do not use a soap-based laundry detergent<\/a> and I’m very conservative with detergents and softeners, so I’m guessing (and guessing is all any of us can do without opening the washer) it’s probably relatively OK. Just to be on the safe side, I got a washer “detox” cleaner from my local drugstore for 1\/3 of the price with the same ingredient list, in a recyclable paper packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI would say, if you’re heavy handed with detergents\/softeners, you have hard water or you’ve never done a “detox”, then buying some cleaning tablets might not be a bad idea, especially when switching to a milder, less aggressive laundry detergent like Ecoegg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is it for colors only or does it also work for white clothes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\nBoth works and you can add stain removers, like washing soda or bleach without a problem. But it does not have a bleaching effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How often does the laundry egg need refilled?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n I got 210 washes refills and my instructions say you put 3 bags of white pellets and one bag of black pellets into the egg case. That suffices for a loads of 6-8 kg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You need to add pellets when they fall below a specific line marked on the egg with the 210 refills. After 6 months of use, the beads are smaller and more compact, but nowhere near the designated line, so I would say it’s probably accurate. I somewhat regret not counting the washes, but I didn’t know I’ll be writing an Ecoegg review when I started using it. It seems close enough to me, but if you measure it, let me know in the comments below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have 50 or 70 washes refills, then they estimate for a refill is every 2 months or 7-10 weeks depending on how much laundry you do. Hotter and longer cycles will use up the pellets faster.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nNew set, before doing any laundry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nInfo for short cycles or handwashing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n For short washing cycles or handwashing pre-soak the beads for 10-15 min. After testing it, presoaking them for about 20 min is best for my laundry machine\/cycle\/water. I don’t soak for cycles longer than 1 h. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you use the Ecoegg in an HE machine?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Yes. I had a chance to test in 2 different washers (I moved in this time and switched washers), both were HE machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In general is pretty straightforward to use, you just put the egg directly in the drum with your clothes and take it out when the washer is completely finished. There’s no visible soap left or anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My experience with noise levels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n I have read reviews of the Ecoegg where reviewers said the sound is minimal or they do not hear it at all. This was my experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1 apartment: I’m talking about a 55 m2 apartment and the washing machine was in the bathroom. With the door closed, the sound was manageable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2 apartment: the new apartment is bigger, with a different layout, etc. and the washing machine is different – the inner plastic “bars” on the drum are bigger and have a swirl – and it’s too loud<\/strong> for my comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo I tried ditching the laundry egg casing and made a small fabric pouch for the pellets (not recommended by their customer service). I think it washes even better this way, maybe the beads get soaked more this way and the sachet takes longer to dry, but there is zero rambling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ecoegg review with stain tests<\/h2>\n\n\n\n In general, I have now tested the Ecoegg in 2 front load European style washing machines in two locations (we moved in between) – so in two different waters. I do about 4 loads per week, normally nothing gets really stained with the exception of kitchen towels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I normally do a short 40-50 min cycle on all of our clothes, at 40\u00b0<\/strong>C (which corresponds to 104 \u00b0<\/strong>F, I believe that is marked as cold on American style washers).<\/p>\n\n\n\nBoth washing machines were about 3 years old, mid-range and newer high efficiency. I liked the old one – before the move – better, I think it did a better job regardless of washing liquid, but most of the tests below were done with the new one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The short version<\/strong>: my review is very positive. It was passed all my tests for normal use and relatively light stains. It cleans sweat stains well and it’s gentle on all fabrics. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nResults of stain tests with Ecoegg |laundry egg<\/h2>\n\n\n\n I stained 3 small 100% cotton fabric remnants with coffee, grape seed oil, regular Pilot blue ink pen, red beats, dried cranberry, organic ketchup, organic black mascara (non-waterproof), and grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Placement of stains on the fabric for testing. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAll stains had a 1h soak-in time, no pre-treatment, just straight in the wash. I applied stains 1 patch at a time, so all the test patches had the same soak-in time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I washed all patches in the same cycle- the cycle I use most often with is mix 40 min, 40\u00b0C.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI added a couple of kitchen towels in the wash with the stain patch for efficient tumbling. I used the same ones in all the test washes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I tested the same stains with the same cycle settings with<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nEcoegg only,<\/strong><\/li>Ecoegg + 2 TBS of soda percolate directly in the drum<\/strong><\/li>water only,<\/strong><\/li>organic laundry detergent<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\nI only tested each detergent once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*photos are subjected to change of light and auto-contrast. I did what I could to take before and after photos in same conditions, but refer to descriptions as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
