There is a new way to do laundry these days, but how does it measure up to traditional detergents and pods? Do they clean as well? We tried out this new alternative to traditional laundry detergent and below is our honest laundry sheets review.
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Using laundry sheets to wash clothes has emerged as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional laundry detergents and pods. This innovative product offers the convenience of pre-measured, mess-free cleaning without the plastic waste associated with traditional containers.
By eliminating the need for plastic containers, they significantly reduce plastic waste, making them a more sustainable choice for those who aim to minimize their environmental impact. This eco-conscious approach to laundry is a step in the right direction towards a greener and cleaner future.
While that all sounds nice, the bottom line is they still need to clean well. So we put them to the test! And I mean a family of five with active messy young children test. So below are the things we love and things we didn't love about laundry sheets.
What are Laundry Sheets?
Laundry sheets are typically thin, dissolvable strips that can be added directly to the washing machine. They feel like a smooth fabric-like material that is very soft to the touch. They come in many different scents or scent-free options for those with sensitive skin.
The brand we use and love is Poesie. Their laundry sheets are phosphate-free, dye-free, and paraben-free. They are excellent for people with sensitive skin! We know, because we have a few people in our house with very sensitive skin. Before using Poesie the only detergent we could use was All free and clear. We even tried switching to another laundry sheet brand that said it was hypoallergenic, but one member of our household ended up with a rash! These laundry sheets have worked great for our family's sensitive skin issues and do an excellent job cleaning the clothes of our 3 very active children.
The laundry sheets come in an easy-to-use container. Simply slide out the container to grab your sheets and slide back in when you are done. The container is small and great for compact spaces. And best of all, the container itself is recyclable! The sheets come in pre-cut half-sheet sizes so it's easy to adjust how many you need without having to tear a full sheet.
But Do They Work?
While all of the above sounds nice, the big question is do they work? Can laundry sheets clean clothes as well as your traditional detergent? We have been using laundry sheets for at least six months as of this blog post and we haven't noticed any difference from the old traditional detergent, but we've never really put it to the test for a definitive answer. Do Laundry sheets clean as well as traditional laundry liquid or pods?
So we did what any reasonable people would do. We found a few of our kid's old shirts and smeared BBQ sauce all over them!
We let the stains dry so they were really set in. Then we washed one with Tide Pods and the other with our Poesie laundry sheets. We did not use any pre-wash stain removers before washing. We just wanted to see the raw cleaning power of each detergent. Both were washed in a small load with warm water. We used 2 sheets of the Poesies just because it was a heavily soiled item. So what were the results?
Drum roll, please...
You can see below the two shirts after being washed and dried. The shirt on the left was washed with Tide and the shirt on the right was washed with Poesies Laundry Sheets. If you look closely you can see both stains are still barely visible, but the Tide detergent did do a slightly better job of removing the stain.
Overall Thoughts
To us the difference between the shirts is miniscule. If we had used a third Poesie laundry sheet would the results have been different? Possibly! If we had pre-treated the stain in any way, would it have made a difference? Probably! We were impressed with how well the laundry sheets did. All things considered, with the environmentally friendly packaging and not having plastic pods melting on our clothing, the very slight stain removing advantage of traditional detergent is not worth the cost to us.
And speaking of cost, did we mention laundry sheets are way cheaper than traditional laundry pods and liquids? Divide the price by the number of loads to get the price per load for the laundry sheets and then compare it to the price per load for your traditional detergent. Prepare to be blown away! It really does cost you to use all that plastic!
As we stated earlier we have been using the sheets for months now and as a household with three active young children we haven't noticed any difference in the cleanliness of our laundry. These sheets have worked for our sensitive skin challenges, and help us sleep better knowing we are doing at least one small thing to help the environment.
We were happy to do this little experiment to help people who might be hesitant about laundry sheets to see what these sheets can do. Only you can choose what is right for you and your family, but we hope this helps to make your decision a little easier. Have you tried laundry sheets? Let us know what you think of them in the comments below!
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