I Swapped My Giant Detergent Bottle for a Tiny Tablet — And It Works Even Better

The summer’s hottest club might be my local laundromat. I’ve practically been living at mine to keep up with my ever-growing pile of laundry (hotter days mean stinkier, sweatier clothes that can’t be reworn as often). That being said, I need my laundry detergent to work overtime by deep-cleaning my clothes and making them look (and smell) like nothing — beach days, barbecues, sweaty commutes, workouts — ever happened. Oh, and I also hang-dry most of my clothes, which can leave behind a musty, stale scent that my ultra-sensitive nose can always detect. Nothing got rid of the smell or gave my clothes the extra-deep clean I wanted until I tried Blueland’s new PowerDuo Laundry Tablets. 

I’ve tried the eco-friendly cleaning brand’s award-winning cleaning sprays and toilet bowl tablets before, but I was fairly skeptical about how these new detergent tablets would perform. I’ve used other “clean” laundry detergents but always felt like I was sacrificing something in the name of sustainability (scent, efficacy, or cost), but the PowerDuo tablets actually convinced me that I could have it all. They’re also 100% microplastic-free! 

Think of the PowerDuo as the extra-strength version of Blueland’s OG Laundry Detergent Tablets. Each one is a concentrated, two-in-one dry tablet with the brand’s original stain-fighting bioenzyme blend on one side, and an Oxi layer on the other that Blueland says provides a deeper clean and targets strong, deeply embedded odors. Together, they worked wonders on sweat marks, sauce stains, and stubborn odors in my testing, and totally outperformed the liquid laundry detergent I was using before. 

My old laundry detergent also wasn’t EPA Safer Choice Certified, while the PowerDuo Laundry Tablets absolutely are. The EPA Safer Choice label means that every ingredient has been reviewed against the program’s stringent human health and environmental criteria. I’m talking no microplastics, PVA/PVOH plastic films or coatings, PFAS, phthalates, phosphates, optical brighteners, or chlorine bleach. It’s also accepted by the National Eczema Association, making it an especially noteworthy option for those with sensitive skin — which is honestly rare for a scented laundry detergent, especially one that smells this good. It’s available in White Tea & Jasmine, Bergamot Rose (my pick), and fragrance-free options. You can use the tablets right out of the pouch or decant them into one of Blueland’s refillable Forever Tins.

As someone who longs for the convenience of in-unit laundry, the PowerDuo tablets help make up for it by being so easy to use. They’re incredibly lightweight and much easier to chuck in my bag than a bulky gallon of detergent (or a plastic-wrapped pod that may pop). I don’t have to think hard about dosing, either: I toss one tablet straight into the washing machine’s drum for regular loads, or two for large loads. That’s it — no wasted detergent, no goopy mess. 

Most importantly, the PowerDuo Laundry Tablets work. My clothes look and smell clean and fresh right out of the washing machine (and there were zero sticky patches of detergent residue left behind, a testament to how quickly the tablets dissolve). Even my sweatiest tees and my husband’s workout clothes came out looking as good as new. And remember that damp, musty smell that would linger on my clothes after hang-drying? It’s completely gone now. In fact, when I walk into our home office (where we stash all of our drying racks), all I get are wafts of the soft Bergamot Rose scent — it’s fresh, delicately floral, and so elevated. I wish they’d bottle it and sell it to me. And while the scent is definitely noticeable, it’s not at all overpowering (even for a sensitive nose like mine). It lightly lingers on my clothes even after they are fully dry. 

The PowerDuo Laundry Tablets cost $24 for a pouch of 60 tablets, which may sound steep, but it actually comes out to only 40 cents per load when using one tablet. For me they’re proof that a powerful, plastic-free laundry detergent isn’t an oxymoron, and doesn’t have to come at a heavy premium. 

Buy: Blueland PowerDuos Laundry Tablets, $24