A laundry ball or washing ball is a product made of solid, insoluble material promoted as a substitute for laundry detergent. Producers of laundry balls often make pseudoscientific claims about their mechanisms of action and exaggerate the extent of their benefits.[1][2]
Washing with laundry balls is as effective or less effective than washing without detergent.[3][4] Their observed cleaning effects can largely be attributed to the mechanical interactions with the laundry or to using hot water instead of cold.[3][5]
The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against manufacturers for making misleading claims,[6] while customer protection organizations have recommended against buying this type of product.
- ^ Adams, Cecil (1997-07-25). "Do laundry balls really work?". The Straight Dope. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2008-05-26. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
- ^ Michael Shermer (January 2004), "Bunkum! Broad-mindedness is a virtue when investigating extraordinary claims, but often they turn out to be pure bunk (Skeptic column)", Scientific American, p. 36
- ^ a b Dorothy Stein (1997-10-27). "Laundry Balls". Faculty of Food, Clothing and Hospitality Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. Archived from the original on 2010-09-06. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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ocuwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ See, for example: Marketers of Laundry Detergent Substitutes Charged with Making False and Unsubstantiated Claims Agree to Settlements with FTC and Eleven States and Dallas Marketers of Laundry Detergent Substitute Charged with Making False and Unsubstantiated Claims Agree to Settlement with FTC and Six States, Federal Trade Commission