Developments in Detergents by Susan Gilbert

We all know technology is evolving.  Clocks went from sundials to pendulum-driven clocks, then spring wound, and on to smart watches or phones.  Music went from phonographs, to radio, to vinyl records, to cassettes, to CD, to iPods and now streaming apps with smart speakers.  Much of this occurred in my lifetime.  Today, I am intrigued by the evolution of something seemingly simple: Laundry Detergents. 

My first memory of laundry detergents was in the 70s when they were powder you would scoop from a container or pour from a box.  They were messy and sometimes left clumps of congealed power on your clothes. The 80s brought liquid formulas prized for their ability to dissolve quickly and remove grease stains.

However, that popularity came with a cost: large plastic packaging and heavy bottles made them less than ideal for storage, transportation, or the environment. I remember lugging the heavy jug to the basement of our dorm where the washers were located.  Maybe the benefit was some good exercise, but it did not contribute to a good laundry day experience.  Nor did they cart the hefty plastic jugs home from the grocery store. 

An ‘80s Amway advertisement for their detergent piqued my interest. It claimed that other liquid laundry detergents contained enormous amounts of water to make you feel you were getting more for your money, while theirs had little water. Therefore, you could use less, extending your value and lightening your load. I never knew if the claims were true, but they made sense.

In the 2010s, pods revolutionized detergent delivery, offering convenience, single-use, mess-free, lightweight, and easy storage.  The premeasured doses in dissolvable films eliminated the guesswork on how much to use.  However, they were not perfect – early safety concerns arose as children were attracted to the candy-like appearance of the colorful pods.  However, over time, packaging and public awareness have improved, and pods have become a staple in many homes. 

This year, I discovered the latest evolution in laundry: lightweight, eco-friendly detergent sheets. These thin, biodegradable sheets, which resemble paper napkins, contain concentrated detergent and completely dissolve in water during the wash cycle. Being lightweight with minimal cardboard packaging, no plastic-bottle waste, and a significantly smaller carbon footprint, they are environmentally friendly. They’re also ideal for small spaces, travel, or for anyone who doesn’t enjoy carrying heavy plastic jugs. Currently, you may have to search the shelves to find the small packages of sheets, but I believe over time, they will take over the detergent section and free up a lot of space currently devoted to bulky jugs of laundry detergent.

As sustainability, simplicity, convenience, and effectiveness take center stage in household products, we can expect to see even more innovations in detergents. But for now, laundry sheets represent the latest chapter in a long story of soapy ingenuity.