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Tired of harmful chemicals in your laundry detergent? So was I - but not anymore.
Many conventional liquid detergents are full of harsh chemicals. They do terrible damage to the environment and marine life. We are literally poisoning our water supply every time we wash our clothes.
That's why we tested the best eco-friendly laundry detergent brands. We wanted to find a range of options that keep your clothes clean without harming the environment.
We found 6 incredible non-toxic detergents at affordable prices.
This guide helps you say goodbye to harsh ingredients and discover a more sustainable way to do laundry. Let's make a positive change, one load at a time...
We Say: I like to keep life as simple as possible, so I like that Dropps laundry pods are so easy to use. Simply throw one in the machine, add a load of clothes, select a program, and away you go.
The problem with conventional pods is the type of dissolvable plastic used. Dropps has solved this issue by using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). PVOH is considered a non-toxic, biodegradable, and water-soluble synthetic polymer that breaks down into single molecules, according to a recent study (Gummel et al., 2025).
From my experience, Dropps pods dissolve easily in my washing machine and leave no visible traces behind after the wash.
Dropps plastic-free laundry pods also tread lightly when it comes to packaging. The cardboard box is fully compostable and recyclable. It’s made from a mix of recycled material and FSC-certified cardboard.
This product contains only plant-based ingredients. It's manufactured in the USA with no animal testing.
The one minor downside for me is that Dropps do contain palm oil. Obviously, I would prefer no palm oil at all. But in the end, I was happy that the small amount of oil used is RSPO-certified sustainable.
We Say: Tru Earth has made a product that feels like they designed it just for me. It's convenient, with zero waste, and zero mess.
In the past, I quite liked Ecoroots strips. But these sheets from Tru Earth just do a better job for a slightly cheaper price.
No powder, no liquid, just strips of paper laundry sheets. Yep, you read that right, PAPER!
Simply place a pre-measured strip of this natural laundry paper in your washing machine and let it do its thing.
Tru Earth sheets weigh just 3g each. But they pack the same cleaning punch of 40g of premium liquid or powder detergent.
The compact design means you can reclaim space in your cupboards. At the same time, it reduces the carbon footprint of shipping the product.
✔ Organic Ingredients
✔ No Artificial Fragrance
✔ No Parabens or Sulfates
We Say: I tested Kelebs Natural Laundry Soap Bar over six weeks on everything from my daughters' school uniforms to my sweaty running clothes. The organic coconut and lavender oil base has a naturally mild aroma. I love the subtle smell it leaves on my bedding and pajamas.
Kelebs ships the bars in minimal, plastic-free packaging. I grate one bar into fine shavings and store it in a jar for machine washing, and keep the second bar whole for hand washing and stain treatment.
Kelebs Natural Laundry Soap Bar struggles with heavily soiled items like my mud-covered hiking gear or my daughter's grass-stained soccer uniforms. For very dirty washing, I would suggest trying Dropps instead.
Why It's Recommended: Many soap nut detergents (especially on Amazon) are poor-quality Chinese imports. They come with questionable origins and lack of certification.
NaturOli immediately stood out because its soap nuts are grown in India. Originally they are harvested directly from the Sapindus Mukorossi fruit in the lush Himalayas. They're then inspected, sorted, and packaged in the US.
They're also USDA-certified organic and of exceptional quality.
Personal Experience: I was initially skeptical about the cleaning power of soap nuts. However, my sister-in-law talked me into testing these. She swears by them for washing cloth diapers.
I was impressed and convinced after the first test load. I found that the clothes came out clean and soft, without the usual residue or scent left by conventional detergents.
There was a slight adjustment period as I worked out how many soap nuts to use for each wash (and when to replace them). But, with a little trial and error, I found using soap nuts pretty easy for most washing needs.
However, I did find that these soap nuts struggled to properly clean heavily soiled clothes. For example, my daughters' sweaty and muddy soccer uniforms.
✔ All Natural Detergent Powder
✔ Reusable Container
✔ Range of Scent Options
We Say: The family-run, B Corp certified, Meliora produces a range of non toxic cleaning products. But for this review I’m going to concentrate on their powdered detergent.
This is a highly concentrated laundry powder. It comes in four naturally scented options: lavender, lemon, lemon lavender & clove, unscented. Lemon is my favorite.
