Ecover – Dangerous?

[carlstock]

Hi. 🙂

Before any engineers panic (hehe ;)), I will continue to use Ariel biological tablets in my washes (colour tablets for the colours of course), but do any of you engineers have any bad experiences of Ecover? By this, I mean have you said to any customers, “Please… stop using Ecover… It’s damaging your machine.”

We have used Ecover tablets in the past (like Persil tablets). The dishwashers have faired well with Ecover dishwasher tablets in the past, and the rinse aid worked well. Our only reason for not using them did not relate to cleaning performance – it simply centres on wanting to ask engineers their opinions.

I know Ariel is the best performing laundry detergent for many reasons, and is also good for cleaning the machine out, but I thought I would seek your advice on whether using Ecover products is ‘safe’ for the machines themselves. Some things have been written on the Internet (I know not to believe everything we read there) that the bentonite clay (like volcanic ash) in some Ecover products may damage washing machines. Is this true?

We have used Ecover cautiously before and experienced no problems in terms of cleaning performance or clogging the machine up. I do not intend to change to Ecover because I do not know of any long-term problems in using it. It has never clogged up the drawer or giving any cause for concern; it provides a small amount of foam; it rinses out very well. However, no-one except good engineers like you can truly see what happens to machines that use Ecover long term.

My main concern about traditional detergents centres on the perfumes used. I know 99{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of people have no problems with the perfumes and other ingredients in Ariel and Persil, but I can struggle with the odd perfume. I have M.E., asthma and eczema, all of which cause sensitivity to chemicals (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity). M.E. is primarily to blame for this.

Please do not assume I am on the verge of switching to Ecover because I know you engineers will probably come round and take my Miele from me if I did! 😉

Anyway, I just thought I would seek your opinions. Our dishwasher runs on all Finish stuff (powder), and the new Miele washing machine has only ever had Ariel tablets in it from the very beginning. 🙂

Many thanks.

Regards,

Carl

[Martin]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

carlstock wrote:I have M.E., asthma and eczema, all of which cause sensitivity to chemicals (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity).

I don’t have an issue with Ecover and specifically in your special case would give it my blessing. I have many customers that use that product for the same or similar reasons with no adverse effects to their washing machines. 😉

[Trilobite]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

My mother and I have used Ecover dishwasher tablets and rinse aid in our previous dishwashers – mum had a Zanussi, I had a Hoover.

Over the space of a month or two we both found that the machines developed a disgusting odour, similar to rotting meat. This was despite cleaning the filters, doorseals, spray arms, etc. thoroughly.

My mother summoned the Zanussi service engineer, who could find no mechanical problem. He suggested switching back to Finish detergent, as that was what was recommended.

We both changed back, and the smell disappeared over the course of a few washes.

On a separate note, Ecover Laundry detergent seems to perform okay, though you might notice that whites may not be dazzlingly bright: Ecover has no optical brightening agents.

With modern detergents, it’s a good idea to run a maintenance cycle now and again (a boil wash – with no laundry, but use a reduced quantity of detergent)

[cab]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

yep ecover has all the good bits of a detergent removed to make them efriendly. If going to continue using it, monthly put the machine on a 90 wash with ariel that should get rid of smells etc.

cab

[Martin]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

cab wrote:yep ecover has all the good bits of a detergent removed to make them efriendly.

Easy now lets not get too carried away with Ecover please :lesson:

Environment friendly and all that is not being totally truthful and many are ready to get on the bandwagon by being so misled. Simply sticking a GREEN label does not necessarily mean that all the ingredients used in the product are found from natural ‘tree hugging’ sources?

In the case of the majority of detergents you will find they contain some degree of Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine or TAED as it is called in the trade, and Ecover is no exception to that rule. 😯

Ecover = GREEN..?……not really :rolls:

[carlstock]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

Martin wrote:

cab wrote:
yep ecover has all the good bits of a detergent removed to make them efriendly.

Easy now lets not get too carried away with Ecover please :lesson:

Environment friendly and all that is not being totally truthful and many are ready to get on the bandwagon by being so misled. Simply sticking a GREEN label does not necessarily mean that all the ingredients used in the product are found from natural ‘tree hugging’ sources?

In the case of the majority of detergents you will find they contain some degree of Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine or TAED as it is called in the trade, and Ecover is no exception to that rule. 😯

Ecover = GREEN..?……not really :rolls:

My apologies for taking so long to respond.

You are quite right, Martin. I worry about the environment, but not all products are necessarily suitable for (a) me or (b) the machine they are to be used in. The fragrance-free Ecover powder may not be too bad in some respects, but some of the other Ecover products have some fragrance ingredients that may be natural but are allergic triggers for some (lavender, linalool, limonene, etc.).

I have decided to use Persil non-biological tablets because the perfume is very mild – there are no extra ingredients from the ‘fragrance mix’ (linalool, limonene, etc.). We have used Persil since the year dot anyway. LOL I know Ariel is a better performer, but we use Ariel biological tablets in the drawer to clean the machine monthly. If something is horribly dirty but not mine, we use the aforementioned Ariel tablets.

Thanks again for all your help. 🙂 It is much appreciated 🙂 – you have all saved us so much trouble. :tup: I just wish more people would realise all that is wrong with domestic appliances and their use today – people need to be educated, but it’s not their fault.

