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Attn: Giveaway at the end of the post!
I have not been a fan of conventional laundry detergents for a long time. My general fondness of natural detergents and laundering methods was cemented when I did the research for a cloth diaper detergent chart on one of my other sites. You should check out the chart…it was meant for cloth diapers in particular but it is a good resource for detergents for ANY kind of laundry. I have basically taken a ton of different detergents and rated them based upon their use of enzymes, optical brighteners, dyes, fragrance, and fabric softeners….which are pretty much all bad news and I explain why at the bottom of the page.
Something always bothered me about even the most natural detergents though…..the packaging. It is very wasteful…especially the big plastic bottles of liquid detergent.
So I was jazzed recently to get to try Dropps Liquid Laundry Pacs finally. They are tiny little packs of natural liquid detergent with no enzymes, optical brighteners, or fabric softeners. The scented version has dyes and fragrance but the unscented has neither. So the detergent is healthier for humans and for the planet right off the bat but the packaging is also very cool.
A regular plastic jug of liquid detergent is only 2 times concentrated. That means it is 75% water. What a waste! The Dropps on the other hand are 6 times concentrated…so you aren’t paying for a teeny bit of detergent and a bunch of water. Also only 75% of that plastic jug is made from recycled plastic and the cap is not recyclable so 100% of those end up in the landfill.
The Dropps are tiny little baggies of detergent and you throw the whole thing in the wash. The plasticy film completely dissolves like those Listereen breath strips so there is no waste. The Dropps do come in a larger plastic bag but I hear they are changing that aspect of the packaging so I am excited to see what they come up with. Overall this detergent means far less waste and after a few weeks I find that they clean just as effectively as my other detergents and without residue build-up, so Dropps are a big winner in my book. They are good for people with sensitive skin in my opinion too, because that is me for sure…I get hives when things irritate my skin.
I have a bag of unscented and dye free Dropps to give away! Just leave a comment and you are entered to win.
[tags]Dropps, liquid detergent, eco friendly, recycle, natural[/tags]
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I’d love to try this!
Maggie’s last blog post..monday book review: sharp teeth by toby barlow
I really want to try these! Please enter me to win.
Tara’s last blog post..Smiles
I would like to try these.
I would love to try these. I presently use Mrs. Meyers.
oooooo a freebie
I would love to win this!
Betsy’s last blog post..Want to waste time and have lots of fun?
Is the bag the laundry packets come in recyclable? What a neat concept and glad to learn about it. Thanks for the info!
Since I no longer live in the US, I can’t figure out where I’ve seen these before! Must check my local eco stores, though I’ve been buying Ecover products lately…
rachel’s last blog post..news and links
Great job on the chart! We use Method and Seventh Generation as they are readily available here in unscented formulas. Would love to try these new Dropps, but not sure about HE machine either – don’t want to void our warranty!
Love your website and have recommended it to several people this past week. Thanks for your hard work.
Love your blog…I’ll be changing my detergent!
I can’t wait to give this product a try!
I’ve been using Seventh Generation for my household, but it’s sometimes tough to buy the right thing on a student-and-startup budget — I’m always tempted by the big cheapo brands, especially when there are coupons, sigh. I’d love to give these a whirl!
Wow, these sound really promising. I wonder how they do with cloth diapers?
Jenny’s last blog post..week 7 & 8: 2008 in 2008
I would love to try these out!
thanks
Liz
Liz’s last blog post..Recycled Bicycle Tire Rug
These sound wonderful. I have been checking into natural cleaners and haven’t found any I could afford when I did find them within 100 miles of where I live.
I have allergies to nearly every kind of strong odors and I think my grandchildren are developing the same problem.
I have never heard of these! I would love to try these before buying a whole bag. I use the Shaklee stuff or Charlie’s Soap now and I like both of them.
The idea of nearly waste free packaging on these is really exciting. I hate throwing away those big plastic containers. For years I have been using them to hold stuff in my garage but I am running out of uses. I will surely be picking some of these up.
