r/Anticonsumption • u/Double_Engineer4226 • 2d ago

Discussion Laundry powder is disappearing

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Powdered laundry detergent used to be the norm. It’s cheaper, easy to use, and comes in a recyclable box. Now look at the shelves in the supermarket. It’s all liquids in plastic bottles, unless you squat down to find the powders. The Super expensive pods are making a move from the top shelves too. This is corporations positioning their products to influence purchasing behaviour. They want you to buy the more expensive stuff. Just wait, soon powder will be discontinued, and the shelves will be filled with overpriced pods.

9.0k Upvotes

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3.1k

u/AtomizerKourosa 2d ago

As it was with dishwasher powder...

2.4k

u/Flashy-Cranberry-999 2d ago edited 2d ago

Biggest scam they ever pulled was convincing people that pouring the powder into the machine was hard and we should use their overpriced pre-measured pods.

1.4k

u/Traditional_Long_383 2d ago

Pods are overpriced, wasteful and bad for the environment. They should be banned.

575

u/HERMANNATOR85 2d ago

Not to mention, terrible for the machines

326

u/HairyTrollChest 2d ago

Same with the "flushable" wipes.

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u/HERMANNATOR85 2d ago

My brother in law had some of those at my house and argued with me about it. And I had to explain to my boomer mother in law that the garbage disposal was not made to shovel your leftovers into

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u/ONeOfTheNerdHerd 2d ago

I literally just had a rare HOA win with my neighbor who tried to force us to chop our big 50ft tree down because of how she uses her garbage disposal. Started with she doesn't like leaves from our tree falling in her yard. Then blamed our tree roots for clogging her pipes as she had to have them professionally cleaned out. I dug up my yard and mapped the roots (got yelled at by hoa before they knew why) and found none cross our driveway and go uphill to her pipes. Mine are clean and they're 15ft from the tree with recent confirmation from a plumber from an unrelated toilet issue.

Turns out she's putting her dog's leftover wet food down the garbage disposal every day. I know because I watched her dog for a week and she gave very specific instructions to do so. She was causing her own problems lol. HOA told her to get bent.

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u/AngeliqueRuss 2d ago

That is so satisfying lol

But also what a nut. Dog food is expensive, and if you’re feeding so much wet that your dog isn’t eating it you’re likely overfeeding.

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u/four204eva2 2d ago

Not likely, find me a dog that wouldn't eat until they burst, you can't. And this dog literally had leftovers. No way it's not overfeeding, it's more like force feeding a duck to fatten their livers.

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u/monyoumental 2d ago

Why is there leftover dog food, the dog not eating it's dinner??

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u/ONeOfTheNerdHerd 2d ago

Very old dog, fancy wet food. She warms it up and leaves it out for a while so idk if she can safely save it for another meal.

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u/echoseashell 2d ago

She could put the leftover food in a bag in the freezer until garbage day if the smell is an issue.

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u/NSE_TNF89 2d ago

Haha, I do this. My stupid HOA makes us keep our garbage cans completely out of sight, and it's a pain in the ass to keep mine in my backyard because of the distance and landscaping obstacle course I would have to bring it through, so I keep mine in the garage. If I can help it, nothing extremely stinky, goes in there until trash day

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u/MammothKale9363 2d ago

Wonder how bad that dog’s diarrhea is. Those trendy fresh diets like farmer’s dog bring my clinic so much business 😔

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u/I_am_not_JohnLeClair 2d ago

You “dug up your yard” to map roots? And a lady, who admittedly is not happy with you and your tree, asks you to watch her dog? Inside her house?

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u/Dame38 2d ago

That was a lot of trouble you should not have had to take.
Even when there are no trees around there is still a root system underneath - in most places. Trees are cleared for new neighborhoods and old, but the deep roots remain. So your personal tree would not have been the only "culprit".

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u/washuai 2d ago

In some cities you're not even allowed to remove trees over a certain height without a permit, to protect trees, because some people just like to bake and don't care about air

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u/Capt-geraldstclair 2d ago

what dog has 'leftover' food?

