Product Review: Hey Sunday Laundry Sheets

Product Review: Hey Sunday Laundry Sheets

By Ellen Rubin

This product review is based on my experiences with Hey Sunday Laundry Sheets. While I received a sample of the product from the manufacturer, this review is not paid for, nor do I receive any compensation for the review or any sales of the product.

Picking out the “right” anything is a process. For laundry detergents, you have to consider your needs: how you wash (hot or cold, colors or whites, sensitivities), how dirty your clothes get, what type of machine you have, what format of detergent you want to use, cost, and the importance of sustainability. After you think about this, you pick out a format you prefer (powder, liquid, pod, or sheet), and then choose a brand that fulfills the most important factors to you.

If you don’t want to use cost or trial and error methods of choosing, you can pick out a detergent by their ingredient list. Later, we’ll explore what types of ingredients make up detergents, and what specifically is in Hey Sunday laundry sheets.

Laundry Factors

What do you look for when picking out laundry detergent? What is most important and what are you willing to compromise on? Some of the factors you may consider are:

• Cleaning ability
• Stain removal
• Odor control or elimination
• Whitening whites
• Fragrance
• Skin sensitivity
• Antibacterial or antifungal agents
• Fabric protection from fading, shrinking, or stretching
• Cost
• Convenience
• Format
• Packaging
• Environmental impact and biodegradability

I’m happy that more manufacturers are offering laundry sheets. This is the fastest growing segment of the industry, with expected growth of 48% by 2029. That’s good news for any shopper who prefers the advantages of laundry sheets because they are starting to show up on store shelves, and there are even more options online.

Hey Sunday was founded in 2019. The company’s mission is to create sustainable laundry solutions. They believe that “keeping your home clean should be simple, convenient, and help reduce environmental impact.” They have created products that are effective, while also being space savers and sustainable.

I tested their fragrance-free laundry detergent sheets. This is the third brand of laundry sheets I’ve used. Part of why I love using them rather than powder or liquid choices is the convenience and space saving aspects of the products. I’m also happy that they are sustainably made and so much better for the environment than any other format of laundry detergent.

If you are looking for a quick review of Hey Sunday laundry sheets, I can tell you that their sheets are comparable to the others I’ve tried. I don’t have exceptionally dirty or smelly clothes so I can’t give you an in-depth stain-by-stain comparative review, but their sheets appear to work as well as others as well as liquid detergents. I only used one sheet per load, even when I should have been using 2 or 3 according to their package directions. The other two brands of sheets I’ve used have perforated sheets for small sized loads.

I checked with the manufacturer and they explained that sheets are sized to clean a small to medium load. Their sheet weighed the same as a comparable full-sized competitor, but the competitor recommended using only ½ a sheet per small-to medium load. Hey Sunday sheets are easy to tear in half if you only want to use a ½ sheet for your load.

Washed clothing, even my workout clothes, were clean smelling after washing. It did a good enough job of removing most splatters; however, it didn’t completely remove oil splatters after the first wash. The splatter became less visible with subsequent washes. You might find that pre-treating oil and grease stains are necessary.

The sheets dissolved very quickly and I wasn’t left with residue on my clothes. I always wash in cold water and it still worked well. I can’t really say that it whitened my whites, but it didn’t make them particularly gray either. For me, this was a neutral area.

When I first opened the cardboard envelope that the sheets came in, and hold the sheet up to my nose, I can smell them. It isn’t offensive, and it doesn’t transfer onto the washed clothing. If you are fragrance sensitive like me, this is important. The smell didn’t bother me, I was just aware of a soap/cleaner smell.

Currently, Hey Sunday is only available online. They offer a subscription service that will reduce the cost, and I’ve noticed periodic coupons or sales. You can balance the convenience of home delivery with the convenience of being able to run to the store and grab some more if you unexpectedly realize you are out. The sheets came bundled like dollar bills and are just smaller than a bill.

There were 4 packs in a cardboard mailing envelope with the instructions printed on the carboard next to the mailing label. The printing could be a bit easier to read, it’s a green background with smallish sized beige lettering on the brown paperboard.

