“I was quite excited at being given the chance to test out the EcoEgg – Laundry Egg.

Being a family of 5 means we have an ever-accumulating pile of washing. I’ve always been very conscious of what laundry products we purchase as I personally suffer from dry skin, 2 of my children suffer with Eczema and our 7-month-old baby uses cloth nappies.

After reading through the instructions it states to detoxify your washing machine (put it on a hot wash of 90C) to rinse all the remaining detergent from the machine. Thinking about it, this is a good thing to do every so often regardless of what products you use.

My next task was to place the cleaning pellets inside the egg itself. You are to open the egg with a 50 pence piece and then add 1 bag of the ceramic (black) pellets and 3 bags of the mineral (white) pellets. I had awful problems doing this and had pellets flying everywhere. In the end it was a two-person job and my husband helped me to get the egg closed up with all of the pellets inside. On the plus side, we should now get a good few washes from the egg before having to battle with the pellets again.

I’ll admit I didn’t really know what to expect when using this product. I had reservations about it working, but after seeing the results from the first wash I was really pleased. The first load that I used the egg on was cloth (terry) nappies. We all know how messy they can get, but every single one of them came out spotless. I was amazed. I continued to use it on my older children’s clothes, both of who suffer from Eczema and I have definitely noticed a change in their skin. My oldest son has severe Eczema and since I’ve started washing his clothes with the EcoEgg his skin has calmed down considerably. I’m so impressed.
The only items of clothing that we seem to have had problems with are the baby bibs…. The stains do fade, but they don’t disappear. However, I have seen that there is an EcoEgg stain remover so I fully intend to give that a go.

I think the only other slight down side to this product is that there isn’t a fragrance, so we do tend to pop a little bit of fabric softener in as we missed that fresh scent. That really is a very minor negative though especially when compared with the cleaning power of this wonderful little egg.
When it comes to us purchasing our next EcoEgg, we’ll probably go for one of the fragranced ones and see if that makes a difference.

All in all, I think that this product is fantastic and will definitely continue to use it. I would definitely recommend to everyone as its kinder to your skin, kinder to the environment and it’s definitely kinder on your bank balance.

Massive thumbs up from my family and myself.

Melanie xxx”

•Make a shopping list before doing the weekly shop. Expensive tempting treats have a habit of falling into your trolley if you go to the supermarket with no real list. Browsing for inspiration on what to feed the kids can lead to unnecessary purchases and food wastage. Making a list will ensure that you only purchase what you really need. Saving of £500 a year!

•Ditch the supermarket every now and again and support local businesses by paying the local market a visit. Lower overheads means lower costs. Saving of £100 per year!

•Ditch the big brands for own brand groceries. Many basic food such as beans and bread have exactly the same ingredients as the big brands but cost much less. Saving of £100 per year!

•Sell your junk on Ebay- one mans rubbish is another mans treasure. You could potentially be able to make a good profit and make some more room in your house in the process!

•Learn to say ‘no’- It’s easy to take the easy option and give into a screaming child’s demands for toys and treats to get an easy life. Saying no a few times a year will do wonders for your bank balance.

•Replace your expensive laundry detergents with an ecoegg laundry egg. The revolutionary new way to do laundry. Lasting for 720 washes and costing only £19.99, the ecoegg laundry egg will save you up to £216!

The Ecoegg Team x

Collette told us that she has recently had a new cream carpet laid in her house. As we all know, cream carpets look lovely, but it’s difficult to keep them looking pristine. At Christmas last year, Collette purchased a new house plant and not thinking; put some colour printed newspaper under the plant pot to stop the soil seeping onto the carpet. After Collette watered the plant, the water seeped through to the paper and caused the print to transfer to the carpet!

Collette tried many carpet cleaning solutions, including the leading carpet cleaner brand (I won’t name names) and nothing shifted the stain. As Collette had previously had success with the ecoegg eco stain remover on clothes, she thought she would try it on her carpet as she had nothing to lose. To her surprise, the ecoegg stain remover lifted the stain right out of the carpet!

Collette noticed another stain near her front door a few days ago, she didn’t know where it had come from, but it was big, black and oily. Again, the leading brand in carpet cleaner failed to remove the stain. The ecoegg eco stain remover came to the rescue again!

