Laundry ball

[3][5][2] 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.

[7][8] Some contain ceramic pieces, magnetic material, or coloured liquid claimed to be "activated water",[7][8] none of which have been demonstrated to improve effectiveness.

[2] Balls that contain detergents may offer more cleaning power than water alone because their ingredients are comparable to normal washing powder, but in smaller quantities.

Although laundry balls are marketed as economical, environmentally friendly alternatives that can reduce water and energy consumption,[3][7] they have not been demonstrated to be more effective than washing without detergent.

[11] The claims are dubious, the scientific basis is unclear, the working mechanism is vaguely defined and understudied, and high-quality studies report negative results.

Critics question whether the amount and type of detergent released by these balls is sufficient to generate significant cleaning effects.

Dennis Barnum, a professor of inorganic chemistry at Portland State University, said that the liquid was just water with a blue dye and could not possibly have the effect claimed by the manufacturer.

Trade-Net offered a 'new' laundry ball product after this, but were forced to pay fines,[15] including $190,000 to Oregon's Department of Justice, $10,000 to Utah and then in April 1999, $155,000 to the states of New York, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma and the FTC.

[3] The US Federal Trade Commission published in 1999 about laundry balls, rings, and discs: "Tests show that these gadgets do little more than clean out your wallet.

"[18] In April 2009 the Italian consumer association Altroconsumo carried a small test and concluded that laundry balls didn't wash better than plain water.

[21] In 2009 the Spanish customer protection organization OCU studied ecobolas (a type of laundry ball marketed in Spain).

[4] In August 2012, the Portuguese Consumer Rights Council requested a ban on the washing balls because none of the advantages advertised were proven in tests.

Choice Australia states that they will refer the product to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission for investigation over Nanosmart's misleading claims.

[24] By making very vague claims, marketers can continue to sell laundry balls without running afoul of customer protection laws that require veracity in advertisement.