Washing up liquid etc.

[Jen_P]

About to move aboard in January.
Am I right in thinking that I have to use Ecover washing up liquid and washing powder on the boat?

If so, are there any cheaper alternatives or where do you buy your Ecover? I looked in Tesco at the weekend at was shocked at how much things are compared with ordinary products!

[Keeping Up]

Use any liquid you like, The quantities you use will be insignificant when diluted down by a canal. Just use Tescos cheapest

 

Ecover make great play of the fact that their product is phosphate-free. AIUI no other washing-up liquid has contained phosphates for many years.

[cheshire~rose]

About to move aboard in January.

Am I right in thinking that I have to use Ecover washing up liquid and washing powder on the boat?

If so, are there any cheaper alternatives or where do you buy your Ecover? I looked in Tesco at the weekend at was shocked at how much things are compared with ordinary products!

 

 

I bought some Ecover toilet cleaner at Tesco at the weekend.

 

I was using self scan and it flashed up to remind me to ensure I scanned ALL the products as they were on offer. I checked the shelf but there was no label saying anything about an offer so I scanned another one, then another - the third one was free! That is probably why they are so expensive in Tesco at present!

[KevMc]

About to move aboard in January.

Am I right in thinking that I have to use Ecover washing up liquid and washing powder on the boat?

If so, are there any cheaper alternatives or where do you buy your Ecover? I looked in Tesco at the weekend at was shocked at how much things are compared with ordinary products!

 

You can buy it in bulk from Amazon - not sure if it works out much cheaper though

[haggis]

I found that the Ecover products were not only more expensive than similar products but they were much less efficient. No matter how much of their washing up liquid I used, I didn't feel that plates were clean and I ended up rewashing them in supermarket own brand products. I used much less of the cheaper products and they did a far better job.

We share a boat and if there are any Ecover products on board when we take over, Iain uses them to clean the bilges :-) . They are not even very good at that!

 

haggis

Edited December 22, 2014 by haggis

[Jen_P]

So you DON'T have to use those products? I could use normal ones?
I use non-bio washing powder anyway as I have eczema.

[Machpoint005]

I found that the Ecover products were not only more expensive than similar products but they were much less efficient. No matter how much of their washing up liquid I used, I didn't feel that plates were clean and I ended up rewashing them in supermarket own brand products. I used much less of the cheaper products and they did a far better job.

We share a boat and if there are any Ecover products on board when we take over, Iain uses them to clean the bilges :-) . They are not even very good at that!

 

haggis

 

I've always found Ecover products better than most. I've come to the conclusion that the washing up liquid (in particular) works well in a soft water area, but might not be as good with hard water. Is your boat, by any chance, normally filled with hard water?

[Keeping Up]

So you DON'T have to use those products? I could use normal ones?

I use non-bio washing powder anyway as I have eczema.

 

Absolutely correct.

 

I agree with haggis too, the Ecover products seem much less efficient so you use twice as much and then you still have greasy plates.

[Machpoint005]

Absolutely correct.

 

I agree with haggis too, the Ecover products seem much less efficient so you use twice as much and then you still have greasy plates.

 

And the water in MK is very, very hard?!

[haggis]

 

I've always found Ecover products better than most. I've come to the conclusion that the washing up liquid (in particular) works well in a soft water area, but might not be as good with hard water. Is your boat, by any chance, normally filled with hard water?

I have no idea whether our boat has hard water or soft but as she cruises around covering a good chuck of the network every year I suppose we have a fair mixture. We just fill up at water points without testing :-) I do know , however, that we never get nice water in England like we do in Scotland.

 

Haggis

[Machpoint005]

I have no idea whether our boat has hard water or soft but as she cruises around covering a good chuck of the network every year I suppose we have a fair mixture. We just fill up at water points without testing :-) I do know , however, that we never get nice water in England like we do in Scotland.

 

Haggis

 

That's true enough. There is a sudden change if you go north up the Macc -- there is very hard water in the Poynton area, much softer as you get towards Manchester.

[Mac of Cygnet]

No-ones mentioned the F word. Mrs Mac insists on using Fairy Liquid. I'm not so fussy, but it seems she's right.

 

(Is there some way of stopping her from reading this?)

[Keeping Up]

And the water in MK is very, very hard?!

 

Yes it is but we travel all over the system.

 

We had a particularly interesting time once when we'd filled at Wigan and then again in Birmingham, the whole tank set as a jelly including in the pipes and pump. It took a lot of work to clear it all. We sent a sample to the Public Health authorities; they tested and said both waters were perfectly safe but their natural microorganisms, which had probably not met before, had embarked on an orgy until they had multiplied enough to fill the tank.