This just shows how powerful the ecoegg stain remover is even though it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals. It proves the point that to achieve great cleaning results; you don’t need to use potent chemical concoctions.

We’d love to hear how you have been finding you ecoegg products, get in touch and let us know……

The ecoegg team x

The majority of the water companies who have imposed a hosepipe ban have stated that they are unlikely to send out inspectors to enforce the ban, however, the web poll also revealed that 1 in 5 people would actually go as far as to report their neighbours if they caught them using a hose pipe during the ban.

Although many of you will see the hosepipe ban as a huge inconvenience, especially amongst the green fingered community, it could also be seen as an opportunity to save money on our water bills.

Here are Ecoegg’s simple tips for saving water around the household:

• Take showers instead of baths- an average bath will consume over 80 litres of water, compared to just 45 litres for a 5 minute shower
• Turn of the tap when brushing your teeth- an average person will waste 12 litres of water whilst brushing their teeth, turning off the tap will save the average family £31 a year from their water bill
• Use the plug in the hand basin every time you wash your hands or face, this will save up to 2 litres of water
• Clean and peel vegetables in a bowl of water instead of under a running tap, this will save you up to 6 litres per minute
• A dripping tap can waste up to 4 litres per day, that soon adds up over a year, so be sure to fix drips and leaks as soon as you spot them
• Use a rain butt in the garden, these can collect up to 5,000 litres over the period of a year
• Recycle grey water from the household. Grey water is waste water from showers, sinks, washing machines etc. Never use grey water from toilets or from sources that have been in contact with sewage. Grey water can be used to water your plants and lawn in the garden. Don’t use grey water on food crops or plants that you plan to eat.

Recycling grey water from the household presents a huge potential water saving for any family. One of the largest potential sources of grey water within the home is the washing machine. A washing machine will on average consume 85 litres of water per load, with the average family in the UK doing 4-5 loads per week and many doing more, that equates to over 22,000 litres per year!

With a few simple modifications, grey water can be collected from your washing machine. Traditional detergents can leave a lot of chemical residues in the grey water making it less suitable for use in the garden. The chemical residues found in traditional detergents can alter the delicate PH balance of the soil, making it difficult for plants to flourish. The beauty of the Ecoegg laundry egg is that is cleans as well as the leading brand of detergent but without the use of harsh chemicals, meaning that the waste water that leaves your washing machine after using the Ecoegg laundry egg, will be almost free from residue, making it safe to be used on even you most delicate plants . The Ecoegg laundry egg leaves so little residue that you can even skip the rinse cycle, saving even more water and energy!

I hope you have found Ecoegg’s water saving tips useful. We would like to wish you an Eggcelent Easter!

Rob x (Ecoegg MD)

A recent scientific study has shown that during a typical Easter period an average child will receive over thirteen Easter eggs and consume over 12,000 calories of chocolate and Easter goodies. That’s enough calories to keep them going for a full week! To burn of those extra calories, a child will have to run the equivalent of 56 miles. That’s the distance from London to Brighton! As the vast majority of children are unlikely to run 56 miles in order to burn of their over indulgence, they stand to gain up to four pounds in excess body fat. For many families, Easter has become nothing but a chocolate-eating fest.  Is it any wonder that obesity and diabetes is plaguing the UK?

An average British child under 12 will receive £24 worth of chocolate this Easter. Most children will receive one £3 egg from their parents and a further twelve from extended family and friends. Does a child really need thirteen Easter eggs? The price of Easter eggs is set to rise again the year due to the ever increasing price of Cocoa. The cost of eggs soared by up to 140% last year, and is set to increase further this year. Political unrest in the main cocoa producing countries and increased VAT are two of the main reasons for the ever increasing cost of Easter treats. With many families in the UK now officially in poverty, is £24 an expense most families can really afford?

A survey by Friends of the Earth has revealed that in some cases for every £1 spent on Easter eggs, consumers could be spending the same amount or more again on packaging. It has been estimated that 4370 tonnes of cardboard and 160 tonnes of foil waste was created by the packaging used to protect Easter eggs. Many of the leading brands are actively planning to reduce packaging on Easter eggs, but the majority still contain several layers of unnecessary unrecyclable packaging which inevitably ends up in landfills.

