Balls-want to start using laundry balls, help please.

[Ineedsomesleep]

I've decided to start using laundry balls. Please can you give me some advice on which are the best ones and where to get them from?

Thanks

I tried the Ecoballs and returned them for a refund as they didnt clean properly at all, stains were left, things were smelly and they were no better than just using water....

Thanks, thats good to know. Don't want to part with my money for something that won't work!

My eco balls have been going for a year and a half/2 years (can't remember when I got them) and are great. They remove tomato, really, they do!

Laundry routine usually nappies with balls and vinegar at 60C, my clothes and ds' at 30C with balls, dp's shirts and ds' more spectacular stains with ecover at 30C as the one thing balls struggle on is the inside of collars where they get grubby on the back of the neck. Sometimes they get chucked in with nappies though and the higher temp does it.

Maybe they don't work with the very soft water here or something (Scotland)...

I use the washballs from Lakeland (we're in Scotland, with soft water), and they do seem to work. There's no perfume though, so no good if you like that side of laundry liquid.

Our water is very hard. Does anyone have experience of using them in a hard water area?

I use eco-balls for some things (things that are not too smelly / stained) and they are fine.

Just use the washing powder for rest.

Sorry I'm soft (Durham)

I'm a convert to Ecoballs and think they're great. We're in a fairly hard water area in north Oxfordshire. I've been using them for about three months and use them for everything, nappies, clothes, bed linen and towels.

I do use some stain remover for spots of muck on the DSs clothes, and also put white vinegar in the conditioner compartment for the nappies. I've also got a 'magnetic ball' to reduce the limescale in the water.

I certainly think that the clothes are softer, even when they are dried on the airer in the house.

Love them!

Indith do you dry/wet pail your nappies? Are the ecoballs getting them clean. How much vinegar? Sorry I'm really new to the whole washables (have 3 in nappies so we get through quite a few and I'm finding it hard to convince myself they're better than disposables) and still trying to work out what's best method. Nappy Lady seemed to think best not to use ecoballs (although she freely admits it's her own opinion), something about them possibly damaging the wraps.

Didn't Which make a report saying there was no difference in using plain water to using ecoballs? I only found this out after buying some (to wash my nappies with).

Before I got my Ecoballs I didn't use anything to wash the nappies as DS2 was reacting to the detergent. I am pretty sure that the balls do do something. I'm often quite sceptical of Which reports though.

I dry pail, just a slug of vinegar if I remember. I forget more often than not and just use some if they are starting to smell and need a bit of a strip down.

I think balls are better than water, I mean they get everything clean for starters. I'd be a bit of that report.