Grab Green 3-in-1 Laundry Detergent Pods Review 2023 | Eco-friendly, plastic-free laundry detergent pods
The Top Line: We are a bit on the fence about Grab Green 3-in-1 Laundry pods. The positives: our laundry came out clean and smelling AMAZING (we got the geranium scent). Warm cozy scent that might be our absolute favorite of all the many laundry products we have tried. However, the price is on the more expensive side (albeit not the most expensive, still almost 2x the cost of Dropps (read our review here)!). Additionally, we did not love that the pods came in a plastic pouch that was marked number 7 recyclable — a 7 means it is often made out of multiple plastic types or out of other types of plastic that can't easily be recycled.
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.
Check out our Big Zero-Waste Laundry Roundup Review on The Reduce Report.
*Review Updated July 2023* to include the latest research on polymer Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) that is in this product.
The Breakdown:
Cost & Products: $11.99 for 24 loads, or $38.50 for 132 loads
How ‘Clean’ Is This? Minimal packaging, concentrated formula, biodegradable and septic-safe formula. However, we did see that there are sulfates in the product.
Packaging: Recyclable cardboard box, and a number 7 recyclable plastic pouch (which isn’t actually very recyclable, sadly).
Purchasing & Shipping: We purchased on the Grab Green website.
What’s Your Impact? 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.
The Experience
Context: We have tried many laundry pods, powders and strips/sheets, and currently fairly happy with Dropps (for pods), Meliora (for powder) and Beyond Laundry (for strips/sheets)!
We cannot say enough how much we LOVE the scent. We purchased the Geranium scent and our sheets and blankets smell like cozy heaven. Not too heavy of a scent, its perfection.
We ran a few loads of laundry with Grab Green 3-in-1 Laundry pods happy to confirm everything came out nice and clean!
Easier to use than powder options like Meliora as the sheets are pre-measured, but not more or less convenient than laundry pods
We are sad that the pods come in a plastic pouch. While it is labeled number 7 recyclable, 7 usually means it is made of too many types of plastics to be truly recyclable.
Overall, we liked the ease of use and the incredible scent! We wish it didn’t come in a plastic pouch though.
The Cost
There are A LOT of options out there for laundry — we compiled both powder and pod options for comparison, as well as another laundry sheet brand to get a well rounded comparison. Brands included in the comparison analysis below include Sheets Laundry Club, Beyond Laundry, Meliora, Dropps, Gain, Method, Seventh Generation:
Money Report: Grab Green 3-in-1 Laundry pods is an expensive laundry pod option. While not the most expensive, it is still 2X the cost of our frontrunner, Dropps (read our review here)!
The Good:
✔ Ease of use - no messes or spilling
✔ We LOVE LOVE LOVE the geranium scent - a very cozy scent
✔ Lightweight, no water means less energy used in transport
The Bad:
✗ Definitely a more expensive option
✗ In reviewing the ingredients, we are concerned about c10-16 alkyl benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt, which rates as a 5 according to EWG
✗ Came in a number 7 recyclable pouch; a 7 means it is often made out of multiple plastic types or out of other types of plastic that can't easily be recycled.
Our Recommendation: We are a bit on the fence about Grab Green 3-in-1 Laundry pods. The positives: our laundry came out clean and smelling AMAZING (we got the geranium scent). Warm cozy scent that might be our absolute favorite of all the many laundry products we have tried. However, the price is on the more expensive side (albeit not the most expensive, still almost 2x the cost of Dropps (read our review here)!). Additionally, we did not love that the pods came in a plastic pouch that was marked number 7 recyclable — a 7 means it is often made out of multiple plastic types or out of other types of plastic that can't easily be recycled.
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.
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!
