The Safest Non-Toxic Natural Laundry Detergent Brands (That Actually Work!)
By Aaqila Harvey
The Safest Non-Toxic & Natural Laundry Detergent Brands (That Actually Work!)ll of that may be overwhelming, but the good news is that there is no shortage of natural, non-toxic, and great-smelling laundry soaps and detergents on the market. So, what is the safest laundry detergent? All of the following brands are free from ingredients that are potentially toxic and safe to use.
Branch Basics (Best Overall)
Price: $65 for Laundry Starter Kit; $22-55 for refills
Carries: Laundry detergent, oxygen booster, wool dryer balls
Certifications: MADE SAFE, EWG Verified (Environmental Working Group), Leaping Bunny
Branch Basics concentrated formula is one of the most popular multi-purpose non-toxic cleaning products. We’ve been using it around the house for years now!
Branch Basics uses safe, plant-based ingredients to make a concentrate, which you can then use to make an all-purpose spray, bathroom cleaner, streak-free spray, and laundry detergent! Even though the bottle of concentrate is a bit on the pricier side, it lasts a really long time (even if you clean a lot…).
They also offer Oxygen Boost powder and wool dryer balls to complement their safe laundry detergent. Everything is biodegradable, fragrance-free, and never tested on animals.
See our full review of Branch Basics here.
You can use the code THEFILTERY for 15% off Starter Kits.
2. ATTITUDE (Best Smelling Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent)
Price: $17+
Carries: Liquid laundry detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, dryer sheets
Certifications: ECOLOGO, PETA
It can be challenging to find a non-toxic laundry detergent that truly smells good, but ATTITUDE has done it!
You can choose between scents like Wildflowers, Citrus Zest, Summer Berries, Moutain Fresh, Lavender, and Pink Grapefruit (and they have Unscented, too, if you’d prefer).
ATTITUDE’s natural laundry detergents are ECOLOGO certified, hypoallergenic, vegan & cruelty-free, and biodegradable. In addition to their liquid laundry detergent bottles and cardboard refill boxes, they also carry fabric softener, dryer sheets, and a baby-specific collection for your little ones.
3. Truly Free (Best for Hard Water)
Price: $14
Carries: Refillable liquid laundry detergent (both scented and unscented), fabric softener, oxy boost powder, stain remover, dryer sheet alternatives, laundry machine cleaner
Certifications: None
Truly Free is a great brand in part because they offer just about every kind of household cleaning product you’d need—including a Softening Rinse for those with hard water!
Their laundry collection includes a non-toxic refillable detergent, fabric softener, enzyme stain remover and stain sticks, dryer sheet alternatives, oxygen boosters, laundry machine cleaner, and static-wrinkle releaser.
This detergent is made with plant-based ingredients, including essential oils for scent. (If you or your little ones are sensitive to essential oils too, they also have an unscented version.)
Truly Free is lighter on our planet, too. The first time you order from them, you’ll get a free container, but then after that, you’ll get refillable pouches delivered to your door.
For other parts of your home, they also offer bathroom cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, dish soaps and detergents, floor cleaners, and more.
4. Grab Green (Best Fragrance-Free)
Price: $12+
Carries: Laundry detergent pods (scented and fragrance-free), bleach alternative pods, dryer sheets, and dryer balls
Certifications: None
The team at Grab Green is committed to formulating innovative and high-performing cleaning products that are also completely safe, eco-friendly, and not tested on animals.
Although they do offer some great scents (like lavender with vanilla), their best-selling original laundry detergent is fragrance-free. Their 3-in-1 laundry detergent pods and powder actually combine detergent with a stain remover and non-toxic brightener for an effective clean. (Apparently, they even out-performed Tide in a third-party test for stain and soil removal!).
5. Dirty Labs (Best Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent For Stains, Sweat, and Odors)
Price: $13+
Carries: Liquid laundry detergent, bio booster powder
Certifications: EWG Verified, National Eczema Association
Got muddy kids’ baseball uniforms? Soiled cloth diapers? Spilled coffee for the third time? If you’re looking for a safe laundry detergent that can really get the toughest jobs done, you might want to try out Dirty Labs.
They offer both Free & Clear (fragrance-free) as well as scented formulations. Their key ingredient is called Phytolase®, which is an enzyme that works to effectively break down stains. This is a great option for whites, too!
Dirty Labs is committed to true transparency, even going so far as to share the source of each of their ingredients as well as the CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) number for each one as well, so you can look it up if you want.
6. Blueland (Best Low-Waste/Plastic-Free)
Price: $18 for Laundry Essentials Starter Set; $14+ for detergent refills
Carries: Laundry tablets, oxi booster, wool dryer balls
Certifications: EWG Verified, B Corp, Carbon Neutral
Blueland carries EWG-verified non-toxic and eco-friendly laundry detergent, oxi boosts, and dryer balls (along with other products like dishwasher detergent, all-purpose household cleaners, hand soap, and more).
Their refillable, fragrance-free laundry products are free of all the nasties, like petroleum derivatives, dyes and colorants, artificial fragrances, parabens, phthalates, and more. But don’t worry: it still really works—you can even check out their testing process here!
Plus, this brand is super sustainable, too. They carry a whole host of certifications like Cradle to Cradle, Leaping Bunny, Climate Neutral, B Corp, and more. Plus, all of their packaging is plastic-free and compostable.
It doesn’t hurt that their branding is super cute, too!
