Frequently Asked Questions

If you are located in Australia or the United States, you can purchase our foaming hand soap tablets from the following links.

• Australia
• United States (on Amazon.com)

This has been a huge journey for us! At present, our products are ethically manufactured in Australia, China and France, using ingredients sourced all over the world. Here's the breakdown:

• Hand Wash Tablets: China
• Body Wash Tablets: Australia
• Universal Cleaner Tablets: Australia
• Laundry Sheets: China
• Dishwasher Tablets: France
• 100% Home Compostable Wrapping: Australia

When we started Tirtyl in 2020, we wanted to manufacture all of our products in Australia, however the capability didn't exist and manufacturers didn't want to purchase equipment for a small business (we were too risky). It took us over 2 years to finally establish our first facility in New South Wales to manufacture the body wash and universal cleaner.

We are migrating more of our manufacturing on-shore to Australia throughout 2023 and are fully committed to supporting the local manufacturing economy. Watch this space!

The material safety data sheets (MSDS or SDS for short) for each of our products can be found through the links below.

• Foaming Hand Soap 

Yes. Our products do not contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and generally regarded as very safe for use around pets and animals.

Our products are designed and developed in Australia by our talented team of staff and advisors.

Palm oil is a complex environmental issue and we've made a point to provide as much detail on this as possible. In short, we can't guarantee our products are palm-oil free however we do insist on responsible sourcing.

We once proudly promoted our products as palm-oil free, however following lengthy discussions with our raw materials suppliers, we realised it was impractical and potentially unsustainable to truly provide assurance over the long term.

All of our ingredients can be derived from other non-palm sources such as coconuts, however availability of these alternatives has been impacted by COVID-19. If we cannot source our palm-free ingredient, our partners may source alternatives from other plants, sometimes palm. If this is the case, we will request RSPO Certified palm products that are sourced from responsible farms and plantations.

Our brand motto is "do the right thing" and we love that consumers try to avoid palm oil to decrease the rate of rainforest deforestation. But, we also believe there is a space for RSPO certified palm oil.

Palm oil has the highest yield (litres per acre) so switching to other oils (like Olive Oil or Coconut) may cause more deforestation as those other plants will require more room to produce to same amount of oil as palm. For example, olive oil requires 5x the land and coconut oil requires 3x.

Oil yield is especially important given palm oil is found in roughly 50% of all packaged products on supermarket shelves including shampoos, baking oil, chocolate, cosmetics, chips, cookies, margarine and soaps. If palm oil is boycotted, global demand for an oil is not going to go down, companies will need an alternative oil source, and this will result in more forest loss to plant these crops.

We believe RSPO Certified palm is a genuinely sustainable choice versus many alternatives, however our suppliers are still instructed to source coconut-derived alternatives when practical as it is generally a preferred choice from customers.

Our HQ and warehouse is based in the beautiful suburb of Woolloongabba in Brisbane, Queensland.

Tirtyl is 100% Australian owned, including Australian-based investors.

Yes! We're on a mission to eliminate plastic waste throughout your home, from household cleaning to personal care.

We have exciting launches planned throughout 2023-24, so subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to hear when they are ready.

All orders are shipped via 'Standard Parcel' with Australia Post within 1 business day of order confirmation. Delivery typically takes 3 to 5 business days but may take longer for regional shipments.

All orders will include a tracking number which will be sent to you upon confirming dispatch.

All carbon emissions associated to deliveries are offset through our partnership with Greenfleet Australia. 

Currently, we ship to:

• Australia
• New Zealand
• United States - via Amazon
• United Kingdom - via Amazon
• Germany - via Amazon

We are actively working on distributing our revolutionary products to new markets.

Sometimes it takes a 24-48 hrs for the carrier to activate the code. If problems persist, contact us at hello@tirtyl.com.au and we’ll chase them up for you.

Read our shipping policy here.

For every tablet sold, we'll pick up the equivalent of 1 plastic bottle of waste. This is equivalent to 190 grams (0.42 lbs) of plastic.

This is achieved through our Tirtyl Tip program in partnership with Plastic Bank, the world's largest plastic clean-up organisation with plastic collection infrastructure in developing coastal communities world-wide.

