Washing balls in the washing machine have been a real salvation for allergy sufferers and people who care about their health, as well as for everyone who understands their responsibility for the environmental situation around them. People who are conscious and actively care about the environment often use laundry balls as an alternative to washing powder. But are they as effective as their manufacturers promise us?
What is a washing ball and why is it needed
It is not news that most washing powders contain phosphate compounds, synthetic fragrances, surfactants and other components hazardous to health, which tend to accumulate in the circulatory system and on the vessels, which can lead to a number of diseases. Even hypoallergenic powder does not solve all problems. Environmentally friendly powders cost about 500 rubles. per pack, which is undoubtedly too expensive.
Getting into the sewer, and from there through the sewage treatment plant into the water bodies, the phosphates of washing powders lead to the growth of blue-green algae, which have a toxic property and are not destroyed by cleaning systems. As a result, water contaminated with these toxins ends up in tap water.
Due to the market need to find a more environmentally friendly solution for laundry, which will solve the problem of littering the environment with hundreds of tons of waste from such chemicals every year, laundry balls were invented without the use of other detergents and care products.
Tourmaline Balls
Tourmaline balls for washing machines are the most popular and hyped products, with the most complex and believable filler of about 80 minerals with completely different properties. The natural minerals in these balls act on the water, increasing its natural cleaning power. There are a lot of tourmaline balls on the market, sold under different brands, but their principle of operation is identical. They are also similar in appearance and color performance. Consider the most popular brands separately.
Laundry Ball
Tourmaline Laundry Ball is an environmentally friendly product at a relatively inexpensive price, with a lifespan of two years. Contains in its composition soft non-anionic biodegradable surfactants, which are completely safe for health and the environment. The principle of their action is based on the release of negative ions that cleanse the tissue.Ions eliminate dirt, bacteria and bad smell. The effectiveness of the balls increases as the washing temperature rises, the minimum recommended temperature is 50 degrees. How to use: put in the drum of the washing machine for the entire washing period, load the same things there. One such ball is enough for 7 kg of laundry. To wash heavily soiled laundry, it is necessary to soak it with a ball before washing. How to care: dry in the sun once a month.
Mayer Boch
The Mayer Boch laundry ball also contains a tourmaline base.According to the manufacturer, the polymer material from which the ball is made does not damage the walls of the drum during washing. The embossed surface of the ball mechanically affects the linen, knocking out dirt from it, and also evenly distributes things inside the drum, preventing them from knocking. The composition of ceramic granules contains a large number of minerals that have cleansing properties.
Smart Clean
Like all tourmaline balls, Smart Clean is based on the mineral tourmaline, which has its own electric field. The unique properties of certain minerals have been combined in order to use the resulting laundry product. With the help of electric current, which is generated when the granules beat against each other, the fabric is gently cleaned, while preserving its colors and structure.
Other types of washing balls
In addition to the fashionable and hyped tourmaline, many manufacturers are experimenting with the properties of some items to knock out dirt by mechanical action. As in ancient times, women always knocked out clothes with sticks or beat them against a stone, so today it is proposed to “beat” linen, but in more humane and gentle ways. Consider what other balls are:
- Magnetic laundry balls: available in packs of 12. These are small plastic balls with a magnetic core. They beat the laundry in the drum, creating the effect of hand washing, and are effective at low temperatures. Represented by such brands as "Orange Sun", "White Cat" and others.
- Rubber ball for washing "hedgehog", sold in the stores of the "Fix Price" network. Rubber multifunctional balls are a budget option for those who are interested in the very idea of \u200b\u200bsuch a wash. They do not contain any individual features and composition. They also consist of flexible plastic, have a studded surface. They are used for washing with powder and without both ordinary linen and down jackets.The principle of operation is based on the mechanical action of knocking out dirt and uniform distribution of clothes over the drum.
- Tennis ball for washing down jackets. The good old remedy was invented before the use of laundry balls. They were used to wash winter products with fillers - for this it was necessary to put a few balls in the pockets of the product and start washing in this form. This effect achieved a uniform distribution of the down jacket filler during washing, which kept it from knocking down and forming lumps. This method is still successfully used today.
- Balls with liquid detergent and conditioner inside. Following a popular trend, some well-known laundry detergent companies have taken to doing something similar. Such balls are a transparent gelatin capsule containing a two-color component inside - a concentrated gel-like washing powder and an air conditioner concentrate. These balls are also added to the drum along with the laundry.The principle of operation is based on a water-soluble shell, which releases the active ingredients after the start of the washing process.
Thus, there is an entire industry of products under the general name "powder-free laundry ball". Manufacturers assure us that their product is extremely effective and has solid advantages. But is it really so? Based on numerous reviews, today you can already draw certain conclusions about the appropriateness of certain types of balls and choose the most preferable option for yourself.
The most undesirable product was studded balls from Fix Price. In the opinion of buyers, this product brought them little benefit, did not cope with its duties, and is ineffective when washing down jackets.
What buyers say
Customer reviews are varied. As a rule, in a ratio of approximately 50/50, users are divided into supporters and opponents of this type of washing. Among the shortcomings of the method, in particular, stand out:
- mechanical damage,
- poor washing properties for white fabrics,
- colors are fading
- the fabric loses the “crunch” characteristic of freshly washed linen.
It should be noted here that for high-quality washing of down jackets, it is necessary to use at least three (and preferably five) balls. Since the desired effect of their use in this case directly depends on the number of "holders" of the product in the drum, which perform the function of a kind of clamps to achieve minimal mechanical trauma to the delicate filler.