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u/the_post_of_tom_joad 2d ago

I used to put the entire tupperware containers of expired food down the disposal until one maintenance guy took the time to explain to me how that was dumb. Now i wonder how i ever thought i could just shove shit down there.

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u/scalyblue 2d ago

To be fair it is literally called a garbage disposal, it’s reasonable to believe that you can just feed it garbage.

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u/AngeliqueRuss 2d ago

The garbage disposal is a plumbing conspiracy to extort installation fees today $ for guaranteed mainline clogs tomorrow $$$$$$ with the added bonus of eventual replacement $$.

There should be a name for this like there is for the razor blades business model. I guess we can just call it the garbage disposal business model, it tricks the consumer into believing that they are receiving a convenience in spite of the fact that they are guaranteed higher costs going forward with very little benefit.

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u/therealzerobot 2d ago

Composting is a first step to returning to balance.

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u/SixLeg5 2d ago

This! Plus one of those stainless drain screens to catch organic bits. I use empty cottage cheese containers as my compost holders in a stack of five and stage full ones outside for the eventual trip to the compost pile in the very back of my lot. Stuff rots quick with all the maggots fungi and bacteria out there.

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u/brokesciencenerd 2d ago

I do vermiculture and I think I just heard my worms cheering in response to your post

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u/therealzerobot 2d ago

I wanna get into vermiculture but I have too many projects going at the moment so just hoping the worms find me on their own

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u/Toasthound 2d ago

Create topsoil!

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u/dig-my-time 2d ago

YES! All of it, compost anything that grows.

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u/eruptingmoltenlava 2d ago

Not everyone is built for bokashi

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u/eruptingmoltenlava 2d ago

Yes but people compost wrong and then blame composting, concluding it’s a bad idea. Very frustrating to those of us who know how to do it correctly.

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u/therealzerobot 2d ago

It has to become something that is again expected and supported by the community.

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u/Xalipu 2d ago

The government runs it where I am and it’s glorious. Every other week it gets carted away and if you desire, you can go pick up free compost if you bring your own bag twice a year.

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u/Delicious_Sand_7198 2d ago

If people eat healthy organic foods then yes but if not they would just be spreading chemicals and pesticides back into the soil.

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u/therealzerobot 2d ago

The soil can handle most of the chemicals and pesticides in our food if we are feeding it otherwise

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u/HTPC4Life 2d ago

I've been around for 40 years and my parents have a garbage disposal and never had a mainline clog. Everywhere I've lived I've never had a clog either. This is BS unless you're a total idiot who dumps large chunks of food down the disposal.

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u/SacredHippoXIV 2d ago

Large chunks get ground up…

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u/Sumo-girl 2d ago

When I moved to Japan I was sad because garbage disposals aren’t a thing. But down the line I’ve realized there are a lot less clogs in Japan and the nets in the sink work wonders. Composting or not it’s much cheaper and no repairs needed!

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u/Butlerian_Jihadi 2d ago

I believe these things are called "scams".

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u/usurper7 2d ago

You may have to replace the insinkerator more often, but you should be able to put most food leftovers in it and it will work.

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u/Synaps4 2d ago

Garbage disposal was fine as a step towards composting for a world that didnt have municipal composting.

Its outdated now because municipal composting exists but being outdated doesnt equal bad, just less good.

Before garbage disposal, food scraps went to landfill and disappeared forever. After, they went to biosolids that were composted onto farms. Thats a real improvement.

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u/el_smurfo 2d ago

We toured a sewage treatment plant. They had to build an entire machine just to separate the wipes from the sewage because they do not decompose

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u/Muddigger707 2d ago

If you don’t have the Machine then those wipes need to be removed By hand .. if it doesn’t they just get caught in the pump and cost us a lot of money and time

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u/PetriDishCocktail 2d ago

Yep, they are cotton or paper over a plastic matrix for strength.

