According to a Dutch lab test of laundry balls, which use mineral salts or magnetic materials designed to replace washing powder, two out of three of these supposedly environmentally friendly laundry detergents are actually non-effective.
The results of the Ecowasbal and Green FX ball on stained cotton shirts were exactly the same as doing your laundry in a washing machine without any detergent at all. The Ecozone wash ball provided mixed results: some stains disappeared, while others merely discolored.
The test led to quite a few public debates. Experts concluded that ordinary washing powder was evidently an entirely different league than laundry balls – even though the latter advertise themselves as a simple, effective and economical way to care for clothes. Satisfied consumers indignantly protested that their clothing became perfectly clean with eco laundry balls.
Of course, this debate is not new: over the past few years, several consumer groups in countries all over the world have come to similar conclusions as the Dutch lab. The US Federal Trade Commission has even accused a number of washing balls manufacturers of fraudulent claims. New technologies, such as Woolzies’ handmade dryer balls a made from New Zealand wool that promise to reduce static and wrinkles and also cut back drying time by 25% per load, are as yet untested by independent organizations.
So why are there still so many happy consumers, some of who are even willing to defend the washing balls in the face of a growing evidence of their ineffectiveness? I gather it’s not only because of the (perceived) cost benefits but also because there are so few green alternatives to conventional laundry detergents. Washing powders generally contain chemicals that are not so environmentally friendly. So isn’t it time Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Henkel et al embark on some serious greenwashing?