With delicious egg shaped temptations at every turn from February to April each year, it would be near impossible to fully resist the delights of a little Easter indulgence, but do we have to indulge on such a grand scale? As our little ones learn by example, we should be the ones to take the lead and show them that you can absolutely have a little treat to celebrate Easter but why eat chocolate to the point of nausea?

Why not crack the habit and swap some of your Easter eggs for one of these alternative Easter gifts:

• Paint your own Easter egg kit- for around £5 you can keep your child occupied for a couple of hours and you also don’t have to worry about the calories they are consuming. www.dotcomgiftshop.com
• Ecoegg laundry egg- the revolutionary new way to do laundry, completely replacing laundry detergent and lasting for up to 720 washes, it saves families £000’s. www.ecoeggonline.com
• Buy a chicken for a family in Malawi- for just £10 you can buy a brood of chickens for a family in Malawi, allowing them to earn an income from selling the eggs. A guilt free Easter Egg!- www.giftsinaction.org.uk

To win a family pass for 4 to the Ideal Home Show just answer the simple question “how many washes does the ecoegg laundry egg last on average?” Email your answers to sophie.kingscott@ecoeggonline.com for your chance to win! Closing date 16th March 2012.

The Ecoegg Team x

Hello my loves, I’m Kim Woodburn. You probably know me best for my cleaning expertise; I’m well known for not using nasty chemicals and instead opting for more gentle ingredients such as baking powder and white vinegar. That’s what makes my cleaning tips so safe for use around children and what also makes them so kind to the environment.That’s why I love the ecoegg; it cleans clothes brilliantly but contains no nasty chemicals. I’ve put together my top ten eco and baby friendly cleaning tips to make life a little bit easier for you lovely mums and dads.

Nappy Bins:

1) So firstly, I’m sure many of you use disposable nappies. Now these are convenient to use but disposing of them can become a problem and nappy bins can soon become rather smelly! A top tip for keeping your nappy bin smelling fresher for longer is to sprinkle a generous amount of baking powder inside the bin liner and give it a quick shake around the sides. The baking powder should absorb most of the nasty whiff but always empty your bin regularly to keep the smell at bay. Alternatively, sprinkle a little baking powder into individual nappy sacks to keep smells to a minimum.

Cuddly Toys:

2) If your little one’s cuddly toys have just a slight odour on them but are not dirty, place them in a pillow case and sprinkle in a generous amount of baking powder. Shake the pillowcase vigorously. This is best done outside! Remove the soft toys and bang them against your hand to remove the excess baking powder. A thorough brushing should follow, and hey presto they will come out smelling lovely and clean.

3) For cuddly toys that need a proper clean just put them into a pillowcase, tie a knot and wash them in the machine with the ecoegg. For all of you who are wondering what the ecoegg is, it’s the revolutionary new way to do laundry, it contains no harsh chemicals but still cleans just aswell as the leading brand of detergent. No measuring or mess, just pop it in your machine! It’s been approved by Allergy UK and is supported by the National Eczema Society so it’s perfect for babies sensitive skin. I’m so proud to endorse the ecoegg that I put my name on every box. I simply wouldn’t be without mine now!

Finger Prints:

4) I’m sure that many of you with children that are now toddling about will be forever noticing sticky finger prints on doors and walls. One easy tip for getting these sticky paws prints off is to keep a flour shaker full of baking powder to hand and to sprinkle a generous amount on to a damp face cloth. Wipe the surface and buff with a fresh dry cloth. It’s just so easy.

5) When cleaning stick finger prints from windows or mirrors make a weak vinegar solution in warm water; one pint of water to an eighth of a pint of white vinegar. Apply with a lint free cloth, loosely ruffle up some newspaper and buff the windows to a shine.

Kitchen Cleaning:

6) Making homemade baby food is a great way to save money and ensure that your children are getting the right balance of nutrients but by heck, it’s doesn’t half make a mess. Blending baby food always seems to result in half of the food going up the wall! An easy way to get splash backs back to their former sparkling selves is to sprinkle a generous amount of baking powder on to a damp cloth, apply to the splash back and buff dry with a fresh dry cloth. Simple my loves!