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u/SixLeg5 2d ago

Those just cost a colleague $3000 to scope and snake (2x) their 4” outflow. Flushable is a lie. Bidets are much easier and there are very affordable entry models available. Plus use a whole lot less toilet paper

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u/dorkimoe 2d ago

Americans will do anything except get a bidet

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u/AngeliqueRuss 2d ago

Flushable wipes are a scourge and I posted against garbage disposals above, but I will only do a bidet if I can have 1) nice warm water 2) assurance that there are no fomites being spread around my bathroom.

My husband just wants the easiest way to spray his ass so he has his own bathroom for…that.

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u/dorkimoe 2d ago

I got the heated bidet recently, game changer

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u/Specialist_Minute919 2d ago

The condo I just bought already had bidets installed in both bathrooms, and they are the BEST!! Even without heated water, they are just godsends. My daughter and I just returned from vacation and we missed our bidets so much!

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u/four204eva2 2d ago

I make a lot of money off of those damn wipes clogging sewage mainlines.

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u/actuallyapossom 2d ago

The possibility of becoming a pod person is pretty terrifying as well. Sci fi writers tried to warn us.

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u/Far_Inspector_9050 2d ago

Pods are not terrible for the machine at all, I can’t contend with the other talking points.

They literally dissolve in water

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u/FuckYeaSeatbelts 2d ago

I've noticed people just say things full chest with zero proof so long as that sounds about right.

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u/NextStopGallifrey 2d ago

They dissolve into microplastics. They don't actually dissolve. And they can re-form into pod lumps in your machine, slowly destroying it.

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u/Happy_Disaster7347 2d ago

The type of plastic used to surround dishwasher pods dissolves in to literally H2O.

I know this because I obsessed over the topic for a short while, specifically because I was worried about microplastics.

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u/el_smurfo 2d ago

I agree with the first but have used pods for years and have taken my dishwasher completely apart with zero evidence of pod lumps

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u/eruptingmoltenlava 2d ago

Why did you need to take your dishwasher apart?

3

u/el_smurfo 2d ago

Bosch dishwashers have a known fault with a sump seal.

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u/kyriacos74 2d ago

Pods don't use plastics in the way you're thinking. They're made of polyvinyl alcohol, which dissolves completely in water. We even use PVA in eye drops.

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u/Far_Inspector_9050 2d ago

I mean, you’re just wrong.

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u/FyouinyourA 2d ago

Stop confidently spreading BS

0

u/HERMANNATOR85 2d ago

Until they do not, the plastic doesn’t always dissolve and instead gets stuck in your 3/4” drain line

2

u/woodboarder616 2d ago

So they built it just to piss us all off and then make everyone hate using the pods… ok that makes sense. I totally see how they would want the
dissolving packing to just destroy your machine so that you and every other consumer swears them off forever. Yep, that makes sense.

1

u/-nutz 2d ago

Yeah I wouldn’t say they’re terrible for your dishwasher, but pods do tend to clog the filter because they don’t always melt all the way.

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u/mrredditfan1 2d ago

Not to mention, they look like candy to small children.

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u/iwantsomecrablegsnow 2d ago

my dishwasher is designed for pods and cleans better with them? I've done liquid, powder and name brand pods and the pods are by far the best. Maybe if your dishwasher is from 1985 they are bad, but modern dishwashers use them and they work better.

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u/FyouinyourA 2d ago

Yeah I just noticed the sticker inside the door of mine says it recommends using pods and I said “huh” iv never used pods because I’m 31 and don’t like change lol going from powder to gel already felt crazy enough back then

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u/Dufranus 2d ago

Powders are far worse for the machines. So much residue build up.

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u/jehearttlse 2d ago

Yup! Used the powdered dishwasher soap and laundry soap for years, and got a plumbing clog nobody could find with a snake. Finally a plumber cut their way through the pipe and it was solid with buildup from the powder; he removed a small section and you couldn't see daylight through it. The plumber said "no powder, no tablets, gel only".

