Meliora Laundry Powder is Eco-friendly, and It Works!

[Updated 12 January 2021] Remember my post about eco-friendly detergent? While researching the post, I came across Meliora Cleaning Products and fell in love with their ethics and everything they represented. So, I shamelessly wrote to Meliora for a laundry powder sample because I wanted to do a product review, and they sent me a bunch of products to try.

To be clear, I’m not paid to do this review, but I did receive free products.

This post contains affiliate links, so if you purchase a product through one of them, I get a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you!

About Meliora

Meliora was founded in 2013 by Kate Jakubas and co-founder Mike Mayer. Kate studied environmental engineering and realized that she could make simpler and better products than what’s on the market! That sparked the beginning of Meliora Cleaning Products.

Meliora products are made entirely in their factory in Chicago. They’re very conscious of their environmental impacts and waste creation and believes in paying employees a living wage. 

No wonder it’s certified B Corporation, which means they use business as a force for good, balancing purpose and profit.

We all want more brands like this, don’t we?

What’s an eco-friendly detergent again?

Eco-friendly detergents are safe for the environment and the living things in it (including us). So, they shouldn’t contain phosphate (these have been banned from US-produced detergents in the ’70s), nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) surfactants, alkylphenol ethoxylated (APE) surfactants, optical brighteners, chlorine bleach, and petroleum-derived chemicals.

They should be

• Unscented or scented with natural fragrances (essential oils)
• Cruelty-free
• Concentrated
• In a recycled/recyclable packaging, and
• Septic safe for homes not connected to the public sewer system

Naturally, the lesser plastic packaging used, the better too!

How Eco-Friendly is Meliora Laundry Powder?

Meliora laundry powder meets all the criteria mentioned above. But let’s go into the specifics.

Ingredients

Unscented – Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda), Vegetable Soap [Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Water]

It comes in 4 options: unscented, Lavender, Lemon, or Lemon-Lavender-Clove.

Scented – (all scents include the Unscented ingredients, plus the following):[Lavender]: Organic Lavandula Hybrida (Lavender) Oil*
[Lemon]: Organic Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil**
[Lemon-Lavender-Clove]: Organic Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Leaf Oil, Organic Lavandula Hybrida (Lavender) Oil*, Organic Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil** (Scent made from certified organic essential oils which contain linalool* and d-limonene** )

It’s free from preservative, brightener, SLS, and synthetic fragrance. Suitable for people with sensitive skin or allergies, including babies.

Made with 5 ingredients that all scored A on the Environmental Working Group ratings, and certified Made Safe, I think it’s safe to say that we’ll not be harming the environment or ourselves when we use this product.

Packaging

They sent the products plastic-free and used brown paper to cushion the products. I was pleasantly surprised to see that even their refills are plastic-free.

Meliora Laundry Powder

The cardboard-and-steel canister the laundry powder came in is surprisingly sturdy and closes tightly. It’s reusable and completely recyclable too. Meliora designed their canisters to be refillable with their laundry powder refill packs.

Seeing the canister makes me wonder if our addiction to plastic packaging isn’t just a lack of effort and over-reliance on plastic. The canister’s design is simple and it works. Decades ago, there were more products packaged like that. Why did we depart from that?

To recycle the canister, carefully pry off the end caps, then recycle the metal caps and the cardboard box separately.

The only plastic in the box is the scoop for the laundry powder, and that’s fine in my opinion since it’s reusable. If you don’t need it, you can order the laundry powder without the scoop. Told you they put a lot of thought into their business! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it when a company makes the effort to avoid using plastic in their packaging.

Edit: They’ve since changed the plastic scoop to stainless steel scoops so the laundry powder is totally plastic-free! Stainless steel has high recyclability at the end of its life, but really it doesn’t get damaged. Maybe you’ll lose it, but if that’s the case, they sell a replacement in their shop too!

 

Meliora Laundry Powder Refill

Isn’t the refill’s packaging super nostalgic? Just a printed paper bag (good quality, mind you!) with “handles” to hold the folded portion in place. It’s clever and simple, and I love it! 

Now, these nostalgic bags of laundry powder aren’t sealed, but no powder spilled in my package. That’s how well the bag worked. I think the thick paper used, combined with the fact that the opening is folded many times helped. 

Still, I’m sure the person who packed the order has to be mindful about how the bags are placed in the boxes. No wonder they mentioned that their refills aren’t suitable for shipping with Amazon. No problem though, we can get it from their website!

• Get the refill here!

Though cardboard and paper have significant carbon footprints too, their recyclability is much better than plastic, and at the end of the day, they’re biodegradable. They don’t stick around and harm the environment. 

All in all, I can see how much care and thought the company puts into its products. They balanced price, purpose, aesthetics, and environmental impact. 

So yes, Meliora Laundry Powder is very eco-friendly!

Price

On the Meliora website, it’s $0.13 per load of laundry for a a high-efficiency (HE) machine or $0.26 for a non-HE machine (excluding shipping). If you get the refill, the price is $0.10 to $0.20! 

• Get it on the Meliora website.

Psst, there’s free US shipping for orders over $49!

If you get it through Amazon, it’ll cost $0.14 per load of laundry for a high-efficiency (HE) machine or $0.27 for a non-HE machine (excluding shipping).

• Get it on Amazon.

I think it’s reasonable, especially if you have a high-efficiency washer.

Does Meliora Laundry Powder work?

Absolutely!

Honestly, all I ask for in a laundry detergent when it comes to cleaning clothes is that it doesn’t irritate my skin, its scent isn’t too overwhelming, and it leaves my clothes clean and clean-smelling.

Meliora laundry powder did all three so I’m satisfied. 

How to use

To use, simply scatter the washing powder directly into the washing machine with your laundry. I’ve had no problems with the powder not dissolving.

Since it’s concentrated, half a scoop (that’s half a tablespoon, you guys!) is the recommended amount to wash a regular load of laundry in a HE washer. I almost didn’t believe it’ll be enough but it is. If you’re doing a heavy load, add more.

You can also hand-wash clothings with Meliora laundry powder. Since it’s suitable for all fabrics, it’s perfect for delicate clothings. (Still, always do a spot test to make sure). Also, it’s reassuring to know that what’s in this powder won’t harm us!

It works with all water temperatures too. But here, we’ll always urge you to use a cold-water setting! You’ll cut your energy use by more than 50% than if you use a hot water setting. Better for your clothes, your pockets, and the environment!

Scent

I love the smell of the powder! I have the lavender scent and you can tell they used good quality essential oil.

The washed clothes smell clean, but I don’t detect the lavender scent. This may bother some people but we’re fine with it. Before switching to Meliora, we were using unscented laundry detergent, so I’m used to clothes smelling clean and neutral. Actually, I prefer it! 

If the lack of scent bothers you, consider getting wool dryer balls, add some essential oil of your choice to the wool balls, then dry your clothes with them. I haven’t tried it but I’ve read that it works.

Verdict

I think it’s obvious by now that I’m happy with the product! Not only are the ingredients safe for us and the environment, but the company also keeps the product’s carbon footprint as low as possible. 

What’s more, 1% of every sale goes to environmental causes!

With climate change worsening every day, it’s so important that us consumers support businesses that care about their environmental impact and design their products to reflect that. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly detergent to switch to, I highly recommend Meliora Laundry Powder! Don’t stop there though, Meliora has many other cleaning products. 

Get your Meliora Laundry Powder here!

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