Best Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent Brands (Liquid & Powder!)

Finding a non-toxic laundry detergent that actually works can seem impossible. Most brands are either crazy expensive or don’t wash your clothes at all. I’ve tested several popular non-toxic laundry detergent brands; here are the winners.

Why Use Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent?

We wear our clothes for hours each day—so what we wash them in really matters.

Your skin, the body’s largest organ, is constantly in contact with your clothing and can absorb substances it touches. When you use conventional laundry detergents loaded with harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic fragrances, those toxins don’t just wash away—they cling to your clothes and get absorbed by your skin.

Even worse, those chemical residues can release harmful fumes into the air you breathe, potentially triggering allergies, skin irritation, or respiratory issues over time.

Switching to a non-toxic laundry detergent is one of the simplest, most impactful ways to protect your health and the wellbeing of your family. It ensures that your clean clothes are truly clean—free from harmful residues and safe for even the most sensitive skin.

Laundry shouldn’t be a hidden health risk. It should be something you feel good about—knowing your clothes are fresh, safe, and free of toxins.

Ingredients to Avoid In Laundry Detergent

When choosing a safer laundry detergent, it’s important to know which ingredients to steer clear of. Here are some common ingredients often found in conventional detergents—and why they can be harmful:

• Fragrance (Parfum): This catch-all term can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals, many of which are linked to hormone disruption, skin irritation, and respiratory issues. Synthetic fragrances can also emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that pollute indoor air.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) / Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): These foaming agents can strip the skin’s natural oils and cause irritation or allergic reactions. SLES may also be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen.
• 1,4-Dioxane: A byproduct rather than an added ingredient, this chemical often appears in detergents without being listed on the label. It’s a suspected carcinogen and persistent environmental pollutant.
• Optical Brighteners: Used to make clothes appear whiter and brighter, these synthetic chemicals can remain on fabric and irritate sensitive skin. They’re also toxic to aquatic life once washed down the drain.
• Chlorine Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite): While effective at whitening, bleach releases toxic fumes and can be harsh on skin and lungs. It’s particularly dangerous when mixed with other cleaners.
• Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs): These surfactants are endocrine disruptors and extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. They’re banned in the EU but still used in some detergents sold elsewhere.
• Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (Quats): Used as sanitizing agents and for their antimicrobial properties, quats are linked to asthma, reproductive issues, and skin irritation.

These are just a handful of the most common chemicals found in many conventional detergents, for a full in-depth guide to toxic ingredients in laundry detergent and recognizing them on labels, read my guide here.

Top 5 Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent Brands, Tried & Tested

1. Root & Splendor

5/5 | 3 Reviews

$24 at amazonshop root & Splendor

I discovered Root & Splendor while doing research to find the best, truly non-toxic detergents, and let me tell you, I love everything about this brand!

Started by a health-minded mama of 4, Kristin went on a mission to develop 100% toxin-free laundry detergent that is ultra-powerful while being safe for health and the environment.

They offer four wonderful essential oil blends and an unscented version as well. Their laundry liquid is super-concentrated so you only need 1 TBSP per wash.

There isn’t enough space for me to rave about this brand enough! The ingredient transparency, the essential oil blends, the formula – amazing!

Love this brand!!

2. Branch Basics Laundry Concentrate

4.9/5 | 4942 reviews

shop branch basics

Branch Basics is an amazing non-toxic cleaning brand that really gained popularity over the last couple of years.

What I love most about them is that they are 100% transparent with their ingredient list. You can find all the ingredients on their website and the concentrate bottle. No hidden additives.

Their formula is plant and mineral-based, preservative- and synthetic fragrance-free and made with chamomile extract for skin-soothing benefits. It cleans well, and I love that I can use the concentrate for cleaning the whole house.

Branch Basics’ formula is incredibly gentle, making it a great choice for people with sensitive skin, allergies and gentle enough for babies.

One of the best non-toxic laundry detergents on the market! As natural as it gets!

3. Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent Powder

5/5 | 1407 reviews

$22 at amazonshop molly’s suds

Molly’s Suds is a cult-favourite non-toxic cleaning brand – and for good reason! Their cleaning products are truly toxin-free and made only from natural ingredients.

Their laundry powder is formulated with only five ingredients! No harsh sanitizers, no chemicals.

This laundry powder is super powerful (you only need 1 TBSP per wash!). It comes in five different essential oil scents and an unscented version.

If you’re on the hunt for a non-toxic laundry powder, you definitely can’t go wrong with this one.

Bonus: They also have liquid detergent if that’s more your speed!

