I used to buy biobased laundry detergent in the eco-friendly looking bottles, with pictures of peaceful lavender fields and green leaves scattered around the bottle info. I thought that was a better choice, a greener choice, than what I’d seen in my home all my life. Maybe it was. But about a year and a half ago I started seeing ads for a company called Dropps. They made big promises for a little package and it was just what I wanted to hear. Things like recyclable packaging, no single-use plastic, and safe ingredients. I decided to check them out and I’ve been a dedicated Dropps enthusiast ever since. Here’s what my experience with Dropps laundry detergent pods has been like.
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Ratings
Overall Score
Function
Durability
Ease of Use
Appearance
Packaging
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Single-Use Plastic Free
- Recyclable/Compostable Packaging
- Cruelty Free
- Manufactured in America
- Carbon Neutral Shipping
Cons
- Not B Certified or members of 1% for the Planet
- Scents might not be as strong as you’d like
Do I recommend this product?
Without a doubt, yes! This is one of those products that I show off to all my friends on social media when I get a refill shipment. There are just so many great things about Dropps laundry detergent, and I love showing them off.
Does it get the job done? (Function)
I have to be honest, I haven’t been living the “rugged” life since I started using Dropps but I do live what I’d consider a typical life. What I mean by that is, I haven’t had to wash mud-caked clothes or grass-stained soccer gear after a long game day. But I do go to the gym, I spend some days at the beach, riding a bike, or walking trails at the local wildlife reserve.
Dropps hasn’t disappointed me yet. From bath towels, to bedding, delicates, and more, my Dropps laundry detergent pods have always cleaned perfectly. I’ve never experienced bad odors or left over stains.
There might be one exception for you here. I’ve tried several of their fragrances and none of them have stood out to me as all that noticeable. I don’t really care what my clothes smell like post-wash as long as they aren’t dirty or smelling dirty. If that’s an important factor for you, then it’s definitely something to note.
Is it durable?
Dropps FAQ’s claim that their pods will last about 2-3 years in a cool dry location. I haven’t had any trouble with my product going bad. I’ve also never heard of anyone else having a poor experience with their product going bad.
My pods are stowed safely in an airtight glass jar on my laundry room shelf and they’ve always been just fine. I keep them in a sealed jar because water will dissolve the outer layer of the pod (which is a thin PVOH film). The last thing I want is a bunch of dissolved pods because I somehow managed to splash water or spill something onto them.
The shelf life of these pods is especially great when it comes to cost too, but I’ll touch on that more in the cost section of this review.
Ease of use?
Dropps laundry detergent pods are no different from any other pods on the market when it comes to use. You simply dropp (pun intended) them in the barrel of your washing machine before adding your clothing (pun intended). Then you run your cycle like normal.
Do I want to show it off? (Appearance)
Like I said before, the pods are wonderful. There is a slight yellowish tint to them, like very watered down apple juice. I store them in a glass jar and I think they look very cute.
If you choose to leave them in their shipping container, then you’ll have a very compact and fairly clean looking container too. I just choose to put mine into a glass jar.
Packaging
Dropps packaging is truly minimal. Honestly, I wish more companies would ship like Dropps does. Your order might vary to a small degree, but in my experience shipments come like this: You have at least two boxes. One box is the outer shipping box. The inner “box” is actually what holds your detergent pods. And that’s it.
They use a recycle-friendly adhesive for their paper tape, their shipping labels are recyclable and compostable, and of course the cardboard is recyclable and compostable as well. They used to have some kind of pouch, but quickly switched to the cardboard boxes I’ve always received.
If you want to read more about their packaging, check out their packaging page here.
There is slight room for improvement but not enough to warrant the removal of a star, in my opinion. On my most recent shipment, the box that contains the pods has 2 lids. So the first lid opens up, you don’t have to pull any tab or anything to get it open. But the second lid, underneath the first one, reveals the pods. The second lid has a “tuck and tongue” type closure (you can see what it looks like here) https://since1878.com/folding-carton-styles.php . I think the 2-lid thing is a little extra but it could be worse.
What options do I have to buy?
Dropps offers several different scents for their laundry detergent products. They have:
- Clean & Crips
- Lavender Eucalyptus
- Unscented
- Organ Blossom
I have tried clean & crisps, lavender eucalyptus, and unscented. Honestly, I don’t notice the scents all that much. The cost for the pods is the same no matter what scent you choose to buy. I tend to order clean & crisp but I honestly think that has more to do with it being the first listing rather than the smell.
Cost and Comparability
To save you some time, and so you don’t have to click a bunch on the Dropps site, I’ve done some math for you. If you don’t like numbers, tables, or math…I totally understand. If you want to skip all the numbers then go ahead and skip down to “Beware of Subscriptions.” If you want to see a comparison between Dropps and other popular brands, skip to Table 4. If you’d like to see how much each order option costs, the cost of a pod, and how Dropps compares to other pod prices then this is the section for you!
Cost Per Box
Table 1 has the 3 quantities you can order the Dropps laundry detergent pods in (56, 140, and 210). There is an option for subscriptions, I cover that more in the next section. But for now, I’ve got the subscription and non-subscription prices covered as well. That gives you a total of 6 different options to choice from when ordering these.
Table 1.
| Quantity | 56 ct. | 140 ct. | 210 ct. |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cost with Subscription (USD) |
$18.00 |
$39.00 |
$49.50 |
|
Cost without Subscription (USD) |
$24.00 |
$52.00 |
$66.00 |
Cost Per Pod
Now, the cost of the whole box is one thing. But how much does each pod cost? I’ve done that math for you too! I’ve broken it down for you below in Table 2. Each row and column directly corresponds to the table above as well. So, for example, if you purchase the 140 ct. box with a subscription for $39.00 then each pod will cost you $0.28. Or, one laundry cycle will cost 28 cents in detergent.