Laundry:

7) For such small things, babies can get through an awful lot of clothes. Babies also have a nasty habit of accumulating tricky stains like baby food and never ending milk vomit. The challenge is finding a product that cleans really well but also doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals that can hurt babies skin, just such a product is the ecoegg. It last up to 720 washes which is enough washes to last the average family three years! Just imagine the money you will save…

Carpets:

8 ) With children in the household, it’s often proves challenging to keep carpets looking and smelling fresh. For general deodorising where no stains are present, sprinkle some baking powder over the carpet using a flour sifter. Rub it in with your hands to make sure all of the area is covered. Leave it for an hour and the vacuum the whole carpet.

General Marks and Cleaning:

9) We all know how frustrating it is too see that our little ones have drawn on our walls with their crayons. One great tip for removing crayon marks on GLOSS paint is to spray the marks with hairspray and rub clean with a white towelling cloth. This will get the GLOSS paint work back to its former glory.

10) Always keep baking powder in a flour shaker in the nursery and a fresh supply of white face cloths. Any marks that appear on the cot, drawers, surfaces, window sills, in fact anything but carpets or highly polished dark furniture, simply moisten the face cloth under a tap, wring it out and shake some baking powder over the cloth. This will clean and deodorise the area. It is also good for use on any plastic protective bedding inside the cot.

I hope you have found these tips useful and that you will give them a go. I am so looking forward to seeing you all at the baby show, I hope you all come and visit me at the ecoegg stand. I’m more than happy to offer my cleaning advice, and I’ve always got time for a quick photo and a chat.

Kim x

On the 26^th of January I will be on QVC for the whole day showing you all just how wonderful the Ecoegg is. I am so looking forward to coming on QVC again this month. I always have such a lovely day when I do. As you know, I endorse the Ecoegg. I’m so proud to endorse the Ecoegg that I put my name on every box. I wouldn’t be without mine now. My husband and I went on a lovely holiday over Christmas, it was just wonderful, and of course I packed my Ecoegg. It is just so handy to have when you’re traveling, just put it in your case, doesn’t take up too much room at all, and then just bung it in the machine with your clothes. Saves on buying all those expensive little packs of laundry power when you’re away from home. It’s smashing.

This month I will be showing all of you Ecoegg’s brand new range of products. We have been working on the new range for a while now, so I am really excited about its launch on the 26^th of January on QVC.  I’ll be here with you all day including the launch at midnight, so there is lots of opportunity to come and see me and take a peek at the new range. You’ll be thrilled.

I’ve been using the new range at home for a while now, including the new fragranced versions of the Ecoegg, they come in two beautiful fragrances, Fresh Linen and Spring Blossom. Same great washing power as the original Ecoegg, but they add a subtle, gorgeous fragrance to your laundry, but still with no nasty chemicals or irritants for your skin; and the Ecoegg saves you a fortune on laundry detergent.  I washed my bedding with the Spring Blossom Ecoegg a few days ago and I can still smell the gorgeous fragrance now, it’s just brilliant.

I’ve decided to make an early start on my spring cleaning this year and I thought that I would start with my washing machine. I know, this does sound like a very strange thing to do, but you might not know that all washing machines develop build up over time, especially if you have been using powders and liquids. It is so important to keep your washing machine sparkling clean to keep it working well. On the 26th we will be launching our new detox tablets; which we will be including for free with every Ecoegg sold that day on QVC to help gently break down the nasty grime in your washing machine without using horrible harsh chemicals.

My husband managed to get most of his dinner down his shirt on Christmas day. It wasn’t a problem though, I just applied a little of the new Ecoegg Eco Stain Remover to the stain and into the machine it went with my Ecoegg; his shirt is now as good as new! It’s a great little product for those super tough stains that need a little bit of extra help.

It’s just so lovely to know that Ecoegg are continually working hard to innovate new products that are kind to your purse, kind to the environment and also kind to your skin, but above all they clean really well. I know that you will all love the new range as much as I do, I wouldn’t have put my name to it unless I knew it really worked, and it believe me it does. It’s smashing my loves. I look forward to seeing you all on the 26^th; we will have a great day.

