Sustainable Laundry Products

I’ve tried quite a few different sustainable laundry products over the years. Here is my round up on how they worked for me.  I do have some affiliate codes and refer a friend links that save you some money at no extra cost. It helps support the work I do. If you choose to use the codes, thank you. 

Why switch to an eco friendly laundry routine? Maybe your interested in trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle, or your looking to support a smaller company. Or maybe want to look into better packaging that isn’t plastic. This is the post for you then! 

To note all these laundry alternatives will be low suds so you won’t see a lot of bubbles in your machine. But just because there are little bubbles doesn’t mean it’s not cleaning. I also have a top loading machine and my reviews are based on using that. All products listed below are cruelty free as well. Lists are in no particular order below.

Dropps Pods

If you are used to pods then this would be the best transition for you. They come packaged in a cardboard box and they have carbon neutral shipping. If your not familiar with carbon neutral it basically means they offset the emissions of the shipping. I like that they are made in the US and are plant based in their ingredients. The only negative I found was that the pods outer lining is made from PVOH. Poly Vinyl Alcohol (known as PVA or PVOH). There have been concerns that water pollutants can convert polyvinyl alchol into phthalates, which are potentially harmful. (if you choose to continue to read about PVOH you can do so here.) However this is what dropps says about it on their website: 

 “As with most polymers, PVOH can be made to take many shapes and forms to give it different hardness and solubility properties. The degree of hydrolysis here is very important as it dictates the level of water solubility of the end product. High- hydrolysis PVOH is very water resistant and does not break down easily — think sturdy fishing nets. On the other hand, low/mid-hydrolysis PVOH is very water soluble, and that is what we use at Dropps. There are many uses for these films outside of laundry and home care. Food and personal care grade PVOH films, such as what is used in our pod products, are commonly used and sold in the US. Our PVOH pod technology also helps keep the active ingredients off your skin and prevents spills. PVOH is included on the CleanGredients® database (the definitive database of chemical ingredients whose formulations have been pre-approved by the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice Standard). There are over 50+ independent peer-reviewed scientific papers, including a significant body of work, citing over 190 peer-reviewed papers, supporting the use of PVOH.”

They recently just put out an impact report which you can read here. I really like how transparent they are as a company.

Price point they are very good with each pod equaling out to around .30 cents a pod. 64 count on subscription is $19.50. You can use my refer a friend link here for $15 off $30 minimum subscriptions for first time customers.

Planet Renu Fillable Concentrate

If a liquid concentrate is more your thing, then this might be for you. It ships in an aluminum bottle and a little product goes along way, since its a concentrate! It’s recommended to only use 1/2 oz per load. I ended up using the 8 oz bottle and did the math out. An 8 oz bottle (which costs $4.40) equals out to a total of 16 washes. Using 1/2 oz per load would make each load only cost 28 cents! I tried out the unscented version and was very happy with how it cleaned my clothes. They also offer other scents like a blend of lavender, rosemary & sandalwood.  Planet Renu also offers in store refillables, they are located in Walnet Creek, CA which is about 30 minutes outside of San Francisco. 

Blueland Tablets

If you are looking for a detergent with no PVOH’s then this one might be for you. They come shipped in a compostable bag and are B-Corp certified. I like that they are made in the US as well. You place the tablet at the bottom of your washer before adding your clothes. 

I have a top loader and I find these pods don’t dissolve all the way for me. I always wash in cold water (to save energy) so I’m wondering if thats why they aren’t fully dissolving for me. They often leave a weird white film on my darker clothing as well. I really wanted to like them but this was a no go for me. They do however have a oxiclean that I do find works very well. It’s gets hard stains off and helps to brighten whites. It comes in a power form and I find it doesn’t leave any residue like the tablets do. 

