Dropps is not made of vegetables but the same polyvinyl alcohol (plastic) that other detergent has :( they say online it decomposes with microbes but only certain cities has that technology in their water treatment facilities. Really disappointed when I learned that!
I really enjoyed this topic - thanks! I’ve been using a laundry powder I get through Earth Hero and I really like it. The brand is Meliora. The first order comes in a reusable metal canister with a metal scoop, but for subsequent orders you can select a paper bag refill with no scoop. The lemon/lavender/clove scent is so wonderful. The powder is made of all natural ingredients and gets clothes perfectly clean. I ha e no affiliation, just wanted to suggest another great option!
That’s the way I learned growing up. We got our detergent from the coop market and only used 1/4 cup while Tide & the big boys said to use a cup or more on their box. Turns out they (Tide, etc) used filler of wood pulp to get customers to use more, and if you hung the cloths out on a line to dry your cloths were stiff as a board… hence the introduction of “fabric softeners. Vicious cycle 🔁. Never have used fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
Just an FYI on the Oxy-Boost. It's best if that is disloved in *HOT* water. But that doesn't mean you have to do a hot water load of laundry. You can get some hot water in a small container, disolve it and then poor it on your load of laundry.
I didn't have a problem using truearth in cold water. I normally make my own detergent with foraged horse chestnuts (conkers) but washing cloth diapers right now and supposedly that is not great so I go for either truearth or "granny's" detergent, a powder that comes in a 10kg tub.and is labeled as eco friendly. It lasts forever and I reuse the tub for other things when I'm done with it. Bonus is that it basically costs a Canadian dollar per kg.
I use the Dropps and I’m pretty sure it says somewhere that you have to put the soap at the bottom of your drum first, THEN your clothes. That might be your issue. It works great for me.
It's good to see there are more options. I hope that more people are encouraged to make the switch to more zero waste/eco-friendlier detergents. Thanks to one of your previous videos I switched to True Earth. Thankfully I've not encountered the problems you've had with them and I'm super pleased with the zero plastic and the extra space it's given me :-) You may have covered this in a previous video but I'm curious about better options for interdental sticks, floss and moth-washes. I can't use floss so I use interdental sticks. I've tried a couple eco-brands but unfortunately have had some real problems with them. I should check again now to see what newer options exist but if you ever do a video on those types of products I'd be very grateful.
This was very informative for me. True Earth was the first laundry sheet brand that I tried, and I absolutely loved it up until at least in my experience the size of the sheet they sent was reduced by about half. I now currently use a brand called Truly Free Home, formerly My Green Fills. Their concept is that they send you the jugs, and then your future refills come in little packets that you pour in and Duluth with warm water. The reason I love them is because they have a softener that is all natural, and it really does work. Since I can't see, your sniff tests, albeit rather silly were actually quite helpful.
My question, with ALL of these, is do they work well on stains. I'm a farmer. My clothes are DIRTY. I've been using Sheets Laundry Club for about 6 months. Fine for regular wash, but don't love them for stains/heavy grime. Waiting for someone to do a side by side swatch test with a bunch of these.
Much thanks for your reviews. While the packaging itself for the Dropps pods appears to be plastic-free, it looks like the product itself (like other pods) does include plastic, which presumably drains out into the water and ends up negatively affecting the environment.
Great review as always!! I have Earthbreeze and it works well plus they donate 10 loads to people in need such as Veterans (where I selected), all kinds of shelters and disaster relief. But I think I will want to try Molly Suds active wear powder since I like using powder detergent as well.
Once I get through my box of dropps I'm planning to swap to something else. Honestly, tired of having to either use more water or warmer water to not have stains on my clothes. Thanks for the video! Hoping some of these will have better results.
I use dropps and you need to do a deep water wash if you have that setting on your washer. Whenever I use them with a regular eco wash with less water, I get the residue.
Dropps does have cold water mesh bags so that you don't get anything left on your clothes. If you do get it on your clothes just rinse in warm water. I haven't had any issues with Dropps when I use the cold water bags.
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Any mesh bag should work. I find the pods work best for me since I don't have to measure anything and it's simpler. I have ADHD and work full time while going back to school so the easier and fewer steps the more likely I am to get stuff done. I think if you used pods a lot it's worth it as it's reusable and a one time purchase, but if not it's less worth it. You can use warm water to help it dissolve but that also defeats the point somewhat too. The sheets might be better if you want the simplicity of pods but not have to get the cold water bags or use warm water. Powder is probably best eco wise but is a bit more messy and takes measuring.
I already had a few mesh laundry bags, one of them being around 8"x8" and I just use that to put the pods in. I wash on cold water and since putting it in my own mesh bag, have never had an issue with residue. Interestingly, since I started putting in the mesh bag, I haven't even found the pod to have not dissolved or left any residue in the bag. Not sure if the bag helps to disintegrate the pod in some way. But I've found the bag works really great for us.
@@Murburns I think it helps it stay in the water more since it's not stuck to something plus it also would be agitated more by the machine as well. Since using the bag it hasn't been an issue at all.
here in Finland one company manufactures eco soap bar it can be made into a detergent solution by grating it into water this solution can be used to clean all surfaces of the home as well as used for laundry
Check out Cocosuds liquid soap concentrate. One pound washes 160 loads packed in reusable cotton bag, no plastic and ships in post consumer recycled box sealed with biodegradable tape.
