Right, which is better for the environment...

[hippipotami]

Washing at 40 or 60degrees (depending on stainage) using soapnuts

OR

Washing mostly at 30degrees using normal non bio liquid?

Am unable to get things clean using soapnuts, so find I have to use warmer temperatures.

Does that outweigh the benefit of not using standard detergent?

Have used ecover too, found it hopeless with staines.

And while we are at it - what is better for the environmennt, BIO or NON-BIO?

Have you tried Bio D detergent? I find it better than Ecover. Washnuts seem to make dd's nappies hard, as well as being hopeless on stains. I have resorted to washnuts + vanish, but I guess that beats the object .

As to your other question, I suppose it depends on whether you are more worried about non-biodegradable stuff going down the drain, or the carbon emissions from the slightly greater amount of energy used to wash at a higher temperature.

i dont think the difference between biological and non bilogical is bio-degradable

its the fact that biological contain enzymes to remove stains, and non biological ones dotn use enzymes... enzymes are used by our bodies every day to break down stuff for example in our mouths

I would vote for washing at 40 with soap nuts is better than 30 with non bio... but its just a guess and i dont KNOW the answer for sure!

It would depend on th efficiency rating of your appliance. I would go for the lower temperature and an env friendly powder myself. The difference between the 2 is indeed the use of enzymes to 'eat' the stains. Try pretreating with the ecover stain remover and line dry in the sun for whites. I have bio for oily stains sometimes, as that's what I find works best. I've used ecoballs and they didn't work well enough for me. Washing at a lower temp saves energy (more important that powder type), so does using the half load facility and short wash if you have them. Every now and then wash them at 60 to blitz them.hth

I can't answer your original question, but I have to say I've been using soapnuts for 2 years without problems.

They are NOT the world's answer to stains, but there again neither is non-bio. I have always used non-bio because of skin sensitivities and environmental concerns, and I have found soapnuts to be just as good as non-bio.

I use soapnuts on their own for all 'ordinary' washes, they seem to be good for mild stains and everyday washes. They leave all the clothes soft too! For white washes I use soapnuts and about a spoonful of Ecover laundry bleach. For bad stains and for any really grimy (sweaty!) shirt collars I use an Ecover stain remover thingy. I think hanging outside in the sunshine also helps.

This combination works brilliantly for us. White school shirts stay really white and clean, stains seem to come out of everything, and even teenagers' muddy/sweaty/yucky school P.E. kits come up lovely.

I have to say that I don't find normal ecover all that good so I always use the bio version. As someone said it uses enzymes which occur naturally in our bodies anyway. I know years ago lots of people had allergic reactions to bio stuff but I've never had any problems with bio ecover.

If I do find stains that haven't come out then I boil a kettle of water and full a washing up bowl along with one bio ecover tablet and leave items to soak overnight then wash as normal. This seems to sort most things. If not then we live with the stain.

I think we should all try to wash on lower temps. I do all my whites on 40 and non whites on 30 and all on a short cycle. I would suggest its better to do this and soak odd items that do everything on hotter washes or with non-eco detergent.