Welcome to another week in Laundryland! This week, I’ve been testing the Ecoegg Laundry Egg, courtesy of my friend Claire who let me borrow her’s.
How does the Ecoegg Laundry Egg work? Here's the science bit...
The Ecoegg Laundry Egg is an eco-friendly option that does double duty as a non-bio laundry detergent and fabric softener replacement. The egg contains two types of pellets - white washing pellets and black tourmaline pellets - working in tandem to cleanse your clothes.
White Washing Pellets:
These detergent pellets contain hydrophilic surfactants, which are molecules with one end attracted to water and the other to dirt and grease. Essentially, they act as magnets, pulling in water and grime to break up and remove stains from your clothes. Surfactants are the cornerstone of most detergents, serving as the primary cleaning agents. Additionally, these pellets contain an ingredient to soften water in hard water areas.
Black Tourmaline Pellets:
Complementing the white detergent pellets, the black tourmaline pellets play a crucial role in optimising water. By reducing water's surface tension, they make it "wetter," enabling it to penetrate fabric fibres more effectively and enhance the cleaning process. This duo works together to ensure your garments come out clean and soft. Moreover, tourmaline pellets naturally ionise water, making it slightly more alkaline, which improves the overall cleaning efficiency.
So, while the Ecoegg Laundry Egg may appear unassuming, the sales pitch is that it's a sophisticated laundry assistant dedicated to eliminating dirt from your textiles and ensuring your clothes are thoroughly cleaned and softened in each wash cycle.
How well does Ecoegg Laundry Egg clean?
In terms of cleaning performance, it's essential to note that the egg is designed for light soiling. Tougher stains will require additional pre-soaking or treatments - even says so in the egg's instruction booklet.
During my test, I used it on lightly soiled white school polos, and the results were satisfactory. Please disregard the blobs on the one on the right - they've been lingering for a while.
The school jumpers came out freshened up, though they weren't too bad to begin with.
I refrained from pre-treating the six-year-old's socks (top picture) to gauge the Laundry Egg's effectiveness, and while it gave its best shot, it didn't entirely eliminate the marks, as you can see above.
Does Ecoegg Laundry Egg smell nice?
If you're wondering about fragrance, clothes laundered with the Ecoegg Laundry Egg emerge without a discernible scent. However, you have the option to use fabric softener or add a few drops of essential oils to infuse a fragrance of your choice.
How much does the Ecoegg Laundry Egg cost per wash?
The Ecoegg Laundry Egg is reasonably priced, making it an attractive choice. The starter kit, which costs around £8, provides you with 70 washes, equating to approximately 11p per wash. For subsequent use, you can purchase a £5 refill to replenish the pellets, avoiding the need to buy another egg, which brings the cost down to approximately 10p per wash.
My Verdict on the Ecoegg Laundry Egg
I really like the science behind the Ecoegg Laundry Egg and commend businesses for exploring sustainable options that are gentle on both skin and the environment. However, in my household, where chaos reigns and my kids are akin to little bog creatures, the idea of having to pre-treat nearly every wash makes it less practical. Nevertheless, I would certainly consider using the Ecoegg Laundry Egg for adult clothing that just need a freshen-up.
Join me next week in Laundryland when I'll be reviewing a homemade conker brew that's currently chilling in my fridge.