Guide to the Safest Laundry Detergents of 2023
Written by Irina Webb
Would you like to be sure you are using the safest laundry detergent? This unprecedented research into about 100 laundry detergents will guide you through laundry detergent ingredients and popular brand names. Additionally, the comparative analysis of what are, in my opinion, the best, better, bad, and worst options will show you how to determine non-toxic laundry detergents on your own. Plus, I will share my personal preference among the most eco-friendly laundry detergent options on the market. Find out if organic laundry detergent is best here and get access to my review of 73 popular dishwasher detergents here.
Safest Laundry Detergents
To begin, the subject of toxic chemicals’ effect on human health is personal to me. Indeed, my father died of cancer at the age of 57, and then I was diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases. (My health update is available here.)
Therefore, to help make the consumer market safer, I study product industries and form my opinions about the safety of product ingredients with the help of scientific studies and ingredient databases (learn more here).
Similarly, to find non-toxic laundry detergents, I studied and compared the ingredients of about 100 popular laundry options. Based on my opinions about the safety of laundry detergent ingredients, I’ve categorized the products as the best, better, almost better, bad, and worst. Those that I consider the safest laundry detergents have very few or none of the concerning ingredients. Conversely, the “worst” ones have many concerning ingredients.
“Best” Laundry Detergents
Most products in this category contain no concerning ingredients. Some of them have essential oils, which may be concerning for sensitive people and babies (so, avoid using them, please), and enzymes, which may be concerning if you inhale them (so, don’t inhale them).
| Brands | Concerning Ingredients |
| Branch Basics Concentrate (READ15 for 15% off) | None |
| Earthley Wellness Powder | Bromelain (enzyme), essential oils in the citrus version |
| ECOS Packs – Free & Clear | Enzymatic blend |
| ECOS Laundry Detergent Sheets – Free & Clear | Protease enzyme blend |
| Humble Suds Laundry Soap (IRLFY10 for 10% off) | None, essential oils in the scented versions |
| Meliora Laundry Powder | None, organic essential oil in the scented versions |
| Molly’s Suds All Sport Activewear (Unscented) ($10 or 10% off) | None |
| Molly’s Suds Original Laundry Detergent Powder (Peppermint) ($10 or 10% off) | Organic peppermint essential oil |
| Molly’s Suds Powder (Unscented) ($10 or 10% off) | None |
| Nellie’s Baby Laundry Soda ($10 or 10% off) | None |
| Pure Haven Laundry Detergent | Protease, amylase (enzymes) |
| Rosey Powder Unscented (Thrive Market) | Protease (enzyme) |
| Whole Foods Organic Unscented | None (natural fragrance with undisclosed ingredients in the scented options) |
| Young Living Thieves Laundry Soap | Essential oils |
My Favorite Non-Toxic Laundry Detergents
In addition to being eco-friendly laundry detergent options, the following safest laundry detergents are the best, in my opinion, due to their safe laundry detergent ingredients and good performance:
- Branch Basics Concentrate (READ15 on starter kit) (contains baking soda – some washing machines may have special instructions about using detergents with this ingredient, so read yours carefully; should be able to clean your clothes well in hard water and cold water; learn more about Branch Basics cleaning products here)
- Humble Suds Laundry Soap (IRLFY10) (contains baking soda – some washing machines may have special instructions about using detergents with baking soda, so read the instructions to your machine carefully; learn more about Humble Suds non-toxic cleaners here)
- Meliora Laundry Powder (contains baking soda – read the instructions to your washing machine carefully; more on Meliora eco non-toxic cleaning products here)
- Pure Haven Laundry Detergent (should work well in hard and cold water; more on Pure Haven products here)
Laundry Detergent Ingredients Of Concern
The presence of some or many of the following ingredients determined the category the products fell into: better, almost better, bad, and worst. To clarify, the ingredients I find of high to medium concern are marked with ❌, and the ingredients I find of low concern are marked with ⚠️. In my opinion, the safest laundry detergents are those that have close to none of these ingredients.
