Sheets, magnesium beads… the laundry detergent of the future is coming to our washing machines

After powder, liquid, and capsules, here comes laundry detergent … in sheets. In a small package no bigger than an envelope, easy to slip into the mailbox, you'll find 20 water-soluble sheets, one for each load. The result? The same cleaning power as conventional detergent, but without a bottle, without plastic, and without added water.

Because it's important to remember: a bottle of laundry detergent is 80% water. A marketing trick to make the product appear larger… but an ecological disaster in terms of transport and packaging. These sheets, on the other hand, are ultra-concentrated, dissolve completely in the drum, and leave behind only recyclable packaging.

The French company Frixy already produces 10,000 packs per day and aims to reach 3,000 points of sale by the end of the year. Price: €4 per pack, or 20 cents per wash, approximately 50% cheaper than capsules, and equivalent to an average liquid detergent. Another advantage: it's impossible to overdose. And the concept is already being adapted for dishwashers and floor cleaners.

What if we simply eliminated laundry detergent altogether? That's the idea behind the Lyon-based startup OpsClean's sachet of magnesium beads. Just place it in the drum: upon contact with water, the beads produce a chemical reaction that releases magnesium hydroxide and hydrogen.

The result: the water's pH rises (from 7 to 10, between that of soap and bleach), which helps destroy bacteria, grease, and unpleasant odors. One sachet lasts up to 350 washes, or about a year's worth of laundry, for around forty euros. This could cut the average French household's annual laundry budget in half, estimated at 100 euros.

An ecological advantage: no chemical emissions, only a small amount of magnesium, an element naturally present in river water. For those who like the smell of "clean laundry," scented sachets can be added. The only drawback: the system struggles with stubborn stains, but it's perfectly adequate for 95% of everyday washes. Over 20,000 households have already adopted the solution.

Faced with a global laundry detergent market estimated at €100 billion, these French innovations aim to prove that it's possible to wash cleaner… and smarter. Whether it's reducing plastic, streamlining transport, or lowering costs, the laundry revolution is well underway.