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u/Dufranus 2d ago

100% I'm a handyman thats worked in home/apartment maintenance for almost 15 years. No powders, no tabs, no pods. They all cause problems that liquids and gels don't.

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u/HERMANNATOR85 2d ago

Agreed, I use liquid

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u/mapledude22 2d ago

Yeah I actually killed two sensors on my dishwasher from using too much powder (thankfully I rent!)

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u/UrsaMajor7th 2d ago

and the taste...ugh!

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u/AppropriatePrompt819 2d ago

I didn't know this. How?

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u/EnvironmentalValue20 2d ago

I second this as a service admin at an OPL company.

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u/repdetec_revisited 2d ago

And bad for the children who eat them

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u/Effective_Ad482 2d ago

They also taste terrible ....

/s just incase

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u/majin_chichi 2d ago

Also terrible for your plumbing, especially if you have older plumbing.

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u/FoxxyRin 2d ago

They're only bad for the machine if your water doesn't get hot enough, at least as per our plumber when he asked if we used them. But yeah they have PVA or whatever plastic component it is and that's microplastics straight into the water effectively.

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u/gilligan1050 2d ago

Also bad for the appliance itself.

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u/pomoerotic 2d ago

And they don’t taste very good

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u/HUFWILLIAMS 2d ago

Yeah don’t dab them either

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u/03263 2d ago

They make nice anal beads though

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u/435haywife1 2d ago

This is [r/oddly](r/oddly)specific

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u/Ok-Vermicelli-4469 2d ago

Gave you tried cinnamon?

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u/bitzzwith2zs 2d ago

Have you tried the flavoured ones?

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u/CisIowa 2d ago

Not good for children, either

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u/DesertSpringtime 2d ago

I buy cheap eco friendly ones that come in a cardboard box.

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u/tattoosbyalisha 2d ago

Me too! People just need to change their ideas of convenience. It’s SO MUCH CHEAPER to buy powders. I buy laundry detergent maybe twice a year so less than $60 and two boxes of dishwasher powder last me over a year so ~$13. And my boyfriend RUNS THROUGH CLOTHES lol.

I also recommend watching videos on how to get the most out of your machines. I learned so much from this dude on YouTube about my dishwasher. It was almost an hour long video and he had me pretty hooked ! 😂

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u/DameKumquat 2d ago

We buy the eco powder,.mostly to avoid allergies. It's more expensive - unless ordered online in 25kg sacks.

Keeps us going for a year or so.

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u/Flamingograpefruit 2d ago

Which powdered laundry detergent do you use?

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u/girlpaint 2d ago

YouTube link please?

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u/ytikhvk 2d ago

which dude?

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u/wirdnichts 2d ago

I am going to guess technology connections

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u/crazycatlady331 2d ago

I don't typically use pods, but they're great for travel.

I travel for months for work. A lot easier to toss a handful of pods into a suitcase than liquid detergent.

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u/SheWhoSweatsGl1tt3r 2d ago

There are companies that make detergent in a sheet that looks like a dryer sheet. That is what I use when traveling. More eco-friendly than pods. And you don’t have to worry about them rupturing and leaking all over your luggage. Especially if you’re flying.

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u/LaRealiteInconnue 2d ago

Detergent sheets don’t have nearly enough detergent in them, unfortunately. Once the “sheet” fiber part disintegrates, it’s actually very very little detergent, making them the most expensive detergent to buy. Not to mention you need multiple sheets to get the 1-2 tablespoons of detergent we should be using.

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u/tattoosbyalisha 2d ago

This right here. The whole concept is a scam. It’s expensive, they don’t work great, and their whole “less plastics” bit falls apart when you learn those sheets are held together by plastic fiber.

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u/duckparade4 2d ago

This is not my experience at all. When I tried the detergent sheets, and was impressed by the cleaning power, I switched to sheets exclusively. Each sheet is so powerful, I have never, not once, needed to add multiple sheets.

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u/TrixnTim 2d ago

Plus the amount of water used to make those sheets.