Kim x

1) Make your own Xmas cards- homemade cards are cheaper and are often more gratefully received. There are many options when making your own cards, festive shaped potato printing is easy and effective and can also fill a rainy Saturday afternoon with the family. Why not try recycling old Xmas cards by cutting out pictures and text and remounting on low cost backing card. Another easy idea is to cut out snowflake designs from folded white paper and mount on colourful backing card.

2) Reuse Xmas Paper- all you have to do is resist the urge to rip into your presents, possibly easier for the adults than children!

3) Dig out your own Xmas Tree- visit a cut/ dig your own Xmas tree forest, take a shovel and dig up the roots of your chosen tree, place in a pot and water over the Xmas period. In the New Year you can replant your Xmas tree for use year after year. Cut/ dig your own trees tend to be quite a bit cheaper than ready cut, from as little as £3 per foot! Better for the environment too!

4) Make your own tree decorations- ideas include paper chains, homemade biscuits on ribbons (not easily resisted by a sweet toothed family) and glitter pine cones. Another idea is to make tree decorations from salt dough, here’s a simple and cheap recipe: 1 cup plain flour, half a cup salt, half cup water, mix, roll and cut with festive cutters. Bake for 2 hours at 120C/240F.

5) Be a savvy Internet shopper- many voucher code websites tell you which Internet retailers have discounts available and how to receive them. Two of the best are: www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk  and Hotukdeals.co.uk.

6) Make a no present pact with friends and relatives- With both friends and family to buy for; Xmas can soon become really expensive. Sometimes the greatest gift of all can be asking somebody not too buy for you this year and in return you won’t buy a gift for them. Chances are they will be more than happy to agree to this arrangement (as let’s be honest most of the Xmas presents you receive aren’t things you needed or really wanted).

7) Ditch expensive and harmful cleaning products and make your own using natural and low cost ingredients! – Our very own Kim Woodburn, celebrity Queen of Clean, has given us a few cleaning tips that will be particularly helpful around the busy Xmas season.

• Gravy and turkey grease on kitchen splash backs- In a small bowl place one heaped tablespoon of baking soda. Add warm water to just cover the baking soda. Give it a good stir so that the mixture is a loose cream.  Apply to the splash back, wipe off with a damp cloth and buff dry with a fresh cloth. The consistency should be thick enough so that the mixture does not run off the splash back but not so thick as to be lumpy!
• Saucepans- If you burn a saucepan fill it with water and then tip the water away. Sprinkle baking soda over the wet surface. Then add boiling water to cover the burn. Leave the pan overnight and then scour with wire wool. The burn will come off easily. Care – obviously do not use wire wool on non-stick pans! Use a paper towel instead.
• Kitchen sink drains- To clear a slow sink drain pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain (you may need a funnel) followed by one cup of cheap white vinegar. It will slightly bubble inside the drain. Wait for two minutes and the pour a kettle full of boiling water down the drain. Bubbles will appear at the surface. The drain will flow clearly and it will smell a lot better! If needs be, do it a second time!

8) Ditch expensive and environmentally harmful detergents for an Ecoegg- Replacing your normal detergent with an Ecoegg can save an average family £216. The Ecoegg last for 720 washes, that’s the equivalent of three years’ worth of laundry. It’s kinder to your pocket, kinder to your skin and kinder to the environment!

9) Shop around for the best possible price- make sure you are getting the best deal possible on your Xmas gifts and essentials by using price comparison sites such as Kelkoo and Pricerunner  to be sure you get the best deal. Also be sure to compare the cost of groceries using sites like mysupermarket.com, you can upload your online shopping basket before you buy to check you are getting the best deal.  You can also now do this using the supermarkets own websites, you simply enter a code from your receipt and they will tell you whether the shopping could have be brought cheaper somewhere else. If so they beat it by 10%!

10) Write a list and stick to it!- When you come to do your final pre Xmas grocery shop, make a list before you go and then make sure you stick to it. It can be easy to be get carried away in the supermarket with all the festive offers and tempting treats, but they really can add up to a gob-smacking sum when you get to the checkout.

Well that’s our top ten Xmas saving tips; I hope you found them helpful. Have a very merry Xmas!

The Ecoegg team x