| Ingredient | Concern |
| ❌BENZISOTHIAZOLINONE | potential allergen and skin sensitizer (learn more in my post about benzisothiazolinone) |
| ❌DISODIUM DISTYRYLBIPHENYL DISULFONATE | optical brightener (makes the laundry appear brighter rather than really clean it); under assessment as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (ECHA) |
| ❌ETHOXYLATED INGREDIENTS | made with carcinogenic ethylene oxide, hence may contain residues of carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane (learn more in my post about hidden ingredients) |
| ❌FLUORESCENT BRIGHTENER 71 | optical brightener (makes the laundry appear brighter rather than really clean it); nonbiodegradable and threatening to aquatic life (ECHA) |
| ❌FRAGRANCE | many fragrance ingredients are potential allergens and sensitizers (learn more in my post about natural fragrance) |
| ❌LIMONENE, LINALOOL | potential allergens (learn more in my post about natural fragrance) |
| ❌METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE | potential allergen and skin sensitizer (learn more in my post about methylchloroisothiazolinone) |
| ❌METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE | potential allergen and skin sensitizer (learn more in my post about methylisothiazolinone) |
| ❌OCTYLISOTHIAZOLINONE | potential allergen and skin sensitizer (ECHA) |
| ❌POLYOXYALKYLENE SUBSTITUTED CHROMOPHORE (BLUE) | dye that makes laundry appear cleaner, no safety data |
| ❌TRIETHANOLAMINE | causes serious eye damage and is suspected of damage to reproduction (ECHA) |
| ❌UNDISCLOSED COMPOSITION and/or UNNECESSARY | e.g., “copolymers” and “proprietary color blends” |
| ⚠️PRESERVATIVES ABSENT | unclear how the manufacturer prevents bacteria growth and mold contamination |
| ⚠️SODIUM BORATE | in bigger quantities may be toxic to reproduction (learn more in my post about borax and boric acid) |
| ⚠️ENZYMES | may cause respiratory irritation and sensitization if airborne and inhaled on a regular basis, e.g., in powder laundry detergents, or broken laundry detergent pods or packs |
| ⚠️ESSENTIAL OILS | potential allergens (learn more in my post about natural fragrance) |
Does Laundry Detergent Expire?
As a matter of fact, laundry products do have expiration dates, past which the laundry detergent ingredients may start breaking down and disintegrating. This is especially true for liquid laundry detergents due to the presence of preservatives. The milder the preservative, the shorter its shelf life. It is for this reason that some of the least safe laundry detergents use such strong and harsh preservatives as benzisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and methylisothiazolinone. While a preservation system in a liquid laundry detergent is a must, I would not use products with these preservatives as I do not consider them non-toxic laundry detergent options.
Popular Laundry Detergents Reviews
“Better” Laundry Options
The non-toxic laundry detergents in the ”better” category have some points of concern in terms of laundry detergent ingredients. Although there is just one or two of them, in my opinion, they still fall short of being included in the safest laundry detergents category.
| Brand | Concerning ingredients |
| – Attitude Baby Fragrance-Free ($10 or 10% off) – Attitude Wildflowers ($10 or 10% off) | – No preservatives listed (risk for mold and bacterial growth) – Natural fragrance – The sodium benzoate preservative is listed only in the “Wildflowers” scent. |
| Biokleen Liquid – Free & Clear | C12-16 pareth-7 (ethoxylated) |
| Biokleen Powder – Free & Clear | Laureth-7 (ethoxylated) |
| Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder | C12-16 pareth-9, C10-14 alcohol (ethoxylated) |
| Dirty Labs Free & Clear | – I see no preservatives. – Protease (subtilisin), alpha-amylase, cellulase, mannanase, pectate lyase (enzymes). |
| ECOS Hypoallergenic – Free & Clear | Methylisothiazolinone |
| Nellie’s Laundry Soda ($10 or 10% off) | Linear alcohol ethoxylate |
| 9 Elements Scented | C12-16 pareth (ethoxylated), essential oil |
| Norwex Ultra Power Plus | Alcohol C10-12, alcohol C9-11 (ethoxylated) |
| Rosey Powder Lavender (Thrive Market) | Limonene, protease (enzyme) |
| Rosey Liquid Free & Clear (Thrive Market) | Laureth-7 (ethoxylated), no preservatives listed |
| Seventh Generation Packs – Free & Clear ($10 or 10% off) | Laureth-6 (ethoxylated), enzymes |
| The Honest Company Baby Laundry | Laureth-7 (ethoxylated), enzymes |
| – Tru Earth Eco-Strips Platinum BLUE Laundry Detergent Sheets – Tru Earth Eco-Strips Platinum GREEN (Fragrance-free) Laundry Detergent Sheets | PEG-20 Glyceryl Cocoate (ethoxylated) |
| Truly Free Unscented | – Tetrasodium salt (unclear what it is; I asked for clarification and received no response from the company.) |
“Almost Better” Options
The products in this category, in my opinion, are not completely non-toxic laundry detergents, yet they are not exactly “bad” either. Yet, due to some concerning laundry detergent ingredients, they fall short of being “better” either.