Our contributions are paid on behalf of Plastic Bank to locals who gather plastic in exchange for wages. Collected plastic is often processed and recirculated into the private sector as repurposed consumer goods.

You can find out more about our program, partners and future plans for our Tirtyl Tip program here.

In addition to donating a percentage of sales, all our products are carbon offset with Greenfleet Australia.

We use the life cycle assessment (LCA), cradle-to-grave methodology to calculate the CO2 demand from all elements of our products. Read more about our methodology here.

This includes:

• Raw Material Extraction.
• Manufacturing & Processing.
• Transportation.
• Usage & Retail.
• Waste Disposal.

After taking into account the deduction through our office solar panels, we offset any remaining CO2 emissions through Greenfleet Australia. 

Tirtyl is a social enterprise at heart. There are all sorts of social enterprises but they all have one thing in common. Where a typical business operates to make as much money as possible, a social enterprise operates to solve a social issue and/or serve its community members.

At Tirtyl, we are tackling plastic pollution and environmental degradation by making products that unwaste and donating profits to help solve these problems. 

Surface cleaners, liquid hand washes and liquid laundry detergents often contain up to 95% water, which makes them bulky and heavy, contributing to greater emissions during transit. This also means you're paying for the extra transport and excess packaging. That is why Tirtyl products are waterless.

Our light weight refills minimise both the volume and weight of our products as much as 98%, to significantly reduce carbon emissions during transit, as well as reduce single use plastic waste. 

Our full ingredients list can be found here.

All ingredients are on the EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List and none of the ingredients on the EWG Unacceptable List and Prop 65 Banned Ingredients List.

Yes, Tirtyl Hand Soaps are safe to use as part of your routine hand hygiene during the COVID19 pandemic.

We do not claim that our hand soaps kill germs (viruses and bacteria) as anti-bacterial hand soaps contain ingredients that are not yet proven to be safe. Many studies contest the usage of antibacterial soaps, including the FDA. Also check out our blog on the issue.

Instead, our hand soaps contain surfactants which actively lift and remove viruses and bacteria from your hands during a routine wash. Furthermore, the World Health Organization does not distinguish antibacterial from regular hand soaps with the latest guidance issued on managing the COVID19 pandemic.

Whilst we consider our hand soaps to be a safe addition to your home during the COVID19 pandemic (or otherwise), nothing replaces routine hand hygiene. Ensure to wash your hands regularly, and carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer on you if you need to wash your hands on-the-go outside home.

If you already have a foaming hand soap dispenser, we encourage you to re-use it! Just make sure it is in-fact a foaming dispenser as a regular soap dispenser will not work.

Click here to shop our cost-effective refill packs.

Water temperature is the key factor influencing dissolve time of the hand soap tablet.

• Recommended: If using hot tap water (140°F or 60°C), it should take 10-20 minutes to dissolve.
• If using cold tap water (70°F or 20°C), it may take 40 minutes to fully dissolve.

To accelerate dissolving, you may wish to stir the tablet with a spoon.

Please do not use boiling water or shake the dispenser as the tablet is dissolving, as this may build up pressure in the bottle resulting in a spill.

Our foaming hand soap is not antibacterial and for good reason. The FDA has advised that consumers avoid antibacterial soaps . Check out our blog on the issue.

Our hand soaps include effective surfactants to wash away germs, leaving your hands both clean and moisturized.

Our hand soaps have tested to be generally safe for people with sensitive-skin including eczema, in particular our fragrance-free hand soap.

In rare instances where skin irritation occurs, we advise you stop using the product. If you are known to have severe reactions to hand wash, we recommend excising caution when trying new soaps including ours.

For more information, refer to our full ingredients list here. 

Yes. We use no ingredients sourced or derived from animals.

Our hand wash packaging is made from 100% recyclable or compostable materials.

• Box Packaging: Cardboard paper (Recycle or compost)
• Bottles: Glass (Recycle)
• Foaming Pump: PP - Polypropylene (Recycle #5)
• Storage Tin: Tinplate (Recycle)
• Tablet Wrapper: Cardboard paper with PLA lining (Compost)

Tablet Wrappers: Our wrappers are 100% home compostable under the internationally recognised TÜV AUSTRIA standard, and can be disposed in home or community compost. If you don't have access to these, the best alternative is to dispose in landfill, where they will eventually decompose completely. Whilst the wrapper is technically recyclable, it may contaminate recycled plastics doing more harm than good. Fortunately, the wrapper can be disposed to landfill without harming the earth.

