It’s a great idea to try to be as eco-friendly as possible, but it can be difficult to combine your conscience with cleaning convenience and efficiency.It’s all very well being Green, but not so attractive if your wardrobe or sheets smell or haven’t been washed properly.That’s particularly true with kid’s clothes, which do tend to get more wear and tear and more mud and dirt than the commuter-stained clothing grown-up’s might wear.

Eco gift ideas that help solve that dilemma come no better than a product called eco balls. Voted one of the “Ten Best Green Household Products” by The Independent newspaper no less, eco balls provide environmentally friendly washing and outstandingly good cleaning to boot.They effectively replace washing detergents of any kind, but still produce excellent laundry results.Lasting for as much as 1,000 washes, the hypoallergenic eco balls produce ionized oxygen that activates water molecules and allows them to penetrate deep into clothing fibres to lift the dirt away.

The eco balls are also antibacterial, effectively killing Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus.   Eco gifts like these are not only chemical-free and environmentally friendly, they also prove that being cognisant of the environment can go hand-in-hand with saving money too!   Using them will save around 85% when compared to leading washing powder brands.They also soften any clothing without needing fabric conditioner, so you can save money there too.The eco balls operate just as effectively on a cold water wash, reducing electricity costs and water bills to save even more hard cash as well as the planet.

Once they are cleaned to your satisfaction, the eco-washed clothes can be stored in equally eco-friendly circumstances.  A laundry basket made from seagrass or bamboo will keep your clothes conveniently ready for ironing or wearing in a container that will allow them to breathe naturally and is made from eco friendly materials as well as being sourced from co-operatives supporting fair pay and rights for workers.

The important things about a gift are sensitivity and appropriateness to the person and the location you intend it for. That’s especially true of the bedroom, whether you’ve got an ornate boudoir or just simple sleeping quarters.Increasingly, there’s another consideration to be taken into account when choosing gifts intended for the most personal room in the house.   Apart from the thought behind it, gifts should be ethically and responsibly sourced, manufactured and distributed in order to be truly appreciated.

The bedroom can be a haven for eco-friendly and responsibly sourced products that relax your body and ease your principles.    Eco gift ideas for the bedroom can cover a huge selection of bedroom furnishings, organic cotton sheets or seagrass laundry baskets to simple recycled glass bedside water carafes.These bedroom accessories and gifts can be both luxurious and ethical to create a unique personal space.

The finest organic cotton and fair trade bed linen is not only sumptuously soft and made to last, it will also help you create the perfect look for your room.  You can snuggle safe and warm, secure in the knowledge that the ethics involved in the production and distribution of your sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases is unimpeachable.In most cases the organic cotton bed linen is produced by co-operatives that improve the lives of marginalised peasant farmers providing work under fair trade terms for a fair wage and without child labour.

Home furnishings too can be just as ethically responsible as well as being attractive.  Colourful fabrics can enliven your living space with throws made from reclaimed yarn on traditional looms.Stunning recycled vases are available from overseas suppliers who create beautiful items from the contents of urban recycling bins or handmade gifts by award winning designers and graduates of Central St. Martin’s School of Art & Design.