I used to have an issue with Dropps and residue and contacted the company. I only use cold water and often had SMELLY DIRTY clothes (think long distance exercise in heat, veterinary office and muddy camping wet trips) I did use the cold water mesh bags from Dropps and put the detergent in BOTTOM of the tub. No more residue and great smelling non stained clothes. This year I switched from the Dropps pods to the Dropps concentrated liquid with a refillable glass pump bottle. It is THE BEST! Squirt 4 pumps in to the bottom of washer and add clothes. Also FYI finally got a dishwasher after reading how much MORE water I was using to hand wash my dishes. I tried every eco brand dishwasher soap and Dropps is best. Dropps also is a Benefit Corp, and does good. So I am sticking with them. The hand soap and dishwashing detergent also great and comes in refillable glass bottles .(the refills come ready to fill the bottle) AND I LOVE the Lavender /Eucalyptus mild scent. Thanks!
So unfortunately most (if not all) Laundry pods and Laundry Sheets are made with PVA (also known as PVOH or PVAL)-- a petroleum derived “dissolvable plastic.” Its biodegradable only if certain conditions are met and those conditions aren't met in most waste processing plants in The States. I'm currently using Lazy Coconuts right now. As for cleaning it works fine. I have no complaints and it's reasonably priced too. I'm not sure if I'm going to reorder it. Is it more eco friendly to use it then something in a plastic jug thats made from plants?
how sad! i can't believe they advertise as plastic-free :( but yes sheets are SO much more eco-friendly when it comes to shipping! Check out my first laundry review linked in the description, I did a full explanation in that video
I later found out (and think I wrote it on the screen) that it should just be used as a stain remover directly applied to the clothes. Their directions should be on their website :)
I tried Earth Breeze for a while, liked it fine as it did a good job on my clothes. BUT... it's manufactured in China... I started looking for an option made here in N. America. Tru Earth and Clean People are manufactured in Canada and U.S. I hope these eco friendly detergents catch on.
Yes so agree, I was thinking this the whole time, wondering what the ingredients were in each product because that matters to in terms of being eco friendly. Could be contributing adding harmful chemical into the environment. It really is a whole picture and everything must be considered, ingredients is just as important as packaging for sustainability and regeneration.
I find I sometimes need to look up ingredients individually as well bc think dirty, ewg or other resources may not have all the info and data available
I've been using dropps for over a year. My only issue has been that I now have a laundry room that is not insulated and their pods will burst from extreme weather. Never had any issues with the dish pods. I've also recently purchased their hand soap concentrate pods.
First I love your new glasses and your cute shirt at the end!! ❤️❤️ loved the reviews as well. I just bought a big ole box of Tru Earth and realized later that it isn’t our favorite. We had trouble with our clothes smelly dirty and musty after washing them. Not sure why. Once I make it through this big box I will be trying something new. I use them for my whites that I use bleach with and a name brand powder (ugh) for our other clothes. It does come in a cardboard box. I think I’ll be trying the powder detergent you reviewed!!
I just read a blog post which said you should put the drops pods in the washer before you add the clothes in, to keep them fully submerged the whole time, and to put them in the cold water pouch to help them stay fully submerged in the water. I'm bummed to find out about the film being made of polyvinyl alcohol like all the conventional laundry tablets though, which seems like it's just plastic that does dissolve in water but is still harmful to marine life. I dont get why they'd be able to market it as plastic free or plant-derived while stating it's a PVA pouch though
Yeah Dropps themselves suggeted that to me after I reviewed them. I will have to try that! And also HOW IS IT PLASTIC FREE I learned that from another commenter and that makes me very frustrated....that's not eco at all :(
I sent dropps a question, forgiving them the benefit of the doubt to ask if their polyvinyl alchohol is any different to the one used by conventional brands and that if it is then it might not biodegrade fully and harm marine life, hopefully they'll respond.
Here is their response: Thank you for reaching out to us - we sincerely appreciate your concern! We design all our products with the safety of you, your family, and the planet as our top priority. In fact, safety is one of the reasons we use PVOH - our pod technology keeps the active ingredients off your skin and prevents spills. We carefully review all scientific and technical information available when formulating our products, and we disagree with certain statements claiming PVOH is not biodegradable. PVOH does not break down into microplastics as defined by California law, and we believe that the usage of PVOH in cleaning products does not have any detrimental effects on oceans, rivers or marine life. PVOH is included on the EPA’s CleanGredients database (the definitive database of chemical ingredients whose formulations have been pre-approved by the U.S. EPA to meet the criteria of their 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. I hope this helps provide some clarity, please let me know if there is anything else I can help with!
I finally had a few minutes to watch this video! Life has honestly been crazy lately. Anyways, I love your review videos, as usual. They are always so helpful when I'm trying to figure out how to transition something into a more sustainable option. I really want to try the sheets. They are such an amazing concept and I'm glad you found some that actually work well! I've tried the Molly Suds Oxygen Whitener and love it for white loads. It doesn't work as well as bleach, but it is a great eco-friendly option.
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I need detergent now so definitely going to give them a shot. Random question: what do you recommend or what did you do with menstrual cups that didn’t work for you? I’ve got one I tried and one that has never been used, but idk what to do with them.
