With all the social media buzz in the earth friendly sphere, I had to find out what the big deal is with laundry detergent sheets and even more importantly find out if they really work?
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As good stewards, it’s important to be as creation friendly as possible in all areas of our lives and laundry is no different.
It’s frustrating to buy “green” detergents in huge plastic bottles or even worse, in non-recyclable packaging. The great news is, laundry detergent sheets work well to keep your laundry clean and odor free and they also do more. Some brands are completely plastic free and very close to zero waste!
After looking at the many brands of earth friendly laundry sheets available today, I chose to test two popular brands: Earth Breeze and Tru Earth.
(Note: I also purchased Grove Collaborative branded detergent sheets, but after trying them and looking more closely at their ingredients, I cannot recommend them.)
Laundry Detergent Sheets: Earth Breeze Vs Tru Earth
In full disclosure, both Earth Breeze and Tru Earth brands were kind enough to send me their products to try and review at no cost, but these opinions are completely mine and I only share products I use in my own home.
What are Laundry Detergent Sheets?
Laundry detergent sheets are thin, quick dissolving strips of detergent that work just like traditional liquid and powder detergents without the mess and bulky plastic packaging.
How Do Laundry Detergent Sheets Work?
Simply choose how much detergent you need and add the strips to your washer basin with your clothes. They can be used in all water temperatures.
Depending on how soiled and how large your laundry loads are, you can use as little as a half strip for small loads, or use up to 2 strips (1 full sheet) for very dirty loads. This is true for both brands I tested but may not be true for all brands.
Are Laundry Detergent Sheets Creation Friendly?
Overall and most importantly yes, but they’re not perfect. Beware of greenwashers – companies that hide toxic chemicals and fragrances that are either undisclosed or not tested for aquatic safety. Many are also made in foriegn parts of the world where labor standards are under regulated and leave a larger footprint with the additional shipping required.
However, in my opinion, laundry detergent sheets are still a great creation friendly choice for laundry detergent.
Related Post: Your Top 10 Dryer Ball Questions Answered
What Makes Laundry Detergent Sheets Better Than Traditional Detergents?
- The best thing they have going for them is NO PLASTIC.
Earth Breeze Vs Tru Earth: Both brands came in either backyard compostable paper envelopes and/or cardboard boxes. Completely or almost completely zero-waste!
. - The biodegradable, non-toxic ingredients are created with the care for creation and sustainability in mind.
Earth Breeze Vs Tru Earth: They may not be perfect but these two brands have made it their mission to create products that are safe and effective for people and the environment.
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Earth Breeze contains 9 ingredients and Tru Earth 12 with the ingredients being very similar. Tru Earth is very transparent and lists their ingredients in detail. Be sure to check each company’s website if you’d like compare the full ingredient lists...
.. - Their size and convenience.
Earth Breeze Vs Tru Earth: Both Earth Breeze and Tru Earth come in thin paper envelopes. I was surprised at how happy I am to have more shelf space. They are great to store in a drawer or in a pretty basket on the countertop.
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In addition to their packaging, both detergent sheets are similar in size with Earth Breeze being slightly larger and thinner with no perforation. Without the perforation, Earth Breeze sheets rip inconsistently making it more challenging to control how much detergent you’re using for each load.
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Tru Earth sheets are slightly thicker and the full sheets of detergent come perforated straight out of the packaging. Both companies recommend a half a sheet for regular loads, so the perforation makes Tru Earth much easier to divide into individual regular loads.
... - Fragrance free and/or scented with essential oils.
Earth Breeze Vs Tru Earth: Both brands I tested offer a fragrance free option in addition to their essential oil scented versions. As someone sensitive to most chemical fragrances, this is a big plus. My clothes don’t smell like anything, they just smell like clean clothes..
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With that being said, my family prefers the scented versions and I’m happy to share that the scented sheets do not overwhelm me. (If you like scented clothes, be sure to read my article on dryer balls HERE.)
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What is the Best Laundry Detergent Sheet Brand?
After testing Earth Breeze and Tru Earth laundry sheets, I fully believe the benefits of both of these slim detergent strips significantly out way the negatives, especially when compared with traditional chemical filled detergents like Gain and Tide.
They are both are very effective, clean well, and have very similar ingredients. Tru Earth sheets are easier to divide into individual strips for regular loads and they are made in North America (Canada), however I don’t think you can go wrong with either brand.
COMPARISON OVERVIEW OF EARTH BREEZE VS TRU EARTH
EARTH BREEZE: Very good product, but slightly harder to use and made in China.
EARTH BREEZE: Fewest ingredients, completely zero-waste, most affordable. (Negatives: Harder to control the amount of detergent for each load, made in China.)
Shop Earth Breeze HERE
TRU EARTH: Very effective product. Easiest to use and made in North America.
TRU EARTH: The perforated sheets make them easier to use, completely zero-waste, and they are made in North America. (Negative: more expensive in smaller quantities)
Shop Tru Earth HERE
GROVE COLLABORATIVE: I also purchased Grove Collaborative branded detergent sheets, but after trying them and looking more closely at their ingredients, I cannot recommend them.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON LAUNDRY DETERGENT SHEETS
Overall, I don’t think you can go wrong with either brand. Both Earth Breeze and Tru Earth work well and significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste produced in the laundry industry — with Tru Earth having a slight edge in my opinion since they are easier to use and are manufactured in North America (Canada) while the Earth Breeze is made in China.
Although Tru Earth costs a bit more when purchased in small quantities, look for sales and special pricing. I was able to purchase a bulk, 1 year subscription of 384 loads for only $99 with free shipping. The bulk order brings the pricing down to be just as affordable as Earth Breeze. The bulk order also limits the environmental impact to 1 package and 1 delivery per year, making it more creation friendly than multiple orders.
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I love the quality of Molly’s Suds brand liquid laundry detergent but after trying laundry detergent sheets, I am impressed with both the effectiveness and lower environmental impact. No matter if you choose Earth Breeze, Tru Earth or some other brand, consider switching to laundry detergent sheets for a plastic free laundry experience. I did!
Shop Earth Breeze — HERE or Find them on Amazon*
Shop Tru Earth — HERE or Find them on Amazon*
*(Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases when you purchase through my link. Thank you!)
I have used Tru Earth for a couple years now and absolutely recommend them. I am happy with the results I receive , they are made in North America and the fact that there is no plastic. They are pricey compared to the plastic bottled detergent I can purchase at the local store but I feel it is worth the extra to protect our planet and the future of our children
Thanks for sharing your experience with Tru Earth. I’ve been happy with them so far too and I agree, the extra cost is worth it for peace of mind and to eliminate the extra plastic waste!
Great review. I had just ordered a small pack of earth breeze to try. I already have an annual subscription to Tru Earth which renews soon but it was brought to my attention earth breeze donates laundry sheets to a cause of your choice for each pack ordered – I love that I can select to support animal shelters even though they cost $10 more per year than tru earth. However I didn’t realize they were made in China and aren’t perforated. You are spot on about your review for tru earth, even my resistant family agrees it was a wise switch from liquid detergent.
After researching the ingredients in both Earth Breeze and Tru Earth, I opted to go with Tru Earth. Even though Tru Earth has more ingredients (and slightly more costly), several of the ingredients are less harmful than Earth Breezeʻs. Plus the fact that Earth Breeze is made in China.