9 Best Laundry Detergent Sheets for a Plastic-Free Clothes Wash
Many of us are familiar with detergents in plastic jugs. However, plastics are some of the worst things to happen to our environment.
Laundry detergent sheets are a cleaning invention with just as much cleaning power as a liquid detergent. These biodegradable sheets containing the detergent dissolve quickly in water for a clean and fresh clothes wash. Laundry detergent sheets remove tough stains and protect your clothing. Most are safe even for sensitive skin, thanks to their sustainable ingredients.
If you're looking for eco-friendly zero-waste laundry detergent, read on as we go through 9 of the best laundry detergent sheets you can shop for today.
Why switch to laundry detergent sheets?
Not only are laundry sheets an innovative cleaning solution, but they are also one way to reduce environmental degradation.
Across the world, we dump millions of plastic bottles in landfills every year, and these plastics take hundreds of years to degrade. Microplastics can seep into our waterways, poisoning sea life and affecting human health.
If you’re still uncertain about switching from your liquid detergents to laundry sheets, here are some benefits to consider when switching to laundry sheets.
- You won’t have to carry those heavy jugs with cleaning products, as laundry sheets are compact and lightweight, making them easy to use and store
- Laundry detergent sheets come pre-measured, ensuring you use just the right amount to avoid waste.
- Laundry sheets are completely plastic-free, making them safe for you and the environment.
- Laundry detergent sheets are ultra-concentrated, tough on stains, and just as effective as their counterparts.
If you’re pursuing sustainable living and trying to go zero waste, laundry detergent sheets make it easy to reduce your carbon footprint without compromising on the quality of cleaning.
For other zero-waste laundry options, check out our guides to eco-friendly fabric softeners and refillable laundry detergents. In the kitchen, our picks of the best zero-waste dishwasher detergents mean you can also have sparkly dishes without waste.
What to consider when shopping for laundry detergent strips/sheets
With so many options on the market, it can get tricky to choose which is the best laundry detergent sheet. But not to worry, here are a few things to consider when shopping for laundry detergent strips to replace your liquid or powder detergents:
Organic or natural ingredients
Most cleaning products contain chemicals that can harm humans and the environment. If you are switching to laundry strips, you want to look out for sustainable alternatives. You want to stay clear of phosphates, dyes, artificial fragrances, ammonium compounds, bleach, etc.
Instead, look out for brands that use biodegradable natural ingredients that are septic-safe and safe on the skin and the environment.
Ethical practices
You also want to look for brands that prioritize ethical sourcing and practices. How are their products sourced and made? Some brands clearly state where their ingredients come from and what factory working conditions look like.
Given a choice, why not support brands that source their ingredients and materials ethically, support environmental initiatives, carbon-neutral shipping, local manufacturing, and charitable initiatives? You may want to look out for certifications that further reinforce this.
Vegan and cruelty-free
What's worse than doing laundry with a detergent that harms animals? Instead, choose cruelty-free brands that do not test their products on animals. For a great clean, free of animal testing, check the ingredients to ensure they are not sourced from animals.
Eco-friendly packaging
We all know that plastics have done so much harm to our environment. Your conventional laundry detergent comes in jugs and plastic containers, which end up clogging our oceans, waterways, and landfills. What's worse, microplastics can find their way into the bodies of marine animals, poisoning them. Further, the plastic containers traditional laundry detergents come in also take up a lot of space on our shelves.
When choosing laundry detergent strips, look for brands offering environmentally friendly plastic-free packaging.
Packaging options to look out for include compostable packaging, recyclable packaging, or even no packaging. The less packaging, the better for you and the environment.
Note that for recyclable plastic packaging, you want to ensure you properly dispose of them in the appropriate recycle bin, following instructions from your local recycling center.
9 best laundry detergent sheets for an eco-friendly laundry day
Quick links to the best laundry detergent sheets:
Here are our recommendations for the top-rated laundry detergent sheets you can shop for today:
1. KIND LAUNDRY - Laundry Detergent Sheets
Features
- Non-toxic ingredients
- Plastic-free and biodegradable packaging
- Fragrance-free and scented options
- Cruelty-free
These detergent sheets from Kind Laundry have a strong cleaning power, made with plant-derived ingredients with no animal testing. They dissolve easily in water and create a gentle lather. They are safe to use, lightweight, and eco-friendly.
These laundry detergent strips come in three envelopes, each containing six laundry sheets, making them easy to travel with. You can take a few detergent sheets while leaving some at home.
Whether you need to hand wash or use a washing machine, all you need to do is toss a sheet in your laundry. For fuller loads, you want to use two or three sheets.