Price point the laundry tablets equal out to around .35 cents per pod. 60 tablets are $21

Tru Earth Sheets

I really like the idea of these sheets. They are lightweight to ship, can be ripped up for whatever size load you are washing, plus they are packaged in a cardboard envelope. They are made in Canada and the company does give back to charity’s in need. I love to use these when I travel. I often hand wash clothes in the sink/tub and the sheets are perfect for that! These sheets work great in cold or hot water, I have tested both and was very happy with the results. They also work great at home in the washing machine as well.  They also sell a fabric softener made from the same sheet material as the laundry detergent.  This is a great eco alternative to store bought fabric softeners.  I have not see many eco options out there for softeners.  So if you are a typical user of fabric softeners, this may be just the right eco pick for you! They offer unscented or scented choices in both products.

Price point they equal out to .50 cents a sheet. A 32 count is $15.95. MeMotherEarth even sells a sample pack with 2 sheets if you want to try it out before committing to a larger purchase. You can use my code AMBER10 

Tangie Concerate

If you are used to a liquid detergent then this is a good transition for you. This is a really innovative product and made in the US. It looks like a simple bar of soap but when you add your own water it becomes liquid laundry soap.  I like that they don’t sell you a container but they do encourage you to use whatever container you have around the house.  Old laundry jug? Milk carton? Mason jar?  They even provide you a little sticker to add to your container.

You simply cut off how much you want to make then place the bar in water. It does take a few hours to dissolve at first, so best to plan ahead. This only has 8 ingredients (with no PVOH!) which consist of coconut oil, olive oil, soap nut liquid, yucca powder (washing), baking soda (freshening), oxalic acid (stain lifting & whitening), salt (fabric softening), and rosemary oleoresin (preserve). It only takes one tablespoon per regular load. I really like they give you an option for having the soap packaged in a box or by itself. The unpackaged soap is actually a dollar less expensive too! It has a pleasant smell that is barely noticeable when in the liquid form. Find it here and use my code AMBER10 for a little discount. (Just be aware you have to spend $20 for the code to work.)

Price point this is probably the most affordable at .08 cents per load. One concentrate bar is $22.99 and will last for 256 loads. 

Soap Nuts

This is probably the most eco friendly option out there. They are the fruits of a small tree called Sapindus Mukorossi tree, native of the Himalayas and the mountainous region between India and Nepal.  Once picked and left to dry in the sun, these shells contain a natural cleaning agent called saponin that produces an effect comparable to soap.  If you are concerned about different types of scents or ingredients in your laundry soap then this is probably for you. The only ingredient is the soap nut!  You can directly throw the soap nut in a little bag with your laundry or make a liquid concentrate with them. I really wanted these to work for me but sadly they just didn’t. I find that they make a good laundry booster but I wouldn’t buy them again. I originally bought mine at Trader Joe’s and they no longer sell them there. Here is a link if you’re looking for some

Price point at Mountain Rose Herbs is $10 for a 1 pound bag. It’s hard to do the calculations of price per load on this. Most because I’m not sure how many pieces come in 1 pound. But to note you can reuse berries for 3-4 loads. Once finished they can be composted. 

What about homemade Laundry detergent? I started out making some years ago but found out quickly that it started leaving a buildup on my clothing and my washer.  Most recipes you’ll see on the internet are not for homemade laundry detergent they are homemade laundry soap. When using a diy soap based product on your clothes over time that soap builds up on the fibers and produces a waxy layer on your clothing.  That waxy layer then prevents the clothes from becoming clean.  Kind of like a repellent. This is not to say that a diy recipe couldn’t work, its just from my experience that I will skip the diy here.

Overall I personally find Tangie and Dropps to be the best for my top loader. These are both good alternatives if you are currently still using some type of commercial liquid or pod detergent.

Some other quick ways to use more sustainable actions in your laundry routine are:

1. Wash in cold water (saving that energy on not heating up water)

2. Always wash in larger quantities

3. Re-wear those clothes (those jeans don’t need to be washed after every use)

4. Line dry when possible (use the power of the sun!)

5. If you need to use the dryer try a wool laundry ball instead of using single use fabric sheets

6. Add a tablespoon of vinegar as a replacement for fabric softener if you are line drying (trust me it doesn’t make your clothes smell like vinegar).

Hope you found this helpful. I’ll continue to update this post if I try anymore products in the future. Happy sustainable laundering to you! 

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