Freshly laundered clothes are some of the simplest things in life that make a lot of people happy, including us here at Sustainable Review.
The combined scent of detergent and fabric softener gives us a sense of comfort and cleanliness. It’s also a reminder that our clothes are stain-free and no longer harbor bacteria that make them stink.
As much as we love the smell and feel of newly washed clothes, though, we hate the fact that many detergents we use contain a whole raft of toxic chemicals that can put our health at risk. They often leave residues on our clothes that can be absorbed by our skin or released into the air we breathe.
They’re also a danger to the environment, causing eutrophication of rivers, contamination of groundwater, reduction of coastal plants, and disturbance of aquatic habitats and organisms.
The good thing is that putting sustainability into our wash cycles is now easier. Different eco-friendly detergent options line grocery shelves–powerful enough to remove stains on clothes but gentle enough for our health and the planet.
Don’t have the time to check all the options? We did the legwork for you. We cut through the noise to find the best non-toxic laundry detergents that will let you have a safe and environmentally-friendly laundry routine.
1. Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent Powder
We’re a big fan of Molly’s Suds Liquid Laundry Detergent because it uses 10 ingredients that are all earth- and plant-based and cruelty-free. Despite being 2x more concentrated, it’s free from harsh chemicals like optical brighteners and synthetic fragrances. That ensures a deep clean, even for heavily soiled loads, without harming your skin and the planet.
It’s not overpriced, either. The 52 FL oz bottle of this detergent can last you 100 loads of laundry, while the 100 FL oz can cover up to 200 loads. Those are quite a long time to get through, even if you do your washing weekly or bi-weekly.
You can pick from 9 scents, including lavender and peppermint. But if you have a sensitive smell, you can always go for the unscented version. We also recommend that you opt for a subscription to stock up on this laundry goodness and save up to 5%.
2. Attitude Liquid Laundry Detergent
Attitude Liquid Laundry Detergent contains 98% naturally sourced and vegan-friendly ingredients, making it EWG- and ECOLOGO-certified. It does away with irritating enzymes, dyes, SLES, and phosphate, making it gentle on the skin.
To make you feel even better switching to this product, it works well for cold water wash cycles. Washing your clothes in cold water is proven energy efficient, reducing the carbon footprint of your laundry. This detergent also comes in a highly recyclable HDPE #2 plastic bottle that you can use multiple times with Attitude’s eco-refill service.
3. Dropps Stain & Odor Laundry Detergent Pods
We went through several reviews about Dropps Stain & Odor Laundry Detergent Pods, and the verdict is clear: they work great in cleaning clothes, sheets, towels, and even pet beds while zapping out their stinky odors, leaving them smelling fresh.
What truly makes this laundry detergent a gem is that it derives its cleaning power from all-natural ingredients, making it an excellent alternative to conventional detergent pods. It’s perfectly portioned as well, so you don’t have to overdo adding detergent into your load, which usually leaves residue on clothes.
These detergent pods are housed in a recyclable box and are delivered with 100% carbon-neutral shipping, making them even more sustainable. You can buy them as needed or through a subscription service, which you can cancel at any time.
4. Meliora Laundry Powder
If you can’t part ways with your powder detergent, you can never go wrong with Meliora Laundry Powder. This detergent is just as effective as its conventional counterparts but is made with plastic- and preservative-free ingredients. We’re not surprised it’s certified by both MADE SAFE® and Leaping Bunny.
You probably already know that baking soda is a miracle ingredient, making it a household favorite when it comes to cleaning, baking, and antidote for different maladies. Meliora leverages its cleaning power by adding it to its laundry detergent and combining it with other safe, natural ingredients, including washing soda and coconut oil-based vegetable soap. The scented varieties got their fragrance from organic essential oils.
Just a half tablespoon of this concentrated laundry powder is enough to clean one HE load. Imagine just how much you can save from a canister of this product, which can cover up to 128 HE loads.
Meliora Laundry Powder is packaged in a 6-inch paper canister with steel ends and comes with its own stainless steel scoop. The canister takes up less space in your cart and cabinet. It can also be recycled and reused when you purchase Meliora laundry powder refill bags, helping minimize waste.
5. NaturOli Extreme 18X Soap Berry Laundry Detergent
NaturOli Extreme 18X Soap Berry Laundry Detergent is a highly concentrated liquid detergent made from organic soap nuts or soap berries. We dare say people are going nuts about it, as it leaves clothes amazingly clean and soft without any overpowering smell. With just a squirt or two of this liquid detergent, you can already clean a standard load.