This is definitely minimal packaging which I appreciate. While it isn’t bulky, it’s a bit awkward to store on my washer/dryer if you want to keep the sheets contained in the original packaging. Otherwise, you can store them in a spare small box or plastic baggie. If your laundry area is like mine, there is a lot of lint that accumulates, so having the sheets contained is helpful.

The company explanation of the packaging savings is:

“Every box of sheets replaces about one large plastic jug (roughly 150g of plastic). Over a year, the average household can save more than 1kg of plastic from going into landfills. They’re also super light and compact compared to liquids, they cut down shipping weight (and emissions) dramatically. On top of that, liquids are 70–80% water, while sheets are made with minimal water in production, which avoids the inefficiency of ‘shipping bottled water’ around.”

I would have appreciated more information on the site about company ethics, environmental impact and saving, and expanded information about the ingredients rather than just a listing. When asked, they explained that they use plant-derived oils which are efficient cleaners and that they also help soften the fabric a little. I didn’t get that information from the site itself. I write more about each ingredient below.

Hey Sunday also sells dryer sheets and dishwasher sheets. Personally, I avoid dryer sheets and prefer wool dryer balls. I try to keep polyester usage to a minimum and don’t want to add fatty acids to my clothes because it can cause build-up that attracts dirt. When I questioned the company, their response was:

“Traditional dryer sheets often use plastics and fatty compounds that can create buildup. We know a lot of people share your concerns, which is why many eco-minded folks prefer dryer balls (or even foil balls like you mentioned). The short version: we make ours as safe and minimal as possible, but we always encourage people to use what works best for them, and dryer balls are a great low-waste option.”

If you are a fan of dryer sheets, Hey Sunday is a good option because they are as environmentally conscious as they can be. Otherwise, try wool dryer balls. I’ve become a big fan of their softening, faster drying time, and static reduction.

If you are exploring all your detergent options, please read on to learn about the differences between formats, which is best for your circumstances and the type of laundry you do, and a detailed explanation of ingredient types, and Hey Sunday’s ingredients in particular.

Detergent Formats

Laundry detergents come in powdered, liquid, pods, and now sheets. Each format has advantages and disadvantages. You just need to pick which one best addresses your needs.

The oldest form of detergent is powdered. Its advantages are that it’s very effective on tough stains and hot water washes. It’s also less expensive than other types of detergents, long lasting, comes in options that include bleach or oxidizers, and usually comes in cardboard containers rather than plastic.

The disadvantages are that it doesn’t work as well in cold or hard water. Washing in cold water doesn’t allow it to dissolve completely and it may leave behind residue. If you have hard water, it can form a scum. It’s not recommended for compact, high efficiency, or front-loading machines. While it’s packaged in cardboard containers, they are still bulky. It’s also easy to use too much or too little detergent per load and spills can get messy. Some powders still contain phosphates that may be good for cleaning but are incredibly harmful to the environment, especially waterways.

Liquid detergents offer much better solubility and work well in cold water. They can also be used as a pre-treater for stains and does a good job of cleaning clothes. Compared to powdered, it’s easier to integrate additives such as fragrance, softeners, and antimicrobial agents.

One of the disadvantages to liquid detergents is the waste, both in your machine and environmentally. First, when you are washing, some of the detergent is wasted as the wash cycle begins. Even with the concentrated versions, you are paying for water content. Like powder detergents, you can control the amount used, but even without spilling, you may be using too much because of a too quick pour.

The plastic jugs can be bulky and create environmental waste; 700 million plastic detergent jugs are discarded per year in the US. About 30% of these are recycled, but that still leaves 490 million jugs that end up as litter or in landfills. If you are going to use liquid detergent, look for concentrated options. Why pay for water and you’ll reduce the environmental waste.

While powders and liquids allow you to control the amount you put in the machine, it’s very common for people to use too much based on the on the notion that if a little is good, a bit more will be better. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Too much detergent will actually make your clothes dirtier.

The surfactant ingredients in the detergent that trap and lift away dirt won’t all be rinsed out in the rinse/spin cycles if you have too much detergent so then the ingredient plus dirt will resettle back into your clothes. When front-loading machines first came out, manufacturers advertised that when you washed your clothes the first time or two, try doing it without detergent and you would see how much residue had built up in your clothes.

