Tru Earth Laundry Strips

[sarahperdue]

Hi Everyone,

I've been using Tru-Earth laundry strips for a while on "average loads." I still break out the Tide when things get really dirty. I'm not necessarily the most discerning when it comes to how clean my laundry is--I can certainly recognize not clean, but the variations of clean, cleaner and cleanest are probably lost on me--except when it comes to sheets and towels. All of my sheets and towels are white, I wash them on hot with a scoop of oxygen bleach, give them a good long soak before finishing the cycle and hang them out to dry. I also do them occasionally with ammonia since I'm not sure I should add ammonia to the detergent/oxygen bleach mix.

I love the virtually zero waste concept. The strips come in a cardboard envelope, and each strip fully dissolves. Each strip is about 1.5" x 4" but that's just a guess. Have to say that the "gluten free" disclaimer at the bottom of the ingredients list does activate my earth muffin bs radar. Seriously? I could truly not care less about my laundry detergent being gluten free.

Anyway, tell me your thoughts. I'm posting the ingredients list below and including the link to their website. I think there are several more similar brands now, but I'm happy enough with these that I'll use them till they're gone. The boys have started using them. The husband makes his own soap/slurry/slop, but he's the only one who uses it. Ick.

Thanks,
Sarah

Ingredients
Vegetable Glycerin: plant-derived softener
Starch: plant-derived biodegradability booster
PVA: biodegradable supporting matrix
Potassium Sorbate: Food grade preservative
Light Mineral Oil: Used in manufacturing as a processing aid. (not an active product ingredient)
Cocamido propyl betaine: coconut oil based, biodegradable amphoteric surfactant (cleaning agent) and foam booster
Sodium Gluconate: plant-derived and food-grade, biodegradable water softener that prevents soil from resettling on fabric after it has been removed during washing
Lauryl dimethyl amine oxide: plant-derived, biodegradable non-ionic surfactant (cleaning agent) and foam stabilizer
Sulfonic acids, C14-16-alkane hydroxy and C14-16-alkene, sodium salts: biodegradable surfactant (cleaning agent)
Glycereth cocoate: plant derived and food grade, biodegradable water softener
Caprylyl Glucoside, Octyl Glucoside: non-ionic surfactants (cleaning agents)
Fragrance oil blend (not used in Fragrance Free): natural essential oils and synthetic ingredients
Residual Water
Tru Earth Eco-Strips are palm oil free & gluten free

https://www.tru.earth/

 

[donprohel]

Not persuaded at all

What I see when I read the list of ingredients and the website, is a mediocre detergent (a mix of the same surfactant used in any detergent, but without enzymes or oxygen bleach) made solid and sold in strips.

Now, the quantity of surfactants I need to wash my laundry is the same whether they are in a powder, in a liquid or in a strip, it seems to me that a strip is too small to contain enough active ingredients.

And the strips contain ingredients to make them solid (glycerine, starch and PVA) but that do not provide any cleaning action: what is the advantage with respect to a good powder detergent? For the same volume, a powder detergents has surely not less active ingredients.

So it is "no more wasted space" just because there is much less detergent: well...

The only advantage might be with respect to liquids, that contain water that has to be transported, but again I can use a powder.