To ask if you've used a laundry 'egg'?

[PumbletonWakeshaft]

Posting for traffic. I'm tempted to buy a reusable laundry eco egg thingy to save money (to replace detergent, not dryer balls) but I'm finding very mixed reviews online. Please help, MN collective!

If you have used an egg/ball, which one?
Is it effective at stain removal?
How does the laundry smell when it comes out of the machine?
Would you recommend using one? If so from where?

Thanks all!

I have, it works the same as not using anything.

However I'm realising since dealing with dc with serious eczema that actually if you have a good washing machine you don't need anything unless the clothes are stinky or very stained.

Hmm not sure we have a particularly good machine - it is fitted and came with the (new build) house. We are in a very hard water area too. Limescale city.

I have however discovered the amazing stain removing properties of rain and sun this summer.

I have one and I don't really rate it. Clothes look clean (but they would probably be as clean in just water), however the fragrance wore off after a couple of washes and then my clothes started to have an unpleasant, musty smell even though my machine is really clean and my clothes are line dried.

We use the eco egg and it's quite good. No complaints and stains are not too bad at all. We used the old one for such a long time but it was healer to buy the whole set again on offer than the refills

We have one and get on well with it - although that might be because we have a good washing machine. We add in white vinegar and a couple of drops of essential oil to the fabric softener compartment and it comes out smelling lovely. I have quite sensitive skin and it helps a lot with that.

Thats a good tip @chaotickate thanks! Sounds like you've all got good machines. I've just remembered ours is a washer-dryer (I forget as we never use the dryer) - I never think it's as good as one for washing only. I'm a bit reluctant to pay out the best part of £20 for one (£16 online with added delivery) without a good machine to help it along...

I use it with half the amount of powder I normally use and it's pretty good

I heard you might need 2 if your drum capacity is more than 7kg

@eyebrowsonfleek off to check my drum capacity!

I don't rate them at all. After a while of using one, I found that the clean clothes I was taking out to wear actually smelled quite bad, as if bacteria were active on them.

I ended up having to rewash everything that I'd ever washed with the egg.
Horrible smell.

I gave up on mine because my washer started to smell. Basically, if you always do low temperature washes and never use bio powder it encourages mould growth and doesn't kill off the bacteria.

As a result DD's eczema got worse. After some good advice I bought some Ariel powder and did a few 60 degree washes. My washer stopped smelling and the eczema disappeared.

Don't always assume it is the washing powder that causes eczema, and never use laundry liquid.

OK thanks for that. I'm looking at the ecozone ecoballs instead of the egg now. They also have a limescale ball which would be good for our hard water.

If you want to save money, perhaps make your own detergent? It's not difficult. I do it following a YouTube video. Getting everything together is a bit of a faff and
It'll take a little while to make but I make enough for a year at a time. Costs £20 ish.

This is the recipe I use.
I tend to make more than the suggested amount though as I find it a faff to make so I'd rather not have to do it for a while. I've used it with my own sensitive skin and since dd was a baby.
You need
Half a cup of citric acid.
Quarter cup sea salt.
1 bar of either pure glycerin soap (what I use) or dr bronners Castile soap. I prefer the latter but it's easier to find the former so I tend to use that.
1 cup baking soda.

Costings
Pure glycerin soap bar £5.99 eBay.
Sea salt no idea because I always have it in anyway, sorry.
Baking soda 1.99 eBay.
Washing soda 3.99 for one kilo on eBay.
Citric acid £5.39 per kilo.
If you want to make more just keep the proportions the same and up the quantity.

Method:
Blend or grate your soap.
Add the soap to a pan. "Cook" on the lowest heat possible for 5 minutes.
Add the other ingredients stirring constantly until cool.
Keep it in a jar.
I use half to 1 tablespoon for a normal load, 2 if it's really dirty/packed to the brim.

As OH had skin problems with any brand of washing power or liquid so we use only a mix of washing soda and bi-carb and this works fine on a 30 degree wash. Washing Soda powder 65p in Home Bargains, 3kg Bi-carb £3 in chinese supermarket. He can tolerate Ecover bleach but I never see the need to add to machine wash.

Machine is sparkly clean, clothes are clean and as long as they are taken off the pulley before cooking smell of nothing. We do line dry when possible in wet Scotland. Clothes do not seem to wear out or discolour as quickly as when we last used washing powder ten years ago.

Do you do a high temperature service wash regularly Rosing?

I bought one years ago from qvc....it was a complete con...did nothing and the clothes didnt feel or smell clean.

@myusernamewastaken it was the reviews on QVC that put me off!

oo thanks @queenofvipers I will talk to DH (he has sensitive skin) about giving that a go instead. We currently use Ecover but it's bloody expensive.

They are a hoax / snake oil type item. Using less washing powder / different forms of detergent is a better way forward.

High temperature wash not needed as there is no residue from washing powder or fabric conditioner and at 30 degrees any oils from body or food on the clothes are removed by the washing solution, there is no soap scum or algal growth. Washing Soda might not be a good idea in a hard water area.

Rosings25. You might have residual mould to get rid of though. I used eco eggs for a while and my washer was minging. I needed to clear the mould and the smell by using bio powder and a high temperature.

LoniceraJaponica, I'm not using an eco egg but washing soda/bi-carb mix. I did try the eco egg but ended up with white residue on our washing. We also tried washing balls but theses were noisey and we were sweary when they split and we had a machine full of pellets.

Ah. I thought you weren't using anything. Washing soda is great at cleaning a machine.