Both pods and sheets are pre-measured, spill-proof, neater, and easier to use than either powders or liquid. However, pods are the only format where you have no portion control, especially if you are doing a small load. The very minimum you can use is a single pod, with the manufacturer sometimes recommending multiple pods for larger loads. Pods may include a combination of concentrated detergent and softeners or brighteners.

The coating of pods, often polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl acetate, are designed to dissolve quickly in water, but this isn’t guaranteed. Some brands might recommend using warm to hot water and dissolving the pods in the bottom of the machine before adding clothes. 75% of the PVA, or 8,000 tons, from the pods enter the environment.

Although this is a fast-growing segment of the market, they are expensive; and if you use more than a single pod per load of laundry you have to multiply the cost. Pods also create a great deal of plastic packaging waste. The containers need to be airtight and stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight to prevent deterioration of the pod coating. If you live in a humid environment, the pods can degrade from the moisture.

When pods first came out, there was concern about young children being attracted to their appearance and trying to eat the pods as if they were candy or snacks. Many brands have come out with child-proof containers to address this issue.

Sheets are also premeasured, plus they are the most compact form of detergent for storage. They are lightweight, easy to travel with, mess-free, easy to use, biodegradable, have less package waste than any other form. They work well in all temperature washes and all types of fabrics, including cold water. They are effective even for fairly soiled clothing. Very heavily soiled or greasy/oily stains may need some pre-soaking, pre-treating, or a second wash. Some sheets can be used for pre-treating so check with the manufacturer.

Most sheets are designed to have low-suds formulas so they can easily be used in front-loading, high efficiency machines, and with septic systems. They don’t leave a residue, are phosphate-free, may not have palm oils, parabens, don’t have synthetic fillers, dyes, or heavy chemical agents. All these “don’t have” ingredients mean that sheets are usually much safer for people with sensitive skin.

The ecological savings of sheets includes reduced weight in transportation and no plastic packaging. All the brands I’ve tried come in light-weight cardboard or heavy paper sustainable envelopes. The sheets themselves are also completely plastic-free. Plus, I love the fact that they can be easily packed in a suitcase or mailed if you are going on an extended trip or sending a “care package” to kids away at school. Sheets certainly make dorm life laundry day or going to a laundromat much easier since you don’t have to lug around a heavy jug or box of detergent.

A comparison of 2025 of laundry detergent formats shows the cost/per load of each. Generic and economy brands will be less expensive, but may not produce the same quality results. For instance, buying an inexpensive bottle of liquid detergent may be more watered down, and inexpensive brands of any format may not have the same quality cleaning power. This is only an estimate and costs will vary between stores, online sales, brands, and features.

• Powder – 10-20¢ per load
• Liquid – 10-25¢ per load

• Concentrated detergents (any format) – 20¢-$1.00 per load
• Sheets – 25-50¢*
• Pods – 30-40¢

*Hey Sunday lists the cost of their sheets at 23¢ per load in their blog.

Detergent Ingredients

Detergents have 3 main classes of ingredients: surfactants, builders, and enzymes. These are the “cleaners,” though a detergent may also include bleach, fragrance, agents that prevent soil from reattaching to fabrics, foam regulators, corrosion inhibitors, optical brighteners, dye transfer inhibitors, dyes, fillers, or other formulation aids.

Surfactants are either anionic or nonionic. In general, surfactants are for stain removal. They reduce the tension between oil and water, allowing the two to mix rather than repel each other. They lift the dirt from the fabric and keep it suspended in the water so it can be washed away. Specifically, anionic surfactants are negatively charged and help lift and suspend soils like dirt and grease away from the fabric but they may cause skin irritation and may be foamy. Lauryl sulfates are anionic surfactants. Nonionic surfactants aren’t as foamy, aren’t charged, and are also very effective at removing oily stains, but also good at greasy residue, particulate stains, and help soften water.