Table 2.
| Quantity | 56 ct. | 140 ct. | 210 ct. |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cost Per Pod with Subscription (USD) |
$0.32 |
$0.28 |
$0.24 |
|
Cost Per Pod without Subscription (USD) |
$0.43 |
$0.37 |
$0.31 |
Competitor's Cost
I’ve put Dropps’ “competition” in this next table, Table 3. To get these numbers (except for Blueland) I went to Walmart’s website and selected popular brands that were available in-store on the day of writing. Under “Brand” I’ve included the full name for the product as it was listed on the Walmart website. Keep in mind that these numbers will vary from week to week as prices changes but they give you a good idea for how Dropps compares to popular brands in price.
For Blueland’s pricing, I chose the cheapest option. If you order the 3-pack refill option, the total is $32.00 and that gets you a total of 120 tablets because there are 40 tablets per pack.
Table 3.
| Brand | Pods Per Container | Total Cost (USD) | Cost Per Pod (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Blueland Laundry Refill Packs (3 pack/40 per pack) |
120 |
$32.00 |
$0.27 |
|
Gain Flings Original Scent, Laundry Detergent Pacs |
96 |
$21.44 |
$0.22 |
|
Tide Pods Laundry Detergent Pacs, Original |
96 |
$21.44 |
$0.22 |
|
all Mighty Pacs Laundry Detergent Pacs, Free Clear for Sensitive Skin, Unscented and Dye Free |
60 |
$9.97 |
$0.17 |
Comparison
Finally, the final comparison. For the Dropps numbers, I’ve used the subscription values. I think that’s most likely the price that will apply to you and I explain why in the next section when I discuss how their subscription plans work.
Table 4.
| Brand | Dropps (56ct.) | Dropps (140ct.) | Dropps (210ct.) | Blueland | Gain | Tide Pods | all Mighty Pacs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cost Per Pod |
$0.32 |
$0.28 |
$0.24 |
$0.27 |
$0.22 |
$0.22 |
$0.17 |
Results
It think it’s most likely that you’ll be interested in the 56 ct. or the 140 ct. from Dropps. So I’ll use those prices as a baseline for this cost comparison.
210 pods is a large amount of pods. I’m not sure that is going to be the size you’re ordering. With 52 weeks in a year, at roughly 1 load per week, it would take you almost 4 years to use them. Dropps says their products have a shelf life of 2-3. For those of you that do several loads per week, then you might very well order a large quantity like 210. That just means Dropps is even more affordable for you than if you went with smaller order.
At 28 cents per Dropps pod, the price is pretty comparable. It’s right on par with Bluelands pricing per tablet and only 6 cents more than the Gain and Tide Pods I looked at. If you’re looking for a plastic-free sustainable solution for your laundry detergent, then the pricing on Dropps detergent pods isn’t too bad.
There aren’t any studies that I’m aware of that can back me up, but the CEO and Founder of Dropps also sought to create detergent that was really gentle on fabrics. The unseen benefit of longer-lasting clothes could be potential savings in the long run that don’t get factored into the initial cost of the pods. Just something to keep in mind.
Beware of Subscriptions
Before you add an item to your cart, you’re given the choice to be enrolled in a subscription. The subscription enrollment automatically gives you a 25% discount and you can cancel it whenever you’d like. You have the ability to choose refill shipments that ship at 1 through 6 month intervals, with 4 month intervals being their recommended selection.
You can also choose between 56, 140, and 210 pack sizes. I’m washing for 1 person, and only occasionally run more than one load a week. So 56 pods will definitely last me close to a year. Your needs are probably different. With their different size packs and variable shipments you have plenty of options to pick from for the subscription, which means there’s something for everyone.
If you consider that the pods last 2-3 years when stored right, you could definitely order more than you need, cancel the subscription, and minimize the amount of shipments you’d have to make. That’s generally the route I take.
Ingredients and Things
Overall, the ingredients for Dropps laundry detergent pods is pretty good. EWG rates most of their varieties at an A or a B, with only one pack coming in at a C rating.
Rather than copy and paste the ingredients to this blog post, check out the ingredients here. I recommend looking at the ingredients on the site directly rather than a blog post for several reasons. First, companies update formulas and change ingredients all the time. They will have the most accurate ingredient list for your order on their website.
Second, Dropps also provides an “ingredient disclosure” right below their ingredients list. That ingredient disclosure has a wealth of information. They provide access to a safety data sheet and also tell you when the disclosure was last updated. I’m writing this on November 28th, 2021 and the disclosure I’m reading was last updated September 20th, 2021. That’s pretty recent.
What makes this a sustainable choice?
The first big thing for me is the lack of plastic. I wanted to get as far away from those thick and hard-to-recycle plastic jugs that typical laundry detergent comes in. Dropps packaging is recyclable and compostable so it’s truly zero waste.
They also have carbon neutral shipping which is great when you’re factoring in carbon emissions and your carbon footprint.
Dropps emphasizes the sustainability of their ingredients, particularly when it comes to the sustainability of natural and synthetic scents. The cleanliness of their laundry pod ingredients is backed by overall good ratings by the EWG.
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In case you didn’t catch my post about Dropps dishwasher detergent, you can check it out here.
Sustainably is supported by readers like you. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links on our “Affiliate Marketing…” page.
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