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Hi, I’m Beth!

I'm an eco-conscious consumer with a PhD and I have spent the last several years researching and testing the best eco-friendly products on the market.

The Best Laundry Detergent of 2024:

My husband and I were looking for laundry detergent that was a lightweight, plastic-free alternative to heavy and messy plastic liquid detergent jugs. We tested the top detergent  brands on the market for effectiveness, scent, cost, and ingredients. Our winner is also running a 50% off sale for December - that's only $12 for a 1 month supply! Here are our results:

Our results

Why we think laundry sheets are better than liquid detergent

Laundry Sheets vs. Liquid Detergent

How we tested detergent

  1. Used equally dirty clothing - We used BBQ sauce stained t-shirts to ensure a similar dirtiness level.
  2. Washed dirty clothing with each brand - We washed each dirtied t-shirt using each of the five different brands we were testing.
  3. Graded each detergent sheet using the following criteria: 
    ✅ Stain removing effectiveness
    ✅ Smell
    Amount of Leftover Residue
    ✅ Cost
    Ingredients
  4. Selected A Winner Based On The Results - We ranked each detergent sheet on a score of 1-5 for each of the different critera and summed up the results.
Before: BBQ stained shirt for testing!
After: Clean shirt with HeySunday. 😍

The best detergent sheet we tried: HeySunday

★ Winner ★

HeySunday

Check Price
❤️ Get 15% off with code SUMMER15
4.9/5
What we love:
  • Best stain and odor remover!
  • Smelled the freshest.
  • Excellent customer service.
  • No residue.
  • 100% plastic free.
  • Ships from Richmond, Virginia.
  • Third-party tested.
  • 1,4 dioxane and phthalate free.
  • Phosphate free.
  • Offer a Fragrance Free version.
  • Made with non-toxic ingredients.
  • Works on all machine types.
  • Only $.20 cents per load.
What could be better:
  1. They aren't available on Amazon.

⭐ Overall Rating ️
Our ABSOLUTE favorite! HeySunday detergent sheets completely removed all stains, were easy to use, cost-effective, AND gentle on the environment. It's a win-win-win! This was an effective odor and stain remover and left my family's dirty clothes smelling and looking amazing! This detergent sheet left no residue on my darks or in the wash and is 100% plastic free, compostable and plant based.

❤️ What we love ️
This is the best smelling and most effective detergent we tried. I loved how this detergent made my clothes smell and feel. Clothes were left feeling fresh and clean with just one sheet!

Another thing we loved about HeySunday is their customer service. They were prompt, helped answer all our product questions, and even helped us figure out the best subscription cadence for our family.

HeySunday is my family's new go to!

They're also offering a limited time, 50% off for the holidays in December!

🙈 What could be better
Honestly, I can't think of many things I would change about this product (other than I wish these were around 20 years ago!). If I had to pick one, it's that they are not available on Amazon, but honestly, for such a high-quality product, I'll order it straight from the store.

📄 Description
"We believe that small acts can have a big impact. We are dedicated to creating products of the highest quality, are ease to use, and effective. HeySunday is laundry done better!" 

💪 A powerful odor and stain remover with none of the harmful ingredients
Left my family's dirtiest clothing smelling fresh and clean and had clean ingredients that wouldn't be harmful to my family's skin. Third party tested and free of: 1,4 dioxane, phthalates, phosphates, dyes, and bleaches.

🌱 Sustainable production
A zero waste, plastic-free, lightweight, mess-free, and biodegradable detergent alternative.

✨ Dissolves instantly and safe for your darks and whites
Safe for all clothing color types and dissolves well in both cold and hot water.

🔒 Safe for all washing machines:
Works for all kinds of washing machines! 

No clumps or gross residue!
No more BBQ sauce stains!
4.3/5
What we love:
  • Subtle fresh scent.
  • Best for lightly soiled loads.
  • No residue on most washes.
  • Offer a fragrance free option.
  • Donate loads to charity.
  • Budget friendly.
What could be better:
  1. Struggled with body odor removal.
  2. Sometimes left residue in dispenser.
  3. Unclear if free of 1-4 dioxane.

⭐ Overall Rating
We found TrulyFree to be a good solution for lightly soiled clothing. We found their scent very pleasant and like their commitment to charity. However, its struggle with certain stains, body odor removal, and occasional residue in the dispenser drawer, dampened the overall experience for us.

