Indulge and stay eco!

Go on, admit it, you do want to be greener, but you love long hot baths, GHDs, whacking the dishwasher on and clothes that smell of wild roses, don’t you? Our lovely boffiny-type eco friend, Ben Wigley, co-founder of BigGreenSmile.com, has the handy work-arounds for these and other challenges. By Alex Rizzo

Alex: I love a hot, lazy bath but know it’s not very eco friendly. Do I really have to give them up?

Ben: If you have a power shower and spend more than eight minutes in it there’s a high possibility you will be using more water than having a bath anyway.
That’s not to say that baths do not use an incredible amount of water though. You can save a lot of money on your water bill by using an aerated shower head which mixes the water with air so the jet feels just as powerful but actually uses up to a third less water. Sometimes though a bath is just what is needed so my advice would be to try and take them less often and if you are feeling fruity then share a bath, at least then you are halving the water used and lets face it, it’s far more fun!

Alex: Cheeky! I like it . So, Ben, my friend has those ecoball washing machine ball thingies. If I’m going to give up my lovely smelling washing liquids for those, I need to know they’ll really work. Do they?

Ben: Absolutely they work.  They work by increasing the alkaline content of the water in the same way that washing powders and detergents do.  Because they don’t need temperature to activate any enzymes and because there is no powder build up to wash away you can both wash at lower temperatures and reduce your rinse cycle, which saves both water, energy and you cash. We sell a wide range including Ecoballs®

Next page: You’re not telling me I have to give up my hairdryer!