Take care.

Regards,

Carl

[Penguin45]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

Hi Carl,
Had been wondering how you were getting on with this – interesting comments re. perfumes.

Consider – a properly dosed, serviced and maintained machine will have no detergent agent left in either it, or the laundry at the end of the wash. Ensure you do the service wash routine regularly (with a Bio powder) and stay on top of the filter and the soap drawer and you should be OK. The quality appliance helps as well.

Regards,
Penguin45.

[carlstock]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

Thanks very much, Penguin45. 🙂

I am sorry I did not get back to you sooner. I always try to respond within a few days, but I honestly used up all my energy on sorting out a refund for the Hotpoint. It worked in the end! 🙂 🙂

We have found that a good detergent, especially with Miele, is fine. I cannot tell you how good it washes, rinses and spins – it’s great! 🙂 It’s not until you get something a Miele that you realise how good they are – it was worth it.

We always use Water plus, and we make use of the Soak or Short features where necessary, as well as picking the right programmes, too. The machine does about two 60 degree loads a week, as well as daily 40 ones. Every couple of weeks, it goes on 75 for those funny E-cloth things we use. 🙂 Then of course it goes on 95 for the monthly maintenance wash.

One question: is Ariel more difficult to rinse out than Persil? I just find more foam towards the end of the rinses at the end of an Ariel wash than with Persil. I do dose properly. 🙂

I’ll be sticking around because there is a lot of very useful information here, and you’ve all been a great help. Thank you very much. 🙂

Regards,

Carl

[carlstock]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

carlstock wrote:One question: is Ariel more difficult to rinse out than Persil? I just find more foam towards the end of the rinses at the end of an Ariel wash than with Persil. I do dose properly. 🙂

Quoting myself here (hehe), but I am led to believe that any excess foam/bubbles apparent – it’s only a little – in the drum towards the end of the rinses where no fabric conditioner is used is possibly zeolites (part of the water softener) left over from Ariel.

There is very little foam at the end, and I know the Miele is fine because the Hotpoint and Bosch machines left a little foam at the end, too, with Ariel, although Persil does not do this. I would guess this is because Persil is different.

We use one Ariel tablet and Water plus all the time, as well as not overloading the machine or putting the wrong programmes on. We never use quick wash programmes.

[Trilobite]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

carlstock wrote:

carlstock wrote:
One question: is Ariel more difficult to rinse out than Persil? I just find more foam towards the end of the rinses at the end of an Ariel wash than with Persil. I do dose properly. 🙂

Quoting myself here (hehe), but I am led to believe that any excess foam/bubbles apparent – it’s only a little – in the drum towards the end of the rinses where no fabric conditioner is used is possibly zeolites (part of the water softener) left over from Ariel.

There is very little foam at the end, and I know the Miele is fine because the Hotpoint and Bosch machines left a little foam at the end, too, with Ariel, although Persil does not do this. I would guess this is because Persil is different.

We use one Ariel tablet and Water plus all the time, as well as not overloading the machine or putting the wrong programmes on. We never use quick wash programmes.

It’s funny you should say that Ariel creates more foam, as I have noticed it too. Too much foam can reduce wash efficiency, and can actually cause some machines to instigate an extra rinse cycle to clear the foam.

Too much foam can cause ‘suds lock’ in some machines, whereby the foam prevents the water level pressure switch from resetting, thus the machine thinks water is still in the drum and activates the drain pump for extended periods.

For this reason, some machines will fail to spin; and in some cases may even abort the programme, leaving sodden, soapy clothes at the end of the cycle.

As for perfumes in detergents, Ariel tablets are fine. But I cannot stand the smell of Ariel powder, or Persil liquid/gel.

Whatever happened to the ‘clean smell’ perfumes of the 1970’s, 80’s & 90’s?

All of a sudden we’ve been inundated with overpowering, floral fragrances which clash with aftershaves and perfumes. And to be perfectly honest, I find the smell quite vile. :eeek:

[Martin]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

Trilobite wrote:It’s funny you should say that Ariel creates more foam, as I have noticed it too.

Your observations in the comparison of Ariel over Persil has some standing. In fact Ariel contains rather more polymers and their purpose is to seperate the dirt and prevent it from falling back into the laundry.

Trilobite wrote:Too much foam can reduce wash efficiency

Indeed so, that’s why it is so very important to closely follow the manufacturers instructions for a perfect wash every time!

Trilobite wrote:As for perfumes in detergents, Ariel tablets are fine. But I cannot stand the smell of Ariel powder.

The perfume levels both in tablet and powder form are exactly the same. Because the tablets have a special coating on them (I don’t mean the wrapping by the way 😉 ) that bonds the product together. The perfume effect is less apparent but nonetheless contains the same per dosage.

[Trilobite]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

I’m sorry, but clothes washed in Ariel powder smell quite different to those washed in the tablets. An I’m not imagining it.

Whether the powder has a greater percentage of cationic surfactants (which apparently hold on to their perfumes better than the other surfactants), or more perfume physically added, it smells overpoweringly floral.

Normal dosing, in both cases.

[kwatt]

Re: Ecover – Dangerous?

So, use whatever one you prefer if you can detect a difference. Frankly, I can’t and I do use both.

K.

[Author]

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