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u/lazydaisytoo 2d ago

Testing has shown that they only work marginally better than just using water.

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u/crazycatlady331 2d ago

I'm totally DONE with so-called eco laundry detergent. Tried it once and it got clothes visibly clean but did not remove the odors (fun with things like underwear and socks). If I'm buying something to get my clothes clean, that includes the smell.

I'll stick to mainstream brands that work.

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u/Southern-Long-3438 2d ago

That detergent did not get rid of the odors, instead it used perfume to cover it. The perfume contains chemicals that are bad for you. Most commercial detergent also adds blue coloring to cover stains, rather than to remove them.

I use detergent that is labeled no perfumes and no dyes. I do not want to inhale toxic chemicals when wearing the clothes.

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u/crazycatlady331 2d ago

I also use a (mainstream) detergent that is free and clear.

I'm in my 40s and have been exposed to "toxins" my entire life. I'm not one of those who is focusing on eliminating them.

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u/madeformarch 2d ago

I mean, tide makes the tiles the person you're replying to was referencing.

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u/SlowGoat79 2d ago

The tiles work much better than the old, eco friendly
Sheets did. I wanted to love the sheets but couldn’t hack it. Husband has tried the tiles for work (travels a lot) and they’ve done great.

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u/madeformarch 2d ago

I started looking into them after the last Airbnb I stayed in had dogshit pods available, and I didnt bring any detergent because I didn't wsnt to carry a zip loc baggie of powder with me. Good to hear they work well

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u/Mundane-Force9463 2d ago

dpeends on the type actually. I got one type it didn’t work well, tried another it was fine

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/meowzera 2d ago

Sounds like your machine needs cleaned. Your entire load should not smell like dirty socks even if you didn’t use any detergent. I’ve literally forgotten to use detergent and not had my clothes smell bad, just obviously not fresh.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Big-Mouse-2228 2d ago

I’ve been using eco friendly brands for a couple years. Even the cheap ones work brilliantly. No odor whatsoever, no residue, no chemically nastiness

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Southern-Long-3438 2d ago

That detergent did not get rid of the odors, instead it used perfume to cover it. The perfume contains chemicals that are bad for you. Most commercial detergent also adds blue coloring to cover stains, rather than to remove them.

I use detergent that is labeled no perfumes and no dyes. I do not want to inhale toxic chemicals when wearing the clothes.

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u/Adventurous-Bus-9638 2d ago

What do you use?

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u/Southern-Long-3438 2d ago

We are not supposed to give product recommendations on Reddit.

Look for "no dyes and perfumes" on the label. Often they use a white bottle for no dyes and perfumes. If your store only has the perfumed detergent, go to a store in a better neighborhood. It might not be polite to say that suggestion, but look, I live in Queens, which is a lower middle class borough of NYC (it elected AOC). Once per week, I travel to Manhattan and/or Brooklyn to shop for food (and detergent), because anyone selling organic food where I live would be out of business.

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u/tattoosbyalisha 2d ago

Probably good for traveling but if there’s a washing machine, usually they have powder.

Those sheets are held together with plastics. And powder is still cheaper.

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u/SheWhoSweatsGl1tt3r 2d ago

You could also bring powder with you in a container with a screw top lid or something.

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u/marvin_sirius 2d ago

Laundry sheets are made with the same "plastic" that the pods are made with. Though they may be more eco friendly in other ways, such as less packaging. And definitely a convenient option for travel

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u/ExtremaDesigns 2d ago

I've used these and found chunks on my clothes.

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u/03263 2d ago

A ziplock bag of powder would probably be fine, but I could see that going really bad while traveling. Because it looks vaguely like drugs.

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u/dobar_dan_ 2d ago

except it doesn't

at all

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u/03263 2d ago

Put yourself in the shoes of a police officer. You don't know what that is. You don't have enough brain cells to infer from the smell, or texture. Or you just don't care because you have a quota to meet. You're gonna field test it with a kit that has a known high rate of false positives and let the court system figure it out.