I’d love to win this!!!1
I would love to try these out on my “sensitive skin” family! Thanks for the chance to win a bag!
I am glad that it does not come with softners. I can’t use a product that has that any type of softner in it which includes the soy softner. Also, I wonder if there is any problem with the packaging dissolving in the water especially for those who use grey water for irrigation or septic? What is it made of?. Sounds like a great idea though.
I would love to try it for my kids since they all have ezcema. Anna http://www.green-talk.com
Anna Hackman’s last blog post..The Lunch Sak, Kooling off the Earth a Kid’s Way
I’m interested in using more eco-friendly products. How do the Dropps work/perform with a HE front loading machine?
I was just thinking about natural alternatives to laundry soap the other day!! I have always been the natural living type of person (food, cosmetics etc.) I just got married and had a baby and I am stearing my family in that direction. What would You reccomend for making the transition and where do I start? maybe You could write something on going natural. I would love a chance to try out the laundry dropps too!
Ooh! Ooh! I want!
Carrie’s last blog post..Natural Moms Podcast #75
WOW. Love your giveaways. I’d love to try those out. I need to check out that article on detergent too. I just switched my baby over to cloth diapers this week!
Sarah’s last blog post..Belated Photos
Would love to give these a shot. Great post.
I would love to try these! Thanks for the info!
I really want to try these and cannot find them in a store
Thanks for the chance to try it! I’d love to!
Thanxs for the heads up on Dropps. Had not heard of them prior to reading about it on your blog. Great find.
Missy.
Never heard of this. I use a product from Melaleuca (tea tree oil). Would love to try something new.
Julie
I’ve been looking for something different. My kids and I have so many sensitivities…sounds great
I just love a clever new (and better) product!
I use 7th Generation, but would love to try something else.
Oh, those sound fabulous! I have eczema on my arms and my little lady has some really dry skin too. I’ve been using some Melalueca laundry soap I had purchased but it is still irritating and the plastic bottle annoys me. Keep up those great tips!
Thanks, would love to try them
Hmm.. have you tried them on your cloth diapers yet? Well, I’d love to try!
Someone mentioned above that Dropps CAN be used in HE washers. I will have to give these a try on cloth diapers and report back!
Rebecca’s last blog post..The Best Green Baby Blogs
I’d love to try these too. I’ve never heard of them before.
Thanks for the review! I currently use BioKleen Free & Clear, which I love, but I am always looking for better products!
count me in, i’d love to give them a try.
I would love to try these!
I just returned a bottle of Arm n Hammer clothes detergent to a major retailor because it smelled so strongly I could sniff it from 300 feet away as the overpowering scent from my dryer vent drifted across our property…Normally I buy unscented detergent but slipped up on this one. Needless to say this product you have found would be fabulous for the smell annoyed like me.
My family uses Costco brand, yes I know it is probably more water than it should be, but we get approx 90 loads for $11.39. We only use half what the label recommends and still get clean clothes.
It’s kind of tough to argue for using Dropp when it costs sooo much more.
I *think* that if they are like the ones in teh UK that the plastic dissolveble bit is acually made from corn starch so hopefully not too many chemical nasties…….
Thanks so much for this information! I have been having the same issue w/the packaging and would love to try this product. I’ve tried the detergent at my local co-op that has a refill station but I don’t think it works very well! Right now, I am trying Melaleuca detergent and it seems to work fine but I always wonder if the companies that claim to be “eco” friendly really are… Thanks so much for the work you are doing! Ann
I use Charlie’s Soap but would be interested in trying something new
: )
I would love to try these. I am stationed in Japan my daughter has sever eczema and it is hard to find an all natural detergent that doesn’t irritate her skin. Thank you
omg! I need this so bad!
danielle
I have been looking into a lot of natural detergents lately preparing for my first baby, but so few of them are for HE washing machines. These sound super convenient!
[...] off I have selected a winner for the bag of Dropps using random.org and it is comment #89, lovelilacs. [...]