Our tablets are designed to dissolve in regular tap water to form an effective, safe, long lasting solution. We have taken the best ingredients from a premium foaming hand soap, and concentrated them to exclude the water.

What does this mean for you? It's simply really, just remember these 3 steps:

1. Fill 8.5fl oz (250ml) of warm tap water into your foaming dispenser. Do not use boiling water!
2. Drop in the Tirtyl Tab and let it dissolve. The magic show usually takes 15 minutes. Tip: If the water is too hot, it may be best to wait for the tablet to dissolve before screwing on the pump to avoid pressure build up and split foam.
3. Enjoy a moisturizing foaming lather! Pump twice onto wet hands for a thorough hand wash

P.S. Tirtyl Tabs work with all foaming hand soap dispensers. You can use our beautiful bespoke bottles or BYOB.

The research & development team performed extensive tests using a variety of tap water from the United States & Australia and found no issues. However, if you use bore water or do not trust your tap water, we recommend using your regular drinking water or boiling the tap water for 2 minutes, letting it cool slightly and then dissolving your tablet.

Not at all. Using cold water means the Tirtyl Tab might take more than 15 minutes to dissolve. Good things come to those who wait.

1 tablet lasts the average household 4 weeks with frequent use.

Each tablet creates 250ml of foaming hand soap and delivers up to 150 hand washes per tablet. That's only 1.67c per hand wash!

Absolutely! Our soaps work with any dispenser that has a foaming pump. Unfortunately, a regular soap dispenser will not work. 

No. The Tirtyl Tab will dissolve on its own terms - no need to shake! If you want to accelerate the dissolve time, you may stir the solution with a spoon.

Read our blog or read a summary below.

Firstly, most people prefer foaming or liquid soap over bar soap, especially in shared environments such as the kitchen or a shared bathroom.

Foam soaps are more eco-friendly. Industry studies found people using foam soap consumed 16% less water than liquid soap.

Furthermore, a bottle of Tirtyl Foaming hand Soap lasts approximately 450 pumps (using a Tirtyl bottle) compared to normal liquid soap with 125 pumps.

Foaming soaps typically biodegrade faster than traditional soaps, partly due to the forced air that causes natural lathering. As a result, less soap ends up down the drain which is better for our environment.

While there doesn’t appear to be any advantage for soap foam over liquid soap when compared in a laboratory environment, there appears to be a social and psychological component to the benefits of foam.

In North America, and increasingly around the world, foam soap products are considered more luxurious, and are typically reported as being preferred over liquid soap due to the rich, thick texture of the product. It stands to reason that the more people enjoy using the product, the more likely they are to use it – theoretically increasing hand hygiene compliance rates. More studies on this topic are needed, but for this reason, foam soap may offer some hygienic advantage over traditional soap products.

Pumps that dispense foam work by mixing air with the soap creating foam. The neck size of the foam pump is much larger than a regular pump to allow room for the air chamber. The easiest way to know if you have a foam pump is to test it with a diluted solution of water and regular soap or detergent. If it foams, it’s a foam pump!

Our Tirtyl Foaming Hand Soaps, like other foaming soaps, must be used with a foaming dispenser.

A foaming dispenser is different to a regular or traditional soap dispenser. In addition to the pump, a foaming dispenser includes an air chamber to pressurize and mix air into the solution to create the foam we all know and love.

The easiest way to know if you have a foam pump is to test it with a diluted solution of water and regular soap or detergent. If it foams, it’s a foam pump!  

If you don't have foaming dispenser, you can purchase them with our kits sold here.

Yes! The soaps are water-based, biodegradable (including the surfactants), non-antibacterial and ph-balanced. Our tablets do include a minor concentration of polyethylene glycol (also used in soft drinks, marinades, spices, cake mixes etc) which can cause issues with septic systems at high concentrations, however, the PEG concentration of our soaps is <0.008%, which is considered generally fine for most systems.

