Clean your clothes without detergent

[sunpuppy]

I can recommend the Wonderwash Laundry Ball for washing your clothes without detergent. It's this neat little ball with magnets in it which is supposed to reduce surface tension of the water, making it clean your clothes more effectively.

I've tried it for over two years, and it washes clothes fine. You can get them from Retone Products - 0161 832 7788. Can't remember how much it was, but it was about £14.00 I think.

Saves you money or detergent, and non-polluting to the environment.....

[judyofthewoods]

Read an interesting discussion in Permaculture magazine a few years ago about the eco balls, it was suggested that you can get your clothes clean without even the laundry balls, as the thing that actually does the cleaing is the water and agetation. I have reduced my detergent level to much below the recomended amount (Ecover powder) and have to say there really is no differnce to using full amount. I do think a small amount is probably a good idea to cut grease, as skin will leave a minute amount of oil on the fabric, which would need soap to brake it. Certainly there is a huge overuse of detergetns, something I have become acutely aware of in recent years as my sense of smell has become ultra sharp due to low exposure to perfumes and chemicals. I can smell people's laundry on the line behind the house when riding my bike through the vilage, often I can smell washingpowder perfume from a passing car (windows up). When I now buy clothes from the charity shop the only way I can remove the intense overpowering stench of a build up of detergents is by leaving the garments tied up in the river for a few days (I know, that must be polluting the river, but it will pollute wherever it is). I have soaked them in the past in clear water, which actually ends up soapy from all the excess soap in the fabric. What does it do to people's health, wearing that gunk all day and then the linen all night? Back to the point though, the agitation of the water in the river is enough to remove the most tenacious 'dirt' - detergents - which no amount of washing can ever remove. If agitation can remove strong binding chemicals, then it can deal with day to day dirt. Occasional wash with Oxiclean will remove stubborn stains, yellowing etc. and is also relatively benign. And last but not least, does everything have to be sparkeling glaring clean?

[sunpuppy]

Actually, I've got to say, I did wonder if just washing the clothes in water with nothing else, no laundry ball or anything, would be sufficient but, weirdly, old habits seem to die hard - putting the laundry ball in makes me think psychologically that I'm doing something to help clean the clothes better. If stuff is really manky, I'll also use a little Ecover too.

I tried Soapwort from a health food shop once and it was good, not only as a natural detergent, but for washing hair as well. It's quite difficult to get hold of though - probably not much demand for it in this overly fragranced world....

[jema]

Sounds like a load of tripe to me I'm afraid

[judyofthewoods]

Sounds like a load of tripe to me I'm afraid

You will find that far from cleaning clothes, jema, tripe will make a lot of mess.

[judyofthewoods]

I tried Soapwort from a health food shop once and it was good, not only as a natural detergent, but for washing hair as well. It's quite difficult to get hold of though - probably not much demand for it in this overly fragranced world....

Its not something I've tried myself, but have heard that horse chestnut leaves have the same ability. They are in plentyful supply where it does grow. Tried growing soapwart, but could not even get it to germinate.

[sunpuppy]

Sounds like a load of tripe to me I'm afraid

I know, it does sound rather tripe-like, but the laundry ball works for me, and the cleanliness (or not) of my clothes hasn't been commented on by anyone yet.

Or maybe they're just too polite.....

[Andy Hamilton]

I read somewhere once about using vinegar to wash clothes, I must admit I have never tried it.

As for ecover polluting a little is it not made out of vegetable matter or something? - not 100% on this one, but I have heard of people who put their washing water onto their plants after use. In fact I am sure I have heard that off someone who visits the site, afraid I cannot remember who

The Wonderwash Laundry Ball another thing that I have learnt from this forum today! I guess it is simlar to a wash board in the way it works friction and all that?

[judyofthewoods]

Ecover is one of the best, but all products have some impact, however small, and I don't like to use more than absolutly necessary. The balls don't work by friction, but by some esoteric process like ions or whatever, I think.

[manxminx]

The Wonderwash Laundry Ball sounds great sunpuppy i to use very little detergent as my youngest son has very bad eczema and i couldn't agree more with judy about the intense overpowering stench of a build up of detergents i will give the Wonderwash Laundry Ball a try every little helps with 2 mucky boys to wash for

[Wombat]

G'Day all,

Yeah, we pump the water from our washing machine directly out onto the lawn . There are many pro's and cons around using grey water but it works for us.

I have a little difficulty with esoteric washing appliances (as opposed to detergent) and it sounds more likely to me that the agitation does the job, but without a scientific trial I won't say any more. certainly any reduction in the use of detergents with no loss of hygiene etc has gotta be good.

Nev

[judyofthewoods]

G'Day all,


it sounds more likely to me that the agitation does the job

Nev

That was the conclusion of the debate in the article, it was the agitation which cleaned, but not from the balls but the moving water in the mashine (or washboard or dolly if thats your choice). The balls just happened to be in the same water. But if one can conclude that the balls cleaned the garments because they were in the water, one can just as easily claim that the clothes washed each other (probably more likely, as they would have added to the friction), as they were in the same water. The time tested old method of slapping clothes on a rock in the river have the agitation effect, and the method is, as far as I know, done without soap, and washes just as clean.

[realwildchild]

Did a little experiment with this yesterday. There are 7 of us in our house, so we have a lot of washing and seeing as there are 5 aged 9 or under, that washing is usually caked in mud!! We usually use Ecover but have always seen this as not being the most fantastic option, just the better of a bad lot.

Anyway, tried two loads of dark colours yesterday - one with just water and one with an old tennis ball that has lost it's bounce and gone bald (bit like DH ) The addition of the tennis ball did seem to make a difference and did seem to clean reasonably well - in both loads there were some items that didn't clean as well as they do with Ecover, but I think that in the future I shall use the tennis ball for clothes that are in need of a wash, rather than filthy - IYKWIM

Lighter colours at the moment will still need Ecover, but I'm now going to start using less each time until I find the bare minimum that I need.

[Andy Hamilton]

I knew I heard about washing with vinegar here is a link

http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/tips/a ... aundry.htm - still not tried it myself but if I remmber before I do the next load then will post the results.

[sunpuppy]

The addition of the tennis ball did seem to make a difference and did seem to clean reasonably well.

So maybe the conclusion is that washing with just water will clean them to a certain extent - purely through agitation of the water. The addition of a ball-like object in the wash would appear to help the cleaning process by having the clothes bash against something solid. And if all else fails, for really dirty clothes, use a bit of Ecover!

I suppose in the end it's down to personal preference - how clean do you want your clothes? As judyofthewoods said in an earlier post - "does everything have to be sparkling, glaring clean....?"