Washing with Balls
Yesterday, I was discussing this very topic with my class and the topic of washing balls came up again. When I got home, I was looking through a slew of catalogs and there was the Greenwash Ball staring me in the face. So I took it as a sign and I am sharing some research with you.
Available from the Harriet Carter Catalog for $19.98, the Greenwash Ball is described as "a patented eco-friendly ball with ceramics inside that create frictiona nd enable water to reach a pH level equal to that of detergent...Reusable ball lasts for over 1,000 washes! Antibacterial and hypo-allergenic."
Interesting, but does it work? Before I plonk down my $19.98 + shipping, I decided to see what other think. Thank goodness for the internet.
The Lighter Footstep reports,"The laundry was clean. Not just clean, in fact, but really good." The blog continues to break down the product itself and discuss why the laundry gets clean. This makes for thoughtful reading.
Inhabitat tests report, "I used the GreenWashBall and found that the effects were like washing my clothes with just water and no detergent (which I have done multiple times due to forgetfulness or lack of detergent). The dirt that was visible before washing was still visible and the armpits still faintly smelled like BO." Inhabitat further notes,"The Straight Dope wrote a piece about laundry balls, saying that that metal elements in the ceramics could produce ionized oxygen, like peroxide, but probably not enough of it to clean your clothes. Hydroxides could be created in the same way, although not in large quantities. These ions could lower the water’s pH, the the same effect produced by lye soap and sodium hydroxide."
Laundry balls have legs in Europe and they are often further along on the green curve than the US. Do they work? Are they worth it? You weigh the choice and do let me know what you find out.
--till next week Restore, Recycle, Refresh & Renew
Labels: green product