Builders enhance the effectiveness of surfactants by 50% by softening hard water. They work by dissolving minerals like the calcium and magnesium in hard water that would form soap scum. They are alkalis that change the pH of the water. The ideal pH level for a detergent is 9-10.5. The change in pH helps the fibers and soil repel each other.

Builders remove mineral ions through precipitation, chelation, and ion exchanges. Common detergent builders are polycarbonated EDTA, NTA, citrates, trisodium citrate, silicates like sodium silicate, gluconic acid, and polyacrylic acid. In the past phosphates were commonly used builders, but their use has been heavily regulated because of the toxic pollution in waterways.

Builders and surfactants work together to remove dirt, oil, and stains. If you are washing primarily cotton, wool, nylon, or acrylic, detergents that have sodium triphosphate will be more effective. These fibers have a negative surface charge when they are in water. If you wash primarily polyester or polyolefins, the primary cleaning agent will be the surfactant.

Different enzymes break down specific types of stains; Protein-based stains like milk, cocoa, blood, egg yolk, and grass are broken down by protease enzymes; fats like chocolate need lipases; carbohydrates or starches like flour or potato stains need a-amylase enzymes; and cellulose-based stains like vegetable or fruit stains need cellulases. Plant-based enzymes such as protease also breaks down sweat, dirt, and food without relying on harsh chemicals.

Additives may not be included in every detergent but may be something you look for to meet your needs. Bleach will noticeably remove stains and brighten fabrics. It contains the oxidizing agent sodium hypochlorite and contains chromophores. Chromophores are what gives stains color so the bleach changes the chromophores’ ability to absorb and reflect light making them less visible.

As stains are broken down, they become more water soluble and wash away. Bleach will probably work on wine, coffee, tea, fruit juice, and vegetable stains. However, bleach is stressful to the fabric itself and will reduce the longevity of the fibers by breaking down chemical bonds. It also may cause shrinkage, especially in natural fibers like cotton.

Some detergents offer non-bleach whitening alternatives which may use things like sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, or TAED (a bleach activator and bleaching agent for cold water washes). These are inactive solids that will release hydrogen peroxide when exposed to water. Hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen free radicals that break down the bonds of the stain’s molecules. It’s most effective against organic, protein, dye, or food and beverage stains. It’s even more effective at stain removal than bleach. If you have a tough stain, after testing an inconspicuous patch of the fabric, you can blot the stain with hydrogen peroxide as a pre-treatment. Don’t use it on either silk or wool.

I always search for unscented products, mostly because I’m sensitive to them, but also because fragranced products release additional VOCs, many of which are unhealthy. A 2013 study found that more than 25 VOCs were emitted from dryer vents. They included 7 hazardous air pollutants, 2 of which were carcinogenic, and contained chemicals such as acetaldehyde, benzene, acetone, and ethanol.

If you have sensitive skin, you will also want to check for fillers such as brighteners that might irritate or dry out skin. Detergents may contain chemicals like carboxymethol cellulose that prevents fine soil particles from reattaching to clothes, foam regulators, water soluble polymers like polyvinylpyrrolidone that prevents dye from attaching to fabrics, and corrosion inhibitors that will protect your machine but may irritate your skin.

Hey Sunday Detergent Ingredients

I went through the list of Hey Sunday fragrance free laundry detergent ingredients to try to understand whether they were as eco-friendly as possible, if there were skin or health irritants and how each ingredient contributes to cleaning clothes. I checked with Environmental Working Group guides to see if the compound was safe and have noted where they labelled an ingredient of “moderate concern”. All other ingredients weren’t listed or were of mild concern. Hey Sunday laundry detergent was not reviewed or graded in their laundry guide at this time.

