Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsThey're ok.
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2020
I've been using these for a few months now. Here are my thoughts.
Are these sustainable? I think so. This is a great idea. No more need for big plastic jugs. Comes in paper packaging that can be recycled. I feel better about my minimized carbon footprint (albeit the fact that I have to get these delivered from Amazon which is an issue in of itself. But I got into the habit of only needing to order about 4 packs of these a month to last in between deliveries and minimize deliveries).
Does it dissolve in the wash? Yes. I have a top loading machine. I use two strips minimum at a time and place them directly where the water will pour down. Never had an issue of residue strips leftover in the machine.
Does it clean? Kind of. For lightly soiled clothes, it's fine, but I can't rationalize only using one strip...I'll use two. For regularly soiled clothes (I have a toddler so think dirt/mud on white socks and food stains on shirts), I'll use two to three strips (less for small loads and more for bigger loads), and no, the clothes dont come out completely stain free, white, and clean had I used other detergents (like oxiclean). Also, after a few months of using these, I've been noticing a bit of fade in my colors. Because of COVID19, this doesn't matter for our 'at home' clothes, but I am worried about having to use them for my work clothes when I have to go back into the office (blacks, etc). I'm thinking I'll reserve the strips for regular clothes and use special detergent (woolite) for nicer clothes when I go back to work, so the goal of not having to buy big plastic jugs wont be entirely fulfilled.
Do these smell good? Yes and no. I get what some people are saying that they dont make your clothes smell good. The strips themselves smell good. But during and after a wash, the clothes smell gross, sort of like dirty water. After drying with a Bounce dryer sheet, the clothes smell good. Never tried it without a dryer sheet, since I dont use fabric softener in the wash.
Are these a good bang for my buck? These are definitely more expensive than regular liquid detergent. Each pack says it can wash 32 loads, but because I have to use more than 1 strip to get clothes more clean, I dont even get 32 loads. So I probably go through 3 packs a month for all my clothes (me, my husband, my toddler, plus sheets, towels, etc). So, no, these aren't economical, but I take comfort in knowing I'm not contributing to a lot of plastic waste. I'm hoping these guys can improve their product to be stronger, more concentrated per strip AND bring their price down as time goes on.
Conclusion? They're ok and I'll keep using them, unless I find a better plastic free product...though I hope they improve their product.
