Dropps Oxi Booster Laundry Pods Review 2023 | Zero-waste, Natural Laundry Detergent
We used Dropps OxiBooster Laundry pods for a couple of weeks. Here's our review.
The Top Line:
BUY. Dropps OxiBoost Laundry Pods are a convenient, zero-waste option for laundry detergent. The product comes in a recyclable cardboard box and other than PVA, the ingredients are relatively clean. Clothes smell just plain old clean since these pods are free from fragrance. Cost-wise, you pay for the convenience of pods compared to powder, but Dropps are some of the cheapest pre-measured options around.
The Breakdown:
Cost & Products: $25 for a one time, 64-pod, up to 192 for $75. Save 25% if you subscribe, reducing your cost to $18.75 - $56.25.
How ‘Clean’ Is This? The product does contain PVA. Dropps discloses all of the ingredients here on their website. Many ingredients are on the “Safer” EPA list.
Packaging: Comes in a cardboard box!
Purchasing & Shipping: The Dropps website is pretty easy to order from.
Good to know: Plastic is one of the least recycled materials in the US.
Good to know, Pt 2: Dropps has bulk options for those with space to store 1,000 pods at a time (!).
What’s Your Impact? Overall, better ingredients compared to drugstore brands. No plastic packaging! Pods come in cardboard boxes, which are fully recyclable.
Traditional liquid laundry detergents are usually packaged in high density polyethylene. 68% of these bottles are not recycled and contribute to the approximately 275 metric tons of plastic waste that goes into our oceans and waterways annually. A family of 4 would typically go through 5-6 plastic jugs of laundry detergent (that can be used for 64 loads) over the course of a year.
Note: This product does include a polymer called Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) — which, while it can biodegradable, it requires very specific conditions in order to do so that most US wastewater treatment facilities in the US are not set up for (study on degradation of PVA in US Wastewater Treatment Plants), which can lead to partially degraded plastic in the environment. TLDR: Biodegradable products that include PVA (which is found in many dishwasher and detergent pods) isn’t quite as clean as it is advertised to be, but still a step up from traditional bottled cleaners.
The Good:
✔ Unscented - we love that
✔ Clothes came out just soft and smelling clean/freshly washed
✔ Cleans really well
✔ No plastic packaging
✔ Ultra concentrated formula - fewer emissions
✔ No messy measuring with the convenient pods
✔ Better ingredients over drugstore brands
✔ Reasonably priced with the subscription option
The Bad:
✗ Contains PVA
The Experience
Review: Prior to going even greener, we have used the normal Seventh Generation (powder and liquid), Tide, and Method for all of our clothes. For stains, we had been using OxiClean’s stain remover here and there. We have washed all kinds of clothes and items with Dropps Oxi Booster and here’s our experience:
We loved how clean-feeling the laundry has come out ever time we used these pods
Using pods is less messy and quicker than powder or liquid formula
Boost to color was subtle
Used it on our colors and they’ve come out great
The Cost
Context: We assumed that the average household of 4 will generate 7 loads of laundry per week or 365 loads per year! We will compare Dropps Oxi Booster to a other detergents, including OxiClean, Grab Green , Clean People, Blueland, and Meliora. We also included the original Dropps and Tide PureClean.
Money Report: Whether you get a Dropps in 64, 128, or 192 count, the price per load does not change. You only save money if you subscribe — and those savings are huge at 25% — making the cost really reasonable if you subscribe. Alternatively, you can buy 1,000 (!) at a time. Dropps OxiBoost Laundry Pods are really a great deal - you only get a better deal going to powder options like Meliora or OxiClean.
Our Recommendation:
BUY. Dropps OxiBoost Laundry Pods are a convenient, zero-waste option for laundry detergent. The product comes in a recyclable cardboard box and other than PVA, the ingredients are relatively clean. Price-wise, you pay for the convenience of pods compared to powder, but Dropps are some of the cheapest pre-measured options around.
We're on a mission to reduce our personal carbon footprint with small, hopefully easy, changes in our home to fight against climate change. This means we're looking for products that may be all natural, ideally zero waste, reusable or compostable -- while still being affordable!