Surfactants

• Sodium dodecyl sulphate is of moderate concern and may cause skin or eye irritation. SDS is also known as sodium lauryl sulfate and is an organic salt. It is an anionic surfactant that helps to solubilize proteins so they can be washed away. It breaks down and lifts oily stains and residues and helps the emulsified grease and dirt mix with the water so it can be rinsed away. It creates lather and aids in the cleaning process.
• Cocomidopropyl betanine is a surfactant that helps clean by mixing oil and dirt in the water and enhances foam and lather even after the product has been diluted. It is unaffected by hard water. It also thickens ingredient consistency to help form a sheet. It’s mild enough for sensitive skin and may even reduce the potential irritation from harsher surfactants.
• Lauramidopropylamine oxide may be of moderate concern. It helps boost the cleaning and foaming of the detergent and lifts dirt and oil from fabric surfaces. It’s also a thickening agent. It is considered mild and gentle and may reduce skin irritation from other surfactants. It helps leave fabrics softer.
• Sodium fatty acids help lift and wash away dirt, grease, and oil from surfaces by lowering water surface tension. It removes stubborn stains, especially grease and oil.
• Glucoside polyoxyethylene ether is a non-ionic surfactant. It wets fabrics and helps emulsify and solubilize dirt as well as trapping the particles within micelles to lift and remove the grime from the fabric and keep if from reattaching. It’s mild and works well with other surfactants to improve overall performance. This ingredient is cost effective, biodegradable, and derived from plant-based resources like coconut and corn.
• Sunflower oil used as the base for making natural surfactants and as a conditioning agent. It reduces surface tension and increases the wetting ability of fabrics. It helps clean grease and oil.

Builders

• Saponin is another plant-based surfactant as well as a builder. It lifts dirt and rinses without leaving toxic residue. It’s sourced from the berries of the Sapindus mukorossi tree and the inner bark of the Soapbark tree (Sapindus quillaja), alfalfa, horse chestnuts, or English ivy.

Enzymes

• Protease is an enzyme that breaks down the long protein chains in stains like blood, grass, milk, and egg into smaller peptide and amino acid fragments that are more soluble and easily washed away. They are good for tough stains, effective in low temperature water, and more environmentally friendly and biodegradable than many traditional chemical cleaners.
• Tea tree has natural antibacterial, antifungal, and deodorizing properties. It helps disinfect laundry, especially items like gym clothes or towels, by killing odor causing bacteria and fungi such as mold and mildew. It also provides a pleasing natural fragrance.

Additional Ingredients (not considered builders, enzymes, or surfactants)

• Polyvinyl alcohol PVA is a water-soluble film that helps the ingredients stay in sheet form. It’s also found in pods. It will dissolve in the wash cycle and is biodegradable.
• Corn starch is used to help smooth out fabric fibers for a softer feel. It’s also odor absorbing.
• Glycerin is a humectant (water attracter) and helps moisturize skin to counteract the drying effects of surfactants. It also stabilizes and thickens liquid detergents while helping to dissolve other ingredients. It dissolves soil, softens fabrics, and reduces friction and static electricity. It is a natural solvent and doesn’t leave residue.

Final Thoughts….

Generally, I really like using sheets rather than liquid detergents. I appreciate the sustainability, less toxic ingredients, reduction of waste, savings in transportation pollution caused by shipping heavy liquid jugs or boxes of powder, and the minimal packaging required that won’t end up in landfills. I also appreciate the space saving aspect of sheets and that they can be packed in a suitcase or easily sent through the mail.

Hey Sunday offers convenience, free shipping, discounts for subscribers, and has periodic sales and coupons if you don’t want to subscribe. Their products are cruelty free, safe for septic systems and high efficiency machines. I can’t really differentiate their products from other sheets I’ve tried, but they are equally as good. I will continue to purchase and use sheets rather than liquids or powders. They are just so much easier to use, neater to store, better for the environment, and usually better for my clothes and my skin.

FAQ

What is the difference between laundry soap and laundry detergent?

Laundry soap is made from more natural and biodegradable ingredients that are gentler on the environment. Soap is made from saponified fatty acids and glycerin from either plants or animal sources. They emulsify dirt and grease. The disadvantage is that soaps don’t work as well in hard water, forming insoluble scum.

Detergents were manufactured in World War II when shortages of raw materials, such as fatty acids, needed to make soap became scarce.

Which is more effective at removing stains and brightening clothes, soap or detergent?

Detergents are usually more effective at removing stains and brightening clothing.

When was the inclusion of phosphates in laundry detergents banned?

Concerns that phosphate used in detergents were detrimental to the environment, and especially water systems, led to their banning starting in the 1950s.

Quick Overview of Detergent Formats