When you first order Meliora laundry powder, go for the reusable canister and scoop option. Once you've used all the powder, you can order refills. Then go ahead and reuse your existing canister and scoop for many years.
I prefer the no-mess/easy dose of pods. Not that dosing this powder is exactly tricky. The scoop provided is accurate and clean to use.
Or Buy at Earth Hero (Without Discount)
My wife and I spent several months testing eco-friendly laundry detergents to put together this guide. We got help from friends and family members who were willing to trial different brands in their own homes. We wanted to find detergents that were truly sustainable and actually worked.
Here are the criteria we considered when evaluating each product.
We tested each detergent on multiple loads of laundry. This included everything from lightly soiled everyday clothes to heavily stained items like muddy kids' sports uniforms and sweaty workout gear.
Over 12 brands that didn't meet our standards for sustainability or cleaning performance were rejected. We purchased every product tested with our own money. We were not gifted any items for testing. No brand is permitted to pay for inclusion in our roundups.
Our goal is to help you find laundry detergent that's better for your health, your family, and the planet.
Eco-friendly laundry detergent products are formulated to have minimal impact on the environment. They are typically made from natural, biodegradable ingredients. They don't contain harmful chemicals or synthetic fragrances (many are fragrance-free).
They should also be zero-waste and made with a minimal carbon footprint. Most products come in a recyclable cardboard box or refillable tin container.
Green detergents are designed to be gentle on fabrics while still effectively cleaning clothes. They effectively remove stains, even when washing clothes in cold water.
Why should we bother choosing a detergent made with natural, biodegradable materials? Why not stick to mainstream synthetic detergents?
If you intend to live a truly eco-friendly lifestyle, your detergent must be plastic-free and non-toxic.
Conventional detergents come in a single-use plastic bottle. But natural and plant-based detergents usually come in zero-waste packaging.
The statistics show why this matters.
More than 35 billion laundry loads are washed in the US every year, and one billion liquid detergent laundry jugs are discarded.
It’s estimated that only 30% of these get recycled. This leaves around 700 million laundry jugs either sat in U.S. landfills or shipped to developing countries. There, they are often disposed of in unsustainable ways.
Either way, they're highly likely to end up as plastic waste. If you use them, you're contributing to the huge global pollution problem.
If you go for powder instead of liquid, you still can’t guarantee the packaging will be biodegradable. Most powder detergent boxes are lined with plastic to protect the powder from getting damp.
Then there are the actual ingredients to consider.
Every time you wash your clothes, many nasty, harsh chemicals leave your machine and enter the sewage system. Some of these get cleaned up at the treatment plants, but many find their way into rivers, lakes, and seas.
These chemicals, along with plastic microfibers from synthetic fabrics, harm septic systems. They also pollute drinking water, and cause death and disease to aquatic life.
Conventional detergents contain a different mix of chemical ingredients. It’s not just the environment that suffers when using store-bought laundry powder, soap, or liquid,
Some of the chemicals in conventional detergents have been linked to health concerns.
Here's a list of harmful chemicals commonly found in detergent ingredients that you should try to avoid (and why).
Nonylphenol Ethoxylates are non-ionic surfactants that were previously widely used in laundry soap. They are highly harmful to animal and plant life and will kill entire lakes if the levels are high enough.
Phosphates are added to detergent to soften the water. This helps keep the dirt in the water and off the laundry in washing machines.
When phosphates find their way into water sources, it increases algae growth and poor water quality.
Fortunately, most laundry products are now phosphate-free, but the damage has already been done to some extent. It’s estimated that 50% to 75% of phosphorus in lakes and rivers has come from our use of detergents.
Surfactants are added to traditional laundry detergents to help remove dirt. They work by breaking down the interface between the water in the washing machine and the oils/dirt on the clothes.
When surfactants get into waterways, they can cause deformities in fish and frogs.
Optical brighteners are added to traditional detergents. They're supposed to make clothing appear whiter and brighter.
Brands use optical brighteners to trick you into thinking your clothes are cleaner than they are. However, they do not biodegrade naturally. Then, they pose a danger to aquatic life when they leak into waterways.
These are added to laundry soaps to make your clothes smell nice. But they can contain endocrine-disrupting phthalates and other possible allergens that may trigger symptoms in people with asthma or allergies.