| Biokleen Citrus Powder | Laureth-7 (ethoxylated), limonene |
| Biokleen Liquid (Scented) | C12-16 pareth-7 (ethoxylated), linalool |
| Biokleen Sport Liquid, Lavender Eucalyptus | C12-16 pareth-7 (ethoxylated), lavender essential oil, linalool |
“Bad” Category Options
The products in this category are farther from being called “the safest laundry detergents” due to the presence of multiple concerning laundry detergent ingredients.
| Brands | Concerning Ingredients |
| ECOS Hypoallergenic Magnolia & Lily Liquid Laundry Detergent | Methylisothiazolinone, fragrance ingredients |
| Dreft Free & Gentle Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent | C10-16 pareth (ethoxylated), polyethyleneimine alkoxylated (undisclosed composition, most likely ethoxylated), sodium borate, subtilisin, amylase, cellulase, mannanase (enzymes) |
| Dropps Stain & Odor Unscented Laundry Detergent Pods | Alcohols, C12-16 (ethoxylated), subtilisin, lipase, amylase, pectate lyase, mannanase; odor control ingredients: furan, 5-(hexyloxy)tetrahydro-2,2-dimethyl- (skin sensitizing), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (being assessed as endocrine disrupting) |
| Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day | Laureth-7 (ethoxylated), fragrance ingredients, methylisothiazolinone, benzisothiazolinone (learn more in my post about Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products) |
| Puracy Natural – Free & Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent | C10-C16 alcohol ethoxylate, benzisothiazolinone, sodium borate, protease, amylase, lipase, mannanase (enzymes) |
| Seventh Generation Free & Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent | Laureth-6 (ethoxylated), benzisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, amylase, protease, mannanase (enzymes) |
“Worst” Laundry Detergent Options
The main difference between the “worst” and the “bad” categories is the optical brighteners present in all the “worst” products and absent in the “bad” ones.
Specifically, optical brighteners don’t actually clean your clothes but just make them look clean. By adhering to the fabric, they absorb and reflect the light, and, thus, make the laundry appear brighter or whiter. Although they have been around for decades, optical brighteners (aka fluorescent whitening agents) lack safety data. Meanwhile, the EPA encourages manufacturers not to use them or to use safer alternatives. Apparently, they do not biodegrade and pose a threat to aquatic life. So, in my opinion, true non-toxic laundry detergents should not contain optical brighteners.
| Brand | Concerning ingredients |
| ALL® Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent | C12-15 alcohols ethoxylated, sodium laureth sulfate (ethoxylated), triethanolamine, fragrance ingredients, disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone |
| ALL® Free Clear Powder | C12-15 alcohols ethoxylated, fluorescent brightener 71, protease (enzyme) |
| ALL® Sunshine Fresh with Stainlifters® Liquid | C12-15 alcohols ethoxylated, sodium laureth sulfate (ethoxylated), fragrance ingredients, disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate, methylisothiazolinone, polyoxyalkylene substituted chromophore (blue) |
| Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Liquid Laundry Detergent | – C10-16 pareth (ethoxylated), sodium laureth sulfate (ethoxylated), fragrance ingredients, acrylic acid homopolymer (undisclosed composition, unnecessary), disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate (optical brightener), nitrilotriacetic acid (suspected of causing cancer) – I don’t see any preservatives listed. |
| Gain Original Powder | C10-16 pareth (ethoxylated), fluorescent brightener 71, organosilicone copolymer (undisclosed composition), fragrance ingredients, subtilisin, lipase (enzymes) |
| Method Free + Clear | C12-16 pareth-7 (ethoxylated), fragrance ingredients, disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate, methylisothiazolinone, benzisothiazolinone, proprietary colorant blend (undisclosed composition and unnecessary) (learn more in my post about Method cleaning products) |
| Tide Free and Gentle Powder | C10-16 pareth (ethoxylated), fluorescent brightener 71, organosilicone copolymer (undisclosed composition), subtilisin, amylase, lipase (enzymes) |
| Tide Simply Free & Sensitive Liquid Unscented | C10-16 pareth (ethoxylated), fluorescent brightener 71, sodium borate, (plus fragrance ingredients in scented options) |
Summary Of The Safest Laundry Detergent Guide
The Safest Laundry Detergents Do Not Have Harsh Preservatives, Fragrance, Optical Brighteners, And Ethoxylated Ingredients.
