How did we get here and why are laundry detergent strips better for you and the environment?

Back in the day laundry was washed with soap. But soap forms a scum and so washing powder, which doesn’t, was invented, and first sold in 1946. Laundry detergent didn’t appear in liquid version until the 1980s and since then has undergone various incarnations. Each supposedly more convenient. Now we even have compressed-powder, single-dose tablets and liquid pods too.

All of which do more for detergent manufacturers’ bottom lines than they do for your clothes, your wallet, or the environment.

But it’s not all bad news. Laundry detergent strips are the future of laundry and they’re available now.

What’s wrong with traditional laundry detergents?

Where do we start? Traditional laundry detergents are made with bulkers and contain many unnecessary chemicals, some of which are harmful to the environment. Plastic packaging, and even plastic microbeads in some liquid detergents, add to the strain on the planet. Almost 80% of all the plastic ever made is still in circulation and yet we continue to produce more virgin plastic. It often ends up in landfill or the oceans and can even eventually make its way into our diets.

Then there’s the cost of transport, both in monetary and environmental terms. Heavy and bulky, traditional laundry detergents are responsible for a lot of emissions.

And did you know that traditional laundry detergents also lead to the gunk you find in your washing machine seals and sometimes on your cleanly-washed clothes? Because not all the ingredients dissolve in the wash they can hang around in your washing machine. Modern machines are designed to use far less water and traditional detergents need more water. These undissolved ingredients form a nasty, greasy residue.

This gunk creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Liquid pods are enveloped in a plastic membrane that biodegrades when in contact with micro-organisms typically found in water processing plants. Unfortunately, this is one of the elements that don’t always fully dissolve and end up lurking in your washing machine as gunk. So, ditch those pods, powders, and liquids!

Why laundry detergent strips are the future of laundry

Melt laundry detergent strips contain no harmful chemicals, bulkers or water so are light and much better for the environment and your clothes. Because they fully dissolve, even in cold water, they won’t contribute to any residue build up.
That means no gunk in your washing machine or brown streaks on your laundry and no build up in the pores of your clothes. They’re lightly – and naturally - scented because they don’t need to rely on chemicals to mask odours in your washing machine, or to fool you into thinking that strongly fragranced equals clean.

As they’re small and light, they require minimal packaging. Unlike messy powders, liquids, and pods they don’t require plastic wrapping, bottles, or boxes. They’re packaged in recycled, recyclable cardboard instead and by minimising the weight we’ve minimised the associated transport emissions.

Laundry detergent through your letterbox to perfectly suit your lifestyle

Best of all, they’re available on a subscription basis and will fit through your letter box. You need never run out again: you can adjust the subscription to suit your requirements.

Unlike pods and tablets, you can use exactly the amount you need. We usually suggest one strip for average-sized loads and two or three for larger load sizes, very dirty washes, and hard water areas. But you’ll quickly work out what you need.

Convenience usually has an adverse impact on something else but with Melt’s laundry detergent strip subscription service you’re actually getting convenience AND all the other benefits for your clothes and the environment. What’s not to love? Contact us for more information or sign up for Melt Infinity now!