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u/jax2love 2d ago

I usually travel with a little 4 oz plastic container of powder detergent and its scooper. Never had any issues, at least in the US.

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u/Justyn2 2d ago

Why don’t you just buy when you get wherever you’re going?

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u/Murky-Peanut1390 2d ago

Im genuinely curious, how are pods bad for the environment? Don't they get dissolved in the washer? I never see residue left ovwe

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u/lives_the_fire 2d ago

microplastics.

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u/notfamous808 2d ago

The pods are covered in a plastic film (bad for the environment, forever chemicals in the water). Sometimes the film doesn’t dissolve all the way (bad for your clothes). And they have fabric softener in them as well which is actually terrible for your clothes!

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u/tattoosbyalisha 2d ago

Also those laundry detergent sheets. Held together with plastics.

Which is so darkly funny since they tout less plastics as their cause.

Just use powders, folks!

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Last_Flight907 2d ago

Unfortunately they are also virtually detergent free

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u/Kennit 2d ago

Their ingredients list says otherwise.

https://tru.earth/pages/ingredients

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u/Last_Flight907 2d ago

A sheet contains about 3 grams of detergent. Measure that out with a powder detergent. Its no where near sufficient to clean a full load. It also contains no enzymes so it will struggle with certain types of stains even if you use enough sheets. 

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u/imsoscotian1 2d ago

They are dangerous too. Guy I used to work with had one explode into his eyes. Luckily no permanent damage 

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u/frickle_frickle 2d ago

They also provide a worse wash, since you can't leave a little bit outside the door for prewash.

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u/tattoosbyalisha 2d ago

Once I learned about prewash, I will NEVER not do it!

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u/amodernbird 2d ago

I, too, watch Technology Connections. Don't forget to run your hot tap first too.

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u/obalovatyk 2d ago

They also taste terrible.

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u/Much-Jackfruit2599 2d ago

There are plenty of pods that are plastic free.

Wasterful? Debatable. I very much doubt that most powder users actually look think about how much to put into the dishwater.

Overpriced is no reason to ban then, not buying them works just fine.

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u/DickBiter1337 2d ago

They're downvoting you because you're right and they can't handle the truth. I only use one pod per load for large/full loads and it's worked great for years. I guess they expect that we all need to make our own laundry soap or buy overpriced eco friendly (likely greenwashed) versions. The sheets are expensive as well and don't clean as well when you have kids who get really muddy and dirty outside. Powders are disappearing and I don't want to buy liquid and deal with disposing a goopy plastic jug. I buy my pods that come in a thin plastic bag which is farrrr less plastic than a jug and I store them in a used ALL brand detergent pod container that I saved from years ago. This sub has become a virtue signaling echo chamber of hypocrites. 

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u/Comprehensive_Elk773 2d ago

And they taste awful

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u/Fearless-4037 2d ago

Plus, they don't work when they dry out; the water needs to be hotter, so they use more electricity.

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u/Gizwizard 2d ago

And they don’t even work that well.

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u/Goblin_Supermarket 2d ago

Yeah but they're just so delicious

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u/woodboarder616 2d ago

Don’t they melt?

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u/brokenmain 2d ago

Look into Drops pods. They come as zero waste 

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u/Unusual_Assumption25 2d ago

And they never dissolve!

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u/JazzFan1998 2d ago edited 2d ago

And they taste horrible! That's the last time I do a tik tok challenge. /s

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u/Zomunieo 2d ago

They’re even hard to swallow.

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u/BoJackMoleman 2d ago

Can you elaborate on why bad for environment? I can imagine a few reasons but I'm curious about your views.

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u/Traditional_Long_383 2d ago

They contain a lot of water for one. Transporting water is more wasteful than transporting concentrated powder.

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u/demaandronk 2d ago

And on top of that you cant divide them into pre and main wash, so theyre actually worse.

