All about Laundry Pod – Is it really expensive? Pros and Cons

Laundry is one of the inevitable task of every household. With the entry of washing machines this task has become some what easier. Otherwise it was assumed as the most strenuous exercise for a home maker. In the washing machine though you just have to load and unload the clothes in washer drum there is one thing where most of the people are confused. And the thing is ‘what is more economic and better a laundry pod or a conventional detergent powder/ liquid’?

Laundry Pod info

What is a Laundry Pod?

Laundry pod is a small water soluble sachet which contains detergent, brightening agent, fabric softener and stain remover. You have to keep it in the washer drum of the washing machine before adding clothes. Means you are using a laundry pod then there is no need of additional things like stain remover, fabric softener etc

Advantages of using Laundry Pods

There are many things which may tempt you for using laundry pods. Some are discussed below.

1. Convenience – Laundry pods are much more convenient than their counterparts like powdered detergent and liquid detergent.
While using powder detergent you have to carry the detergent container. Or if you are using a liquid detergent then also you are carrying a heavy bottle of it.

But pods are very small in size they are more convenient to handle.

2. Using the right amount for a load – A laundry pod have right amount of detergent, brightening agent, fabric softener and stain remover for a particular amount of load. So there is no need to measure or guess proportion of all these things while loading the washing machine just put one or two pods as per your requirement in the washer drum.

But in case of powdered detergent or liquid detergent you have to measure quantity of detergent, fabric softener etc.

3. Cleaner detergent tray – If you are using powdered detergent or liquid detergent you may have noticed residue of detergent in the detergent tray. But pods are made of water soluble films they do not leave any residue behind which gives you cleaner washer drum, detergent tray.

4. Cleaner, softer and better smelling clothes – It is noticed that laundry pods clean clothes more efficiently than liquid or powder detergent. They contain concentrated liquid detergent and stain remover so the clothes are cleaned efficiently.

Disadvantages of Laundry Pods

Though there are many advantages of laundry pods, some disadvantages are also found. Few of them are listed below.

1. Costly – The more concerned thing about the laundry pods is they are costly as compared to their counterparts. The reason behind this is we mostly do not use fabric softener, stain remover daily. Only detergent powder or liquid is considered enough for daily laundry. So automatically cost of these extra things is deducted from daily expenses.

But in case of laundry pods these things are already added in the pod. So using laundry pod daily seems to be a costly affair.
If you are using stain remover, fabric softener, brightening agent daily then you will find that the price of laundry pod and all these things is almost same.

2. Quantity per load – While using laundry pods you can not control amount of detergent. Even if you are running your machine on a quick wash cycle mode means load is less than usual then also you have to use one complete pod. You can not break the pod in two and use half part of it. This may not be very economical.

There is one more view about this. If you use complete pod for less load it may cause damage of clothes due to excess detergent. The fragrance of fabric softener may overpower causing uncomfort.

Modern smart models of washing machines use only limited water for rinsing depending upon the weight of the clothes. So if clothes are rinsed in less water some part of detergent will be left on the clothes making them streaked or spotted.

3. Pre soaking/ pre treatment – Unlike powdered detergent laundry pods can not be used for soaking clothes or pre treating heavily soiled clothes before washing.

4. Effects on the environment – As we already know, pod is detergent coated with water soluble thin film. Though the film is water soluble it’s not completely biodegradable. These plastic films harm the environment, components of environment upto the large extent. So if you want environmental friendly option then you may not opt for laundry pods.

5. Attractive look – Yes, you read it correct. Attractiveness of laundry pods is one of the disadvantage. Laundry pods have very attractive, compact look. They look like a cute candy. So kids are easily attracted towards them. If you keep these pods in a transparent, within the reach of children they may swallow them, out of curiosity. So you need to keep these pods safe, out of reach of children.

Some tips for usage

  1. Normally laundry pods dissolve in water of normal temperature. But during winter if water is too cold then pods may not dissolve completely. In such situations dissolve the pods in warm water and pour it into the washer drum.
  2. While using laundry pods it is essential that your hands are dry. Otherwise pods will dissolve in your hand only.
  3. If you are living in a humid region then store laundry pods in a airtight container or else humidity may affect on the pods.

FAQ

Should you use laundry pods before or after in the washer drum?

Laundry pods should be added in the washer drum before loading the clothes.

How many pods should be added?

If weight of dry clothes is approximately about three to four kg then one pod should be enough.

What to do if streaks or spots are found on washed clothes?

If there are streaks or spotting on the washed clothes then rinse them in the machine without adding detergent.

In this article we have tried to provide as much as possible information about the laundry pods. Hope this article prove useful to you.

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