Heralded as the best thing since pourable detergent, laundry pods offer huge advantages over traditional, messy liquids and washing powders. You can ditch that plastic jug. But hey, move over—laundry detergent sheets are here!
Detergent sheets are a massive departure from regular wash-day products, appearing in more and more US households. So, what's driving this change?
This article compares detergent sheets and pods to determine which performs best. We’ll also consider other criteria, like environmental impact and cost.
Get the complete lowdown on what’s best for your home.
What are Laundry Detergent Sheets?
Laundry detergent sheets are pre-measured sheets that look a little like dryer sheets. They dissolve in the machine within minutes in hot and cool washes.
Unlike predosed pods and regular liquid detergents, laundry sheets typically contain environmentally responsible ingredients. They’re free from harmful chemicals like dyes, brighteners, artificial scents, and parabens.
You can also presoak soiled garments and handwash delicates using laundry detergent sheets.
A laundry sheet contains ingredients bound in a resin and sealed with a film of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), which holds the contents together. The ingredients dissolve on impact with water.
Laundry detergent sheets are growing in popularity as a more environmentally responsible choice for many American households.
How Well Do Laundry Sheets Work?
Laundry detergent sheets provide impressive results when tackling grime and stains, even at low temperatures. They also have significant advantages over regular liquid detergents and prefilled liquid pods.
Pros
- Convenient to use without mess
- Free from harmful chemicals
- Pre-measured but adjustable dosage depending on load size and type
- Effective for soiled and stained garments
- Usable for presoaking and handwashing
- Compatible with all machine types, including top loaders and HE washers
- Safe for sensitive skin
- Fragrance-free options
- Zero residues on clothes and in the machine
- Compatible with septic systems
- Reduced environmental impact
- Compact and easy to store
- Recyclable packaging
- Travel-friendly design
- Cheaper per load than pods
What are Laundry Pods?
Laundry pods are small pods of highly concentrated liquid detergent, an upgrade from bulky and messy containers with free-running liquid soap.
The pods dissolve in the washer, eliminating the need to measure each load using plastic jugs.
The content of laundry pods varies depending on the manufacturer, but they typically contain enzymes, surfactants, and builders. Surfactants (short for surface-acting agents) control how the cleaning ingredients work, allowing the liquid to spread out and improving performance.
Enzymes are specialized proteins that target specific stains, such as grass or blood. Builders enhance water quality, helping the detergent work more effectively.
How Well Do Laundry Pods Work?
Laundry detergent pods deliver good cleaning results. The pre-measured amount ensures you can’t over- or under-dose. The targeted ingredients are very effective on high-use garments like sportswear and work clothing.
Pros
- Convenient to use
- Pre-measured avoiding under or over-dosing
- Space-saving storage
- Concentrated and effective cleaning power
- Highly effective on soiled and stained garments
Which Is Better, Laundry Sheets or Laundry Pods?
We compare both products across several criteria to see which one is ahead.
Cleaning Power
This is the vital test in the stand-off between laundry detergent sheets and laundry pods; it’s all about cleaning power.
Laundry detergent pods definitely have the edge here. They’re tougher on ground-in dirt and grime with enzymes targeted at specific stains.
However, remember that you can presoak soiled and stained garments with a laundry detergent sheet before putting them through the washer. The results are easily comparable; it just takes a bit longer.
Laundry detergent pods can also leave a sticky residue or detergent marks on linen at lower temperatures, so this is not such a clear win after all.
Ease of Use
Both laundry pods and detergent sheets are predosed and simple to use—just chuck them in the machine. Pods and sheets are space-saving and easy to store.
If you’re traveling, a pack of detergent sheets doesn’t take up much room and won’t leave you red-faced if you’re off-grid with a rustic drainage system. They also contain very little water, so you won’t fall foul of the airline regulations on liquids.
Laundry sheets have the advantage when it comes to pretreating stains, which isn’t so easy with a pod. You can’t adjust the dose, either, to reflect the wash load.
Most detergent sheets are perforated, so you can easily divide them for small loads or just put more in if there are a lot of clothes or the garments are stained or soiled.
Pods can sometimes clump together in the box and burst as you try to separate them. The membrane gets sticky in humid conditions. Remember those days of liquid detergent spills—that sticky mess takes some clearing up!
No such worries with laundry sheets.
Environmental Impact
It’s a clear win for laundry detergent sheets; they’re free of harmful chemicals like brighteners, dyes, and parabens.
At Freddie, our laundry detergent sheets have an impressive ingredient list that emphasizes environmental responsibility and kindness to your skin. This theme is carried through to our recyclable packaging.
We aim to get your washing clean without ignoring damage to the planet. It’s all about ditching the plastic jugs and only using ingredients that minimize environmental harm.
Laundry pods do contain some rather unpleasant chemicals. The pods themselves are often made with phosphates, which have a negative impact on the environment when they enter the water supply.
Pod packaging is typically still plastic, although there are now some plastic-free options, but these are more expensive.
Suitability for Different Washing Machines
Because laundry detergent sheets are low sudsing, they’re suitable for all kinds of washing machines, including high-efficiency (HE) models and top-loaders.
Regular detergents can’t compete with this as they tend to produce too much soap, which doesn’t work for HE machines and top-loaders, which use less water and rely on a longer cycle and drum agitation for cleaning results.
If you use laundry pods with these machines, you’ll experience lower cleaning performance and possibly even a malfunction, such as the washing machine overflowing or other mechanical problems.
Gentle on Skin
An easy win for laundry detergent sheets with no harmful chemicals like dyes, brighteners, artificial fragrances, or parabens, so they’re even suitable for people with skin sensitivities with no compromise on cleaning performance.
Versatility
There are always complaints that plastic pods don’t dissolve properly and leave a sticky residue on clothes or, worse still, detergent stains. The fact is that pods require hot water or more water to dissolve properly and don’t work so well in cooler wash cycles.
Detergent sheets are designed to work in all water temperatures. Unlike pods, you can use them for presoaking and handwashing garments. They dissolve quickly to release powerful stain—and dirt-fighting enzymes regardless of water temperature.
Cost
Price is a tricky comparison as most laundry pods are one per load, whereas, with detergent sheets, you may use more than one or even half a sheet, depending on the size and type of wash.
So, for an accurate cost comparison, you should compare per load, not by the number of sheets or pods in the box.
On average, laundry pods are more expensive than detergent sheets. You’re paying for convenience and plastic packaging. If you opt for a brand with environmentally responsible packaging, then this also increases the price point.
In contrast, laundry detergent sheets are much more cost-effective because you don’t pay for water, as you do with liquid detergents or a rigid container.
Final Thoughts
Like any product comparison, laundry detergent sheets and predosed pods have pros and cons. However, laundry detergent sheets are a clear winner in each of our key categories.
They offer reduced environmental impact, cleaning results on par with liquid pods (better at lower temperatures), and a competitive price point plus value for money.
After decades of intensive cleaning power, first with free-running liquid and then in the shape of convenient pre-measured pods, it’s a radical change to use something as small and lightweight as a laundry detergent sheet. But try them, and you’ll be converted.
At Freddie, our commitment to minimizing environmental impact is as serious as our dedication to clean, fresh-smelling clothes; we don’t see a conflict. Try Freddie laundry sheets across your entire household wash—the results speak for themselves.