To sum up, this blog post has guided you through laundry detergent ingredients and popular brand names. It is the result of unprecedented research into about 100 laundry detergents requested by my FB and Instagram followers. (Get your access to my review of 73 popular dishwasher detergents here.)
Further, the comparative analysis of the best, better, almost better, bad, and worst options has shown you how to determine safe laundry detergents. In my opinion, it is a good idea to avoid products with optical brighteners, fragrance, ethoxylated ingredients, harsh preservatives, and some other ingredients, listed in the table above.
The safest laundry detergents from the “best” category have no high or medium concerns. Some of the laundry detergents that should be safe even for the most sensitive people are:
- Branch Basics Concentrate (READ15 code for starter kits)
- Humble Suds Laundry Soap (IRLFY10 code)
- Meliora Laundry Powder, and
- Pure Haven Laundry Powder.
If your laundry detergent is not addressed here, you can use this information to estimate its safety on your own. Alternatively, you are welcome to use one of my services.
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Hello what do you think of Arm & Hammer Detergent Sensitive Skin Free & Clear?
Thank you!
Hi! For a professional product ingredient review, please follow this link: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/services/ingredient-review/
Thank you so much for your research. I would like to know if you have done any research on Doterra laundry soap. They have a few and I am interested in the On- Guard line. Also, has there been any research on which detergent gets the clothes the cleanest? Safest and best for stain removal etc. I love all the safe products but my husband doesn’ think they clean his clothes. Is there some research I can share with him?
Hello Genevieve! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels For You! To see what we have to say about a certain product, just type the search word in the search bar on our website. The same about stain removers – we have a few non-toxic and well-performing options in our shop. In case you don’t find the info you are looking for, you can always use one of our professional consulting or product ingredient review services: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/services/
Any thoughts on blueland laundry tablets?
Hi Kayla! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels For You! Please follow this link to get a product ingredient review: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/pick-brain-product/
Hi,
Do you have any concerns with Clean People laundry sheets?
Thanks!
Hi Susan! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels For You! Please follow this link to get a product ingredient review: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/pick-brain-product/
What are your thoughts on Mama Suds Laundry Detergent as I don’t see it listed. I have used it for well over a year and I love it. I don’t see any ingredients for concern as I am an avid label reader.
Hi Marilyn, there is one ingredient – sodium borate – that we do not recommend in skincare. It is probably ok in a laundry detergent, though. Please make an informed decision based on the information in our blog post: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/borax-and-boric-acid-safety/
I see Propylene Glycol is in 9 elements. Is this ingredient not a concern?
Hi Brittany! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels For You! If you will, please send us the information and scientific data you have found that make you think this ingredient is of concern, so we review the info and update our post, if necessary. We appreciate your interest!!
Hi Maria,
Thank you for all the work that you do. I have purchased many of your guides. I was wondering if you reviewed Better Life Laundry Detergent, Lavender Grapefruit in this guide? Thanks so much!
Hi Callie,
Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels For You!
While Better Life per se is not included in this review, you could, if you would, figure out its safety by reading the ingredients on its label and comparing them with the ingredients of concern assembled in the ‘Ingredients You Want to Be Careful About in Your Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent’ section of this blog post. Or, email the ingredients to us for a private email product review.
Hello, what are your thoughts on eco sheets, like Earth Breeze? Thanks for sharing all your research and insight!
Hello Andrea! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels for You! Please, use the instructions for an email product review in the “Services” tab in the top menu of our website.
