Laundry Strips: Do They Really Work?

Yes, laundry strips absolutely do work. They work by dissolving in water to release concentrated cleaning ingredients. These lift soil and suspend it, allowing it to rinse away. Because they’re pre-dosed and low-waste, they’re simple to use and effective in cold washes when dosed correctly.

• Pre-dosed (no mess)

• Cold-wash compatible

• Space-saving & travel-friendly

• Low-waste packaging

• Works in HE/front-loaders & top-loaders

Laundry strips are thin, pre-measured sheets of detergent. Pop one in the wash, and it dissolves on contact with water, releasing a balanced mix of cleaning agents that:

• Loosen dirt and body oils (surfactants reduce the water’s surface tension so it wets fabric properly and surrounds greasy soils).

• Break down everyday stains (enzymes in many modern formulas target things like food or sweat).

• Hold soils in the water so they rinse away, rather than re-depositing on fabric.

Because the dose is built in, there’s no measuring, no spills, and no over-pouring. And unlike bulky bottles or boxes, a month’s worth of washes fits in a drawer, handy for small spaces and travel. Strips are suitable for HE/front-load and top-load machines and, when used correctly, work well at cold and 30 °C for day-to-day loads.

For everyday mixed loads (cottons, synthetics, school uniforms, towels between deep cleans), a good strip performs on par with a quality liquid or powder, provided you dose correctly, don’t overload the drum, and give the machine a normal cycle to do its work.

• Routine cleaning: lightly to moderately soiled clothing and linens.

• Cold or 30°C cycles: modern strip formulations are designed to dissolve and disperse quickly.

• Consistency: pre-measured dosing means you aren’t accidentally using too much (a common issue with liquids), which helps prevent residue and stiff fabrics.

• Heavy mud/grease, sports kit, collars/cuffs → pre-treat the mark, or use a slightly warmer cycle.

• Organic stains/odours (food, milk, sweat, pet accidents) → do a quick pre-treat before washing, then launder with your strip. 

Bottom line: for typical family laundry, strips are a clean, simple swap; for tougher jobs, they play nicely with a pre-treat or a second strip on large/heavy loads.

Strips are pre-dosed, so your cost per wash is fixed and predictable, no “glug a bit extra” that empties bottles faster than you planned.

Formula: (Pack price) ÷ (number of strips) = cost per standard wash.

• Small/light load (2–3kg): ½ strip

• Standard load (4-5kg): 1 strip

• Large/heavy soil (6-7kg): 2 strips

Example: Eco Friendly Laundry Strips: Our 30-strip pack costs £15.99, meaning your standard wash is 54p , a light load is half that (27p), and a very large/heavy load is double. Compared with liquids and powders, where over-pouring by “just a splash” is common, strips keep spending consistent and help prevent residue from overdosing.

Add to that the savings from cold cycles (see below) and the fact you’re not paying to ship large volumes of water, and the overall running cost is very competitive.

Cold and short cycles are brilliant for energy saving, colour care, and fabric longevity, and strips make them easier to use well.

• Fast dissolve, quick disperse. The sheet breaks apart rapidly, so active ingredients spread through the drum even at 20–30°C.

• Designed for modern machines. With decent agitation, the actives wet out fibres, lift soils and rinse clean without needing high heat.

• Fewer set-in mistakes. Hot water can set protein-based stains (e.g., milk, blood) if you don’t pre-treat. Running colder first with the right chemistry reduces that risk.

• Good habits that help: don’t overload the drum (clothes need room to move), follow the ½ / 1 / 2-strip dosing, and for very quick cycles, avoid mixing very heavy and very light items in one go so agitation stays consistent.

For a front-loader, put the strip in the drum under/among your clothes so it hits water right away. Choose your cycle, strips work well on cold or 30 °C for everyday loads, and give the drum room to tumble.

• Dose guide: ½ strip ≈ 2–3 kg (small), 1 strip ≈ 4–5 kg (standard), 2 strips ≈ 6–7 kg (large/heavy).

• Quick tip: give the sheet a single crumple before it goes in so it separates faster.

• Avoid: the dispenser drawer (slows dissolving).

In a top-loader, start the fill, drop the strip into the water so it begins dissolving, then add laundry. Same dosing as above. If your machine uses extra-low water on eco modes, just make sure the strip meets the water before the clothes pile on top.

For handwashing/travel, tear a ¼–½ strip, dissolve it first in a basin, then add garments. Rinse well. Strips pack flat and don’t count as liquids, ideal for carry-on.

Strips handle day-to-day washing; a small pre-treat step covers the outliers.

• Protein stains (milk, baby sick, blood, egg): rinse or blot cold, add a little pre-treat, wait a minute, then wash with your usual strip dose on cold/30 °C.

• Grease on collars/cuffs: rub a dab of pre-treat into the area or run a slightly warmer cycle.

• Sportswear odour: turn inside out; if smells linger, schedule an occasional warm reset to clear build-up.

• Mud / very heavy soil: knock off dry dirt, then use 2 strips in a large load, or split into two standard loads so agitation stays strong.

Check out the Laundry Essentials Kit to get you started!

Yes, Clean Living’s Laundry Strips are suitable for washing baby items when used as directed. They’re pre-dosed, which helps prevent overdosing (a common cause of residue), and they’re designed to rinse clean even on cold/30 °C cycles, useful when you want a gentler wash for little ones. The light, low-mess format also means fewer additives in the drum than “one extra glug” of liquid.

• Wash baby clothes separately, use ½ strip for small loads, and add an extra rinse for newborn pieces.

• Always check our product page for the latest ingredient/allergen details and follow garment care labels.

• If you’re comparing other brands, read the label closely, fragrance level, additives, and rinse performance can vary. When in doubt, patch-wash a single garment first.

A strip routine keeps laundry simple: no mess, no guess, and it works in cold water to save energy. The packaging is low-waste, and the cost per wash is consistent because you’re not over-pouring.

• Pros: pre-measured; cold-wash friendly; space-saving & travel-ready; low-waste; predictable cost per wash.

• Cons: very heavy soils may need a pre-treat or second strip; hard-water areas benefit from the odd warm cycle; ultra-short programs can under-agitate if you overfill the drum.