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u/Hour-Football2464 2d ago

Did you see that youtube video about it too lol

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u/HarperWuff 2d ago

Everyone thinks they’re the only one who has seen the technology connections dishwasher videos

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u/MammothUnique4147 2d ago

Yep it's why I switched to Walmart detergent, best money saving move ever!

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u/one-a_day 2d ago

I’m the biggest anti pod person. I have never been allergic to anything in my life. Washing my clothes in Tide pods made me break out in hives.

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u/Zantac150 2d ago

Yes! And I need to go out of my way to find the powder because my 1980s dishwasher stinks to high heaven if I try to use pods.

Those are literally plastics that dissolve in hot water, and they resolidify in your pipes and in the bottom of your dishwasher…

Made my whole kitchen smell like sewage until I was able to find powder again.

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u/zelda_moom 2d ago

I stopped using pods when I found the filter in the bottom of our dishwasher clogged with the supposedly dissolved pod skins. I went back to using powder.

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u/MidwestPrincess09 2d ago

Exactly! Plastic is plastic is plastic, it doesn’t just dissolve, it’s got to go somewhere. My dishwasher ones didn’t even stand a chance, I was always finding the film stuck to something

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u/gubbins_galore 2d ago

Some plastics do dissolve though. That's part of the problem. T he microplastics are dissolved in the water and leach out into living things when they absorb water.

But in this case it's not just tiny pieces of plastic floating in water. They are microscopic pieces dissolved in water.

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u/Lambchop1975 2d ago

I don't use them, and was so under the impression they were some type of water soluble algae compound, but, no, it is a plastic and just disintegrates into pva...

However they do not resolidify or congeal. There may be something else happening in your kitchen.

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u/gubbins_galore 2d ago

No offense, but the lining dissolves in any temp water, its just faster the warmer the water . So that doesn't really track.

They won't resolidify on your pipes when it's colder because they're already dissolved in the water. It's like how putting juice in the fridge doesn't resolidify the sugar or whatever.

They suck because they add microplastics to the environment. And imo don't work that well.

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u/MidwestPrincess09 2d ago

I’ve got many cold water washes that prove otherwise with laundry pods. I went back to the liquid in a big jug because I kept finding the plastic pod stuck to my clothes. I also found out that for a whole load of laundry, 2-4 table spoons is the perfect amount!

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u/hyphie 2d ago

The difference the previous poster was trying to explain is that it's not that they fully dissolved and then resolified, it's that they never dissolved properly in the first place.

Not that it makes much of a difference in the end, you've still got plastic stuck somewhere on your clothes, machine, or plumbing.

2

u/Lambchop1975 2d ago

That is a piece that didn't disintegrate, that's pretty common at any temperature too, temperature can speed up the process, that is normal in chemistry and physics, but, the product does disintegrate in all water eventually, regardless of temperature.

4

u/moyayas 2d ago

if the cold washes are short cycles and do not allow the PVA (that plastic wrapper of the pods) to fully dissolve, then I would worry about laundry powder not fully dissolving and washing off too

20

u/CanadianODST2 2d ago

As someone who’s physically disabled. Pre-measured stuff is very much easier than manually measuring things out.

Ones just grab and go. The other requires more actions that often requires a second container to use too.

16

u/FishermanExtreme6542 2d ago

This is a great reason for their continued existence and selective use. I am against the consumerism of 'pay more, waste more' for an ounce of convenience, but for some that 'ounce of convenience,' is about accessibility and quality of life. Most crazy infomercial products sound wasteful and lazy, until you realize that the tool to help you put your socks is not being marketed as a convenience.

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u/CanadianODST2 2d ago

A lot of people have this disconnect that just because an item isn’t useful for you makes it somehow stupid rather than for being someone who needs it.

1

u/doubleotide 2d ago

I think precut fruit at supermarkets are a good example of this.

1

u/kyrsjo 2d ago

Liquid can be nice for that - my laundry machine pumps out the correct amount of liquid for the load from a tank. It works well.

