Only a few everyday products trigger emotions in me. Detergents from the supermarket are definitely not one of them: the containers are heavy, take up space and look horrible in the bathroom.
In addition, most brands are the opposite of environmentally friendly: Many detergents contain soluble microplastics that can get into the wastewater via the washing machine and later onto fields or the sea. In addition, there are sometimes harmful fragrances and bleaching substances.
Amazing: In 2019, the experts from the Ökotest trade journal rated just under a quarter of the 25 detergents tested as “recommended”. The supposed top brand Ariel performed worst.
I was all the more curious when I recently became aware of Kuno. The brand advertises a new detergent in the form of strips. Thin, like paper and about three by five centimeters in size. On top of that, “free of disposable plastic, vegan and sustainable”, as the website says. What's more, the special form of administration means that heavy (plastic) containers are literally superfluous.
Behind Kuno is a start-up from Butzbach near Frankfurt in Hesse, which has set itself the task of making washing processes more environmentally friendly. The company was founded in 2021 by Tom Mayr and Etienne Schmalfuss, two young entrepreneurs with a marketing background.
With their idea, the two are right on trend. The business with sustainable cleaning products is still small, but it is growing rapidly. Companies like Everdrop achieve sales in the high millions in the first few years. Everdrop wants to generate around 100 million euros this year.
Kuno is also pursuing similar ambitions: "We are planning sales of between one and three million euros for 2022," says co-founder Tom Mayr on the phone. The start-up is already profitable.
24,000 customers are said to have ordered at least once. But does the much-vaunted detergent also work in everyday life? I wanted to find out and tested Kuno.
A test copy was made available to me for this purpose. A single pack is sufficient for 60 loads and is suitable for light, dark and colored laundry. Kuno charges 19.99 euros for this in the online shop. For comparison: A standard bottle of the Ariel brand with 30 wash loads costs around six euros.
What struck me immediately upon receipt: the packaging exudes an intense but pleasant scent of fresh laundry. As if they had been doused with fabric softener before shipping. If my laundry actually smells like this later on, that would be a plus.
The feel of the packaging is also a pleasant surprise. Kuno sends the washing strips in a brown paper envelope that would easily fit in any mailbox.
For people like me, who value space-saving and beautifully designed packaging, this is a selling point. The stripes themselves are unspectacular. They are colorless and feel like cling film.
But now to the important part – the practical test. To do this, I put lightly soiled black laundry (T-shirts, sweaters and jeans) and moderately to heavily soiled white laundry (T-shirts, tea towels and socks) in the washing drum in two wash cycles.
But how many wash strips do I have to add now? According to the information on the package, this depends on three factors: water hardness, degree of soiling and amount of washing. In most cases, however, one to a maximum of two strips is sufficient.
To be on the safe side, I put two strips on the laundry in the drum. I don't use fabric softener. I turn on the machine: full wash cycle at 40 degrees.
The result: positive at first glance. The black wash looks clean. Apart from a few fluffy bits of dust, I can't see any stains on any of the washed clothes. The laundry was previously sweaty rather than grossly soiled.
I'm all the more disappointed that it doesn't smell of lavender or elder after washing, like it does after opening the packaging. It's more of a neutral smell. As if it had been in the closet for two weeks. I promised myself more. After all, the detergent reliably eliminated the smell of sweat.
With the white wash, the washing result is mixed. The first thing that surprised me positively was the six pairs of socks: they look almost like new. They were one of the most heavily soiled because of the black insoles in my sneakers - a clear plus point.
Kuno couldn't get rid of the stubborn stains on the dish towels. Even though I've used more detergent than recommended with two strips, yellow discoloration is still noticeable.
A colleague who has also tried Kuno confirms this to me in a similar way. She says: The detergent didn't work against the heavily soiled clothes of my two small children.
Conclusion: Unfortunately, Kuno only partially keeps one of its promises. The start-up's website states that the detergent can remove "even coarse dirt". It might have helped to use a curd soap in advance, which Kuno also offers in his shop. The soap would cost another 4.99 euros. Overall, the test result is okay.
On the phone, Kuno co-founder Tom Mayr is not surprised by the results. The detergent is actually not really suitable for heavy soiling, such as children’s laundry. For "70 to 80 percent" of normally soiled everyday clothing, however, as Mayr emphasizes. The focus of the company is currently on the environmental aspect - harmless ingredients, less packaging, sustainable production and transport routes.
However, the latter aspect in particular still has room for improvement: so far, Kuno has had the products manufactured in China. According to Mayr, that should change this year. They are currently in the process of setting up their own production line in Germany. Initial discussions were also held with supermarket chains such as Rewe and Edeka in order to be able to offer the detergent in retail. There will also be new products soon, mainly other cleaning agents. The self-experiment proved that Kuno can do this: the detergent strips dissolved without leaving any residue.
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