Hello – I am curious about Grab Green products? I don’t see those listed? They are very popular.
Thank you!
Jess
Hello Jess! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels for You! We selected products for our laundry detergent guide based on requests of our Instagram followers, namely, we included those brands that were most frequently asked about (interestingly, Grab Green was selected for a dishwasher detergent guide: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/product/dishwasher-detergent-guide/). The section of our Laundry Detergent guide called “Ingredients You Want to Be Careful About in Your Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent” will help you determine the safety level of any laundry detergent on your own. If you still feel like you need our help, you can take advantage of our email product review service: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/pick-brain-product/ We hope this helps!
I’ve been using Ecos Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent with Enzymes – Free & Clear as it does not have Methylisothiazolinone as a listed preservative. Perhaps it’s a reformulation such as with the dish soap?
Hi, Christen! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels for You! You are doing a great job reading ingredients and picking products based on safety – thank you for that! As for the ECOS products, in our blog post we mention ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent – Free & Clear. As of today (May 23, 2022), ECOS website lists Methylisothiazolinone among its ingredients. At the same time, ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent with Enzymes – Free & Clear does not list Methylisothiazolinone. These are two different products (the former is without enzymes and the latter is with enzymes). We hope this helps!
Hello! Why are Dr Bronner’s products rarely included in your wonderful research? Thank you 🙂
Hi, Marian! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels for You! If you are talking about Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, it is fine!
When you say which if the cleanest are your favorites (then post a coupon code) I’m concerned about possible conflict of interest. I ask this genuinely, as I’ve followed for some time and trust your research. But a little nagging voice on the back wants to know. Thank you.
Hi, Lari! Thank you for reaching out to I Read Labels for You! Your question is totally legitimate!
I Read Labels for You receives lots of offers for affiliate connections with attractive commissions (as happened with Monat, for example).
However, our priority is safety, and we stay true to our core values: integrity, honesty, and thoroughness. So, we study ingredients, do research, and contact the manufacturers. (You can learn more about the steps we take on our website.)If a product meets our standards for safety, we accept the company’s offer for affiliate connection. Other times, we reach out to the company ourselves to participate with them in spreading safe products. Moreover, some companies do not have affiliate programs, but if their products meet our safety requirements, we choose to promote them anyway to make the consumer market a safer place. And sometimes, companies would change their ingredients from safe to less safe, and we break our affiliation with them. As for discount codes, we are happy to help our readers and followers to save money!
At the same time, our intention has never been to make our followers believe us blindly. It is for this reason that we keep writing and publishing free educational blog posts so that our readers would read them and educate themselves about ingredients and learn to estimate their safety on their own. Plus, we always encourage our readers to contact manufacturers and do their own research regarding the safety of the product in question.
Therefore, it is great that the question about the conflict of interest has risen in you, Lari! It shows that you are a thinker and do not “eat” any information blindly. We believe that you will be successful at doing your own research and contacting companies, which we strongly encourage because the more of us ask questions, the sooner the manufacturers make changes for the better.
If and when your product ingredient research contradicts ours, please bring it to our attention – we are open for communication and changes. We are all in it together and we will definitely appreciate your help!! Thank you for your active participation!!!
Have you ever done research on THE LAUNDRESS
NEW YORK? I don’t see it listed anywhere in the search option or in any of your free articles. They list their MDSD online. From following your blog I know your anti-fragrance but I’m wondering your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi, Elisabeth! Thank you for your question! A quick glance at this product’s list of ingredients revealed that it contains fragrance, benzisothiazolinone, and ethoxylated ingredients (e.g., sodium laureth sulfate). I Read Labels for You does not consider these ingredients safe. We hope this helps!
Have you done any research on dryer sheets/balls? I couldn’t find any articles on it when I put dryer in she search button. I’ve tried using 100% wool dryer balls and even putting all 6 balls in the dryer on the lowest temp my clothes come out still staticky. Thanks!
Hi, Elisabeth! We appreciate your interest! We haven’t done deep research into dryer sheets, but so far, we haven’t found safe dryer sheets. Thank you for the suggestion!
Place your clean clothes on the ground for an hour or so. Fold them and stack them on the ground. When you put them away, most of the static will b gone.