The Times, Saturday 22/11/2008

Re: The Times, Saturday 22/11/2008

Better still :

Eco-worrier: Sud’s law in the wash
We use eco-balls in our washing machine and although our clothes are clean, they smell slightly mouldy. The machine also smells. What should I do?Anna Shepard
Many people swear by these reusable plastic balls that you place in the drum of your machine instead of washing detergent. In my experience, they clean clothes but they don’t do much for your washing machine.

You need only to spend a few minutes browsing domestic appliance advice websites, such as http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk, to get an idea of how unpopular they are in white goods circles. The problem is twofold. First, they don’t contain any bleach or cleaning agents; these might appal the dark green-minded, but they will break down residues left in the machine.

The result is that you may find gunk building up around the rubber seal, which will smell, especially if you don’t leave your machine door open to air the drum. To get rid of this, several green cleaning forums recommend white vinegar, although I tackled my own murky seal with hot water and Ecover multipurpose spray.

Secondly, most eco-ball brands recommend that you use them on a low temperature. We all know this cuts bills but your machine will suffer if you don’t conduct a “maintenance cycle” every few months. According to Miele, the cycle must be above 75C and you should use conventional washing powder. It might sound about as green as a stint under a patio heater, but it is the best way to keep your machine healthy. Better to run an electricity-greedy cycle every few months than to send your machine to an early grave in landfill and buy another one.

Bryan

Re: The Times, Saturday 22/11/2008

Superb! 😀

Perhaps that explains the upturn in traffic yesterday and today. That aside, it’s nice to see that some people are actually listening to what we tell them.

K.