Blueland has been turning a lot of heads recently, mostly due to their steadfast eco-ethics and plastic-free innovations, but are their products any good?
There’s no questioning the moral fiber of Blueland. Their mission is to do away with single-use plastics and, well…clean up the cleaning and cosmetics sector by providing reusable containers and a wide selection of refills. Blueland asks why wellness and self-care has to be at odds with planetary wellness.
The ethos of Blueland really embodies the old adage, “you should become the change you wish to see in the world”. They manufacture forever-useable containers for all their products and offer standalone refills of each one.
You may have first heard of them when they appeared on the hit television show, Shark Tank, in 2019, where they scored a deal with tech mogul and author, Kevin O’Leary.
Blueland founders struggled a little during the pitch when Shark, Daniel Lebetsky, asked what differentiates them from other eco-brands, but the sales figures of their 1st month of trading spoke for themselves. Their idea was marketable!
Having carved out a name for themselves in the dog-eat-dog world of cosmetics, Blueland has attracted plenty of media attention since that fateful pitch, including spots in the New York Times and Vogue.
Have they done enough since then to finally answer Lebetsky’s tough question? That’s what we’re about to find out.
A Brief Overview Of Blueland
CEO and co-founder of Blueland, Sarah Paji Yoo, was eco-conscious from a fairly early age, doing her best to reduce the environmental impact of her home and lifestyle. However, it wasn’t until she became a mother that the scale of her mission expanded into the business world.
When Sarah learned the horrifying truth that a lot of plastic waste ends up polluting our water supplies and even the food she was feeding her baby, she knew she had to take action.
Dissatisfied with the alternative eco-options for single-use plastics in the cosmetics market, she simply decided to craft her own environmentally focused wellbeing products.
From those noble yet humble beginnings, Blueland has flourished into a 23 employee powerhouse centered around their New York headquarters. Of the ten major competitors in the eco-centric portion of the market, Blueland is ranked number 1.
They continue to produce with zero phosphates, zero VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and zero ammonia, proving to the world that beauty doesn’t have to come at such a dire cost.
I understand that some readers won’t have time to take in this whole mega-review, so I’ve distilled the core takeaways into this digestible pros and cons list:
Pros
- Receptacles potentially last forever
- 100% vegan — no cruelty whatsoever
- Allergy-safe products
- Subscribers are treated to 10% off deals.
- Products don’t cost the earth (literally and figuratively)
- Orders upward of $35 are shipped free.
- Afterpay finance available for orders upward of $50
- All products tested by independent, 3rd party labs.
Cons
- Don’t offer disinfectant cleaners
- Bottles can be delicate
- Some synthetic materials are used.
- Some customers claim their tablets don’t fully dissolve.
- Currently only ships within the U.S.
One of the best things about Blueland is their transparency when it comes to product ingredients. Every single product page on their website contains a “See Ingredients” link, so you’re always aware of what you’re introducing to your body and home.
They sell starter cleaning kits for the uninitiated and larger kits for those who want the full Blueland experience, and you can buy refills in bulk or individually.
Now let’s look at a few of their most popular products and packages to see what they’re truly about.
Why you should trust us?
Our team has spent over 15 hours extensively testing and researching the best wellness products, including Blueland. Our goal is to find the best brands who care about your well-being and help people live better lives. We evaluate products based on their quality, effectiveness and customer support.
We often ask ourselves a simple question: would we buy the product for ourselves and recommend it to our family and friends? This review is reviewed and thoroughly vetted by Amy Bells, our in-house wellness and self-care expert and product tester herself!
Blueland Clean Essentials Kit
You may recognize this kit from the now-infamous Shark Tank episode. Ultimately, it was the quality and presentation of this Blueland essentials kit that secured them the deal with O’Leary. It includes…
- 3 x Reusable 24oz Bottles – 1 for multi-surface cleaning, 1 for mirrors and glass, and 1 for bathroom surfaces.
- 1 x Reusable, 9oz, Glass, Foaming Hand Soap Bottle.
- 4 x Tablets – 1 for each bottle.
The Clean Essentials kit comes highly recommended by past customers who claim “These products smell great and work extremely well”, and, “I absolutely love these cleaning products”.
Of over 5000 pieces of customer feedback, less than 1% gave the essentials kit a 1-star rating, 1% gave it a 2-star rating, 6% claim it’s a 3-star product, 19% give it a 4 out of 5, and a whopping 75% give the starter kit a full 5 stars.
The bottles are color-coded and labeled with sleek, minimal text, amounting to a very neutral aesthetic that would fit right into any established interior design.
Other than the glass soap bottle that you’ll obviously need to be careful with, the bottles seem robust, proving the term “forever-usable” isn’t just a gimmick.
The price is reasonable for the package, especially if you save 10% by signing up for a subscription. The less-than-$50 price tag puts it in perfect “gift territory”.
If you know someone who’s recently opened their eyes to the dangers of single-use plastic, the Clean Essentials kit will definitely put a smile on their face.
Blueland Clean Suite
The Clean Suite can be considered Blueland’s premium option and is one of the largest packages on offer. It’s a 7-piece kit completely void of common harmful ingredients such as parabens, chlorine, bleach, or triclosan.
With this comprehensive eco cleaning kit at your disposal, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your cleaning rituals aren’t dirtying the planet and harming wildlife.
The Clean Suite includes…
- 2 x Steel Tins – 1 for laundry detergent, and 1 for dishwasher detergent.
- A Reusable Silicone Shaker – For powdered dish soap.
- 3 x Reusable Bottles – Same as the Clean Essentials Kit.
- A Reusable, Glass, Foaming Hand Soap Bottle – Same as the Clean Essentials Kit.
- 80 x Fragrance-Free Tablets – 40 for the dishwasher tin and 40 for the laundry tin.
- A Fragrance-Free Dish Soap Powder
- 3 x Tablets for Reusable Bottles
- A Foaming Hand Soap Tablet
As you’d imagine, the Clean Suite is quite a bit more expensive than the Clean Essentials option, but all in all, it’s 20% cheaper than buying the products separately as starter kits. Sign up for a subscription, get that extra 10% on lock, and you’ve got yourself a lovely little bargain — perfect!
The Suite has left a near-unanimous trail of happy customers in its wake, with one claiming that “All the products work extremely well, smell amazing, and leave you feeling good about the products you’re using”.
Arriving in a pleasantly pastel-colored box, the Clean Suite does what every other cleaning product on the market fails to — it gets you excited!
The bottles and tins are sturdy, pleasantly color-coded, and work ornamentally almost as well as they do for cleaning.
The mirror and glass-cleaning solution does leave a few streaks if you don’t rinse with fresh water afterward, but besides that, it’s a fantastic all-inclusive kit.
It’s not the cheapest Blueland offering, but it’s an investment in the planet, and when we’re good to the Earth, it fills us with an enormous sense of well-being. It’s sort of like the whole giving is more pleasurable than receiving thing, but in this scenario, as well as giving, you receive a lovely selection of home and self-care products — yay!
Blueland Every Day Clean Kit
The Everyday Clean Blueland kit is basically a slightly fleshed-out version of The Clean Essentials kit. On top of the usual 4 bottles plus tablets, you’re also treated to a 16oz silicone powder dish soap dispenser and a steel tin for dish detergent.
The idea is that this kit completely replaces the plastic you use on a daily basis to keep your home nice and clean, thereby having the biggest impact on your plastic waste as possible — smart, right?
As we’ve already established, Blueland bottles are usually of fantastic quality, and every piece of this kit is made without triclosan, chlorine, and VOCs.
Boasting 77% 5-star reviews, it’s one of the most celebrated Blueland kits you can buy, with customers remarking that they “love everything! The dishwasher tablets clean very well”, and that “These products are great. They work, and they smell good”.
I happen to agree with the customer about the dishwasher tablets. They do indeed work incredibly well. They provide a more consistent clean than the ones I was using previously, and they’re good for the environment too — hurray!
Blueland Hand Soap
The Blueland Hand Soap Starter Set is another of their packages that got some airtime in 2019 on Shark Tank. They presented it alongside the information that the average family washes their way through 25 bottles of hand soap a year, putting an easily scalable plastic reduction figure in the heads of investors.
The beautiful thing about this simple solution to single-use plastic bottles is that it has multiple benefits. It lightens the planet’s burden by 25 bottles per family, per year, and as refills can be bought online direct from Blueland, you don’t need to go out of your way to pick any up at the store.
Just like in the other kits, the hand soap bottle is made of glass, so you do have to avoid impacts. It arrives with 3 reusable tablets, each with a unique scent (Perrine Lemon, Lavender, and Iris Agave). Mix one of them with 9oz of water, and voilà! You’ve just made some soap.
Each tablet produces a solution with a balanced PH, which helps to keep your skin hydrated, gently buffing away debris and grime, which is why I’d recommend introducing to your daily self-care routine.
Recently, I’ve been using “unicorn” scented hand soap, which smells fantastic and is definitely a great approximation of what unicorns might actually smell like, but it’s a bit much.
I get wafts of it for hours when my hands are nowhere near my face. This isn’t at all the case with Blueland’s soap. It leaves you with a light and complex, floral fragrance that lasts without being overpowering.
This starter kit is one of the most lauded packages in Blueland’s catalog, and it’s really no surprise. They also offer three other hand soap kits, so you’re sure to find one that suits you just fine.
Blueland Dish Duo
Whether it’s because they’ve been let down in the past by other brands, or that they’re already loyal to a particularly harsh but effective product, this is the area of Blueland’s repertoire that the uninitiated are most skeptical about.
I had my doubts that an eco-friendly product would work as well as a chemical-filled industry-leading product too, but lo and behold, it does. The Dish Duo works magnificently, providing that perfect shine we’re all chasing.
I’m a sucker for suds, but the dish soap more than sated my bubble addiction in the sink, and the dishwasher tablets are absolute monsters. I wish my dishwasher had a translucent door, so I could watch them do their thing!
What’s truly amazing is that Blueland achieves such a stunning clean whilst keeping the Duo VOCs, triclosan, artificial dye, and artificial fragrance-free — it’s all good. Even the packaging of the refills is compostable. The Dish Duo kit includes…
- A Reusable Silicone Shaker and 16oz Powder Dish Soap
- A Reusable Steel Tin and 40 Dishwasher Tablets
I’m not the only one completely won over by Blueland’s formulas in the realm of dishwashing. One customer stated that they were “a little skeptical of how the powdered dish detergent would work, but it actually works great…there is no residue”. Another claimed that “The dishwasher tabs…get all the stuck-on food off the first try”.
Laundry Starter Set
The Blueland Laundry Starter Set is low-key one of their most righteous packages, and I’ll tell you why.
You know your everyday laundry pouches or tablets that you chuck in the back of the barrel and forget about? Well, the material holding the detergent is often made out of PVA/PVOH plastic (polyvinyl alcohol).
To release the detergent, these plastic capsules need to make themselves scarce, and they do so by dissolving into the water and filtering into your water supply. Talk about poisoning the well, am I right?
Blueland’s laundry tablets don’t need any plastic film to keep the detergent in one place, ensuring you’re not contributing to the contamination of your local water supply.
Just throw them in your barrel as you would any normal tablet. They’ll keep your clothes looking and smelling fresh without the use of petroleum, bleach, parabens, phthalates, or allergens.
I haven’t tested them with every material under the sun, but they worked great on my limited wardrobe. Others confirm that they work a treat on linen, denim, nylon, rayon, polyester, tencel, and acetate. The Dish Duo arrives as…
- A Reusable Steel Tin
- 40 Laundry Tablets
What Other Customers Are Saying About Blueland
We’ve glossed over a few brief customer comments so far, but if this review’s going to do its job and provide you with all the relevant information, we’re going to have to dig a bit deeper into consumer feedback.
The Good Stuff
If I were to list all the positive things being said about Blueland’s products, I’d be ancient before I got through half of them, but I’ve sifted through the recent ones to find some relevant opinions.
Regarding the Clean Suite, Rebecca C. reported that “All the products do exactly what they’re supposed to do and smell nice. I am so glad this product is available for my domestic home and my big home, the Earth!”.
Mary M. had this to say about the Dish Duo, “Yay! No more plastic containers! I’m so pleased. Works just as well as leading brand dish soap/detergent. No difference”.
In this Clean Up Kit review, Kari F. is over the moon that, “The products are superior on every cleaning job I have used them on so far. The bottles are easy to use, and I love that they are color-coded to easily know that you are grabbing the correct one”.
The customer response to Blueland is overwhelmingly positive, with most reviews stating that the bottles are handy and well-made, while the soaps and detergents genuinely work. It’s official, people love Blueland’s thoughtful and innovative approach to domestic hygiene.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that Blueland’s customer service is second to none, ensuring that even if you do have an issue with their products, it’s resolved in a swift and civil manner.
The Bad Stuff
The statement, “you can’t please everyone”, is especially pertinent when addressing the negative responses from customers, but I’ve found some that certainly seem to have the right to be ticked off.
For example, one customer commented that, although they loved the cleaning pods, two of the spray bottles broke in their hands on separate occasions. That doesn’t sound like a forever-use bottle to me.
On Trustpilot, M. Sowa backs up this customer’s claims by writing “I have had 3 bottles break already”. They later divulge that they weren’t even using one of the three when it broke, rather it was sitting perfectly still in storage.
Complaints about the cleaning substances occur less frequently, but there are comments here and there like this one from Carrie C, “the hand soap, it doesn’t fully dissolve and so it looks like something is growing in the bottom of the bottle”.
Another fairly common complaint is that the glass and window cleaner leaves streaks or clouds up the surface, but as M. Sowa writes later in her review, “the window cleaner leaves streaks until you rub them out”. So, if you put some elbow grease into it, it’s a non-issue.
Bad Blueland reviews are few and far between, but they do exist, and they’ve led to a 2.6 score on Trustpilot overall. This low score can be mostly attributed to the fact that people tend not to use Trustpilot to post positive reviews, but that’s not to say you should discount the opinions on there.
Blueland Cleaning Products – Are They Worth It
I’m inclined to agree with Blueland’s happy customers. Their cleaning products are well worth it, and I’m going to continue using them in the future.
Sure, the one-time fee for any of Blueland’s packages or individual products is going to set you back far more than replacing your empty plastic with a new one from the store, but it is just that…a one-time fee.
Once you’ve invested, as long as you care for the bottles, you’re set for life, with refills costing as little as $2, which is almost always going to be cheaper than buying a plastic replacement bottle at the store.
I’m not saying that Blueland is a perfect business. As you’ve seen from my featured negative reviews, they still have some kinks to work through, but they’re still an incredibly young company. It’s only been two years since they got their big break on Shark Tank.
In the future, I’m expecting we’ll see even more thoughtful innovation and enhanced quality control protocols from camp Blueland, and my bet is that negative feedback will dwindle.
The bottom line is that Blueland has solved a massive domestic plastic problem, and even if they’re experiencing a few teething problems, they pale in comparison to the alternative, a plastic choked Earth. That is why Blueland has my full support!
Blueland Promotional Discounts
As it stands, Blueland only offers a 10% discount for signing up for a subscription, but another reminder, they’re still a young company. Once they’re more established and have a larger revenue, they’ll be able to offer bigger discounts and reel in customers to enjoy their eco-centric wellness products.
Let’s also not forget that they offer free shipping in the U.S. for orders over $35, which isn’t an excessive amount compared to most other companies.
Blueland Products – Availability
The majority of Blueland’s products are bought directly from their web store, blueland.com. While they did experience a shortage of spray pumps a little while ago, they seem to stock their shelves well, so you will always have access to the bottles and refills you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Blueland Cleaner Disinfect?
Blueland soaps do not contain disinfectants, for ecological reasons. That said, 3rd party lab tests have shown that the surfactants in the soap are highly effective at washing bacteria away.
The same is true of their Multi-Surface and Bathroom Cleaners. They technically don’t kill bacteria, they remove it. Blueland has consciously opted to work without biocides, as they’re known to be dangerous to humans.
Where Are Blueland Products Made?
Blueland’s base of operations is in New York, and their tablet production facilities are also U.S.-based. The only aspect of their operation situated overseas is the production of their forever bottles; however, all design work is done in the States.
How Long Will A Single Blueland Tablet Last?
A Blueland cleaning tablet will last however long you can make it last. Much like traditional cleaning serums, it all comes down to how often you clean, how big certain areas of your house are, and how many people live there.
For instance, if you’ve got a monster bathroom with a titanic tub, you’re bound to get through your bathroom surface tablet faster than someone with a modestly-sized restroom.
Are Blueland Products Safe To Use?
Yes, Blueland’s entire ethos is based on safety. Yes, they want to help the Earth heal, but they understand that this noble goal starts with human-friendly products.
All Blueland’s household cleaners are made without VOCs, meaning they’re completely non-toxic and safe to use around living creatures, from your child to your pet cat.
In addition, with VOCs banished from the equation, Blueland’s products are also safe to use around mothers who are pregnant or nursing.
While their dish and hand soaps are hypoallergenic, their cleaning prays and dishwasher tablets are not; however, they are made free from common allergens such as peanuts, soy, and gluten.
How Do You Refill Blueland Bottles?
Refilling Blueland bottles couldn’t be easier, simply…
- Finish your current contents.
- Rinse out the bottle with fresh water.
- Fill your Forever Bottle to the marked line with warm water.
- Drop the tablet in.
- Make yourself a cup of coffee.
- Return — no shaking necessary
How Long Does It Take Blueland To Ship Your Order?
Blueland’s aim is to ship all items within 2-3 business days after they receive your order. How long before your new cleaning supplies get to you depends on where you live, but you can usually expect them to arrive in 7-10 business days.
Should you need your supplies sooner, Blueland offers a 2-day expedited shipping service that’ll cost you something to the tune of $15-$20 depending on the package size and weight.
You can track your order on your Blueland account. They’ll also email you all the tracking information once your order has been shipped.
How Much Does Blueland Charge For Shipping?
Blueland shipping charges are very fair. The rate of the fee depends on the contents of your order. The current standards are…
- $1 for soap or cleaning tablet refills.
- $2 for dishwasher or dish soap refills regardless of whether your order includes soap or cleaning tablet refills.
- $4 for full packages
If you spend $35 or more, shipping is completely gratis.
Where does Blueland ship to?
Blueland ships to anywhere in the United States including Hawaii and Alaska. They don’t currently ship abroad or to APO/AFO military addresses.
What Are Blueland’s Return Policies?
If you’re unhappy with your Blueland order, you can email help@blueland.com to inform them and return it for free up to 30 days after shipping.
When you email them, type into the subject line Return Label for Order, and their customer service team will guide you through the process.
Bear in mind that Blueland requires proof of purchase for returns to be eligible. Your order needs to arrive back to their facilities within 60 days of them sending the returns label, and the products must be unused to qualify for a refund.
Once they receive your return, they will assess whether a refund should be approved. Once given the green light, you can expect your money back on your payment method within 5-7 business days.
Do Blueland Cleaners Work?
Blueland cleaners work incredibly well. All their cleaning solutions are lab-tested against popular competitor products and aren’t released unless they either match or beat these opponents.
Having said that, Blueland cleaners aren’t miracle workers. Depending on how heavily a surface is soiled with grease or other stubborn substances, you may need something more powerful.
You can find more in-depth information on how they test their cleaning products on the How Effective Are Blueland Cleaners section of their website.
Which Is Better, Blueland Or Cleancult?
Both Blueland and Cleancult offer fantastic eco-friendly, refillable cleaning solutions, so you can’t really lose. Blueland refills tend to more affordable when bought in bulk. Cleancult offers cheaper individual refills.
Can Blueland Be Used On Granite?
Your Blueland Multi-Surface spray is perfectly safe to use on both granite and marble countertops, as well as sealed wood surfaces.
Is Blueland Guilty Of Greenwashing?
You’re right to be skeptical when a business claims to be eco-friendly, but Blueland is definitely one of the good guys. They steer clear of vague marketing, offer full transparency on business practices and product ingredients, and avoid redundancies such as mentioning that they don’t use additives that are already illegal.
Best of all, they have clean-cut statistics regarding the scale of the problem they’re combating and the impact their products are having on said problem.
How Do I Contact Blueland?
I’ve tried to be as thorough as possible with this review, but if you’re left wanting more, feel free to contact Blueland directly via…
- A contact form located on their website
- Emailing hello@blueland.com
- Calling or texting the following number: 779-242-2525
Blueland is renowned for excellent customer service and works hard to respond within a single business day.
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