❤️  What we love ️
We were fans of the scent. We found it left a pleasant, light, and subtle fragrance post-wash. We were decently satisfied with its performance on lightly soiled clothing and might be a good option for hand washing.

🙈 What could be better
I think our biggest issue was consistency. Several items still had odors in the underarm region of our laundry, so we had to use multiple sheets to get our items clean. Finding residue in some washes was definitely not ideal so while we love the price, the lack of consistency in cleaning and dissolvability put TrulyFree as our number 2.

TrulyFree residue left in detergent drawer.

All Free-Clear

4/5
What we love:
  • Loved their fresh scent.
  • Good everyday detergent.
  • Minimal re-washes needed.
  • Offer a fragrance free option.
  • Works well in warm water.
What could be better:
  1. Had to re-wash some loads.
  2. They sell products with plastic :(
  3. Sometimes struggled with stains.
  4. Didn't dissolve well in cold water.

⭐ Overall Rating
We were impressed with their fragrance – it’s seriously one of the best I've come across, second only to HeySunday. But, a heads up: at $0.40 per load for a 32 load box, even with a subscription? It's a bit on the pricey side, especially when sometimes several sheets are needed for those extra dirty items.

❤️  What we love ️
That scent? An absolute winner in the scent category. I'm also looking forward to trying out their unscented version. Most days, my clothes came out feeling fresh, and They’ve got a lineup of other eco-friendly goodies that I’d like to test out as well.

🙈 What could be better
As much as I'm a fan of their products, there were times it didn’t quite tackle the super messy stuff. Maybe we need to try again? It'd also be great to see some third-party testing info – always reassuring to know it’s been checked out by experts particularly for free of claims. While All dissolved well in hot water, we found it struggled in cold water.

Chunky residue left over in cold water.
3.9/5
What we love:
  • Safe for all washing machine types.
  • Good stain and oder removal.
  • Left a nice light scent on my clothing.
  • Sheets didn't clump together.
What could be better:
  1. Left residue on my darks.
  2. Most expensive $0.43/load!
  3. Website is hard to navigate.
  4. Unclear usage instructions.

⭐ Overall Rating
Decent detergent sheet, although we did find residue on my workout clothing. And, given this is the most expensive detergent sheet on the market, we are not sure it's worth the price if it's going to leave marks on clothing.

At their price point, I was expecting a flawless product.

❤️  What we love️
We loved their Fresh Linen scent, and their Fragrance-Free variety performed well and was actually fragrance-free. While we did not try them, Biokleen also offers a Lilac scent as well.

🙈 What could be better
While my clothes smelled clean, these sheets left lots of leftover detergent residue in the washer and on my clothing! My darks were covered in small remnants of detergent sheet, which was a bit frustrating.

📄 Description
"An eco-friendly laundry detergent that's as sensitive on your skin as it is to the environment"

Testing Tru Earth for residue.
3.7/5
What we love:
  • Worked well with small loads.
  • No sheet residue left on darks.
  • Free shipping on orders over $12.99.
  • Free of phosphorous.
What could be better:
  1. Multiple washes needed for larger loads.
  2. Not a fan of their fragrance.
  3. Ingredients listed felt vague.
  4. Unclear if free of 1,4 dioxane.
  5. No noticeable scent on clothes.

⭐ Overall Rating
Tide did its job nicely for smaller laundry batches and impresses with no residual traces on darks. Priced at $0.26 per load when buying in bulk (100 loads), it finds a middle ground in the cost spectrum. However, the challenges it poses with larger loads and some transparency gaps about its ingredients somewhat offset its positive points.

❤️  What we love️
For smaller laundry tasks, it’s spot on, ensuring darks remain free from sheet residue. Getting free shipping for orders above $12.99 is quite a deal, and the 25% subscription discount is a welcome perk. Their range of eco-friendly alternatives is commendable, and the absence of phosphorous is a responsible touch. The bulk-buy pricing of $0.26 per load for 100 loads also adds to its appeal.

🙈 What could be better
Bigger laundry loads might require a redo, so that's something to keep in mind. The Fresh Linen scent might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and it surely wasn’t mine. A more exhaustive ingredient list would boost confidence, as would nods to any third-party testing. Clarity around potentially concerning ingredients like 1,4 dioxane or phthalates would be appreciated. Also, if you're someone who looks forward to a lingering fragrance post-wash, this might leave you wanting.

