It has a section about using detergents etc in private sewage systems and a test on ecoballs is described:

A curious colleague soiled a white sheet with a range of foodstuffs then tore it into four equal strips. The washing machine was run on empty to clear out any detergents. Next, a square of sheet was washed with 'balls' and no detergent, then another square with water only on the same program. he process was repeated with detergent and no 'balls' and finally with 'balls' and detergent. The first two washes were still grubby and where indistinguishable from each other whilst the next two washes were clean but again indistinguishable from each other. At worst it seems likely that far less detergent may be needed than previously thought, although this will depend on many factors including water hardness, wash temperature, washing machine design, fabric colour and type, degree of soiling and personal standards. More research is needed.

Darn it, have we been had? Think I might try a water only wash to see if my 'personal standards' are met!

I get round the socks problem by adding a duvet cover to every wash. This method is guaranteed to suck up all other contents of a wash

[Pixie]

my clothes are seldom very dirty

This is in no way a personal dig at you, fishertrop, but this phrase stuck in my mind. When I was a kid (not that long ago...60s and 70s) automatic washing machines weren't common at all - at least not in mid Wales. It was a big day when my parents splashed out (groan) on a twin tub, but doing the washing was still something you got very involved in, and most folk did it once a week, usually on a Monday. When I went off to college I just washed things by hand and didn't think anything of it.

But last week I was talking to a neighbour who was struggling with an ailing washing machine, and although she has a toddler I was surprised at the amount of washing she had piled up. The reason wasn't the toddler at all but the teenagers who expect clothes to be washed after wearing them only once - and that usually for less than half a day!

I wonder if the big issue isn't so much what you put in the machine (as long as it isn't toxic) as how often you use it?