@@erintannehill yay how exciting! Ugh great question!! BUT there is this cool FB group I found where you can resell your gently used (and heavily sanitized) reusable menstrual products!
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Hey Emma! I want to let you know that I'm converted to laundry sheets! I am using the Earth Breeze and LOVE THEM! They do a great job on pretty much everything. The only exception I have is my husband's clothes after he does mechanic work. I am still finding that I have to use liquid detergent, but the great news is that he doesn't always do mechanic work so I won't be using it nearly as often as I was before switching to the sheets. Thank you for helping me make another zero waste swap!
I really did enjoy the Dropps, but we have a HE front loader, and we'd end up with the gel pod not dissolving fully, stuck to our clothes, which feels like (but is not) hard plastic once it dries. You can re-wash them to remove it...but then I feel like it's wasting. And we did have a problem with their scent booster pods, which are the powder as well, and they did leave behind bits all over in the laundry, so we ultimately stopped using the brand. :(
Nice review. I only recently learned about laundry sheets, and tried them a few months ago on a trip where I stayed a month with a friend that was using obnoxiously strong fragrant tide pods… so I ordered the smallest packet of sheets to try that had good reviews. They worked great in both hot, warm & cold water. . So this video review is a year old, and I just watch your review from a couple of months ago where you disclosed that ALL of the sheets have poly-something in them, and poly = plastic. Uh. Now the baking soda brand has come out with sheets and the ingredient lists not only poly-whatever, but the chemicals I’m trying to avoid. . Thanks for reviewing the powdered one & the bar you grate over the washer. Neither of those would work well for me traveling 🧳. Keep up the good reviewing.
I thought you were supposed to put detergent in first (at the bottom, before clothes) in a top loading washer? Maybe that’s why the drops created an issue for you?
Dropps did NOT work for me. I ended up having to use like 3-4 for each regular load cause the stink was still there regardless of water temperature. I bought a bulk load and it did last because I bought it over a year ago and just finished but I will never buy again. Also, the pods like 40% of the time would not dissolve/partially dissolve which was extremely frustrating (even when using warm water). 1/10 DO NOT recommend. I'm thinking based off your video that I'll try KIND laundry next.
We have been using Dropps laundry pods and oxy booster pods for months and we have never had any issues with residue on our clothes... I wonder what’s different for you?
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist You didn’t come back at the end of the Dropps load to say how it smelled. Good to know it smelled good since I just ordered some over the weekend. 😀
Even if you buy Seventh Generation , just like Tide and other brand pods... NONE dissolve unless using really hot water and an extra long wash. I contacted Seventh Generation and Tide about this. Turns out both are aware the labels say will dissolve in cold water, but in truth do not. New labels are to be in the future. I'm not buying them ever again. As far as Ethique and any bar, you can let it sit in hot water for a few minutes and remove. Let bar air dry and use the liquid you made in the machine. Much easier!
I watched another review of Dropps and a lady who used it said her gym clothes still smelled like sweat after they were washed. That's why I'm afraid of trying some of the eco friendly detergent.
I've been using Dropps for over a year now and I've run into a similar issue especially the armpit areas of shirts. I've found using additional oxybooster works for me. I also put my detergent pods and oxybooster pods in first with warm water till they suds up, then switch to cold water and add my clothes. That's been working well for me.
There are cardboard boxes with powder detergents which I use. Like the bambino mix detergent without fragrance, fairy etc. I won't bother with things that don't clean well. If anyone can provide me a bed cleaner than mine that only would convince me.
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist thank you. I couldn't say from the video that they are plastic. I haven't seen loose powder detergent in a plastic box yet, thankfully. That's absolutely terrible and unnecessary.
I'm changing eco laundry brands and was rewatching this video before ordering. You complained about dropps not dissolving all of the way. On their website they sell little mesh bags for if you use cold water or multiple pods. I guess the catch the debris? 🤷🏻♀️ They didn't explain why, but maybe that would have helped. But also, I noticed when I first started using Blueland, I would have little grains of detergent left behind. Apparently you're supposed to add the detergent FIRST then your clothes. I didn't have a problem with it dissolving after I fixed that, even with cold water. I wonder how those other brands would have performed if loaded in the same order.
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist that's good to know! I almost went with them, but decided I wanted to look more into PVA first. It's hard to tell what's true, and what being blown out of proportion about it. 🤷🏻♀️
@@bethn2836 I find it hard to find a detergent without PVA that isn't a powder. The studies aren't the greatest on PVA. Is it microplastics? we don't really know. All i know is that any of these options is much much better than what is traditionally used
I used Drops with the little drawer on my washer and I still always find the plastic pod in that compartment. Thank you for this video I am looking for a better detergent! Very helpful!
I’ve been using earth breeze for a while and loved it, love the plastic free and compostable packaging but now I’m skeptical because my towels and whites seem to be getting more dingy :( Has anyone had that issue? I’m trying to find a better zero waste detergent alternative
I love that you added your husband doing laundry too. I hate videos where the female does everything, including folding his underwear… Also, instead of saying you’re lazy, say you prefer efficiency ;)
he's the laundry man!! we love to share chores :) haha i'm cool calling myself lazy, i don't see it as an insult in this case but i love that wording too!
