Gin cocktails and celeb styling with Ecover

Produced in association with Ecover

Environmentally friendly cleaning products have come a long way.

A long time ago, it felt like there was a formula you could apply to green home care, that went something like this:

G + P = C

Where G is green credentials, P is price and C is a complete inability to get anything clean.

It’s not like that any more though. Green cleaning doesn’t have to mean that you compromise on standards OR take out a bank loan for the privilege. Nowadays you’re not even really a proper middle class mum without a bottle of Ecover washing up liquid by the sink. For me, Ecover is THE green cleaning brand. They’ve been around since 1979 – almost as long as me – so it’s no wonder they’ve built up such a great reputation in that time for innovation and efficiency.

I got to find out a bit more about Ecover, and in particular their new laundry liquid range and fragrances, when I went along recently to an event they were holding in London. I definitely did NOT just go on the promise of gin cocktails – that was just a welcome bonus. Honest. (They were so good.)

Ecover laundry liquid

Because laundry liquid on its own isn’t exactly the most riveting of topics, Ecover laid on a couple of extra laundry related activities. First up, we had one minute to sort coloured washing from whites and load a machine…

ONLY KIDDING!

That would be a rubbish way to spend an evening.

Instead I got to spend some time with celebrity stylist Alex Longmore. Alex has styled some of the most famous people in the world, (she had some great stories about Joan Collins), so it was only natural that the next step for her would be to spend ten minutes with ME yes?

Ecover laundry liquid

Alex had loads of practical tips and it was particularly interesting as I’ve just had new wardrobes fitted and have been thinking a lot about my clothes lately. Alex reaffirmed that I was right to indulge my habit of regularly throwing clothes away – there’s really no point hanging onto things that don’t make you feel good about yourself. (Metaphor for life there guys.)

I asked Alex about shoes too. Shoes are where my wardrobe lets me down, as I’ve just never been able to get on with anything with a heel. I end up in Converse or trainers, and I always feel like I should be upping my shoe game. Apparently though, you don’t have to have heels to look sexy. What I need instead are some sparkly flats – something a bit glam that doesn’t wreck my feet. I’m going to be on the lookout now.

Ecover laundry liquid

We also had a go at putting our olfactory skills to the test. Cassandra Browning is Ecover’s fragrance expert and she explained to us the huge amount of work that goes into developing new scents for the range, all inspired by nature.

It’s a complicated business – not only do you have to come up with fragrance pairings that blend well together in the individual laundry liquids, but you also have to think about how those are then going to compliment the smells in the fabric softener. You can’t just bung a load of rose petals in a jam jar like I used to do as a child – it’s a very precise science. I’ve been using the Honeysuckle and Jasmine laundry liquid since the event and it makes my clothes smell amazing.

Ecover laundry liquid

Cassandra had a selection of individual scents with her, and we were tasked with trying to identify them.

‘Is there a prize?’ I asked. (Typical me after a gin cocktail.)

‘Um… my praise and pride?’ suggested Cassandra, looking a bit nervous.

‘That’ll do me!’

I set about sniffing. (And, more importantly, taking pictures.)

Ecover laundry liquid

Ecover laundry liquid

I think I did fairly well, although Cassandra didn’t give me a certificate or say I was her star pupil or anything, so hey ho. It was really interesting though, especially the smells that were totally not what you were expecting. If you think of violet as a scent for example, then you probably think of violet creams or parma violets, (I do anyway), but it was actually a very ‘green’ smell – almost like olive oil. Not what you’d imagine at all.

It was really interesting to think about what exactly goes on behind the scenes of a brand like Ecover, and to be made to think in a wider context about the clothes we wear and what they say about us. Plus, having taken home some samples to try, I can confirm that Ecover has totally busted the whole G + P = C formula myth. Not only do my clothes smell lovely but there are no issues at all with efficacy – everything has come out of the wash spotless.

And I got to meet The Ordinary Lovely, who really WAS lovely, and pose with her with our goody bags. Who doesn’t love a goody bag?

Ecover laundry liquid

If you’re interested in finding out more about Ecover, why not visit the Ecover website and take a look at their full range of cleaning products. They do all sorts, from hob cleaners to hand soap, so it’s well worth a look if you want powerful cleaning that doesn’t cost the earth. (And that smells great too.)

Ecover laundry liquid

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2 Comments

  1. 3 October, 2017 / 6:50 pm

    I think we need to work on our goody bag posing ;) How’s the shoe hunting going? Any joy? x

    • Jo Middleton
      Author
      5 October, 2017 / 11:54 am

      What do you mean?? We’re naturals! I have been keeping my eyes open for sparkly flats, but I haven’t bought anything yet. I HAVE bought some plain tops and trousers though to balance out all the patterns in my wardrobe!

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