Neutralise instantly dechlorinates tap water, protecting beneficial microbes from the harmful effects of both chlorine and chloramine. It's ideal for conditioning tap water before adding microbial products such as Biosys.
Recommended dosage: 1 drop/Litre of water.
Watering growing media or soil with fresh tap water (or a tap water made nutrient solution) will kill some of the root zone microbes, mainly at the surface and within the top 1/3rd of the pot.
As the water is distributed over this area first, this is where most of the chlorine oxidising occurs and as is passes down through the pores and channels it will reduced into harmless low levels of chloride ions that the plants and microbes can use.
Chlorine compounds also antagonise root growth of some plants, studies have shown reduced root growth and plant health in hydroponic lettuce when chloramine is present at typical tap water levels.
No. Chlorine and chloramine will make beneficial microbial products much less effective. If making microbial teas such as Biosys, using untreated tap water is a bad idea as the chlorine in the water will antagonise the organisms attempting to be activated in the water.
If, like many organic or hydro gardeners, you are trying to culture beneficial microorganisms in your soil, coco or hydro system, it’s best to dechlorinate the water first to give them the best environment possible for growth to flourish.
In the UK the average amount of total chlorine is 0.5mg/l. This is a target that water companies try to keep, but can it go up to 1mg/l. The world health organisation set a health based guideline of 5mg/L for drinking water.
You can purchase a chlorine test kit or digital meter to give you a better idea. We have used and recommend the Hanna Handheld Colorimeters - HI-701 Free Chlorine and HI-711 Total Chlorine. If you have both, you can subtract the Free Chlorine result from the total chlorine result to let the know the combined/bound chlorine - which is predominantly the chloramine content.
We have tested the tap water at our offices in Sheffield on multiple occasions at different times of day. We have found the upper total chlorine to be 0.5mg/l, this is usually at peak water use times like early morning and late afternoon, and lower level to be 0.3mg/l. There seems to be a consistent amount of chloramine at 0.2mg/l, and a more variable amount of free chlorine depending on how quickly it's moving through the municipal water supply system.
Neutralise is formulated to deal with 0.6mg/l of total chlorine (free chlorine and chloramine) when used at 1ml per 20L, or if using the dropper bottle 1 drop per L.
Most tap water will have 0.5mg/L total chlorine or less, so Neutralise will deal with the majority of situations. If you have more that 0.6mg/L total chlorine then you can use a double dose, 2 drops or 1 ml per 10L.
Each drop is consistently 0.05ml (50 microlitres)
Neutralise is ideal for treating water before adding microbial products or liquid nutrients, and is suitable for use with any other brand of nutrient or additive. Neutralise will not affect the final conductivity, but is mildly acidic and can reduce the pH of soft tap water by 0.1. If you have moderate or hard tap water you will not notice any effect on pH.
Water filtration is another great way to reduce chlorine compounds. A good quality inline water filter containing granular activated carbon will deal with the majority of free chlorine from tap water, working in the same way as Ecothrive Neutralise; as reduction agent converting chlorine to chloride. Inline carbon filters do not adsorb chlorine or remove chloride. For complete removal you will need a Reverse Osmosis filter.
We offer free mainland delivery on all orders over £60
All plants are shipped using express next day services with DPD, UPS, Parcelforce and Royal Mail.
We offer economy shipping (3-5 day dispatch) and standard delivery (1-3 day dispatch).
For guaranteed next day dispatch please selected Express shipping at checkout available at an additional cost.
For a full breakdown of shipping prices please see our help center here.
Winter shipping is available in the winter months at an additional cost and includes heatpacks and thermal insulation where necessary.
For more information, please see our comprehensive shipping FAQs
We pride ourselves on the love and care with give our plants. Our entire team are plant obsessives at heart and so we go above and beyond to care for the plants we have in stock.
That said, plants are living beings and may differ slightly from the photo provided unless otherwise stated. Small leaf imperfections may be present and won't be compensated for.
Some plants such as Begonia may suffer slight leaf melt when shipped. This is normal and nothing to be concerned about.
All our plants are stores and/or grown in our nursery under LED lighting so they are in active growth when arriving with you.
The conditions in our nursery are a minimum of 60% humidity and 19C year round.
If you have any questions about caring for your plants or setting up your home for success, don't hesitate to contact us.
See behind the box with these awesome unboxing videos from some of our favourite Youtubers.
We've tested and refined our packaging across tens of thousands of orders over the years. Our streamlined system uses minimal materials while ensuring maximum protection.
Plus, every plant comes with a 7-day live arrival guarantee—so if the unexpected happens, we've got you covered!
We're a team of plant enthusiasts who understand the joy of receiving a new plant. That’s why we go the extra mile to ensure every order brings the same excitement.
Our packaging process is designed with quality control at its core—each plant is carefully inspected by hand before shipping to guarantee it arrives healthy, pest-free, and in perfect condition.
All our houseplants arrive fully potted and ready to grow—no extra fuss required! They make incredible gifts for any plant lover (or soon-to-be plant parent!). 🎁
Want to send a surprise? We can ship your gift directly to the recipient, and if you leave a greeting message at checkout, we’ll swap out the invoice for a gift note—because who doesn’t love a little extra plant happiness in their day? 🌿✨