As someone who has several (random seeming) chemical intolerances/allergies, I am limited to a few options for laundry soap. Unfortunately, none that I am safe with are from ethical brands 😢😢. So as a work around to this issue i do two things. 1. I purchase the largest size container in a scent that I am safe with reaction wise. 2. I then use only about ⅕ to ¼ of the amount that is recommended by the detergent company (granted I frequently have to do two wash cycles for my clothing because I wear my outfits several days in a row courtesy of severe chronic pain issues so my clothing, particularly socks, get quite dirty and needs the second wash so I normally only end up using about ⅓ of the total amount recommended by the time both cycles are done).
We’re 21 years professional manufacturer engaged in the research,development,prodcution,sales and service of ECO-friendly households cleaning products. Do u want to customize ur own brand of Cleaning Sheets?
there actually ARE zero waste many things! For example, Meliora laundry detergent IS zero waste since zero waste encapsulates recycling and composting. Check out this video to learn more about what zero waste is: ua-cam.com/video/QY5ZOT2T1uU/v-deo.html
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist no there are no zero waste. everything we manufacture creates waste. where did you get the raw materials from to make the detergent?
This isn't a review, it's just a show-and-tell. Where is the useful information? Price-per-load? Non-subjective performance? Info about ingredients? None of that here.
no it's a review. i talk about which one is my fav at the end. as you can see, this videeo is over a year old and i have improved since then. no need to repeat what i already know. check out their websites in the videeo description for more info
@rachelmelissa3637: I sure wish that laundry powder would be available in my area of ILLINOIS. I thought powders were on there way out. I'm 17 miles NW of Chicago.
Hello everyone! Part three is HERE! ua-cam.com/video/BLA0NV_7Plo/v-deo.html
Dropps is not made of vegetables but the same polyvinyl alcohol (plastic) that other detergent has :( they say online it decomposes with microbes but only certain cities has that technology in their water treatment facilities. Really disappointed when I learned that!
Oh what
WHAT?! How is it eco then?! That's so frustrating...
@@anitasmirnov4539 ugh right?!
Wow I had no idea. They market it like it's all such a better product including the film. I am shocked :(
@@Murburns I KNOW ME TOO
I really enjoyed this topic - thanks! I’ve been using a laundry powder I get through Earth Hero and I really like it. The brand is Meliora. The first order comes in a reusable metal canister with a metal scoop, but for subsequent orders you can select a paper bag refill with no scoop. The lemon/lavender/clove scent is so wonderful. The powder is made of all natural ingredients and gets clothes perfectly clean. I ha e no affiliation, just wanted to suggest another great option!
Thank you! I've been wanting to try Meliora too! I think that is awesome you can order again with no scoop!
This is a year later. My problem with laundry detergent is, does it get the odor out. My laundry STINKS! Will the product get the stink out?
I use the Ethique Flash bar as a stain remover on my clothes and it's never let me down, even on reusable pads.
I love it!!
It would be nice if future review videos also compared the prices but I really enjoyed the video nonetheless!
ahh i totally meant to, my bad! it was already soooo long anyway :(
For non liquid detergents, it's sometimes best to put the product in first and then your clothes to eliminate residue. Hope that helps 😸.
I will try that, thank you!
That’s the way I learned growing up. We got our detergent from the coop market and only used 1/4 cup while Tide & the big boys said to use a cup or more on their box. Turns out they (Tide, etc) used filler of wood pulp to get customers to use more, and if you hung the cloths out on a line to dry your cloths were stiff as a board… hence the introduction of “fabric softeners. Vicious cycle 🔁. Never have used fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
I tried that it doesn't work for me and still leaves on my clothes. That's why I like liquid the best and switched to liquid
@DumaGoonie: That's exactly what I do and get great results each time.
Just an FYI on the Oxy-Boost. It's best if that is disloved in *HOT* water. But that doesn't mean you have to do a hot water load of laundry. You can get some hot water in a small container, disolve it and then poor it on your load of laundry.
yeah I've had to do that with other eco brands!
I didn't have a problem using truearth in cold water. I normally make my own detergent with foraged horse chestnuts (conkers) but washing cloth diapers right now and supposedly that is not great so I go for either truearth or "granny's" detergent, a powder that comes in a 10kg tub.and is labeled as eco friendly. It lasts forever and I reuse the tub for other things when I'm done with it. Bonus is that it basically costs a Canadian dollar per kg.
i know, like I said not many others have the issue i did, weird!
I use the Dropps and I’m pretty sure it says somewhere that you have to put the soap at the bottom of your drum first, THEN your clothes. That might be your issue. It works great for me.
i never saw that...but thanks for the tip!
I know this is a really old comment at the point but yes, you're supposed to put dropps pods in the bottom of the drum before any clothes
It's good to see there are more options. I hope that more people are encouraged to make the switch to more zero waste/eco-friendlier detergents. Thanks to one of your previous videos I switched to True Earth. Thankfully I've not encountered the problems you've had with them and I'm super pleased with the zero plastic and the extra space it's given me :-)
You may have covered this in a previous video but I'm curious about better options for interdental sticks, floss and moth-washes. I can't use floss so I use interdental sticks. I've tried a couple eco-brands but unfortunately have had some real problems with them. I should check again now to see what newer options exist but if you ever do a video on those types of products I'd be very grateful.