4. Thieves Laundry Soap

4.6/5 | 612 reviews

$48 at amazonshop Thieves

Thieves laundry soap by Young Living is a cult favourite amongst the natural, non-toxic community. And for good reason!

Their laundry soap is non-toxic, free of SLS, dyes, petrochemicals, formaldehyde, phosphates, synthetic perfumes, chlorine and optical brighteners (all of those scary chemicals I mentioned above!).

They are 100% transparent with their ingredient list, disclosing all their plant-based cleansers on their website and the product itself.

Thieves is an excellent option for those who want a powerful, non-toxic laundry detergent that works in cold water. This soap will meet all your laundry needs if you’ve got kiddos!

It’s also the most expensive option on this list. One bottle lasts only 64 loads.

5. Meliora Laundry Powder

4.7/5 | 710 reviews

$25 at amazonshop meliora

Meliora is a non-toxic laundry powder. They are 100% transparent with the ingredient list on their website, disclosing every ingredient that goes into the formula.

Their detergent is also fragrance-free, offering options naturally scented with organic certified essential oils (also disclosed online). Plus, their products come in 100% eco-friendly, plastic-free packaging!

They are MADE SAFE certified, meaning their laundry products meet strict human and environmental safety standards.

This powder cleans well! One can lasts up to 128 loads.

If you’re looking for a non-toxic, plastic-free laundry powder, this is an excellent option for you!

6. Truly Free Laundry Wash

4.6/5 | 5005 reviews

$19 on amazonshop truly free

Truly Free is a newer, non-toxic laundry detergent brand. Their laundry detergent is 100% toxin-free and uses a powerful plant-based ‘quadra-salt’ technology for cleansing, stain and odour removal.

I was shocked at how much I loved Truly Free! I love that their formula is toxin-free, affordable and offers BOTH essential oil and unscented options. It comes in little refill pouches which helps significantly reduce plastic waste with each order.

If you want a low-tox laundry detergent that actually leaves your clothes smelling great, this is it! It cleans really well, I’ve never had an issue with getting stains out and it’s pretty affordable.

They have a whole non-toxic laundry set including essential oil-scented laundry detergent, unscented laundry detergent, enzyme stain remover, and even reusable dryer angels.

7. REVIVE EO.

4.9/5 | 1512 reviews

shop revive

REVIVE Essential Oils is a natural laundry detergent made from a plant-based formula free of synthetic fragrances, phosphates, phthalates, parabens, and dyes.

This laundry detergent is almost exactly like Thieves by YL, right down to the essential oil scent – for a fraction of the price! Basically the best dupe – smells the same, cleans the same.

It cleans very well and has a gentle “Immunity Boost” essential oil scent (the equivalent of Thieves signature blend). If you’re looking for a non-toxic laundry detergent that smells good – this is it! And it’s not synthetic fragrance, just essential oils.

If you’re just switching over to non-toxic laundry detergent this is a really good option for you. It is just like a commercial detergent, but it is just a cleaner, toxin-free alternative. It smells great, tackles stains and odours like a champ, and it’s affordable.

Only con? They don’t offer an unscented option.

8. Dirty Labs Enzyme Liquid Laundry Detergent

4.7/5 | 1313 reviews

$18 at amazonshop dirty labs

Dirty Labs’ liquid laundry detergent is EWG verified and formulated only with natural ingredients.

Their bio-laundry detergent uses an ultra-concentrated enzyme technology that deep cleans and removes odours without the use of harsh chemicals.

They have three scent options: two essential oils blends (that are synthetic fragrance-free!) and an unscented version for those with sensitive skin or who want prefer no scent.

This is a good low-tox option, but personally wouldn’t be my first choice as their formula includes propanediol and PEG.

9. Aspen Clean Laundry Pods

4.9/5 | 158 reviews

$32 at amazonshop aspen clean

Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent Brands To Skip & Why

With more and more people switching from conventional to non-toxic laundry detergents, many companies are ‘greenwashing’ their detergents.

You might have noticed that many laundry detergents now include buzzwords like ‘99.9% natural’ or ‘nature’, ‘eco’ or ‘plant-powered’.

Please be aware of these marketing tricks! Many of these ‘eco’ brands still include harmful ingredients in their formulas.

So, if you’re looking for an honest, non-toxic laundry detergent that cleans well, I would skip the brands listed below.

Some of the most chemical-laden laundry detergent brands include:

• Tide
• Gain
• Sunlight
• Purex
• Persil
• Mrs. Meyers
• Arm & Hammer
• Woolite
• Dreft Baby

Other Brands That Are Better But Not 100% Toxin-Free…

Mrs. Meyers

I often see this brand being presented as ‘clean.’ I also used these products before I found out they they weren’t completely ‘toxin-free’ as I thought!