I would have liked to see the names of the actual ingredients instead of descriptions.
3.3/5
What we love:
  • Made with non-toxic ingredients.
  • Good stain and oder removal.
  • Works in all machine types.
  • Offer other plastic-free products.
What could be better:
  1. Scent didn’t stay on clothing.
  2. No mention of third-party testing.
  3. Expensive $0.35/load.
  4. Only 36 loads per envelope.
  5. Hard to separate the strips.
  6. Hard to rip in half.

⭐ Overall Rating
These detergents made a decent impression. Their non-toxic ingredients and ability to tackle stains are definitely a plus. However, the fact they don’t call out third-party testing for their "free of" claims is something to note. Also, at a price point of $0.35 per load for only 36 loads, they're on the pricier side, particularly if one ends up using more than one sheet for those challenging washes.

❤️  What we love️
The adaptability of working in all machine types is truly appreciated. They deal with stains and odors fairly well. I also appreciate the brand's commitment to offering other eco-friendly, plastic-free products.

🙈 What could be better
We loved their summer rain scent but found it doesn't stay on the clothes as long as we’d have liked. While the price per load and the sheet count in each envelope could be more competitive, the real drawback is the detergent clumps together and is hard to separate. This makes portioning them out a bit challenging and we ended up having to throw away quite a few because they had fused together.  

Additionally, more clarity on whether they conducted third-party testing to back up their "free of" claims would instill more confidence in their product.

📄 Description
"An eco-friendly laundry detergent that's as sensitive on your skin as it is to the environment"

Kind Laundry

3.3/5
What we love:
  • No residue left in the wash.
  • Good odor removal.
  • Comes in a cute box.
  • 30 day satisfaction guarantee.
What could be better:
  1. Lacked cleaning ability.
  2. Shipping is almost $5!
  3. Guarantee doesn’t cover shipping.
  4. Pricey at $.30 per load before shipping.
  5. Only a 15% discount for subscribing.
  6. Unclear if they are free of 1,4 dioxane.

⭐ Overall Rating
I think the best thing about these sheets is that they left no residue on clothing or our machine. However, at $.30 per load, not including the almost $5 shipping, it stands as one of the pricier choices out there. This becomes even more evident considering its underwhelming stain removal, potentially leading one to use more than expected to achieve the desired cleanliness.

❤️ What I love
We didn’t have any issues with residue and the sheets did pretty well removing odors from things like gym clothes. The box packaging is charming and convenient, definitely better than a bulky jug but may not be as convenient for travel as an envelope.

🙈 What could be better
Cleaning ability was, frankly, a bit underwhelming. The nearly $5 shipping cost coupled with a rate of $.30 per load (excluding shipping) feels high. The fact that the money-back guarantee overlooks shipping costs diminishes its appeal. A more generous subscription discount would've been appreciated.

More transparency regarding third-party testing and the presence or absence of compounds like 1,4 dioxane or phthalates would round out their product details nicely.

📄 Description
"We make all-natural, plastic-free home & body care productsthat are good for you, and good for the planet, too."

Leftover coffee stain post wash.
3/5
What we love:
  • Offer unique scent options.
  • Offer a fragrance free option.
  • Solid stain removal.
What could be better:
  1. Left residue on dark clothing.
  2. Didn't fully dissolve.
  3. Didn't love the lavender scent.
  4. $0.41 cents per load.

⭐ Overall Rating
We are sad to say we likely would not purchase these again. We really wanted to love these since I am a fan of the brand.

❤️ What we love ️
We can't really say that there was anything that we loved about these detergent sheets. We were really excited about their scent options, but we weren't a fan of their lavender scent, and their mulled apple scent is ALWAYS out of stock.

🙈 What could be better
Everything. These were strong smelling in a bad way! Our clothes were left smelling almost artificial? Not to mention, they left residue all over our washing machine and clothing. We were really surprised by the low quality of these, given their reviews, but after testing them ourselves, we don't know how these are usable.

📄 Description
"Transforming household products into a force for good".

Didn't fully dissolve!

Why We Chose HeySunday.

Thanks for reading!

Eco-conscious consumer, avid hiker, and daughter.