I hope so too! There are so many options these days there is no excuse NOT to switch!
For me I had a problem with all these brands not getting odor out and not cleaning good
This was very informative for me. True Earth was the first laundry sheet brand that I tried, and I absolutely loved it up until at least in my experience the size of the sheet they sent was reduced by about half. I now currently use a brand called Truly Free Home, formerly My Green Fills. Their concept is that they send you the jugs, and then your future refills come in little packets that you pour in and Duluth with warm water. The reason I love them is because they have a softener that is all natural, and it really does work. Since I can't see, your sniff tests, albeit rather silly were actually quite helpful.
There are soooo many options these days!
My question, with ALL of these, is do they work well on stains. I'm a farmer. My clothes are DIRTY. I've been using Sheets Laundry Club for about 6 months. Fine for regular wash, but don't love them for stains/heavy grime. Waiting for someone to do a side by side swatch test with a bunch of these.
Yes they do!! I pair them with my zero waste stain remover bars (video on my channel already :))
highly encourage the molly's suds one for grime!
Much thanks for your reviews.
While the packaging itself for the Dropps pods appears to be plastic-free, it looks like the product itself (like other pods) does include plastic, which presumably drains out into the water and ends up negatively affecting the environment.
right many others have said the same thing, they sure are not transparent with that!
Great review as always!! I have Earthbreeze and it works well plus they donate 10 loads to people in need such as Veterans (where I selected), all kinds of shelters and disaster relief. But I think I will want to try Molly Suds active wear powder since I like using powder detergent as well.
Thanks so much! I think that is awesome!
Hi Emma! Thank u for taking the time! Procrastinating peeps like me appreciate it!
Take care!
🕊 Emma
thank yoU!
Once I get through my box of dropps I'm planning to swap to something else. Honestly, tired of having to either use more water or warmer water to not have stains on my clothes.
Thanks for the video! Hoping some of these will have better results.
Same!! I don't think I'll use them again, either...I love all the other ones!
I use dropps and you need to do a deep water wash if you have that setting on your washer. Whenever I use them with a regular eco wash with less water, I get the residue.
i've tried every method with those pods and they always leave residue so I just won't buy them again
LOVED this review! I think I'll try Kind laundry based off of this video - I learned a lot!
aww thanks! hope you enjoy :)
Dropps does have cold water mesh bags so that you don't get anything left on your clothes. If you do get it on your clothes just rinse in warm water. I haven't had any issues with Dropps when I use the cold water bags.
Hmm...i don't really want to buy another product, though, but it's good to know it's out there!
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Any mesh bag should work. I find the pods work best for me since I don't have to measure anything and it's simpler. I have ADHD and work full time while going back to school so the easier and fewer steps the more likely I am to get stuff done. I think if you used pods a lot it's worth it as it's reusable and a one time purchase, but if not it's less worth it. You can use warm water to help it dissolve but that also defeats the point somewhat too. The sheets might be better if you want the simplicity of pods but not have to get the cold water bags or use warm water. Powder is probably best eco wise but is a bit more messy and takes measuring.
I already had a few mesh laundry bags, one of them being around 8"x8" and I just use that to put the pods in. I wash on cold water and since putting it in my own mesh bag, have never had an issue with residue. Interestingly, since I started putting in the mesh bag, I haven't even found the pod to have not dissolved or left any residue in the bag. Not sure if the bag helps to disintegrate the pod in some way. But I've found the bag works really great for us.
@@Murburns I think it helps it stay in the water more since it's not stuck to something plus it also would be agitated more by the machine as well. Since using the bag it hasn't been an issue at all.
@@Murburns interesting! i have some mesh bags lying around, I will have to try that
here in Finland one company manufactures eco soap bar
it can be made into a detergent solution by grating it into water
this solution can be used to clean all surfaces of the home as well as used for laundry
that's so cool!
Do they sell it online? What's the brand?
@@britneyb8876
the product is only available to Finnish customers
Check out Cocosuds liquid soap concentrate. One pound washes 160 loads packed in reusable cotton bag, no plastic and ships in post consumer recycled box sealed with biodegradable tape.
i will definitely add that to my list to try!
I used to have an issue with Dropps and residue and contacted the company. I only use cold water and often had SMELLY DIRTY clothes (think long distance exercise in heat, veterinary office and muddy camping wet trips) I did use the cold water mesh bags from Dropps and put the detergent in BOTTOM of the tub. No more residue and great smelling non stained clothes. This year I switched from the Dropps pods to the Dropps concentrated liquid with a refillable glass pump bottle. It is THE BEST! Squirt 4 pumps in to the bottom of washer and add clothes. Also FYI finally got a dishwasher after reading how much MORE water I was using to hand wash my dishes. I tried every eco brand dishwasher soap and Dropps is best. Dropps also is a Benefit Corp, and does good. So I am sticking with them. The hand soap and dishwashing detergent also great and comes in refillable glass bottles .(the refills come ready to fill the bottle) AND I LOVE the Lavender /Eucalyptus mild scent. Thanks!
I tried everything: changing when I put the pod in, changing the temp, dissolving it before hand and always got residue!
So unfortunately most (if not all) Laundry pods and Laundry Sheets are made with PVA (also known as PVOH or PVAL)-- a petroleum derived “dissolvable plastic.”