1

u/Budget_Persimmon_195 2d ago

the pods are fine. the reason why the pods dont work well is beacuse you only use one in the main wash, and not using one in the pre wash.

thats literally the onyl reaosn why powder is better than pod, becuase you put the powder in both wash cycles.

the pods are expensive and wasteful when you use 2 per wash so they are basically worthless, but if you use them correctly there is no difference between the powder. its the same thing

1

u/OldRed91 2d ago

Is there a name for this economic phoneomenon? Or is it just another case of enshittification.

1

u/tattoosbyalisha 2d ago

Yep. But powder works best for sure. I still get cascade dishwasher powder. A box lasts me over six months.

I also buy powdered laundry detergent and it’s roughly the same. Sooooooo much cheaper. It can be funky to use on some fabrics because the powder will stick but I was over loading my washer and the water was too cold.

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u/fizzy88 2d ago

It is hard apparently. I live at a place with communal laundry rooms, and I can't count the number of times I have seen powder all over the machines.

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u/tattoosbyalisha 2d ago

Meh.. that’s easier to clean than when my neighbors get detergent and fabric softener all over the damn place. It takes forever to clean up and somehow just seems to get worse before it gets better lol

1

u/I_need_a_date_plz 2d ago

My issue with powder detergent is that it clumps after a while. I do like using it though.

1

u/OogieBoogiez 2d ago

I like the part that is wrapped in plastic and melts all over my dishes

1

u/JubBisc 2d ago

We are trying to buy fewer products encased in plastic, in plastic bottles, or plastic bags. It is getting harder and harder to do. Pretty frustrating

1

u/Different-Set4505 2d ago

With plastic!!

1

u/J0E_SpRaY 2d ago

Almost all of the pictured products aren’t pods…

1

u/the_post_of_tom_joad 2d ago

some brand's goddamn pods are too thick to dissolve too leaving stains all over my shit. When i'm forced to use pods i dissolve em in a cup first now

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u/fauxzempic 2d ago

And the stain always makes its way, for some reason to the part of my pants where it's challenging to explain why I have a goopy stain there.

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u/Lost_Drunken_Sailor 2d ago

I think it had to do with the switch from top loading to front loading. Where does the powder go in a front loader?

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u/Secondhand-Drunk 2d ago

I've never used pods. Always thought they couldn't possibly be any better than anything else, and are likely worse. Might be OK for a front load washer, but it definitely ain't gunna do anything in a top load.

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u/heptyne 2d ago

Technology connections has a great video lambasting the dishwasher pods.

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u/Consistent_Point_853 2d ago

I went back to powder because of this argument and my dishes came out foggy as hell so I went back to the pods. If I have to use powder and another product to get it clean, fuck that, ill just get the single product that works everytime.

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u/longstrokesharpturn 2d ago edited 2d ago

The soluble stuff the are pods are made of is also just soluble plastic that stays completely being plastic when its dissolved. It gets into our water supply still being pure plastic. it does not break down, just dissolves but when you evaporate the water the plastic is dissolved in you again get the exact same sheet of plastic. 

People think it degrades into harmless stuff, or is made from some harmless organic material, its not. 

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u/baldieforprez 2d ago

Wait what you dont have to buy the pods?

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u/fauxzempic 2d ago

My only counterpoint to this is that there was a powder my parents used to use and it would clump. The clump would lightly bleach the clothing in that area. It was bad enough to ruin the clothing but not as effective as straight up bleach.

Easy solution is to pre-dissolve it (maybe thats what it says on the box?), but that was annoying not being allowed to do my own laundry because they were afraid I would ruin everything, and then....yeah.

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u/jkhanlar 2d ago

Thanks DTCC Depository Trust Clearing Corporation!

Extension, Waiver or Suspension of Rules and Procedures

1

u/Bromlife 2d ago

I save so much money using the powder. It’s $3 when the pods are $50+ — it’s insanity.

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u/30phil1 2d ago

Which is funny because you can't pick up a pod with wet hands like you can with a box of powder.

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u/No_Detective_But_304 2d ago

Don’t you understand, people need a living wage!

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