Coconut:

Our products contain coconut derivatives and therefore considered non-COC. Our hand soaps include the ingredient Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate (a surfactant that cleanses skin) which is derived from coconuts.

Whilst both options are zero-waste and we love bar soap, we developed our soap tablets because many people prefer soap from a dispenser or prefer the feel of foaming soap, compared to bar soap. This is especially true for shared environments, such as a kitchen or shared bathroom where people are typically less comfortable using bar soap. 

The hand wash dispenser dimensions with foaming pump included are:

• Glass: 167mm (H) x 69mm (D)
• Kiddie Friendly Aluminium: 165mm (H) x 65mm (D)

We recommend using the Hand Soap tablets within 24 months of purchase when stored in their home compostable wrapping.

Yes! Tirtyl tablets, perhaps surprisingly, are best classified as “soap-free”. Our R&D team tested a huge variety of formulations and found pure soap formulations triggered more reactions to sensitive skin, and left many hands feeling dry. For this reason, we picked ingredients that are classified as soap-free, leaving your hands feeling moisturised rather than dry.

Our full ingredients list can be found here. Formulated to be suitable for all skin types including sensitive & dry skin.

Our body wash has been formulated with sensitive skin in mind, however if you experience severe reactions to regular body wash, we would recommend exercising usual caution.

Currently, we have two fragrances:

• Manuka Myrtle
• Kakadu Plum + Strawberry Gum

Refill these here.

The dispenser has been designed and coated to prevent rust.

The average adult will use 6-8 pumps per wash. Whilst this is more than a traditional gel, each pump is mixed with air to produce foam, and therefore each pump uses less liquid per pump. Furthermore the per unit cost of our 500ml foaming body wash is far less than a comparable quality gel soap.

All in all, the body wash lasts the average consumer approximately 1 month, which equates to approximately 10c per wash for a $6 refill.

The body wash lasts the average consumer approximately 1 month, which equates to approximately 10c per wash for a $6 refill.

Absolutely! Many of our customers (and our staff) enjoy using our body wash with their loofahs.

We recommend using the Body Wash tablets within 12 months of purchase when stored in their home compostable wrapping. Once dissolved, we recommend consuming within 3 months.

Water temperature is the key factor influencing dissolve time of the body wash tablet.

• Recommended: If using hot tap water (60°C or 140°F), it should take approximately 2-5 hours to dissolve.
• Ensure the pump is left off whilst the tablet is dissolving.

To accelerate dissolving, you may wish to stir the tablet with a spoon occasionally.

Please do not use boiling water or shake the dispenser as the tablet is dissolving, as this may build up pressure in the bottle resulting in a spill.

Once the tablet has completely dissolved, screw the pump on and give it a gentle shake.

Yes. None of our ingredients are sourced or derived from animals. View our full ingredients list here.

Fill the Body Wash Dispenser with 500ml of hot tap water, just above the first ridge.

Our Laundry Sheets are ultra-concentrated, water-soluble sheets of detergent which can be used in both hot and cold washes. Simply add the Laundry Sheet into your washing machine with your clothes / linen and start the cycle as usual. The Laundry Sheet will dissolve within 20 seconds of contact with water to give your clothes an effective clean. You can use them to hand wash, as well.

Our Laundry Sheets are available in packs of 30 and 120, and one sheet is the perfect concentration of detergent for a regular load (5-7kg). The sheets also have a tear strip down the middle to make them easy to portion.

Use a half a sheet for a small load (2.5-3.5kg), or if your clothes are particularly dirty or your load is larger than usual, you can use one and a half sheets.  

Tirtyl Sheets are a replacement for your old-fashioned detergents and should not cause damage or fade your coloured clothes. They do not contain chlorine or liquid non-chlorine bleach. However, we always recommend that you check your clothing label and washing instructions to be certain our Laundry Detergent Eco Sheets will work for you.

Remember to always reference the label of your clothing. Use Tirtyl sheets as you would any other laundry detergent. Every fabric is different and you should always trust the label for that specific fabric.

Our vegan, cruelty-free and biodegradeable formula is packed with plant and mineral-based stain-fighting power.

Yes, our Laundry Sheets are grey water and septic safe.

Make sure you keep your Laundry Sheets in their cardboard packet, and store them in a cool, dry environment. In these conditions, you can store them for up to 18 months.