Its biodegradable only if certain conditions are met and those conditions aren't met in most waste processing plants in The States.
I'm currently using Lazy Coconuts right now. As for cleaning it works fine. I have no complaints and it's reasonably priced too. I'm not sure if I'm going to reorder it. Is it more eco friendly to use it then something in a plastic jug thats made from plants?
how sad! i can't believe they advertise as plastic-free :( but yes sheets are SO much more eco-friendly when it comes to shipping! Check out my first laundry review linked in the description, I did a full explanation in that video
5:04 How much of that bar should be grated into the washing machine with your clothes? And which size grate should be used? Grate size matters.
I later found out (and think I wrote it on the screen) that it should just be used as a stain remover directly applied to the clothes. Their directions should be on their website :)
I tried Earth Breeze for a while, liked it fine as it did a good job on my clothes. BUT... it's manufactured in China... I started looking for an option made here in N. America. Tru Earth and Clean People are manufactured in Canada and U.S. I hope these eco friendly detergents catch on.
I have since come to the conclusion I no longer endorse any brand of laundry sheets! They contain hidden plastic
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist
Oh no!
@@susanwilhelm1396 yes quite unfortunate, be sure to check out my full videeo as to why on my channel!
Another thing to consider is how they rate with EWG for toxicity. For instance, Lazy Coconuts rates well whereas Earth Breeze doesn't rate as well.
Yes so agree, I was thinking this the whole time, wondering what the ingredients were in each product because that matters to in terms of being eco friendly. Could be contributing adding harmful chemical into the environment. It really is a whole picture and everything must be considered, ingredients is just as important as packaging for sustainability and regeneration.
I find I sometimes need to look up ingredients individually as well bc think dirty, ewg or other resources may not have all the info and data available
woah good to note thank you!
hi! thank you for the video! just wondering - earth breeze ingredients do say Polyvinyl alcohol but is this PVA biodegradable and therefore okay?
I am not sure. This was before I stopped using PVA, it's an old video! Here is my recent one :) ua-cam.com/video/5iCKm_oYk0U/v-deo.html
Can’t find all the brand name I will like to have the name please! Love your video ! Thank you have a great day!!
what?
I use Earth Breeze fragrance free. I'm really happy with it.
it's great!
I tried drops and it didn't work for me. Thanks for putting this video out. I'll see what works for me :)
Hope you find one that works :)
I've been using dropps for over a year. My only issue has been that I now have a laundry room that is not insulated and their pods will burst from extreme weather. Never had any issues with the dish pods. I've also recently purchased their hand soap concentrate pods.
woah really?! Never heard of that thanks for sharing!
First I love your new glasses and your cute shirt at the end!! ❤️❤️ loved the reviews as well. I just bought a big ole box of Tru Earth and realized later that it isn’t our favorite. We had trouble with our clothes smelly dirty and musty after washing them. Not sure why. Once I make it through this big box I will be trying something new. I use them for my whites that I use bleach with and a name brand powder (ugh) for our other clothes. It does come in a cardboard box. I think I’ll be trying the powder detergent you reviewed!!
omg thank you!! I wasn't sure of them at first but they're growing on me. Oh yes you'd love the Molly's Suds powder it works SO well!!
There is a note on the website of the bar laundry detergent that they don’t recommend using it in a washing machine. It’s for hand washing.
yes I added the note to my video as well
I just read a blog post which said you should put the drops pods in the washer before you add the clothes in, to keep them fully submerged the whole time, and to put them in the cold water pouch to help them stay fully submerged in the water. I'm bummed to find out about the film being made of polyvinyl alcohol like all the conventional laundry tablets though, which seems like it's just plastic that does dissolve in water but is still harmful to marine life. I dont get why they'd be able to market it as plastic free or plant-derived while stating it's a PVA pouch though
Yeah Dropps themselves suggeted that to me after I reviewed them. I will have to try that! And also HOW IS IT PLASTIC FREE I learned that from another commenter and that makes me very frustrated....that's not eco at all :(
I sent dropps a question, forgiving them the benefit of the doubt to ask if their polyvinyl alchohol is any different to the one used by conventional brands and that if it is then it might not biodegrade fully and harm marine life, hopefully they'll respond.
@@anitasmirnov4539 ugh fingers crossed! I would suspect that's why I ended up with so much residue!!
Here is their response:
Thank you for reaching out to us - we sincerely appreciate your concern! We design all our products with the safety of you, your family, and the planet as our top priority. In fact, safety is one of the reasons we use PVOH - our pod technology keeps the active ingredients off your skin and prevents spills. We carefully review all scientific and technical information available when formulating our products, and we disagree with certain statements claiming PVOH is not biodegradable. PVOH does not break down into microplastics as defined by California law, and we believe that the usage of PVOH in cleaning products does not have any detrimental effects on oceans, rivers or marine life. PVOH is included on the EPA’s CleanGredients database (the definitive database of chemical ingredients whose formulations have been pre-approved by the U.S. EPA to meet the criteria of their 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.
I hope this helps provide some clarity, please let me know if there is anything else I can help with!
@@anitasmirnov4539 hmm..still suspicous but better than I thought. Thanks for posting that!!