Their laundry detergent contains laureth-7, an ethoxylated substance that can be contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane (a carcinogen).

It also contains methylisothiazolinone, benzisothiazolinone, and alcohol ethoxylates, all of which pose a risk of endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental toxicity, and damage to DNA. Their formulas are most known for their scents – which come from synthetic fragrances.

Method

Many people think this brand is non-toxic, but I’m sorry to say it’s not.

Their laundry detergent formula contains a slew of harmful ingredients such as fatty acid methyl esther sulfonates/ethoxylates, PEG 300 monooctyl ether, fragrance, polyacrylates, disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulphonate, alcohol ethoxylates, propanediol and more.

These toxic ingredients have health concerns of endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive effects, damage to DNA, allergy and sensitivity reactions, cancer, and so many more. This one is a no on my list. (source)

Seventh Generation

Although this isn’t the worst option and is still better than most conventional laundry detergents, it contains a few ingredients of which I’m not the biggest fan.

Their laundry detergent formula contains laureth-6, which could contain traces of 1,4-dioxane (a carcinogen). It also has sodium lauryl sulfate, which can irritate the eyes, skin, and lungs.

It also may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. Methylisothiazolinone and benzisothiazolinone, which are both high-contact allergens and can be neurotoxic, are also included. (source)

Attitude

According to EWG, the new laundry detergent formula from Attitude is EWG Verified, meaning that it has passed their strict health and transparency standards.

There are still better options, as mentioned in the list above because it still contains some ingredients that I would personally steer clear of.

Ingredients such as ethyl linalool, hedione, and green tea leaf extract may cause allergy and skin irritation in people prone to sensitivities and allergies. Additionally, benzyl acetate, dimethylheptenal, phenethyl alcohol and others pose health risks of respiratory problems and developmental, reproductive and endocrine effects. (source)

Earth Breeze

These dissolvable laundry sheets are slightly better than conventional detergents but definitely still contain some ingredients I choose to avoid such as polyethylene glycol, primary alcohol ethoxylates, sodium lauryl sulfate, and fragrance, which, as mentioned above, can cause irritation, allergies, respiratory issues, systemic organ effects and cancer (source).

I was disappointed to see that they were not transparent with their ingredients. They are not listed on the product, but you can find them on their website.

I tested two packs at home and found they didn’t truly wash my clothes. I thought it may have been a fluke the first couple of loads, so I tried out two full packs all with the same result. My clothes didn’t smell or feel clean and it wasn’t very effective at removing stains either.

ECOS

ECOS is a popular brand and a better, “low-tox” option. The brand bans over 500+ harmful ingredients from their formula, making it a pretty good in comparison to conventional brands.

However, their formulas include a few ingredients that could be better such as methylisothiazolinone and cocamidopropyl betaine.

Sonett

Sonett is a ‘better’ option than most

Blueland

This is a popular brand a keep seeing pop-up on socials. Although it’s advertised as a ‘clean’ brand, I didn’t include their laundry detergent pods on this list because their formulas list Fragrance as an ingredient but do not disclose whether it is synthetically derived. So, we can’t be sure what their fragrance is made from.

A better option than most conventional detergents, but doesn’t meet our strict non-toxic criteria for this list.

Brooklinen

I saw this laundry detergent come up many times in a thread about non-toxic detergents, and genuinely I have no idea how.

Yes, their formula is generally less ‘bad’ than conventional options but it still contains sodium lauryl sulfate, methylisothiazolinone, and undisclosed fragrance. It’s a no from me.

What Is The Safest Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent?

There is no one safest laundry detergent out there, but the list above gives you five great non-toxic laundry detergent options that are safe, natural and effective in cleaning your laundry.

To make sure your laundry detergent is safe, you can use the list of toxic ingredients to look out for as a guide when scanning ingredients to look out for.

EWG is also an excellent resource for looking at the ingredients of any laundry detergents you may be considering.

All You need to do is search for the product, and it’ll show you a general health and safety rating and a list of potentially harmful ingredients.

The safest laundry detergent is made from natural ingredients and free of harmful chemicals and fragrances.

explore more non-toxic laundry articles:

• 21 Simple Ways To Make Your Home Non Toxic For Your Health
• How to Get Fragrance Out of Clothes
• Top 4 Non-Toxic Dryer Sheets
• Toxic Ingredients To Avoid In Laundry Detergent

What’s your favourite non-toxic laundry detergent? Do you use one that isn’t on this post?