08 Sept 2025
How does smol compare to big cleaning brands?
- Powerful stain removal at 20°C with less chemicals than the big brands
- Whiter whites than leading brands with Bio and Non-Bio
- 35% less carbon when you switch laundry capsules from a big brand pod to smol
- Less plastic and packaging thanks to concentrated formulas and clever refills
- Independently tested performance across laundry, dishes and cleaning
Household cleaning can come with a lot of baggage.
- Bulky bottles.
- More product than you need.
- A whole lot of water being shipped around.
- Single-use packaging that quickly becomes waste.
We prefer to keep things smol: concentrated formulas, clever refills and powerful cleaning without all the excess.
Capsule competition.
Let’s start with smol Laundry Capsules.
Powerful stain removal at 20°C with less chemicals than the big brands.
smol delivers:
- 42% more stain removal than a leading brand
- Whiter whites than big brand names with both Bio and Non-Bio
- Better results on stains like food, grease, grime, oil, and even body odour than leading Non-Bio brands
And when you pair smol Bio with smol Stain Gel, stain removal improves by 27% overall and a massive 35% on grease stains alone.¹
Our Laundry Capsule performance doesn’t stop there. Want to lower your carbon footprint and STILL get great cleaning? Just turn down the temperature and wash on cold. They’re designed and tested to work brilliantly on colder washes (even on a 20°C, 30-minute cycle).
Switching your laundry capsules from a big brand pod to smol can cut carbon by another 35%.¹
P.S. our Laundry Liquid also outperforms big brand names both in bio and non-bio.
Brand | Pod Weight |
|---|---|
smol | 14.8g |
Big brands | 24 - 27g |
Beyond laundry.
It’s not just your clothes. smol matches or beats the big brands in every room of the house.
Kitchen kudos.
smol Dishwasher Tablets tackle 48-hour dried-on grime with a clean to match the big brands but at 22p per wash we’re cheaper than the 25p³ that Finish charge. And that’s not all:
Big | vs | smol |
|---|---|---|
❌ | Plastic-free packaging | ✅ |
❌ | Cruelty-free | ✅ |
❌ | Vegan | ✅ |
Prefer to handwash your dishes?
Don’t forget smol washing up liquid. For dazzling results proven to match the big brands. It even performs in cold water.
It’s cheaper, refillable, plant-powered, cruelty-free and vegan.
Foam fight.
And how about smol Foaming Handwash vs big brand liquid soap?
Good to know that it lasts longer than traditional liquid soaps AND is cheaper than them too! (all this PLUS 89% lower carbon emissions)²
Traditional Liquid Soap | smol | |
|---|---|---|
Doses per 250ml | 147 | 291 |
Carbon-cutting refill tablets | ❌ | ✅ |
Cleans your hands | ✅ | ✅ |
Dermatologically Tested | ✅ | ✅ |
Surface smackdown.
When it comes to surfaces all around the home you can’t beat smol on impact.
Oh and you can’t beat it on performance either.
Product | Cleans as well as big brand? | Refillable? | Cuts carbon? |
|---|---|---|---|
Matches big brand | ✅ | By 91% | |
Matches big brand | ✅ | By 91% | |
Matches big brand | ✅ | By 91% |
Same results. Less mess, stress, plastic and carbon.
We’ll keep saying it… smol is heavy on dirt but lighter on the planet.
smol performance FAQs.
Does smol clean as well as big brand products?
Yes. In fact, smol matches or outperforms big brands.
Do smol’s refillable products really cut carbon?
They do. For example:
- Foaming handwash: up to 89% less carbon vs liquid soap
- Multi-purpose surface spray: 91% lower emissions vs traditional cleaners
- Fabric conditioner: 76% lower carbon emissions than traditional fabric conditioners.
All thanks to smart design, concentrated refills, and carbon-cutting grouped delivery.
Are smol products cruelty-free and vegan?
Yes. All smol products are 100% cruelty-free and vegan. No animal testing, no animal-derived ingredients.
What are the environmental benefits of switching to smol?
Switching to smol helps reduce:
- Plastic waste (refillable bottles, tablet formats, less packaging)
- Carbon emissions
- Water waste (super concentrated formulas = no shipping unnecessary liquid)
- Pointless chemicals (gentler formulas, same cleaning power)
Is smol non toxic?
Here at smol, safety is built into everything we do and our products meet strict UK and EU safety and environmental regulations. When used as directed, all our ingredients are completely safe for people and planet.
¹ see smol.com/our-claims
² Based on Life Cycle Analysis through production and delivery by independent sustainability experts eLoop.
³ Palmolive Naturals Milk & Honey (£1.50 Sainsbury’s August 2025) liquid soap gives 147 doses from 250ml = 1.02p per dose. Smol foaming handwash gives 291 doses from 250ml. At £1.75 per refill tablet = 0.5p per pump.
⁴ Finish price correct July 2025 Sainsbury's Finish Ultimate All In One £13.80 for 55 tablets.
Catherine Green, Cleaning Expert
Catherine has been on a mission to revolutionise the way we tackle chores since the dawn of smol and is an advocate for making more sustainable living accessible to all, with a strong focus in cleaning that’s heavy on dirt, lighter on the planet and gentle on the skin. Catherine has tested hundreds of hacks to make tackling chores easier, safer, and better for the planet and our homes.
ABOUT OUR AUTHORS