Could these work for HE washers that are front load?
yes! My mom uses some of these in her machine. Almost all eco detergents are HE-friendly!
I finally had a few minutes to watch this video! Life has honestly been crazy lately. Anyways, I love your review videos, as usual. They are always so helpful when I'm trying to figure out how to transition something into a more sustainable option. I really want to try the sheets. They are such an amazing concept and I'm glad you found some that actually work well! I've tried the Molly Suds Oxygen Whitener and love it for white loads. It doesn't work as well as bleach, but it is a great eco-friendly option.
Yeah it's a long one, I know how you feel though! The sheets are soooo easy!! Hope you find one you enjoy :)
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I need detergent now so definitely going to give them a shot.
Random question: what do you recommend or what did you do with menstrual cups that didn’t work for you? I’ve got one I tried and one that has never been used, but idk what to do with them.
@@erintannehill yay how exciting! Ugh great question!! BUT there is this cool FB group I found where you can resell your gently used (and heavily sanitized) reusable menstrual products!
@@erintannehill facebook.com/groups/326931120746807
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Hey Emma! I want to let you know that I'm converted to laundry sheets! I am using the Earth Breeze and LOVE THEM! They do a great job on pretty much everything. The only exception I have is my husband's clothes after he does mechanic work. I am still finding that I have to use liquid detergent, but the great news is that he doesn't always do mechanic work so I won't be using it nearly as often as I was before switching to the sheets. Thank you for helping me make another zero waste swap!
You could use the kraft paper that was used for packaging to wrap gifts or something. I'd definitely find a use for that.
I already have!
I really did enjoy the Dropps, but we have a HE front loader, and we'd end up with the gel pod not dissolving fully, stuck to our clothes, which feels like (but is not) hard plastic once it dries. You can re-wash them to remove it...but then I feel like it's wasting. And we did have a problem with their scent booster pods, which are the powder as well, and they did leave behind bits all over in the laundry, so we ultimately stopped using the brand. :(
yes mine never dissolved!! Turns out they're made of plastic so that's probably why
Nice review. I only recently learned about laundry sheets, and tried them a few months ago on a trip where I stayed a month with a friend that was using obnoxiously strong fragrant tide pods… so I ordered the smallest packet of sheets to try that had good reviews. They worked great in both hot, warm & cold water.
. So this video review is a year old, and I just watch your review from a couple of months ago where you disclosed that ALL of the sheets have poly-something in them, and poly = plastic. Uh. Now the baking soda brand has come out with sheets and the ingredient lists not only poly-whatever, but the chemicals I’m trying to avoid.
. Thanks for reviewing the powdered one & the bar you grate over the washer. Neither of those would work well for me traveling 🧳. Keep up the good reviewing.
I DO NOT recommend laundry sheets any more! check out my most recent laundry video to hear why
This is random but what brand of washer/ dryer do u use? Just impressed with how much laundry you jam in...thx!
it's GE haha whatever we found second hand when we moved
I thought you were supposed to put detergent in first (at the bottom, before clothes) in a top loading washer? Maybe that’s why the drops created an issue for you?
i've never had a top load so i didn't know that!
I wonder if you got the laundry strip wet and placed it on a stain it would work like a stain remover.
an interesting theory! I may try that on tiktok!
Dropps did NOT work for me. I ended up having to use like 3-4 for each regular load cause the stink was still there regardless of water temperature. I bought a bulk load and it did last because I bought it over a year ago and just finished but I will never buy again. Also, the pods like 40% of the time would not dissolve/partially dissolve which was extremely frustrating (even when using warm water). 1/10 DO NOT recommend. I'm thinking based off your video that I'll try KIND laundry next.
oh weird!
Another product I think you possibly another brand is Spacewhite laundry sheet.
i'll have to look into it but I have since learned that laundry sheets contain plastic
We have been using Dropps laundry pods and oxy booster pods for months and we have never had any issues with residue on our clothes... I wonder what’s different for you?
could be the type of washer? Do you have a top or drawer load? What temperature do you use? I like to use cold to use less energy
Curious how dropps smelled after using 😀
They smelled great! I talked about how each one smelled after use :)
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist You didn’t come back at the end of the Dropps load to say how it smelled. Good to know it smelled good since I just ordered some over the weekend. 😀
@@bleazyful oops my bad!
Even if you buy Seventh Generation , just like Tide and other brand pods... NONE dissolve unless using really hot water and an extra long wash. I contacted Seventh Generation and Tide about this. Turns out both are aware the labels say will dissolve in cold water, but in truth do not. New labels are to be in the future. I'm not buying them ever again. As far as Ethique and any bar, you can let it sit in hot water for a few minutes and remove. Let bar air dry and use the liquid you made in the machine. Much easier!
how interesting
Oh hey! Another low waster in Vegas!!
so cool!
I watched another review of Dropps and a lady who used it said her gym clothes still smelled like sweat after they were washed. That's why I'm afraid of trying some of the eco friendly detergent.
I haven't had any issues with smells with any of these brands!
I've been using Dropps for over a year now and I've run into a similar issue especially the armpit areas of shirts. I've found using additional oxybooster works for me. I also put my detergent pods and oxybooster pods in first with warm water till they suds up, then switch to cold water and add my clothes. That's been working well for me.
@@marissadiener9384 need to try that!
