Let’s talk about detergent capsules

We don’t talk about detergent capsules very often in Clean Cloth Nappies, but it’s undeniable that they’re becoming more popular. Almost all of the mainstream brands have come up with their own capsules and they’re sold in all the supermarkets. With capsules being so easily accessible, you might wonder if they are suitable for washing cloth nappies. We had our hunches, but wanted to test them out anyway.

We spent the last six weeks buying, trialling and discussing what we like and don’t like about them. Let’s go through the good, the bad and the beautiful about using detergent capsules. 

Ease of use

Detergent capsules are sophisticated, premeasured doses of detergent loaded with active cleaning ingredients. Unlike liquid detergents, they’re not diluted with water, and unlike powders, they’re not bulked with water softeners.

Capsules are sold as being incredibly easy to use. Having a preset dose means there is no spillage, and it reduces mental load. It’s hard to quantify the ‘ease of use’ factor. There is something very satisfying about throwing a brightly coloured capsule into your washing machine, without worrying about scooping powder or measuring liquid. 

Weights and measurements: size matters

Almost every mainstream detergent offers a line of pods, capsules, caps or discs. Until putting together this post, we didn’t realise how much they differed in size. 

Comparing the value of laundry capsules is difficult because the price indicator is based on the count (number of capsules per pack) rather than the weight or volume of the detergent inside. Most are around 12-15g each, but premium offerings are often larger at 25-26g.

We found that larger, premium capsules were a better value. Although the smaller capsules were cheaper upfront, we needed three or four per wash, making them much more expensive overall.

Crunching numbers for the actual cost per load

When laundry capsules were new, they were much more expensive than liquid or powder detergents. Now, a decade later, we wanted to check if they offered better value.

We compared the cost of OMO capsules and OMO powder. OMO capsules cost a consistent $0.54 per wash (50 packs for $27).

However, OMO powder prices constantly fluctuate due to Australian supermarkets’ high-low pricing strategy, making a clear comparison difficult. The powder’s price alternates between $15 and $30 for a 2kg box, meaning its cost per wash is never stable.

Using the recommended main wash quantities from our detergent index (2 capsules or 1.5 scoops of powder), we found that

• For OMO Capsules: a main wash costs $1.08;
• For OMO Powder: a main wash costs $0.56 at the sale price or $1.13 at the full price.

This means capsules are cheaper than full-priced powder.

However, capsules are significantly more expensive over time. Over a year, a three-day routine (daily first wash, main wash on day three) would use 608 capsules or just over 18kg of powder. Capsules would cost $328.32, while powder would cost between $135 and $270, depending on the sale price.

The other issue: dosing

We always encourage members to consider how soiled your laundry is and adjust the amount of detergent accordingly. 

The preset dose makes it harder to reach your ‘Goldilocks zone’. This is the happy medium between not enough detergent and too much.

Your main wash might need 1.5-2.5 capsules, but you’re stuck using one, two or three.

If you need to add more detergent after the cycle has started, it’s a lot more difficult than with powder or liquid. You could flush another capsule down the detergent drawer, but there is a risk of a sticky mess (we don’t recommend this), or open the door mid-cycle and risk flooding your laundry.

You’re just as likely to use more detergent than you need. That extra detergent has little soiling to work on, so all those tiny cleaning agents (surfactants) start throwing a foam party instead of cleaning. The machine will rinse this away during the rinse cycle, but it represents unused cleaning power and money down the drain. 

There’s one last problem…

In our testing, we found that capsules sometimes gravitated towards the laundry door and got caught in the door seal. Some combinations of washing machines, wash cycles, and capsules were more susceptible to this than others.

I have it happen all the time. The rounder capsules are better for my machine. 

My machine has a wide opening in the seal, and adult-sized ankle socks get stuck in there.

~ Jes

I found this happened often using Cottons or Kidswear cycles, no matter how full the machine was. At first, I thought it was user error, but it continued to happen even when I consciously placed the capsules at the bottom of the drum.

It never happened during Mix, Easy Care or Sports cycles.

~ Katie

If you notice this early in the cycle, you can pause the cycle, open the door of the machine, wrap a tea towel or cloth around the capsule, and then throw it back in the machine and restart the cycle. 

If you don’t catch it, it means that a lot of the detergent gets washed away instead of mixing through the items in the machine. 

Is it worth it?

Performance-wise, we found capsules washed as well as their liquid counterparts. Unsurprisingly, choosing a premium detergent (such as OMO, Persil, Dynamo, Tide, or Ariel) provides the best clean.

There are a lot of things to like about capsules. They make dosing very easy and are especially useful for people with limited dexterity and fine motor control (arthritis, finger/hand injury, or certain disabilities).

They are an excellent alternative to regular detergents if you are travelling or away from home. They come in smaller packs and can be safely sealed away in luggage without risking spillage like traditional liquids and powders.

At Clean Cloth Nappies, the vast majority of our members have young children and wash a lot of laundry. This is a season characterised by mess: soiled cloth nappies, food-covered bibs, muddy socks and sunscreen-covered t-shirts. When you’re washing frequently, the cost of each wash matters a lot more. Capsules can easily double the cost of your wash compared to using the equivalent liquid or powder detergent.

If cost isn’t a priority but reducing your mental load is, capsules are an excellent addition to your laundry routine. But, with dosing issues and the potential for them to get stuck in the door, the juice might not be worth the squeeze in the end.