Start-up for cleaning products: Everdrop in test

Everdrop wants to be a sustainable alternative for cleaning products in plastic bottles. Startbase writer Sophie Deistler tested Everdrop's starter cleaning kit.

In my apartment community, there is a dreaded day every year: fall cleaning. For one or two days, seven of us clean the whole house, even the basement and all the windows. It's a good time to try out a product that many people on social networks can't get past: Everdrop's cleaning product.

The promise of the young start-up is simple: with us, it will be just as clean, but users will use less plastic, so it's better for the environment. To do this, customers are supposed to dissolve cleaning agent tabs in cold water in reusable glass bottles. According to the start-up, this has already saved five million single-use plastic bottles. In addition to cleaning products, the startup also offers laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, toilet cleaner, soap and shower gel.

This is the story of Everdrop

The story of Everdrop began in 2019 with a simple task. Founders Chris Becker, Daniel Schmitt-Haverkampf and David Löwe wanted to use less plastic. They noticed that especially household products cause a lot of plastic waste and wanted to create an alternative - at least that's how the founders describe it on the Everdrop website. Then, in January 2020, the cleaning tabs went on the market. With their household products, the Everdrop founders were then able to raise a double-digit million amount in February of last year(we reported). Investors included HV Capital, Felix Capital and Vorwerk Ventures. Christoph Behn from Better Ventures also invested a six-figure sum in the start-up together with other business angels.

But how well does Everdrop's cleaning agent actually clean? And can the products already replace the conventional cleaning agent in the plastic bottle? We tested the starter bottle set in ten categories completely independently. Startbase did not receive the products, but bought them especially for this text. There is a conclusion at the end of the text.

The packaging of Everdrop in the test

Two days after ordering, the package arrived from the Everdrop field warehouse in Heilbronn. "Thank you for making the world a little cleaner together," is written on the sheet that lies at the very top of the box. Below the lettering are dark blue waves and the Everdrop logo. On the back are the instructions for use and notes on the cleaning agent tabs.

The three cleaning agent bottles and the bottle necks are wrapped in paper, the different colored cleaning agent tabs for bathroom, glass and kitchen cleaners are found in a small paper bag. Just as I'm about to dispose of the box, I find something at the bottom of the package that I hadn't expected: a coupon code for the Clark insurance app. If you enter it into the app, you'll receive an Everdrop gift card for 15 euros for every insurance policy you add. You should be able to get up to 150 euros on the Everdrop range this way. Well then.

Here's how the set-up works for the Everdrop set.

The principle is quite simple, says Everdrop: Water - Tab - Done! So far, so good. However, the instructions don't say which tab goes in which bottle. This detail is hidden on the bottles themselves: The bathroom cleaner has a pink line under the Everdrop logo, the glass cleaner has a blue line, and the kitchen cleaner has a green line.

Cold water is poured into the bottles up to the Everdrop logo. The reason for the limit can be seen in the instructions: The liquid could otherwise foam over. However, the tabs for kitchen and bathroom cleaners are too big for the neck of the bottle and crumble when put in. That scores minus points. The slightly smaller glass cleaner tab, on the other hand, falls into the bottle without any problems. After 15 minutes, the bathroom and kitchen tabs dissolved without leaving any residue, while the glass cleaner took just under six minutes. I then screw the spray head onto the bottle and the cleaning agent is ready for use.

How the bottles from Everdrop perform in the test

The glass bottles have a minimalist design and look high-quality. They are sturdy and therefore significantly heavier than the conventional disposable plastic bottles. The cap holds well, nothing drips out. However, the distance between the spray head and the bottle body is a bit too small. So when cleaning, one part of the palm is on the thin bottle neck, the other on the curved bottle. When spraying, only a little liquid comes out of the bottles. On the one hand, this is good in terms of sustainability, because less cleaning agent is used. On the other hand, the fine doses are not enough to remove the dirt of seven people.

How Everdrop's glass cleaner performs in the test

The first endurance test for the Everdrop glass cleaner comes at the glass door to the garden. No windows or glass doors on our house get dirty as quickly as these. With each spray, only a little cleaner comes out of the bottle, and the cleaner leaves streaks on the glass door. I wipe with a dry cloth as Everdrop recommends. However, this only smears the dirt on the glass. Only after several treatments is the window finally clean. I also have to spray the lighter soiled windows twice. After only five larger windows, the glass cleaner is already used up. I have more success with my roommate's tried-and-true home remedy: water with a drop of dishwashing liquid in an already used spray bottle also saves packaging waste and works much better. Everdrop's results in glass cleaner are disappointing.

How Everdrop's kitchen cleaner performs in the test

I put the kitchen cleaner in the hands of two of my roommates. When they finished cleaning the kitchen, they had nothing to complain about. Their conclusion: the cleaner does what it is supposed to. Even the grease splatters on the countertop went away well and quickly. Here, the start-up keeps its promise.