Also, these detergent sheets leave no drippy mess around your washing machine or storage. You can choose between the fragrance-free and scented options. Lastly, these zero-waste detergent sheets come in plastic-free, 100% recyclable packaging.
2. Grove Co. Laundry Detergent Sheets
Features
- 100% natural fragrance (plant extracts and essential oils)
- Cruelty-free
- Recyclable packaging
These laundry strips from Grove Co. comprise plant-based ingredients free of dyes, harmful chemicals, or optical brighteners.
What’s more, instead of synthetic fragrances, these detergent strips come in 100% natural fragrances using plant extracts and essential oils, giving your clothes a delicious scent. They are ultra-concentrated and can fight tougher stains like grape juice or oils. They also dissolve very quickly and are gentle on the skin.
These laundry detergent strips also come in recyclable packaging, reducing plastic waste.
Grove Co. Laundry detergent sheets reviews suggest that this product can work in high-efficiency washers and get rid of tough stains. However, you may need to use about two sheets for maximum cleaning.
3. ECOROOTS Laundry Detergent Sheets
Features
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Non-toxic
- Palm oil free
- Sustainable packaging
Formulated with plant-derived ingredients, these laundry detergent strips are safe for you, your family, and the planet. They are free of palm oil, phosphates, dyes, chlorine bleach, and other harmful chemicals. They are also safe for your septic systems and dryers.
These laundry strips are thin and lightweight yet powerful enough to remove difficult stains. Once you put it in water (cold or hot water), it dissolves pretty quickly. For your heavily soiled clothing, you may need to use one full strip or more.
However, for regular loads, half a strip works great. They are also perforated, making it easy to rip them into two. You can get these eco-strips in two fragrance options. You can go for their Fresh Breeze Scent, made with essential oils for that laundry room fresh scent, or their Fragrance-free option.
Lastly, these eco-strips come in a compostable and recyclable box that's great for the environment. With these laundry strips, messy drips and powders, plastics, and cups are a thing of the past. You can also save up enough space in your store room. Even better, EcoRoots offer free shipping.
4. Tru Earth Eco-laundry Detergent Sheets
Features
- Zero-waste packaging
- Cruelty-free and vegan
- Eco-friendly
If you are committed to sustainable living, this laundry detergent sheet from Tru Earth will help you get your clothes clean and free of guilt. They are safe for sensitive skin and have been certified by dermatologists. These sheets also work conveniently for all types of washing machines, including your high-efficiency washing machines. They are also eco-friendly and free of animal testing.
What we love about Tru Earth eco-laundry detergent sheets is that they give your clothes a powerful clean and are very easy to use. You can get these detergent sheets in both fragrance-free and scented options. Not to mention that they come in zero-waste packaging, which is excellent for the environment.
Tru Earth also donates 32 sheets to food banks, frontline workers, and people in need for every subscription received. However, these laundry sheets are a bit more expensive than their counterparts.
5. Earth Breeze Laundry Detergent Eco-Sheets
Features
- Free of harmful chemicals
- Effective clean
- Very affordable
Earth Breeze Eco Sheets make our list of some of the best laundry sheets you can find in the market for many reasons.
Firstly, we discovered that this product is much cheaper than other detergent sheets. They are also plastic-free and cruelty-free. Earth Breeze detergent dissolves easily into hot or cold water. They are also free of harsh chemicals and friendly to sensitive skin. These sheets come in both scented and unscented options you can choose from.
These eco-friendly laundry detergent sheets are hypoallergenic and septic-safe and come in biodegradable cardboard box packaging. The brand claims they work in all types of washing machines and are tough on stains.
Earth Breeze recommends using half a sheet for your smaller load, a full sheet for a full load, and two sheets when washing for an extra full load.
What’s more, Earth Breeze is PETA-approved, 100% carbon neutral across its entire supply chain, and is a member of 1% of the planet. Earth Breeze donates ten loads of detergent to homeless shelters, and developing countries with every package bought.
Shop on Amazon or direct on Earth Breeze
(UK brand with International shipping)
6. Lazy Coconuts Eco-Friendly Detergent Strips
Features
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Recyclable cardboard packaging
- Carbon negative
If you have sensitive skin and want a free detergent of dyes, fragrances, and harmful chemicals, these eco laundry detergent strips from Lazy Coconuts are covetable. These detergent strips are also cruelty-free and vegan.
What is great about these strips is that they are very lightweight, so you can easily carry them for a travel trip. They work great even when washing your clothes in the sink.