TEST 1: Ecoegg only before and after<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The coffee stain was about 90% gone, still, a bit visible, oil stain was gone, the ink stain was still there, so were the mascara and lipstick (I didn’t try to scrape them off before washing, it was maybe 40% gone), beat stain 100% gone, not visible, organic ketchup stain 90% gone, slightly visible and the grass stain was unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTEST 2: Ecoegg + 2 TBS of soda<\/strong>: before and after<\/h2>\n\n\n\nI added some washing soda in the wash to see if the stains would come out cleaner without extra work for me. I put it in directly in the load, no soaking, no changes to the cycle or temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coffee stain 90% gone, barely visible, oil stain was gone, the ink was still visible, but cleaned slightly better than washing with Ecoegg. I was hoping washing soda with help with mascara and lipstick stain, bet the result was equally poor as washing with just Ecoegg. Red beat stain was 100% gone, not visible at all, ketchup was still visible and the grass stain was still very much there. All in all, results of the second test were very similar to the first one, washing soda only helped with the coffee and ink stain<\/strong>, but not enough to bother. Test failed, but now we know. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTEST 3: organic fragrance-free detergent: before and after<\/h3>\n\n\n\n I used Briochin organic fragrance-free detergent (suitable for white and colored textiles, concentrated formula, efficient at 30 degrees), the recommenced amount for the load size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coffee stain 90% gone, barely visible, oil stain was gone, the ink stain hardly changed(this was the worst result from the 3 tests), mascara and lipstick were quite comparable to the other two tests – still very much there. Red beat stain was 100% gone, not visible, organic ketchup stain 80% gone and the grass stain was still very much there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was actually a bit disappointed with this test, I thought “a proper detergent” will perform better than the Ecoegg. The ketchup and ink stains were the worst from the 3 tests and everything else was very similar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat happens if I pre-soaked the stains?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n If you just look at the original tests, it would appear the Ecoegg is kind of bad and doesn’t work well. I knew even before the tests that Ecoegg doesn’t do great with heavy stains, at least not as a stand-alone. Also, I wash on very short cycles and cool water, which is not what the average person does, especially not with stained clothes. So, for my final test, I did what I would normally do with heavy stains. I pre-soaked them in hot tap water with washing soda and washed them at 60\u00b0<\/strong>C (140 \u00b0<\/strong>F) for 1h 15 (synthetic cycle). By this time, test swatches were several hours old.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe ink was disappearing in front of my eyes in the soaking phase, so I had to relabel swatches with a piece of tread. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ink stain is a tad visible but nearly there and the only visible stain in this test is lipstick (I would say about 90% gone). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This test also reinforces the importance of soaking stains beforehand (I’m normally in too big of a hurry to do) and that I maybe do not need a standard detergent as back-up.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIs Ecoegg really 2 in 1, can it replace a fabric conditioner?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n In my experience yes. The softness can’t be quite compared to commercial softeners like Silan or Lenor, those make clothes even a bit fluffy and ultra scented if that description makes sense. I would say the softness when using Ecoegg is comparable to organic softeners I was using<\/strong> (I used Rainett). They are gentler, less scented, and better for the environment, and I would say, a bit less potent than the major brands. Softness and the desire for soft clothes are pretty relative though and though I don’t notice a major difference and I actually don’t need\/want my clothes to be ultra-soft. My partner on the other hand enjoys very soft clothes. His review: his clothes are slightly less soft than usual, but not enough that he would want to add softener. <\/p>\n\n\n\n*Dryer makes clothes soft weather of not you use a softener. I have newer owned one, I dry everything on a rack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ecoegg review: how does it smell?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n If you are used to your laundry smelling super fresh or floral sweet after you wash it, you will be disappointed. I am used to mildly scented laundry detergents and I prefer them that way. Scents can often be a cause for itchy rashes so I first ordered scent-free. I was getting a yearly supply after all and didn’t want to chance it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Side note: Egoegg is awarded allergy friendly by Allergy UK<\/strong>, so it should be a good detergent for sensitive or eczema-prone skin, but I had issues before and I’m extra careful. <\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter testing both, fragrance-free and scented versions, both came out approximately the same. No scent, or maybe I should say “neutral wet clothes” scent. <\/strong>If you ever used laundry soap nuts, then you know they have a gentle earthy smell. It doesn’t smell like that, it really is a “nothing smell”. Nothing ever came out musty smelling, even if I forgot to take a load out for several hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\nI like my clothes to smell gently fresh, and I have found a low waste solution without adding softener, and I’ll post it in a future post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
UPDATE AFTER ALMOST 1 YEAR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n I had to refill the egg in May 2021, so the pellets did last almost a full year, doing 4-6 loads per week. Some of the black pellets were broken (and much smaller in size). I could tell the difference, the water was visibly soapy after the refill and clothes were much softer. I think I could have refilled it a couple of weeks sooner and it would have been perfect, but all in all… I’m still very happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ecoegg after 1 year of use. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhere can you buy it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n You can get the EcoEgg and\/or refills from their website, they ship out of the UK. The other option is Amazon<\/strong>. At the time of purchase, Amazon was by far the cheapest option so I got it there. You might be able to get it in your local drug store or other natural online shops. I haven\u2019t seen it in my local zero waste shops yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n