This product definitely lives up to the hype, thanks to its completely clean ingredients that earned it a Green Dot Award twice. It also works effectively not just for laundry but also for cleaning around the house, making it a green alternative to your usual cleaning products. Simply dilute as desired and use it to polish glass, natural stone countertops, and even pieces of jewelry.
NaturOli Extreme 18X Soap Berry Laundry Detergent is available in an 8oz bottle, which we think is a bit small for something that you would use regularly. Still, as a bottle can clean up to 96 HE or 48 standard loads, it’s not bad a size, proving that great things do come in small packages.
6. Thieves Laundry Soap
Thieves Laundry Soap is here to steal your money, but we’re sure you won’t get angry about it. This laundry detergent is formulated with plant-based ingredients, including natural enzymes and essential oils. It’s proven to clean clothes effectively and leave them smelling fresh all day long without leaving any synthetic residue.
A little of this concentrated soap goes a long way. The 32-ounce bottle is capable of power washing 64 loads, making it green and cost-effective at the same time. It’s also compatible with high-efficiency machines, not to mention safe for all fabrics, delicates, and colors, making it an excellent all-in-one laundry solution.
7. ECOS Laundry Detergent Packs
Ditch the nasties and the plastic bottle when you do your laundry with ECOS Laundry Detergent Packs. Made with plant-derived ingredients and natural plant molecules, these detergent packs work wonders in removing stains and smells on clothes without causing skin irritation. They’re also vegan and Leaping Bunny-certified, which means they’re 100 percent cruelty-free.
As if those weren’t enough evidence of their sustainability, the carbon, water, and energy used to produce these detergent packs are restored back to earth.
8. Truly Free Laundry Wash
Truly Free Laundry Wash stays true to its name as it cleans clothes without harmful chemicals like Chlorine bleach, phosphates, nonylphenol ethoxylate, and 1,4-dioxane. Gentle for even the most sensitive skin, this is a non-toxic laundry detergent that you will be confident to use even on your baby’s clothes. It’s also compatible with HE washing machines and septic-safe.
The 50 FL oz jug is good for 50 loads. Once you have finished a bottle, you can refill it with Truly Free Laundry Wash 3 oz refill pack. Follow the refill instructions on your laundry jug to get the most out of the product.
9. Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder
Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder is made with natural, hypoallergenic ingredients that work together to deep clean clothes without suds and residue, making it Safer Choice certified. It only lists 5 ingredients on its packaging, so you won’t find any toxic chemicals like bleach, brighteners, dyes, preservatives, and thickening and anti-foaming agents.
Each pack of Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder is ultra-concentrated and can handle 150 wash loads. Besides washing away stains and smells on clothes, it also helps clean your washer with every cycle. It can even remove fats, greases, oils, and odors from sewer lines–cleaning pretty much everything it touches without harming the environment.
10. Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent Packs
Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent Packs sure pack a lot of punch when it comes to cleaning power. Made with a combination of bio-enzymes and minerals, these detergent packs can lift the most stubborn stains in all water temperatures without relying on harsh chemicals. Their scents also come from 100% essential oils and botanical ingredients, so they don’t give your clothes an overpowering fragrance.
Each pack of this USDA-, EPA Safer Choice-, and Leaping Bunny-certified detergent comes with either 45 or 64 pre-measured sachets that you can conveniently toss into your machine. It also comes in fresh lavender and free and clear variants.
11. Grab Green 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pods
If you’re looking for a concentrated detergent that acts as a stain remover, brightener, and fragrance for your clothes, Grab and Green 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pods could quickly become your new favorite laundry product.
We love that Grab and Green is very transparent about the naturally-derived and cruelty-free ingredients it uses on its laundry detergent pods. Each one is listed on its website, along with the purpose they serve. What’s more, the pods received a 94% excellence rating from a third-party testing for their ability to remove stains and soil.
You only need a pod of Grab and Green laundry detergent to clean a small or medium load and two pods for large or extra large loads. The pods are also contained in packaging made of recycled materials.
As the ingestion of liquid detergent pods has recently become a health hazard among young children, Grab and Green have taken this problem into consideration when designing their pods. Aside from containing non-toxic ingredients, each pod is intentionally white and made of powder, so they don’t look like colorful candies. They are also covered with a bitter outer film to prevent anyone from wanting to bite them.
12. Tide Purclean™ Unscented Liquid Laundry Detergent
Big-name brands aren’t usually our go-to when it comes to sustainable laundry detergents, but we’re starting to have second thoughts because of Tide Purclean™ Unscented Liquid Laundry Detergent.