How Everdrop's bathroom cleaner performs in the test

The Everdrop bathroom cleaner removes dirt from the sink and bathtub quite well. Unlike our conventional bathroom cleaner, it has a much more pleasant, only subtle smell. However, the liquid, which is actually pink, was the same color as the bathtub when sprayed, so it was almost invisible on the white surface. This makes cleaning difficult.

The price-performance ratio is reasonable

The starter bottle set with the three bottles and three cleaning agent tabs costs 34.99 euros. A proud initial purchase price. However, the bottles can be reused, so you only have to buy the tabs. Nine refill tabs, whether bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, glass cleaner or a mixed set with three tabs for each cleaner, cost 14.99 euros and are enough for a total of 4.5 liters of cleaning agent. 500 milliliters therefore cost 1.66 euros. A random check in the small discounter around the corner shows: With most bathroom cleaners in the medium price range, you get 250 milliliters more content for about the same price. However, there are also bathroom cleaners with the same volume that are even more expensive. The price of glass cleaner is also about the same. The only comparable kitchen cleaner I find in the small assortment of my supermarket holds 750 milliliters and costs just under two euros. The bottom line is that Everdrop's cleaning tabs are a bit more expensive than conventional cleaners in plastic bottles in most cases, but the price is reasonable.

Here's what's in it - and this is how sustainable Everdrop really is

All Everdrop cleaners are based on Citric Acid. Citric acid has long been used in cleaning products and, for example, as a descaler in the home. Otherwise, the cleaners mainly contain surfactants. To understand how these work, some prior chemical knowledge is necessary: Surfactants consist of a hydrophobic, i.e. water-repellent, and a water-loving part of the molecule. In this way, they reduce the surface tension of the water so that it can dissolve and remove grease. Normally, grease and water would not be able to mix. Surfactants are also used in conventional cleaning agents. However, according to the company, the surfactants in Everdrop cleaners are based on renewable raw materials instead of petroleum. Perfume is used as a fragrance. The pink, green and blue color of the cleaners comes from food coloring.

This was not always the case: In March of last year, the research startup investigated Flip already investigated the ingredients. At that time, the experts interviewed by Flip criticized the presence of the benzene derivative "Benzene C10-13-alkyl Derivs", which is extracted from petroleum and is highly toxic. When asked by Startbase, Everdrop explained that the benzene derivative was a process contaminant of the dye used at the time. It was therefore not an intended ingredient in the tabs, but an unavoidable by-product of the manufacturing process that had nothing to do with the highly toxic benzene. Meanwhile, benzene C10-13-alkyl derivatives also no longer appear in the tabs. "Together with further revisions regarding sustainability and product performance, the dye in question has also been removed from the formulation and replaced with a food dye," the startup writes.

Everdrop also says it expects to receive organic certification for its cleaning tabs in its online store in the coming weeks. The tabs, which are available for purchase in organic markets, are already Ecocert certified. The start-up is also working on a life cycle analysis. However, since the supply and production chain is largely with other manufacturers, the process is still taking time, the company says.

Recycling works well for Everdrop

According to Everdrop, the glass bottles consist of at least ten percent recycled glass and can be reused several times. The packaging material from shipping can be recycled without exception: The paper bag in which the cleaning agent tabs are packed, the shipping carton and its filling material can go into the waste paper. That is a plus.

Everdrop's advertising is annoying

Just two days after the order arrived, the first promotional email from Customer Happiness Manager Anna landed in my email inbox. On average, I receive an email every seven days from then on, sometimes even two in one day. Sometimes there's a 30 percent discount, sometimes there's a chance to win a year's supply of Everdrop products, and sometimes I can save 45 euros on my next order. Around New Year's, an advertising letter even flutters into the house: Everdrop thanks you for saving five million disposable plastic bottles, advertises new products and gives a 20 percent discount code. A seasonal calendar for vegetables, herbs, lettuce and fruit is printed on the back - so the promotional letter is reused instead of thrown away. You can tell the founders used to work in marketing. Personally, it's too much advertising. At least the newsletter is easy to unsubscribe from.

The bottom line: here's how Everdrop fares in Startbase's test.

"The bottles are nice, the effect so-so," is how one roommate aptly sums up the test. The glass cleaner was not convincing and fell short of the tried and tested household remedy - water and a drop of washing-up liquid. The kitchen cleaner worked well and was also able to remove grease splatters. The bathroom cleaner also does what it's supposed to. Still, the Everdrop cleaner doesn't yet match the effectiveness of traditional "chemical clubs." After the expensive initial purchase, the price of the refill tabs can be compared with that of conventional cleaning agents. This is good, but still expandable.

Transparency notice: Startbase purchased the products at its own expense. There is no sponsorship with Everdrop.