7. Rosey by Thrive Market (Most Affordable/Best Value Detergent)
Price: $8.99+
Carries: Scented and unscented laundry detergent (liquid, powder, and pods)
Certifications: B Corp, Leaping Bunny
Thrive Market offers both scented and unscented detergent that comes in liquid bottles ($9.99 for 100 loads), powder ($8.99 for 70 loads), or pods ($11.99 for 45).
You can rest assured that their branded line of laundry products is safe and non-toxic. It’s free of all the potentially harmful ingredients listed above, is vegan, and is biodegradable. It uses naturally-derived enzymes to clean stains.
Thrive Market is so convenient, too—you can get a bunch of your organic and non-toxic pantry essentials, snacks, home goods, and more delivered right to your door.
(P.S. If you’re looking for the regular “Thrive Market brand” detergent, this is the same thing. They just rebranded to the “Rosey” name.)
8. Happi Earth (Best Organic Laundry Detergent)
Price: $55+
Carries: Liquid laundry detergent concentrate
Certifications: Australia Certified Organic, USDA Organic
This Australia-based brand makes natural laundry detergent that’s made out of fair trade and organic ingredients. With very few synthetic ingredients, this is another good choice for those with sensitive skin. You can purchase a starter pack that comes with a sugarcane pump bottle, and then buy their low-waste refill pouches after that.
With 400 washes in one pouch, it goes a LONG way! Plus, they plant a tree with each purchase, too.
9. Meliora (Best Powder Detergent)
Price: $14+
Carries: Laundry detergent powder, oxygen brightener, stain remover stick
Certifications: MADE SAFE, B Corp, Leaping Bunny
Meliora is a super safe laundry detergent brand that offers low-waste and plastic-free laundry detergent powder (both scented and unscented), oxygen brightener, and stain removal sticks.
It’s made and packaged in Chicago Illinois, and they give at least 2% of sales towards nonprofits like the Women’s Voices for the Earth, a non-profit dedicated to eliminating toxic chemicals from products.
10. Dropps (Best Non-Toxic Laundry Pods)
Price: $19+
Carries: Detergent pods, fabric softener, oxi booster, dryer balls
Certifications: None
Dropps has become one of our favorite brands in recent years for easy-to-use laundry detergent pods. They offer scented (like Lavender, Crisp & Clean, and Orange Blossom) and unscented varieties, as well as formulations for sensitive skin and babies.
Third-party tested and named EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year in 2017, Dropps is committed to ingredient transparency and you can read in-depth about each ingredient on their website.
Plus, Dropps detergent is cruelty-free, made in the USA, supports ocean conservation, and comes in compostable packaging.
11. Healthybaby (Best Detergent for Babies)
Price: $60
Carries: Liquid detergent concentrate, wool dryer balls
Certifications: MADE SAFE, EWG Verified, B Corp
Although most of our recommended natural detergents on this list are safe for babies and kids (since they’re all free from harmful chemicals!), Healthybaby is specially formulated with little ones in mind.
It’s 100% plant and mineral-based, neurologically safe, microbiome-friendly, and even made using food-safe quality standards. Even though a bottle of the concentrated formula is a little expensive, it lasts a long time.
12. EcoRoots (Best for Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent Sheets)
Price: $20+
Carries: Zero waste laundry detergent sheets, wool dryer balls
Certifications: None
Laundry detergent sheets & strips are becoming more popular as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic-laden packaging that often comes along with conventional laundry detergent. And while it’s definitely a great sustainable option, many of the laundry sheets on the market contain some sneaky questionable ingredients.
EcoRoots, however, has a safe option for detergent sheets that work! Ultra-concentrated and lightweight, they come in Fresh Breeze or Fragrance-Free and are super easy to use. They’re biodegradable, vegan, cruelty-free, and hypoallergenic.
These are really great for traveling with, too!
13. Molly’s Suds (Best for Delicates)
Price: $20
Carries: Laundry powder, oxygen booster, wool dryer balls
Certifications: None
Molly’s Suds has a great line for all of your laundry needs, but more specifically, they have a couple of special formulations for activewear, swimwear, and other delicates.
In addition to being safe and non-toxic, Molly’s Suds laundry detergent is certified vegan and cruelty-free. Their laundry powder is made from just five ingredients. The peppermint smells amazing, leaving your clothes incredibly fresh.
14. 9 Elements (Best at Target)
Price: $13
Carries: Liquid laundry detergent, fabric softener
Certifications: None
Many of the “green” laundry detergent brands that are available at big box stores are not as non-toxic or eco-friendly as they might seem. 9 Elements, however, is a pretty good brand. Available in Lemon and Eucalyptus, it only contains 9 ingredients (hence the name) and is scented with natural scents instead of synthetic fragrances.
The next time you run out of detergent and don’t have time to order anything online, you can feel safe grabbing a bottle of 9 Elements at the store.
You can click here to read our full breakdown of 9 Elements ingredients and here to read our review of their products’ actual effectiveness.
15. GO By Greenshield Organic (Best at Walmart)
Price: $33+
Carries: Liquid laundry detergent, pet stain & odor remover
Certifications: USDA Organic, Leaping Bunny
If you need to pick up some detergent at Walmart, we recommend GO by Greenshield Organic. It’s made almost entirely of certified and plant-based ingredients, in either Free & Clear or Lavender.
Shop GO By Greenshield Organic
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