This is Tide’s first-ever plant-based detergent, and it’s ticking all the boxes when it comes to performance. First, it’s 75% plant-based and is EPA Safer Choice certified. Second, it’s created in a facility that uses renewable energy, saving 50% of total energy in production. Lastly, it boasts the same cleaning power as the other Tide products we’re familiar with. Meaning, it’s effective in removing stains.
The main drawback that’s preventing more eco-conscious consumers from completely switching to Tide Purclean is that it still contains petroleum-derived ingredients. It’s also more expensive compared to other laundry detergents on our list. Still, if you want a product whose maker has a solid track record for creating effective detergents, then Tide Purclean is a good choice.
Why You Should Consider Switching to a Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent
As you can see from our list above, options for non-toxic laundry detergents abound in the market, making it easier to shop around and choose a product that fits your needs. But that’s not the only reason we’re encouraging you to make the switch–if you haven’t done so already.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, conventional laundry detergents contain a cocktail of ingredients that are not just difficult to pronounce but are also considered as health and environmental risks. Some of the most notable ones include:
- Dioxane is a solvent used in a wide variety of products, including detergents, cosmetics, and pesticides. Short-term exposure to this additive can cause eye and nose irritation. Long-term exposure can lead to kidney and liver diseases as well as certain types of cancer.
- Phosphates are used to improve the performance of detergents in removing dirt and stains by softening hard water. While they’re a low hazard to humans, they can cause significant environmental damage when released into waterways. They stimulate excess algae growth, resulting in dissolved oxygen levels for aquatic life.
- Formaldehyde acts as a preservative and antibacterial agent in detergents. Short-term health effects of formaldehyde exposure include coughing, wheezing, watery eyes, nausea, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. While its long-term health effects are not fully established, formaldehyde is classified as a carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the National Toxicology Program.
- Bleach is used as a brightener in detergents. As this chemical is corrosive, it can irritate your skin and eyes. It can also contribute to respiratory problems, especially when inhaled.
- Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) or quats are potent disinfectants that can cause allergic reactions even with limited exposure. Studies have also shown that exposure to this chemical class is associated with asthma and higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can also impact certain brain cells, which can trigger disease in some population groups.
Non-toxic laundry detergents are free from the harmful chemicals listed above, along with synthetic dyes and fragrances. This ensures you can use them repetitively without putting yourself in harm’s way.
Also, the majority of these products are manufactured in a responsible way and do not involve the use of animal by-products and testing. That should give you the peace of mind that you are truly making your laundry days more sustainable and ethical when you’re using them.
What to Look for When Shopping for Non-Toxic Laundry Detergents
When shopping for non-toxic laundry detergents, experts say that you need to consider how you do your laundry–by hand or machine-wash. If you do the latter, you also need to consider the type of washing machine that you own and the water temperature that you usually run your loads with. Other additional considerations you need to keep in mind include:
- Ecolabels and certifications. Credentials like USDA-, Safer Choice-, MADE SAFE®, EWG, and Leaping Bunny-certified are some indicators that a detergent contains ingredients that meet specific safety and environmental standards. That means, it is safe for you and your family and, to some degree, the environment.
- Ingredients. Of course, it’s vital to look at the ingredients list to make sure your choice is free from harmful chemicals. You want to steer clear of products that are heavily scented and have brightening abilities, as it is likely that they contain artificial ingredients and preservatives.
- Concentration. Many non-toxic detergents come in high concentrations, which is better for the environment. This is because higher concentration equates to lesser water consumption during production, reduced packaging waste, and lower transportation emissions as they won’t take up too much space to truck around.
- Packaging. If you’re truly determined to embrace sustainability in the way you wash your clothes, look at the packaging of the detergents you’re considering as well. Whether they come in paper, plastic, or canister, it’s important that they’re made from recycled or compostable materials or can be recycled and refilled. If you prefer using pods, make sure their encasements are made from plant-based ingredients and not a plastic material that can leak polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in groundwater, not to mention takes years to decompose.
Closing Thoughts
You’re already dealing with enough dirt doing your laundry, so at least do it in a way that won’t harm you and the planet by using a non-toxic laundry detergent.
The list of products we recommend above is a good starting point to help you decide which is right for your needs. All of them are proven to contain safe, eco-friendly ingredients without sacrificing their cleaning performance.
While you’re at it, pair your choice of non-toxic laundry detergent with a sustainable fabric softener, so you can get amazingly soft clothes after every wash.
Embracing non-toxic options for your laundry products ensures a healthier lifestyle and minimal environmental impact.