We recommend using your Laundry Sheets within 12 months of purchase.

We've formulated the product with sensitive skin in mind. However, everyone is unique so as with all allergies and sensitivies, we recommend consulting with a professional and spot-testing before any use.

We have formulated our sheets to have a low concentration of suds so they work effectively in all machines, includuing high efficiency (HE) washing machines and front-loaders. Contrary to what the large multinational companies may want you to believe, the amount of suds has no correlation with effectiveness.

Our universal cleaner is carefully formulated with efficacy and safety in mind for everyone. For our full list of ingredients read here.

• No parabens, phosphates, ammonia, VOCs, chlorine bleach, triclosan, alcohol or phthalates
• Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free
• Biodegradable formula including surfactants

This all depends on how much you like to clean! For an average household of 4 people, one bottle of Universal Cleaner should last 1 - 2 months.

If you've noticed that your Universal Cleaner has slightly changed colour or become cloudy, there is nothing to worry about. It's usually temporary and caused by water temperature and/or water type, and it will not impact the effectiveness of the product. Keep using it as usual!

Universal Cleaner is a surface cleaner, not a disinfectant. This means it can be used to effectively wipe dirt and bacteria from your surfaces, but it won't kill bacteria on contact. For this reason, we recommend washing your Tirtyl Towels with hot water after each use.

Universal Cleaner is effective across almost all of your hard household surfaces, including wood, laminates, marble, tiles, stone, stainless steel and more. It can also be used on glass, but be aware that it might leave some light streaks, which can be removed with a microfibre cloth or some scrunched up newspaper. For removing lime-scale, we recommend using vinegar.

The Universal Cleaner is formulated for all surfaces. As with professional commercial formulas, it's an alkaline-based cleaner which means it can be used pretty much anywhere. Be careful and do spot-testing with some aluminium surfaces (not to be confused with stainless steel where it works a treat).

No, you don't need to vigorously shake the bottle, however once the tablet has dissolved we recommend to gently shake the bottle once or turn it upside down, to mix the solution before your first use.

Yes you can! Just fill your spray mop bottle with 500ml of water and add a Universal Cleaner tablet. Let it dissolve, and shake the bottle gently once to mix the solution before your first use.

We recommend using the Universal Cleaner tablets within 12 months of purchase.

You can use your Tirtyl Towels on almost any smooth surface in your home (including your dishes!) but be aware they may leave light streaks on glass. Using them on grout or rough surfaces may cause damage to the cloth.

When your Tirtyl Towel has seen better days, add it to your home compost or to you general rubbish where it will biodegrade. Don't put it in the recycle bin!

Use your cloth damp for the most effective cleans. Simply moisten it using tap water or Universal Cleaner and ring it out to remove excess water.

You can use them over and over! Infact, 1 Tirtyl Towels are the equivalent of 15 rolls of paper towel.

To keep your Tirtyl Towels as clean and bacteria free as possible, we recommend washing them with hot water after every use.

To clean, simply rinse your Tirtyl Towel with hot water after every use and dry over tap or normal drying spot. For dirty stains, immediately soap in hot water with some bi-carb.

No, keep the wrappers on your Dishwashing Tablets! They are bio-degradable and will dissolve when you turn on the cycle.

Our Dishwashing Tablets are a super concentrated formula so should give an effective clean on regular cycles of 45C, or 65C for dirty cycles. For best results we recommend removing food scraps from your plates, cutlery and dishes, as well as any really tough marks before putting them into the dishwasher. If the problem persists, you may have a problem with the dishwasher. We recommend running an empty dishwasher with vinegar and wiping the potentially blocked spraying blades with vinegar.

Spots on glassware (and shower screens) are caused by the calcium and magnesium minerals in "hard" water. For moderately hard water, we highly recommend using a rinse aid - a budget-friendly rinse-aid is vinegar. For very hard water, we recommend using a detergent or tablet specifically designed for hard water.

These little gems are biodegradeable, phoshate-free and grey-water safe. See full ingredients list here.

In our gorgeous Tirtyl Tin, of course! Keep this in a cool, dry place away from moisture.

We recommend using the dish tabs within 24 months of purchase.