The Big Zero-Waste Laundry Roundup Review | Dropps vs Blueland vs Cleancult vs Truman's and more
The Top Line: We have 3 recommendations based on the form factor:
Laundry Powder: Meliora Laundry Powder
Meliora is your pick if you are looking for the least expensive AND cleanest option — we love how simple the ingredient list is (5 ingredients!!) and it’s less expensive than Tide powder! There are no reasons to not go green with your laundry with Meliora. Only downside is if you don’t like powder, especially for front loading machines, powder can get messy.
Laundry Pods / Tablets: Dropps Laundry Pods
For something more convenient, Dropp’s laundry pods are pre-measured (no waste!) and makes it super simple for you to get the detergent into your laundry drum. It’s also the least expensive laundry pod option out there if you are able to buy in bulk. Dropps comes in versions that are made for sensitive skin and tougher stains as well.
Laundry Strips / Sheets: Beyond 100% Plastic Free Laundry Sheets
Our biggest reason for using laundry strips are the scent — we miss that linen scent with the laundry pods (for some reason none of them come with linen scent). Laundry sheets are just as convenient as laundry pods in that they are also pre-measured and easy to put into the laundry drum. However, laundry strips are generally much more expensive — Beyond 100% is the least expensive of the laundry sheet options that we’ve tried, and smells amazingly linen-y fresh.
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 Comparison & Experience
After trying dozens of zero-waste and low-waste laundry detergent options, we think there are 4 key areas for comparison:
Ingredients: We are big fans of Meliora for the simplicity of their ingredient list — just 5 ingredients in their laundry powder: Baking soda, Washing soda, Vegetable soap, Lavender oil
Ease of Use: Pods and laundry strips are definitely easier to use than a liquid or a powder. Amongst pods, we like Dropps primarily due to their awesome customer experience and very affordable pricing. For laundry strips, which are generally most expensive of the options, we like Beyond 100% which is less expensive in the category.
Scent: We are a fan of linen scents and like Beyond 100% laundry strips here.
Cost: Meliora laundry powder wins here — its even cheaper than Tide powder!
The Cost:
We have tried a number of eco-friendly, plastic-free or low-waste laundry options — including pods, packs, sheets, and powders — including Meliora, Cleancult, Dropps, Sheets Laundry Club, Grove Collaborative and more. We took a look at cost per load and estimated annual cost assuming that a typical family of four probably generates between 8 and 10 loads of laundry per week:
Money Report: Meliora and Dropps come out to be the most affordable options — with Meliora being almost shockingly inexpensive, even when compared with Tide laundry powder!
Read More:
Beyond 100% Plastic Free Laundry Sheets
Seventh Generation Zero Plastic Laundry Detergent Tablets
Truman’s Get a Load of This Laundry Bars
Grove Collaborative Laundry Detergent
Our Recommendation: We have 3 recommendations based on the form factor:
Laundry Powder: Meliora Laundry Powder
Meliora is your pick if you are looking for the least expensive AND cleanest option — we love how simple the ingredient list is (5 ingredients!!) and it’s less expensive than Tide powder! There are no reasons to not go green with your laundry with Meliora. Only downside is if you don’t like powder, especially for front loading machines, powder can get messy.
Laundry Pods / Tablets: Dropps Laundry Pods
For something more convenient, Dropp’s laundry pods are pre-measured (no waste!) and makes it super simple for you to get the detergent into your laundry drum. It’s also the least expensive laundry pod option out there if you are able to buy in bulk. Dropps comes in versions that are made for sensitive skin and tougher stains as well.
UPDATE 25 May 2021: $10 off orders with SUNNY10, Until June 1!
Laundry Strips / Sheets: Beyond 100% Plastic Free Laundry Sheets
Our biggest reason for using laundry strips are the scent — we miss that linen scent with the laundry pods (for some reason none of them come with linen scent). Laundry sheets are just as convenient as laundry pods in that they are also pre-measured and easy to put into the laundry drum. However, laundry strips are generally much more expensive — Beyond 100% is the least expensive of the laundry sheet options that we’ve tried, and smells amazingly linen-y fresh.
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!