This very concentrated detergent dissolves easily in water and cleans out stains effectively.
What's more, they come in recyclable cardboard packaging.
For large loads, one or more strips work just fine. For smaller loads, you can use half a strip of detergent.
Shop on Amazon or direct on Lazy Coconuts
7. Sheets Laundry Club Detergent Sheets
Features
- Plant-based ingredients
- Fully recyclable packaging
- Dye-free
These laundry detergent sheets work great! They are not only easy to use but equally effective. All you need to do is toss a half sheet into your regular load, which dissolves very easily without leaving any residue, and watch this detergent do its magic.
If you have to wash clothes with regular stains, you will be satisfied with the cleaning results. However, you can pair these with other additives if you have tougher stains. These sheets are also free of harsh chemicals, dyes, and optical brighteners. Its fresh linen scent is not overpowering and leaves your clothes smelling brand new.
What’s more, you don't have to use too much detergent, which saves you money and water. You can use one sheet for large loads and perhaps one and a half for dirtier loads. This laundry sheet also comes in a recyclable cardboard box. Although they are not so strong, you can easily recycle them for other purposes.
Sheets Laundry Club is a brand committed to providing more sustainable alternatives. Asides from detergent sheets, they sell natural dryer sheets and in-wash scent boosters. The brand also offers other zero-waste kitchen supplies, bathing, and beauty products.
8. Sojourner Laundry Detergent Sheets
Features
- Eco-friendly
- Zero-waste packaging
- Lightweight and effective
These laundry detergent strips are safe for you and the planet, and Sojourner makes them with cornstarch, fresh linen scent, and other eco-friendly ingredients.
These zero-waste laundry detergent sheets are not only safe but effective for cleaning out stains. These super-concentrated strips dissolve easily when tossed in the water and can work in your standard washing machine.
Since they are free of beaches, dyes, phosphate, and harmful chemicals, you don’t have to worry about toxic chemicals in the air. We also love that these strips also give off a gentle scent.
The sheets are also very lightweight and come in eco-friendly packaging that saves up space on your shelves while saving the planet. We noticed that for larger loads, you would need to use two strips for maximum cleaning.
9. Binbata Laundry Detergent Sheets
Features
- Zero-waste cardboard packaging
- Free of harmful chemicals
- Plant-derived formula
These laundry detergent strips for sensitive skin come in natural plant-derived ingredients like coconut oil and Sapindus mukorossi, which are equally safe for the environment. They are highly concentrated and effective enough to wash off stains while leaving your clothing softer.
What is unique about this laundry detergent strip is that it comes with a polymer concentration technology, making it both a detergent and a fabric softener to root out difficult stains.
These laundry detergent strips dissolve easily when placed in both cold and hot water, leaving no residue.
Also, these laundry strips come in zero-waste compact packaging, which reduces carbon emissions while shipping. They are just the right size to store on your shelves or take on a travel trip.
How to use laundry detergent strips/sheets
One of the benefits of laundry detergent strips is that they are very easy to use. No more messy powders, plastic jugs, and cups. Here's how to use your laundry detergent strips:
- Sort your laundry and put them in your washing machine. If you are washing them by hand, simply put them in a bucket of water.
- Next, throw your laundry strip into your washing machine or bucket of water in place of your normal laundry detergents.
- For mild stains and regular loads, you will mostly need half a strip or one strip per load. For heavily soiled clothes, you may need more than one strip. If you use a front-loading machine, you can throw it in the drum or put the strips in the dispenser drawer. If they don't fit, you can cut them into little pieces. Once you add them to your washer and begin the wash cycle, they dissolve immediately.
- Lastly, turn on your washing machine and let your detergent strip do the work.
Laundry detergent strips vs. laundry detergent pods: which is better?
Firstly, laundry strips and pods are not the same. Both laundry detergent strips and pods are powerful enough to clean your clothes effectively. They are pre-measured and dissolve quickly, leaving no mess.
However, things start to get messy when we consider the ingredients. Laundry detergent pods come with toxic chemical ingredients, which can be poisonous. Some pods look like candy and should be kept far away from children.
In addition, most detergent pods come wrapped in plastic containers. Pods are also quite heavy, increasing transportation emissions.
On the other hand, laundry detergent strips come free of plastics and harmful chemicals and are very lightweight. Arguably this makes them better eco-friendly alternatives to traditional detergents.
Conclusion
Today, laundry detergent sheets are the latest invention in the market, and for good reasons. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they are also safe and get the cleaning job done. What's more, most of them come in sustainable packaging. You can go through our list above to shop for some of the best laundry detergent strips.
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
