Wash Balls

I made this blog because I started using wash balls instead of detergent for washing my clothes in the washing machine a while ago. When I got the wash ball I though - wow how cool, this is a really cool invention that I wanted to share it with others. A goofy looking orb that I put between my clothes and it completely replaces detergent, keeps the environment clean and saves me some money.

So I collected some information about wash balls:

First a short explanation what are the so called eco wash balls, there are also a few pictures so you can see how do they look like.

Then there are three questions that everyone wants answered. If you want to start using them you need to know how do the balls work, then why would you use washing balls in the first place

and finally how do you use washing machine balls.

Later I have found out that there is quite a bit of controversy about them - do wash balls really work or are they just a scam? I have been using them for a while and I am satisfied. I do use a little bit of detergent with them because I like the smell of the clothes washed with the detergent. But I collected some information about wash balls being a scam. Check it out and decide for yourself.

And finally - I wanted to hear from other people using them. I mean there is only little information available on-line about these balls so I want to get some input, some user reviews so we can decide if they work or not. So please share your wash ball review and submit your vote in the poll in the right sidebar of this website. Oh, and if you have any other suggestions, questions or remarks - please leave them in the comments.

Thanks!

Wash Balls Scam | Fraud?

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?

Washing balls have small pellets also called "washing pearls" inside. They are made out of ceramic. They are supposed to interact with the water in the washing machine and enhance it. So what do they do?

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?

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.

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.

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!

Your Review: Do wash balls work - Yes/No?

There is some controversy to wash balls. The claims of their effects are so bold that you can not help to doubt if these things really work or are they just a scam. Especially since they are often sold by different marketing pyramids and net marketing plans. These sound suspicious to me right away. On the other hand they are also sold by different eco and green shops who mostly take great pride in their product range and are careful about what they sell.

So, this is the post for your wash balls reviews. What do you think? Do you maybe use wash balls at home? How do you like the results?

Please share your review and experiences in the comments! (I'll go first :) )

How do wash balls work?

Here I will try and explain how do wash balls work, I mean at least how they are supposed to work. As I already said, I've been using them for a while now and I'm satisfied but then again I'm not that picky and have a poor attention to details :). And I always use a little bit of detergent for the smell, not just wash balls and water. I think I will put up a special wash ball review post where you people will hopefully share your experiences with wash balls.

Anyway - how do wash balls work?

I already said that they need to be "charged" by the sun every now and then (every month, see how to use washing balls) to increase the energy in the chemical pellets in the ball. Then what?

These pellets inside the ball emit infra red rays that break water molecule's hydrogen combination into smaller water cluster and activate the small water cluster. This increases the molecular motion of the water, water easily penetrates the fibers and the washing power of the water itself is increased.

The wash ball also radiates negative ions that soften the fibers in your clothes so the dirt can come out faster and easier without the use of detergent.

Wash ball also eliminates the chlorine from the water. This helps save the clothes (colors and elasticity). By doing this it softens the water and soft water has lower surface tension and is better for any kind of washing.

Balls also keep the water at the same pH spectrum that normal detergent has, so it can remove oils and dirt.

That is basically all that wash ball manufacturers tell us. I am not that good at physics to tell if this is just baloney or is it true :). I did find and post another post about these that is more sceptical and that it seems was written by someone that knows what he is talking about.

How To Use Washing Machine Balls?

Using washing machine balls is simple. You can use it for washing your clothes in the washing machine as well as for washing them by hand. New washing balls will last for as long as three years if you use them once a day and even longer if you use them less often.

So how do you use washing balls?

1. If you have just bought them first thing you have to do is put them outside in the sun. This way the ball will give better washing results. The sun charges the ceramic pellets inside the wash ball with energy. Later you need (it helps) to "charge" the eco wash ball in the sun once a month.

2. If you have a big washing machine that can wash more than 5kg/11lb you need to use two wash balls.

3. Put the ball inside the washing machine together with your clothes.

4. Fill the washing machine with water and leave it for an hour before you start the washing cycle. This will give washing ball the time to change the characteristics of water. I will write more about how wash ball work in another post.

5. If you leave the clothes in the water together with the ball for one hour the results will be best, but if your clothes are "normal" (I'm talking about dirt here) you do not need to soak them, you can wash them right away.

6. On the other hand if your clothes are really dirty you can add some detergent. The recommended dose is 1/5 of what you would normally use without the wash ball.

7. It is recommended that you wash your clothes separately by their color and the type of fibers/fabric.

8. After you are done, you can leave the washing machine ball inside the washing machine until the next time you use it.

9. It is also recommended that you regularly clean the filters in your washing machine. Washing ball will cause more calcium and other minerals deposits on your filter.

PS: you can also add some softener or some detergent if your clothes are not that dirty - this will give them a nice smell that can be missed if you only use a wash ball.

Eco Wash Balls

Eco wash balls are orb like objects made out of plastic that you put into your washing machine where they help to clean you clothes during washing. Wash balls are meant to be used as a replacement for washing detergent or at least as a way to reduce using the detergent for as far as 80%.

Inside of the plastic shell of the eco wash ball are lots of smaller pellets usually made out of ceramic. The general idea behind this is that these pellets interact with water molecules to help clean the dirt of your clothes.

Newer eco wash balls can be used 1000 or even more times, so if you wash your clothes every day you could use them for almost three years. Off course, if you wash your clothes once or twice a week this period is greatly extended.

There are many benefits to using them, like saving the environment and saving some money. We will look into them in more detail later.

They are also very easy to use - you just put them into your washing machine together with your dirty clothes and you are done.

Since all this sounds to good to be true there is also some controversy about these washing balls. There are various debates where people claim anything from eco wash balls to be magical and that they work perfectly to the fact that they are a scam and that the clothes would be washed the same if you used only water and no detergent and no wash balls at all.

We will try to find a few answers to these questions.

To finish this introduction to eco wash balls - here are a few pictures so you can see for yourself how they look: