Tide Evo Review: Does Tide's New Eco-Friendly Laundry Tile Live Up To The Hype?

The only thing worse than an overdue laundry day is laundry day in a room cluttered with bottles, packages, and products that deliver mediocre cleaning results. Laundry is a chore often procrastinated, but it doesn't have to be so overwhelming. If you're tired of bulky detergent bottles crowding your laundry room (and crowding the landfills when you're through), it may be time to employ some simple sustainability tips for a more eco-friendly laundry day. The first thing you can do is switch to a laundry detergent with less packaging and more concentrated cleaning power, but that doesn't have to mean switching from your favorite reliable brand. Introducing: the Tide evo, Tide's latest laundry innovation, which was released in Austin, Texas, at SXSW 2024. 

Tide evo is designed to save time, reduce waste, and reduce energy consumption while simplifying your laundry routine and delivering a powerful, mess-free clean. Tide was kind enough to send a few samples of its evo detergent for House Digest to review, so I was excited to put this new laundry detergent to the test! Here's how my experience with Tide evo went and the results that brought a fresh take to my laundry routine.

It's not a liquid, it's not a powder, and it's not a pod. It's a tile! Tide's new evo laundry detergent is a compact, soft fiber tile that's totally free from spills, pops, breakage, or sticky spots, which means less detergent wasted and fewer storage products to help you organize your laundry room. It is made with concentrated cleansers that are spun into tiny fibers and packed tightly into six layers of a soft tile shape and designed to tackle grime and tough stains. In fact, Tide evo claims to be five times more effective at removing typical stains than the leading bargain detergent. Plus, it is designed specifically with cold water washing in mind, so you can make eco-friendly changes to your laundry routine while achieving a thorough, residue-free clean and saving up to 90% on energy compared to using hot water.

Upon first opening Tide evo's recyclable paperboard package, I noticed how nice it smelled. The scent was clean and soapy without seeming artificial or overly perfumed. The tile itself is a good size, about 2 inches by 2 inches. It has a lightweight, fabric-like construction that is supposed to help the tile dissolve quickly in the wash. According to Tide, each tile is enough to wash about a half-drum of laundry. For extra-large loads, Tide recommends using two evo tiles.

To see how quickly the Tide evo tile might dissolve, I placed it in the bottom of the barrel and started my wash cycle before adding the first load of bath towels. Within a few seconds of cold water pouring into the washer drum, the tile started to break apart and disappear. After seeing how fast it dissolved even in the cold water, I felt confident that the tile wouldn't stick to the sides of the washer or the clothing — a problem I previously faced with similar compact detergents. 

To explore how the Tide evo might tackle different types of laundry, I decided to wash one load of bath towels, one load of dark red sheets, and one load of casual clothes, some stained with dirt from a busy weekend of yardwork. For all three cycles, I used cold water and tossed the items into the dryer afterward on a low heat setting. Between washing and drying each load, I gave the items a sniff to see how well the Tide evo tile cleaned them or left them fragranced. Once they were dry, I also assessed the items' scents and softness and checked for any stains, streaking, or other noteworthy details that could've been left behind from the Tide evo. 

Once finished, I didn't notice any residue or streaky marks on the laundry or inside the washer drum, so I knew the Tide evo tiles had definitely dissolved as they should. All three types of laundry had a light scent that wasn't overwhelming or artificial — they just smelled clean! Plus, the sheets kept their delightful scent for days after washing. In terms of texture, everything I washed with the Tide evo felt very clean, soft, and smooth. The cleansers were strong enough to remove all of the dirt and grass stains from my yardwork clothes while remaining gentle on casual items. 

Overall, my experience with Tide evo was great! I loved the minimal packaging and simple, mess-free instructions. For those who usually lug their laundry jug to a commercial laundromat, this lightweight tile could be a total game-changer. One thing that surprised me about the Tide evo was its long-lasting scent, but those who are sensitive to fragrances may not appreciate this aspect. Perhaps as Tide continues to innovate, they'll introduce a wider range of Tide evo scents as well as a fragrance-free option. Otherwise, I would absolutely recommend using Tide evo for everyday laundry, and I think it strikes a great balance between planet-friendly design and people-pleasing results. For now, Tide evo is making its debut throughout stores in Colorado, but I'm excited to see this eco-conscious product hit the shelves nationwide.