May I Just Say…?
Hey, Jon and Nick!
Here are some points:
• Ariel is generally the best performing laundry detergent in the UK, particularly for stain removal, although tests by Which? found that Persil made for ‘better’ whites.
• Ariel can be rather difficult to rinse out, even with a premium brand washer.
• Ariel is heavily loaded with perfumes and other ingredients that P&G refuse to rule out as potentially harmful. What about GM enzymes?
• If one uses a green energy supplier or uses a wind turbine or solar panel on their home, it is up to them whether they use higher temperatures.
• Using chemicals – that is, powerful detergents like Ariel – to clean clothes at lower temperatures is alarming. The damage done to the environment by such powerful detergents is worrying, along with much of the unknown safety information regarding individual ingredients in products like Ariel. Far better to be kinder to the environment by using green energy to power a washing machine on a high temperature wash and thus pumping out fewer chemicals into the sewage system. Basically, is it better to use high temperatures with a mild detergent or low temperatures with a heavy duty detergent? Higher temperatures can in some cases make up for a weaker detergent, along not always, and some stains may require enzymes.
• Using fabric conditioners can lead to a build-up of slime inside washers that is not immediately apparent. This can also lead to a build-up of mould, which can be hazardous. Solution, even if it’s not as good: don’t use conditioner, or use Comfort Pearls instead.
• Regular use of liquid/capsule detergent can corrode certain parts of washers, as well as causing the same problems with fabric conditioners (see above). Excessive dosing of liquid/capsule detergent can also cause corrosion.
• Regular use of colour detergents – power/tablets or liquid/capsules – can lead to a build-up of slime and mould. This is mostly because there is no bleach in such detergents – liquids/capsules never have a bleach in them.
• Regular low-temperature washes cause problems for many owners’ machines (see above points regarding slime and mould).
All of the bulbs in my house are energy saving bulbs, and I started using them in 1993. I use modern, advanced consumer electronics products from manufacturers that have a long-term history of low-standby power consumption. My Freeview receivers (that’s digital terrestrial TV to everyone outside the UK

) use less than 1W when on standby. Many other makes use far more. At night, they are completely disconnected from the mains, as are all of my electronics except the Sky+ boxes, which have to be on 24/7.
Most of my hi-fi equipment has no standby modes at all, so they are shut off completely. Also, most of my consumer electronics products – and this is something quite unusual these days – are made in the UK or elsewhere in Europe. They are actually built here or in Europe, not just assembled.
We also recycle as much as we can, as well as buying local produce where possible. (Nick, fancy some Tiptree jam? Yum!)
I for one have to wash my bed linen at 60 degrees C because of the existence of dust mites. Such a high temperature kills the mites of course.
Anyway, all I am saying here is that what counts is our experience. Do we use a heavy duty detergent like Ariel along with a low temperature? Or do we use a more eco-friendly detergent like Ecover at a high temperature? We could use Ariel at a high temperature, too, and if we really do wish to wish at high temperatures, that really is up to us. There is an environmental cost in many cases, but hopefully this can be offset by applying more eco-friendly practises elsewhere.
Regards,
Carl