Eco eggs

I used them for a few years, even to wash nappies. I came to the conclusion that they are fine for dark-coloured clothes. The additional benefit is that the clothes don't 'hold' any detergent, with the result that the cloth feels much softer, which is nice.

White stuff, on the other hand, just got greyer and greyer. Eventually I started using Ecover Laundry bleach and Hot water washes and that improved things.

I now use Surcare washing powder and have no skin issues with it. Itchy skin was what drove me to try eco-balls. I think it's the perfumes in most washing powders that give me problems rather than the detergent.

They broke a few times and spilled the contents into the washing machine. It was a bit of a faff clearing up.

Oh, and the spongey rings that some of them have kept coming off.

I used them for a couple of years and they did save me money but if an item of clothing went in with a minute stain and I did not think that it needed pre treating it came out looking the same. I agree, whites were a no- no after a while, looking a pale shade of grey. I must have been fortunate as my washing balls never broke.

I still find that I can use them as long as I choose my machine load carefully especially now that I can hang washing outside and the sun bleaches whites whether I want it to or not! If you do decide to try them, have spare detergent just in case.

Do you have to take the egg out of the washing machine at the end of the wash before the rinse begins? If it was left in, the washing wouldnt be rinsed properly would it? Just a thought.

No, you don't. The contents are not soap. There is no resudue left in the cloth. That's their main advantage, but I've decided I can achieve the same effect just not using detergent every now and then.

Thanks for the info!
Seems to me then that you could take the washing out of the machine straight after the wash cycle has finished then? So it would save on water consumption too, as well as time.
Worth thinking about anyway.

You cannot open the door on my machine until it has completed the whole washing, rinsing and spinning process - and there is no wash only setting so I would not be able to save water that way.

What I would do is switch machine off at the wall, then turn the dial around to the final spin and switch it on again. That works. Would probably extend the life of the pellets by double as they are not going through the process twice. I hadn't realised the clothes don't need rinsing.
Thanks for all suggestions. These eggs have good reviews both on Lakeland and Amazon si will probably give them a go, but accept that whites still need detergent sometimes.

My eco-friendly DIL ( and am talking every cleaning product ) went back to using traditional soap powder when the family wash turned an unhealthy grey. Brand new clothes looked old after one wash.

If you can get them at a bargain price they are worth a go but I do not think that they are worth some of the prices I have seen advertised. I would not bother to buy them again.