Have you ever tried using a POD or a tablet for your washing machine? After the success I see using a tablet in my dishwasher, I decided to try out the pod for my washing machine. In this case, I tried out the laundry pod from Ariel, but you also get laundry pods from many other vendors like Tide, Surf Excel, IFB, amongst many others. Fun fact - Tide (by Proctor and Gamble) introduced it in the 1960s first and then stopped and restarted in 2012.
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What is a laundry pod?
Depending on which pod you use, the laundry pod mainly contains 3 main things - a detergent/liquid, brightening agent, stain remover and optionally a fabric softener. You just have to throw in the pod before you put the clothes into the drum. It works for both top load and front load washing machines. For larger loads, you may require multiple pods, but since I have a smaller machine and almost always use it full, I require one pod per wash.
Let’s talk about cost as that seems to be a sticky subject with lot of people. You may be surprised by the results - as pods are in general considered to be more expensive. Let’s do a quick math. For the sake of consistency, I’ll assume you are washing the same quantity of clothes (about 6-7 kgs) and you are using fabric softener. I’ll use Ariel detergent, liquid detergent and Comfort fabric softener for my calculations. The cost of these on day of calculation is as follows:
Based on these costs - let’s calculate the per wash cost. Now the amount used of 60 gms, 90 gms, 45ml, 60ml etc that I call out in the table is the recommended quantity mentioned by manufacturers to be used per wash (in this case again I’m using ariel as an example, linked to the source in the description). You may be using lower - in which case your costs when using detergent / liquid detergent will be lower.
As you can see - if you are using the recommended quantity of detergent / liquid detergent and fabric softener - the cost of using the POD is not very different compared to using a detergent / liquid detergent. Esp. in the case of top load - it is actually cheaper to use a pod, unlike what I would have thought. Yes, if you are not using the recommended quantity (which I’m sure most of us would not been) and if you are not using fabric softener, then using a laundry pod turns out to be more expensive.
Let’s talk about what does not work well with laundry pods:
Like I already explained, costing can be more expensive especially if you are not currently using the recommended quantity of detergent for the wash and you are not using fabric softener.
If you put smaller loads in the washing machine, since you cannot measure and adjust the quantity of the detergent in a pod, using a pod may not work very cost effective. Not just being not cost effective, the extra detergent can cause the detergent not being washed away completely from the clothes.
I use a washer dryer. Normally when I use a liquid detergent, the machine is completely dry after it’s wash and dry cycle. When I used the pod, sometimes I do see some slimy residue under the rubber of the door. It was definitely not a one off as I saw it a few times after wash.
There are two schools of thoughts about the plastic that is used - vendors say that the plastic used for the pods is biodegradable and dissolves during the wash cycle, even in a cold wash cycle. Environmentalists say it is not. I cannot comment on that - it’s a call for you to take - weighing the pros and cons discussed in this video. As for me, I use dishwasher tablets too, which have a similar plastic coating and have been using it for a while.
Let’s talk about benefits of using a laundry pod:
Convenience is the first benefit - when loading a full load of clothes, we don’t have to worry if we have put the right quantity of detergent / fabric softener. The laundry pods have the right formulation of detergent, stain remover, brightener etc for a full load
Cleaner detergent tray - how many times have you seen your detergent tray dirty after a wash cycle with residual detergent or softener. It’s a task to clean it occasionally. With the pods, no residue is left at all.
Cleaner, softer and better smelling clothes - clothes definitely smell better. Now if you were using fabric softener, you may have had better smelling clothes already. The smell can be a bit overpowering for a few people though. I tried with a variety of clothes, and the whites were cleaned a lot better than before - which is a big plus for me.
Best Laundry Pods in India:
Overall - the laundry pods can be useful if you are looking for more convenience in washing. Clothes felt more softer and cleaner (whites in particular) as the concentration of the detergent is higher in the pods. Would I continue to use it? Perhaps I will as it is quite convenient with a better wash quality. I just need to figure out if that slime under the rubber gasket continues or not.
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