ECOVER COULDN’T CARE MORE
 Jul 19th, 2003
Advantages:
Good for the environment, pleasant smell, not expensive
Disadvantages:
Offers nothing new, not many bubbles
Recommendable:
Yes
  SeasonTicketless
About me:
Uninspiring. My blog: http://snipurl.com/STBlog
Member since:18.10.2002
Reviews:113
Members who trust:65
Review rated by 39 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
This review received a counterstatement by a party concerned
Read Comment
Ecover No, it’s not a type of disease (that’s E-coli, perhaps?) or a new slang word for a type of super-ecstasy, nor is it some fancy web-operated covering system. Ecover is, in fact, a washing-up liquid made “For people who care”, so says the packaging.
You see, Ecover is an environmentally friendly company, who produce washing-up liquid such as Camomile and Marigold, which is what I am reviewing here, as well as Lemon and Aloe Vera, Cleansing Agents, Detergents, Hand Cleaners and Compost Bags. * Where I heard about Ecover
Now if you’re anything like me you will have a mind that automatically plays word association games. You hear an advert for “No win, no fee” solicitors, you immediately think “con”, you see an advert for “Best ever formula” and you immediately think “there’ll be a newer one out in a couple of months”, you see the “Yes car credit” advert and immediately think “Noooooooo!”, you hear the words “Environmentally friendly”, you think “expensive”. This was my first impression upon reading JillMurphy’s review of the same product a while ago, though Jill did go on to say that Ecover was no more expensive than well-known non-environmentally friendly brands, which persuaded me to give it a go (who says Ciao doesn’t work?) * Price
A 1 litre bottle of Ecover Washing-Up liquid costs £1.58 from Tesco.com, which works out at a little under 16p per 100ml. (Compared to Persil
costing 74p for 500ml, or 15p per 100ml, and Fairy, which is £1.68 per litre, just under 17p per 100ml) * Better for the Environment?
So why is Ecover better for the environment than other “normal” washing up liquids? Well, the official boast is that the liquid far exceeds legislative requirements with regards to biodegrability, it has a minimum impact on aquatic life, it is against animal testing and is also suitable for septic tanks. Unfortunately it doesn’t go into a great more detail other than that. If we are to believe the packaging, it’s a boast that the company is right to be proud of, and I must say that a closer inspection of the website provides more info which, although interesting and seemingly ecologically sound, are not needed in this review. I’ll just say that I believe that Ecover does what it says. * Better for the consumer?
As well as telling us the great way that Ecover works for the environment, the packaging also tells us that the formula is made with plant based ingredients, it’s not based on petrochemical ingredients, and it does not leave an unnecessary residue of chemicals on your dishes. * My opinion
It’s taken a little time for me to get to the part where I tell you what I think about the product. I apologise for that, though I feel it was necessary to put in the above as a background. You see, in a perfect world if there was a straight choice between two products that did the same thing, one which was essentially bad for the environment, and one that was better for it, then we would all choose the more environmentally friendly option, regardless of price. Unfortunately not many of us are able to be in that position. Interest rates may be at an all time low, but house prices are at an all time high, so many of us (and I speak as part of a family) struggle to pay our everyday bills, let alone spend over the top on a product which claims to be more Earth-friendly. Not that I begrudge anyone who can afford this choice, in fact I would encourage others to do as much as they can for the environment in a bid to make myself feel better for not doing enough. The gist of the above paragraph is this: Ecover costs not a great deal more than Persil, and not a great deal less than Fairy, which instantly makes it appealing to me. The bottle is bigger than other standard manufacturer’s bottles, which means there is less waste, and Ecover even actively encourage the re-use of their bottles, asking you where possible to have them refilled at an Ecover refill centre.
The smell is pleasant, though not overpowering, with an aroma more of camomile than anything. I can’t say that adding a dash of this to the water makes it any more pleasant, as the smell seems to fade as soon as it’s diluted. The liquid itself looks far runnier than other washing up liquids I have tried, barring a cheap Co-op own brand which was used once and then flung into the depths of the cupboard under the sink as it was so poor. This immediately put me off of using the product, as I have always believed that a washing up liquid should be gloopy, frothing into a mass of bubbles when water is run onto it from a tap, which leads me on to my next point.
Unimpressed by the texture of the liquid, I was even more dismayed at the lack of bubbles that appeared. Without meaning to sound like a kid at bath time, I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to do the washing up elbow deep in fluffy white bubbles. A quick glance at the back of the packaging confirmed that it WAS washing-up liquid (and not bleach or something completely different which I really wouldn’t have put past me to pick up) and more comfortingly, that the instructions for use (as if they are that difficult to work out!) starts with the line: “Cleans effectively without producing excessive bubbles”. Phew! Having navigated through the pre-wash build up, and come through rather disappointed, Ecover redeemed itself in its cleansing. You see, for the lack of bubbles and the thin texture of the liquid, it actually cleans rather well. Whether it’s to wash up a quick bowl of cornflakes, or the remnants of a family curry consumed the evening before, Ecover seems to work well. I couldn’t get used to the lack of bubbles, but fortunately could see that the liquid was working. Although I drew the line at doing the “squeak test” that I remember so clearly from the Fairy adverts when I was a kid, it was plain to see that Ecover washed up much better than I had thought it would.
* Overall
I’d love to be able to say that Ecover will from this moment on be my number one washing up detergent. I would love to say that Ecover has inspired me to greater heights of environmentally-caring views. In fact, the best that I can say is that Ecover is on a par with other washing up liquids. Although it smells nice and cleans well, it doesn’t really offer a great deal extra than my normal Fairy or Persil. The dishes may be just as clean as normal, but I feel as if I get things cleaner when I can’t see the dishwater for bubbles. I like the way that, when I put my Fairy bottle down, bubbles blow out of the top where a little air escapes. I also like familiarity, and until someone convinces me otherwise, Fairy is a decent brand, as are Persil, and so there is no reason to change. The one defining factor is that Mel, my other half, doesn’t particularly like this liquid, so it will be back to Surcare or Fairy from here for us. The 1 litre bottle that we bought was started 2 or 3 weeks ago, and it’s still 2/3 full. Baring in mind that we are a family of 4 who rarely get takeout, this isn’t bad going. Again though, it’s pretty much on a par with other brands.
Lastly, what I would do is ask that you all give this a go. Anything that is better for the environment must be a good thing, and as I’ve said, it cleans as well as any other brand, for a very similar price. For every person who agrees with me and rates the product in a similar way, there’ll be one or two that love the product and change their brand. It’s not going to save the world on its own, but it might help :)
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by (3%):
12.07.2008 02:54
I wouldn't exactly call the smell of this stuff pleasant
18.10.2003 19:56
I'll certainly look out for this! Sue
11.08.2003 00:42
Caring for animals, not testing and being kind to the environment are very strong arguments to use a product, I think. Still prefer the Vegan Ecover to the others, though.