Customer reviews

Ecoballs®

Iv'e just brought 2 lots of the ecoballs and got 2 refill packs. I was so excited about getting the washing from the machine to see how good they were. Unfortunately the washing was as dirty as when i put it in, i had to put it back on with my usual detergent in it. Anybody want lots of ecoballs?

Published 30 May 2011

Ecoballs®

I was keen to try these out, but I'm not sure how effective they are: I think that the cleaning action they have is achieved by the friction of the motion of the balls in the drum, rather than by the balls themselves. They work ok if the wash is not particularly dirty, but when I do have a dirty wash ( I have three boys who are keen all-weather footballers), they have a minimal impact and on occasion I have had to do the wash again with a powder. Nice idea but not suitable for heavy-duty washes.

Published 13 May 2011

Ecoballs®

I've lost count of the number of washes - it is well over 150.....I can probably double or treble that figure. Problems with dermatitis have been less since I started using the balls. As I no longer use washing powders I can cut down on the number of rinses which saves time and also water usage. I use the stain remover on collars and bad stains. Occasionally I resort to another well known stain remover. I've been happy with the cleanliness of the wash - (40 for synthetics and 60 for cottons and towels). As I never use fabric conditioner in the final rinse, I don't bother to take out the balls.

Published 24 Mar 2011

Ecoballs®

I have been using these for about 14 months now and I think they're great. They make the water go soapy when it's warm but become inactive in the cold water of the rinse cycle (I'm a bit dubious about their proud claim that there is no residue as the pellets do get smaller with use, so I don't cut out the rinse cycle as they suggest). I think they are especially good on colours - I love bright jewel-coloured blouses and these ecoballs bring them up brighter than they've ever been. I think it's because normal detergent leaves a grey residue that builds up, which these balls strip away. True, they're not quite so good on whites but normal detergents only achieve "luminous whites" with brightening agents anyway so just use a bit of oxygen bleach if you're bothered about this. Ecoballs have only 2.5 drawbacks that I have found - 1) They can't be used in very hot or very cold washes (which you do need to do from time to time), 2) They can only be used with a (nearly) full load as they don't work in reduced water cycles (NB you can't stuff the machine completely full but it was never a good idea to do this anyway, if you wanted your washing to rinse effectively!) And the half - They are a bit awkward to refill. As you only need to do this every 12-18 months it's not a major problem but it also means you won't get much practice (!!) The easiest way I have found is to hold the two halves together but pulled a bit apart at one side and feed the pellets in with a spoon, Also the foam rings are a bit difficult to remove and put back (they fit around a flange to hold them on) - a bit easier when the foam is wet. All in all, I recommend giving them a try.

Published 29 Jan 2011

Ecoballs®

I live abroad in a country where non-bio products are non existent and anything else is ridiculously expensive. I also try to live as 'green' a life as I can, so was really drawn to this product when saw it in a catalogue. Last summer when back in the UK, I was in Lakeland and decided to give the Ecoballs a go. Quite frankly it has been the best money I have ever spent on a laundry product. Not only do they seem to be lasting FOREVER (I have only topped the pellets up once...and I have two small boys to wash for), they handle the job of washing workshirts, P.E kits and bedding with ease. I would agree with another reviewer that every now and then you may need to treat your whites with a brightening agent and that you should only fill your machine to about 85-90% capacity or their effectivness is lost, but this is a very small price to pay for the money saved with this product. Another big plus is the size of everything. There is no wasteful packing materials and the costs to the envirioment are minimal compared to standard powders/liquids. I would urge any doubters to give the Ecoballs a go, they won't be dissapointed!

Published 21 Jan 2011

Ecoballs®

I have been using these for about 8 weeks now - approximately 45 loads - and have no complaints or problems. The pellets have not noticeably reduced in size during that time - the balls are still full. I have a "top loader" machine (not the "front loader" type seen in Europe and UK) and decided to remove the foam "saturn rings" so the balls would sink into the water better (the foam made them float on top of the water and half the beads were not submerged). This works better for that type of machine. Was very impressed when engine sump oil was completely removed from jeans by spraying them with the usual stain remover and then washing normally in the machine with ecoballs - came out absolutely perfectly clean. Laundry is primarily cleaned by AGITATION - not by product. There just needs to be a tiny bit of "slip" created in the water to release the soiling's "grip" on the fabric and after that its the agitation that does the work. These beads do provide that little bit of "slip" - Ecoballs does the job just as well as anything else I have ever used. The clothes smell nice and fresh too. I've never used any laundry detergent where the clothes didn't smell if left in a closed machine, so not concerned about that. Comes with a very nice feeling about not adding to The Earth's problems, as well! Wholeheartedly recommended !

Published 07 Nov 2010

Ecoballs®

This product sounded promising, but when I read the poorly worded and sometimes non-sensical explanatory notes I began to wonder if it was worth the money after all. Unfortunately it did not live up to its claims, with clothes coming out smelling musty and, in the case of towels and certain synthetic sports wear fabrics, decidedly cheesy. I tried removing the <em class='mw'>balls</em> (what a palaver) and giving the laundry a rinse, but it still ended up smelling worse than when it went in, even after drying outside on the line. But thanks for the no-quibble refund.

Published 14 Jul 2010

Ecoballs®

These are brilliant for washing wet suits and waterproof coats because they don't remove the waterproof surface like detergents. They're also good for washing curtains and lightly soiled items. However, they're not good for white towels as they tend to end up a shade of grey! They don't replace my usual detergent, but, for the above mentioned items, they're excellent.

Published 13 May 2010

Ecoballs®

Sadly I found these to be rather disappointing. I love just about everything else I have ever bought from Lakeland so was surprised that these did not live up to my expectations. I have given them a fair trial (as did my Mum) and feel that our clothes do not smell fresh and that even minor stains remain. I wish I had spent my money on something different at Lakeland.

Published 10 Apr 2010