Laundry detergent pod

Laundry detergent pods (also called "packs" or "liquitabs") are water-soluble pouches containing highly concentrated laundry detergent, softener and other laundry products. They first became popular in February 2012 when they were introduced by Procter & Gamble as Tide Pods (Ariel Pods in Europe).

The chemistry of laundry detergent packs is the same as in liquid detergents (including alkylbenzenesulfonates). The dissolvable packets are typically made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or a derivative of PVA. Although the formulas are similar, the concentration varies; the liquid components of a detergent pod may contain 10% water compared to 50% in liquid detergents. The film is designed to be soluble in cold water. While PVA is water-soluble and technically biodegradable under specific conditions, it is estimated that close to 15,000 metric tons of intact PVA either bypass or make it through treatment facilities every year.

Laundry pods are estimated to make up about 15% of the US$7 billion-a-year U.S. laundry detergent market sales according to market researcher Nielsen N.V. Laundry pods were advertised as a way to reduce wasted use of powdered and liquid detergent by having precise measurements for a load. For large loads, most brands recommend two pods, with Tide suggesting up to three. Detergent pods cost significantly more than liquid detergent for equivalent laundry loads. MonoSol is one of the companies that develops the water-soluble film used for laundry and dishwasher detergent packs, used by brands including Tide, with roughly US$250 million in annual sales and controlling around 90-percent of the market.

Notable brands of these packs include All, Arm & Hammer, Gain, Purex, Persil, Rinso and Tide.

Laundry tabs were originally introduced in the 1960s in a compacted granular form (similar to an oral medical tablet), when Procter & Gamble launched Salvo tablets, later disappearing from the market in the 1970s. In the 1990s, Unilever and Henkel launched a similar laundry detergent pack product sold in Western Europe under the Persil brand. These products sometimes did not fully dissolve in United States washers. Powder Laundry Soluble Sachets were first marketed in the UK and Europe in 1998 as Soapy Sacks and shortly thereafter rebranded as Aquados and received a Millennium Award for the innovation. The first powder dishwasher soft-tabs were then sold in Europe in the early 2000's under the Simply brand name. Liquitabs were launched in 2001 in Europe (spelt as 'liqui-tabs' or 'écodoses' in different countries).

In 2005, Cot’n Wash, Inc., introduced liquid unit dose laundry pods under the Dropps brand.

In 2012, Procter & Gamble launched a liquid tablet product as Tide Pods.

In 2017, the Tide Pod challenge emerged, causing concern about laundry detergent pod poisoning.