Contact dermatitis through laundry detergents is rare but does happen (Wieck et al., 2018). Sources suggest it affects around 1% of Adults (DermNet).
Always choose a fragrance-free detergent if you suffer from allergies or breathing difficulties.
These are added to detergents to make your clothes look cleaner for longer, or even just to make them look more appealing!
According to Healthline, “Fragrances, preservatives, dyes, and other chemicals in laundry detergent can cause rashes in both children and adults.”
This is classified as a probable human carcinogen, meaning it has the potential to cause cancer in humans. 1,4-Dioxane has been detected in numerous liquid laundry detergents.
1,4-Dioxane is tricky to avoid. It’s not listed on the label because it is a byproduct of other ingredients.
The main concern with Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) in laundry products is that it has been linked to skin and eye irritation and allergic reactions. However, SLES can also be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen as described above.
Chlorine bleach is added to some detergents for hygiene reasons.
If the dose is too high, it can burn skin and irritate the eyes, nose, and throat (ASTDR).
NPE imitates the hormone estrogen. This can have negative effects on pregnant women and reproductive health in general (Chang et al., 2014).
If you are looking for a detergent that is kind to the planet, there are many things to look out for.
The more of the following you can tick off, the better it will be for you and the environment:
Yes, depending on the ingredients and how they are made, eco sheets can be better for the environment than a traditional liquid or powder. This is because sheets are typically completely plastic-free - in both the product and packaging.
Yes, green detergents can work just as well as traditional ones. Their plant-based enzymes and other natural ingredients are very effective. Powerful enough to remove stains and odors without the use of harsh chemicals.
However, it's important to keep in mind that not all products are created equal. Some may be more effective than others on type of stain or fabric you're dealing with. It's a good idea to read reviews and do a little research to find the best detergent for your needs.
Some eco-friendly detergents may have slightly different usage instructions than you may be used to. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for optimal results.
EPA Safer Choice is a voluntary program created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It's designed to help consumers find safer cleaning products without sacrificing performance.
The program recognizes high-quality and sustainable detergents and cleaners. This can include all-purpose cleaners, window cleaners, tub/tile cleaners, and floor care products. It also extends to pet care products and car care products.
You can use the Safer Choice database to search for products that meet the standard.
The EPA Safer Choice Standard requires that all ingredients meet stringent safety criteria. This includes avoiding ingredients known or suspected to cause cancer or reproductive harm. It also covers those that may be persistent in the environment or bioaccumulative in aquatic organisms.
I would not consider Tide to be a zero-waste product. They are made from dissolvable PVA, a type of plastic that dissolves when it comes into contact with hot or cold water.
This passes out of your machine and has to be cleaned out of the water at a treatment plant. Look for alternatives made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH).
No - most Tide powders contain a powerful cleaning agent with chemical additives. I do not consider it to be environmentally friendly.
Neither is better for the environment. Biological detergents contain enzymes that help clean clothes. These enzymes can irritate sensitive skin, so some people prefer non-biological alternatives.
Make sure you tick off as much of the checklist above, and you should be well on your way to making an eco-friendly choice.
Zero-waste detergent usually refers to a product where nothing is wasted or thrown away. They usually come in a compostable cardboard box, or sometimes in recycled plastic packaging that can be recycled again.
The actual product should be as eco-friendly as possible and leave no nasty chemicals in the water.
I like to steer clear of traditional liquid detergents due to the natural resources wasted in making plastic jugs. Powder is better, provided it comes in a recycled and recyclable box.
I believe we can all be a little bit greener when it comes to laundry. We can make a big difference to the environment for what is essentially a pretty easy swap.
Fortunately, this is one marketplace where eco-friendliness and convenience can go hand in hand.
Sure, some eco-friendly brands can be slightly more expensive than their mainstream counterparts. But this is one area where I feel spending an extra few cents is well worthwhile.
It's great that some brands are now offering subscription service discounts. My top pick, Dropps Laundry Pods, is a great example. Now saving the world’s waterways is more affordable than ever.
Make a few simple changes and, before you know it, you’ll have your very own zero-waste laundry room!
Our core values mean we always prioritize sustainability over profit. We carefully evaluate and personally test every product to ensure they meet our high standards. All products recommended in this article were tested in accordance with our Review Methodology.
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