I rarely make impulse purchases anymore. I normally figure out we need something and then research the best options (in terms of plastic, ethics, availability etc etc) before I make a purchase. But last September I made an impulse purchase.
We spoke to heaps of you about what you use for your washing with some incredible ideas! We will be following through with using conkers, washing soda and essential oil at some point. But, right now, these amazing options are not ideal for us. Heres why.
- The best intentions don't always equate to action. I desperately have wanted to try these alternatives- especially so to save money. But in reality, I have just not had the time to do it. And when it comes to washing our clothes- a necessity- I needed an option that was ready for us to use quickly and also easy in the future too!
- I have very sensitive skin. I get very itchy, sore, skin with even some sensitive laundry powders.
- Cheap. We have a low budget and we needed a solution that reflected this. Some laundry powders that are zero waste are pricey.
- Therefore, in reality my priority with laundry liquids is sensitivity, then plastic free, then easy and cost effective. A tall order...
Considering our list of demands, an ecoegg seemed like a pretty perfect fit. Because although it is plastic- we'll use it for a long time to come- saving many bottles/ packaging. In terms of the packaging when you first get the egg- I do think ecoegg could do better. There are single use plastic packets. I'm not sure whether due to the chemical nature of the beads- they wouldn't be suitable for cardboard or home compostable packets.
So whilst the eco-egg is obviously not 100% plastic free, even in the 4 months that we've bought it, it's been on of the most amazing plastic free swaps that we've ever made.
- It's easy- beyond easy in fact. We put it in the machine and take it back out... THAT. IS. IT. After 70 uses replace the laundry balls inside. Super minimal.
- It smells perfect. It's not overpowering and thats the way I like it! It leaves our laundry fresh and clean smelling, not overpowering.
- It's very cost effective. It cost around £10 in total (I nabbed it on a deal) and will last 70 washes... Pretty incredible value at 14p per wash for the first 70 washes. After the initial investment it then gets much cheaper!!
Review as of February 4th.
After using the egg for a while now, I thought I'd reflect if I still feel the same way.
I am probably more impressed now than before. The scent has not faded at all, so our laundry still does smell fresh and clean. We've not had to do any maintenance at all. We've used it probably 25-30 times. We've only spent that initial investment and won't have to worry about the refill (about £3.50) for at least 6 more months. Thats a huge financial incentive. We had literally just been chucking it in the wash- it is incredibly low maintenance! It does seem to work better with smaller washes, no huge big loads.
I would 100% recommend the ecoegg if you're concerned about plastic, sensitivity or cost effectiveness (especially all three).
This post is in no way linked to ecoegg. I bought the ecoegg with my own money and I have not been paid or sponsored to write this blog! Just an honest review for a product that I think is amazing!