There are cardboard boxes with powder detergents which I use. Like the bambino mix detergent without fragrance, fairy etc. I won't bother with things that don't clean well. If anyone can provide me a bed cleaner than mine that only would convince me.
I haven't found a cardboard option yet! I'm keep looking
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist where are the powders in?
@@ilektrakaratasiou3352 as you can see from the video they are in plastic
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist thank you. I couldn't say from the video that they are plastic. I haven't seen loose powder detergent in a plastic box yet, thankfully. That's absolutely terrible and unnecessary.
@@ilektrakaratasiou3352 oh it was a bag :)
I'm changing eco laundry brands and was rewatching this video before ordering. You complained about dropps not dissolving all of the way. On their website they sell little mesh bags for if you use cold water or multiple pods. I guess the catch the debris? 🤷🏻♀️ They didn't explain why, but maybe that would have helped.
But also, I noticed when I first started using Blueland, I would have little grains of detergent left behind. Apparently you're supposed to add the detergent FIRST then your clothes. I didn't have a problem with it dissolving after I fixed that, even with cold water. I wonder how those other brands would have performed if loaded in the same order.
hmm maybe it would have helped! I have been adding the detergent first recently and STILL get residue from dropps.....
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist that's good to know! I almost went with them, but decided I wanted to look more into PVA first. It's hard to tell what's true, and what being blown out of proportion about it. 🤷🏻♀️
@@bethn2836 I find it hard to find a detergent without PVA that isn't a powder. The studies aren't the greatest on PVA. Is it microplastics? we don't really know. All i know is that any of these options is much much better than what is traditionally used
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist yep, that's pretty much the conclusion I came to as well. Never going back to heavy and bulky liquid bottles again.
@@bethn2836 nope never!
I used Drops with the little drawer on my washer and I still always find the plastic pod in that compartment.
Thank you for this video I am looking for a better detergent! Very helpful!
Your not supposed to put them in the drawer they go in the washer
Oh no :( I hope one of these other ones speaks to you!
I’ve been using earth breeze for a while and loved it, love the plastic free and compostable packaging but now I’m skeptical because my towels and whites seem to be getting more dingy :( Has anyone had that issue? I’m trying to find a better zero waste detergent alternative
me too!!!
my whites didn't do that tho
Try adding vinegar in the fabric softener compartment
Good to know that drops have problems
but it's avoidable!
Great reviews, Emma. I'm using the drops pods at the moment but I've ordered a trial pack of kind laundry strips which I look forward to using
thanks, angie :)
I love that you added your husband doing laundry too. I hate videos where the female does everything, including folding his underwear… Also, instead of saying you’re lazy, say you prefer efficiency ;)
he's the laundry man!! we love to share chores :) haha i'm cool calling myself lazy, i don't see it as an insult in this case but i love that wording too!
As someone who has several (random seeming) chemical intolerances/allergies, I am limited to a few options for laundry soap. Unfortunately, none that I am safe with are from ethical brands 😢😢. So as a work around to this issue i do two things. 1. I purchase the largest size container in a scent that I am safe with reaction wise. 2. I then use only about ⅕ to ¼ of the amount that is recommended by the detergent company (granted I frequently have to do two wash cycles for my clothing because I wear my outfits several days in a row courtesy of severe chronic pain issues so my clothing, particularly socks, get quite dirty and needs the second wash so I normally only end up using about ⅓ of the total amount recommended by the time both cycles are done).
love these eco tips for your needs! We can only work with what we've got :)
Thank you!
Glad this was helpful!
Surely the Ethique one is just a bar of soap?🤷🏻♀️
it's laundry soap, yes
I loved you sniffing the clothes 😂. I will try the coconut one next time I need to buy laundry 😊
hahahahhaha thanks
Walking down the laundry aisle at Walmart 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
soooo much plastic and artificial smells!!
We’re 21 years professional manufacturer engaged in the research,development,prodcution,sales and service of ECO-friendly households cleaning products.
Do u want to customize ur own brand of Cleaning Sheets?
no thanks! I hate cleaning sheets :)
Def need to get a vac even cheap lol and a rag and bucket at least
are you saying I need to? why?
This is a really frustrating review. Couldn't finish it.
okay why
There are no zero waste, laundry detergents. There is no zero waste anything.
there actually ARE zero waste many things! For example, Meliora laundry detergent IS zero waste since zero waste encapsulates recycling and composting. Check out this video to learn more about what zero waste is: ua-cam.com/video/QY5ZOT2T1uU/v-deo.html
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist no there are no zero waste. everything we manufacture creates waste. where did you get the raw materials from to make the detergent?
Gosh Im late 😱
8 hours 😱
Yay she finally did drops!!!
Flavor 😂 lol
there's no time limit haha
This isn't a review, it's just a show-and-tell. Where is the useful information? Price-per-load? Non-subjective performance? Info about ingredients? None of that here.
no it's a review. i talk about which one is my fav at the end. as you can see, this videeo is over a year old and i have improved since then. no need to repeat what i already know. check out their websites in the videeo description for more info
@rachelmelissa3637: I sure wish that laundry powder would be available in my area of ILLINOIS. I thought powders were on there way out. I'm 17 miles NW of Chicago.
it depends on the region, but plastic IS recycled