[Woodstock]

Ecover loo cleaner is good if you have a pump out as it doesn't affect seals or destroy the "good bugs" in the biological liquid I use in the tank. Only 2varieties though- the most commonly available is pine which doesnt smell the best- Some larger Tescos sell the ocean one which smells much nicer. Last ones I bought were on offer at £1

 

Totally irrelevent though if you dont have a puump out

[ditchcrawler]

Use any liquid you like, The quantities you use will be insignificant when diluted down by a canal. Just use Tescos cheapest

 

Ecover make great play of the fact that their product is phosphate-free. AIUI no other washing-up liquid has contained phosphates for many years.

Well said. The Broads has been doing the Blue/Green thing and recommended Ecover, when I asked how is it better they couldn't give me an answer, it just has eco in the name.

[Janet S]

Is the Ecover boat still around? I remember on our marathon month long cruise in 2010 giving the guy my empty bottle at the top of a flight of locks and it was waiting for me, refilled, at the bottom!

 

Janet

[Neil2]

If you take something like fairy liquid it is certainly more aggressive than ecover but fairy is no more harmful to the environment in normal use. The trend towards "environmentally friendly" products was probably started by hire boat companies who needed to keep on the right side of the authorities. But as someone said, the big environmental issue with detergents was phosphates and these are being phased out in fact they probably have all been phased out by now.

 

If you really must have a "green" washing up liquid there are probably better products anyway.

[Bettie Boo]

I use normal dish soap, and the only thing I use in my loo for cleaning is lemons (they work a treat, a tip I picked up from someone on CWDF) and no nasty smells either

[Ray T]

No-ones mentioned the F word. Mrs Mac insists on using Fairy Liquid. I'm not so fussy, but it seems she's right.

 

(Is there some way of stopping her from reading this?)

 

"Mummy, mummy why are your hands so soft"?

" 'Cos daddy does the dishes".

 

 

"Hands that do dishes can be soft as your face with mild green Fairy liquid".

 

I think I need to get out more..........................

[Robbo]

I use cherry blossom & red petal from sainsburys cause I fancied a cherry smell this time.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya,

Have to admit, I'm not a Tree Hugger, but I am very 'Conscious' of what comes out of my boat in terms of Sink Waste, Rubbish, Etc, I have even got Filters on my Shower AND Bilge outlets to trap any nasties, I did however stop worrying to much about it some years back now, Although I still DON'T like unnecessary cleaning chemicals on the

boat though. I find having a Dishwasher aboard uses much less Detergent, and Water, I use Drying Balls in my Tumble Dryer, I make my

own Fresh water from whatever the boat is

floating in so no chemicals for Sterilization, I use Enzymes in my Holding tank, and

it's often the little things that make the biggest difference. In my opinion The Ecover range of

products, simply arnt as effective, so you use

more !.

I think at the end of the day, Just think about whatever you decide to use, and use it sparingly.

[Southern Star]

Fairy Liquid is a good detergent to use, when an enormous diesel slick came towards my boat it only took a few drops to completely neutralise it.

[tree monkey]

Fairy Liquid is a good detergent to use, when an enormous diesel slick came towards my boat it only took a few drops to completely neutralise it.

what it does is push the diesel slick to the edge of the cut, in effect it displaces it from the surface so you can not see it but leaves the oil on the water, it does not in any way neutralise it

in effect "brushing it under the carpet.

at least thats who it has been explained to me

Edited December 22, 2014 by tree monkey

[tillergirl]

Oxfam I believe sell a product called Faith in Nature or Faith In nature which "claim" to be eco friendly they also sell a range of detergents and cleaners called "bio d" also eco friendly.....You can also buy these products from a boat trader called 13 trees at www.13trees.wikaniko.com The Co-op do a good allegedly eco washing up liquid and its currently on offer for under a quid and it last a long time. I find the cheap washing up liquids are pretty useless and don;t last very long. for shower and hair Sanex 0 range is good too as is Timotei 0. The Body Shop also do a shower and hair range but damned expensive

Edited December 22, 2014 by tillergirl

[ditchcrawler]

Is the Ecover boat still around? I remember on our marathon month long cruise in 2010 giving the guy my empty bottle at the top of a flight of locks and it was waiting for me, refilled, at the bottom!

 

Janet

That would be Graham on Tia. I have not seen him for a while but last time I did he had stopped trading. http://tiacares.weebly.com/