Aug 3, 2006

Wa-shit laundry ball

Posted in Chemistry at 12:00 am by David Bradley -- 2 Comments; add your comment

A UK company of the kind that sells all kinds of plastic tubs, microwaveable wine warmers, vacuum pack bags for duvets and other miscellaneous junk are touting a little plastic ball that could put an end to the detergent industry, at least that’s what they’re claiming. Various websites have picked up on the company’s PR puff with their mid-section explaining how “the science bit” will be beyond anyone who didn’t listen in chemistry at school…

Well, funnily enough, I did listen in chemistry at school and the following pseudoscientific nonsense is just the sort of thing anyone with even a vague recollection of electrolysis. This is what they have to say:

“Scientifically formulated pellets inside the Wash-It Ball ‘activate’ water molecules producing electrolytic oxygen and hydrogen ions, which unleash their natural power to lift dirt from clothing fibres.”

I asked chemist contact and pastel chef Dan Lednicer about the possibility that there might be a genuine reaction taking place and he said sarcastically that it sounded like they’d managed to build “nano fuel cells”, which, of course, they haven’t. What makes it worse is the mention of “natural” as if manufactured clothes and washing machines are “nature’s way” in the first place!

Independent tests have also demonstrated that the ball works for the first wash, because residual detergent from the previous wash remains on the clothes and in the machine, but after that you might as well bang your jeans against a rock by the stream.

So, we won’t be shutting down the detergents industry and sing the praises of the Wa-Shit laundry ball just yet.

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