Wash balls are one of those too good to be true products and the explanation of how wash balls work is a little shaky. So here I'll present another opinion of these balls that I've found on the web. I'm not that good in physics so I have no idea what is true but I think it is fair to give both versions of the truth and also to hear voice from the users - if you are using a wash ball please leave a response here in the wash ball reviews.
Are wash balls a scam?
Wash balls with infrared rays and alkalization
Can wash balls generate far infrared rays to cut off the hydrogen and binding of water molecule?And do they radiate anions to soften the surface tension of the water?
Can wash balls generate far infrared rays to cut off the hydrogen and binding of water molecule?And do they radiate anions to soften the surface tension of the water?
All material generate infrared waves which are basically heat. This also reduces the surface tension of water. But this would probably be marginal in comparison to the radiation emitted by the water which is being heated in the washing machine.
I don't know of any tests that would prove that wash ball could (and does) generate stronger infrared waves.
The other claim about alkalization and pH is also untested.
Chlorine free water
Wash balls are supposed to clean or neutralize the chlorine from the water. Chlorine is added to tap water and is also found in normal detergents. It is used for disinfection of drinking water. Here I can only say that the amount of chlorine in the tap water is very small.
Are wash balls antibacterial?
This is dubious. Because chlorine is added to water so it disinfects it and acts as an antibacterial agent. If wash balls neutralize it that would cancel this effect and make wash balls do just the opposite. If there is another way how wash balls kill the germs - it is not explained in detail so I can not say if it is true or not.
This is dubious. Because chlorine is added to water so it disinfects it and acts as an antibacterial agent. If wash balls neutralize it that would cancel this effect and make wash balls do just the opposite. If there is another way how wash balls kill the germs - it is not explained in detail so I can not say if it is true or not.
Magnetic wash balls
There are a few wash balls on the market (not all of them) that claim that they have magnetic powers. I mean the fact that they have magnetic elements inside is not controversial. It's what these elements are supposed to do - they minimize the size of the water molecules and smaller molecules clean scale and rust from old washing machines.
There are a few wash balls on the market (not all of them) that claim that they have magnetic powers. I mean the fact that they have magnetic elements inside is not controversial. It's what these elements are supposed to do - they minimize the size of the water molecules and smaller molecules clean scale and rust from old washing machines.
This is highly unlikely. Magnets do attract rust but they would pull it into your laundry and water molecules can not be just scaled and made smaller.
Can they release anions (negative ions)?
Laundry balls also release anions. Anions weaken the connection between the dirt and the fabric. This is possible but anions would be created in only a small quantity.
So, that is the other point of view. So are wash balls a scam and a fraud? I don't know. As I said I am using them. Anyway - please share your opinion about this here.
Thanks!
I'm pretty sure washing just in water would have just the same effect as using a wash ball. It's probably fine to wash some clothes, some of the time, just in water, thereby being (marginally) more environmentally friendly, but it seems to me there is no evidence at all that these things do in fact have any special properties.
ReplyDeletethumbs up for this green soap.i'm convinced!
ReplyDeleteMy step mother used the washing ball, she was quite amazed... it removed dirt which she wasn't able to remove easily (poop dirt).
ReplyDeleteThis might actually be due to the fact that the clothing had a ball... so would a tennis ball have the same effect? I don't know...
I can say that the smell of the clothing wasn't like when using detergents, so is it scam... I don't know. She is pleased.
I just bough some to try them out... I guess I will put a bit detergent.
Its a scam, they've been fined in the US for misleading consumers and tests have found that they are no better than washing in cold water. Just do a bit of research on google.
ReplyDeleteI know a few people who are using these wash balls for a diaper laundry business and they had had to go through much testing to ensure their cleaning methods are effective (I think they repeat the tests at least once a year) and they've always past the clean test.
ReplyDeleteYes. Everything that's supposed to clean your clothes is a scam. I was all my clothes except delicates at 90ยบ for ten minutes, fifteen if they're really stained, and then straight to drain and spin. NO DETERGENT, just water. Hot water kills bacteria, and it only needs a few minutes. My clothes don't smell of anything. It's the agitation, i.e. being tossed around in the water, that cleans your clothes, and the heat that kills the bacteria. Detergent just removes grease, and that might be useful for someone who works in a garage or something but that's about it! Laundry balls and laundry discs are making money by selling you a lump of plastic or something. They're scamming you.
ReplyDeleteI started using them a month ago and am amazed at the results!! Cloths I used in the kitchen would stay grey with my normal detergent and now they are regaining their original colour. Colours are definitely brighter! Everything is softer! I'm amazed!!
ReplyDeleteI was skeptical when I first heard about this.
ReplyDeleteWhat I noticed was that many of the reviews said they worked well, and I'm sure most of them were honest.
But few of the reviews have compared using the ball to washing with plain water and no ball. (Or a tennis ball or some other inert object kicking around in there.) This should be an easy experiment for anyone to conduct.
Bottom line, unless tests can show a difference between washing with the ball and washing with nothing then there's no evidence that it does any good.
I'm sure it's making some people quite rich though...They found a way to market washing with just plain water - not very scrupulous, but clever ;-)
I would have to be one of the biggest skeptics around and so out of curiosity, I tried one of these washing balls. I didn't pay a fortune for it - got it from China for $1 plus $4.50 post, so compared to the same sized rubber ball if it was a toy, at the reject shop, I wasn't ripped off. I have done several loads of washing with the ball, no prewash spray, and I am actually telling my family and friends about it. I have a front loader so there's not much agitation there and maybe the ball gives that extra agitation I need but I am happy that my wash is clean and soft. There's no pretty smell like that which comes from the detergents and softeners we use but the good thing is that there is no smell at all. As my clothes are clean, soft and don't smell bad, then I recommend the washing ball to you. It doesn't matter if a tennis ball works equally as well or plain water, the ball was cheap and I am happy with the results and I'm not having to buy detergent. If you pay a lot for one of these balls, then you are ripping yourself off by not doing your homework.
ReplyDelete