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1. Mama Suds 2. Christina Maser 3. Kind 4. Eco-Me 5. Tandi’s Naturals 6. Sonett 7. Meliora
Updated: May 2022
This post contains only my honest assessment of the laundry detergent brands we’ve reviewed. We sometimes receive complimentary products to sample or a commission if you click an affiliate link. Thanks for supporting the brands we love!
While I was never was a big fan of cologne, in my twenties I remember finding men who emitted the scent of Tide to be irresistible.
For the last decade or so, Daylon’s clothes have smelled like Tandi’s Naturals laundry soap—which is to say they smell like essentially nothing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The smell of Tide gives me a headache.
Read on to learn more about why I made the switch the natural laundry detergents, what to look out for in conventional laundry products, and how to avoid the Sneaky Stuff.
My Top Pick for the Best Natural Laundry Soap
I thought I would never fall in love with a powder laundry soap, until I met Tandi’s. Try it; you’ll see. It has absolutely nothing concerning in the ingredients, and is the most eco-friendly powdered laundry soap, by far.
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$19.99 – $28.99 — or subscribe and save up to 15%Quick View
Toxins in Laundry Detergent
All laundry detergents leave a residue on clothing, which is absorbed by our skin (and inhaled). The ill effects of some of the chemicals in detergents range from skin or eye irritation to possibly much more serious, such as endocrine disruption (some ingredients are even considered potential carcinogens, but I’m not going to suggest that if you don’t give up your Tide you’ll get cancer).
What Are the Ingredients in Tide?
Because of “trade secrets,” manufacturers are not required to disclose what’s in their laundry detergent, so the ingredient list is usually vague and not very helpful. Conventional laundry detergent generally contain the following:
- synthetic detergents, which are often made of petrochemicals.
- phenols (established endocrine disruptors, of which BPA is the most notorious).
- fragrance, which usually contains phthalates.
- optical brighteners, which are often made from benzene, a definite carcinogen.
- bleach, which contains chlorine (an environmental toxin–and possibly a carcinogen and endocrine disruptor).
- phosphates, which break down minerals and render detergent more effective, but with harmful environmental ramifications .
Do You Need a Special Detergent for Baby Clothes?
When I was pregnant and setting up a nursery that would never be used (Felix slept with us), everyone told me to wash all of his clothes in Dreft. After a bit of research I decided against it (see below, under “The Bad Stuff”).
I’m sure there are people who separate baby linens from other household laundry–but if you’re using a nontoxic detergent there is no reason you cannot use it to wash all of the family’s clothing, including your baby’s!
More importantly, if my laundry detergent is an irritant for my babies’ skin (or worse), I don’t want to use it on my clothes! My own health aside, when my boys were infants I spent about 30 percent of my day snuggling their little naked bodies to my clothed one, so I was determined to find a safe, natural laundry detergent.
Best Natural Laundry Soap for Cloth Diapers
If you’re a cloth-diapering mama, then you need to know about Mama Suds.
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$20.00 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Quick View
If you’re enjoying this guide, to be alerted when we publish or update our Safe Product Guides.
Who Uses Powder Detergent?
I used to think no one did, but then I tried it and it turns out it works just as well as liquid. The only one I use now is Tandi’s natural laundry soap, since almost every “natural” laundry detergent brand is not natural at all.
Tandi’s contains nothing concerning and works so much better than the Sneaky Stuff we used to use (I remember washing Felix’s bibs in Seventh Generation detergent and then pulling them out of the dryer and seeing food still stuck on the fronts).
I didn’t think I could fall in love with a beef tallow-based powder detergent, but we can all surprise ourselves, right?
Read on for the 23 other laundry detergents that meet our strict criteria for safety, plus other brands that are just okay and a bunch we’d rather see you avoid.
The Good Stuff
Attitude Laundry Detergent
This laundry liquid’s formula changed since we last updated this guide, and is now safer. The surfactants used have been changed to sodium coco sulfate and lauryl glucoside, both of which are of low concern. If you’ve tried it, let me know how this one works!
Price per ounce: $0.30
Aspen Clean
This EWG-verified laundry detergent is safe in both liquid and powder formulas. Aspen uses decyl glucoside as its primary cleaning agent, and contains only essential oils for fragrance.
Price per ounce: $0.44
Price per pod: $0.37
Blueland Laundry Tablets
I haven’t tried them, but Blueland’s “naked” laundry tablets are unique because, unlike laundry pods, they contain no polyvinyl alcohol. Blueland’s refills are packaged in compostable paper pouches, and the ingredients are clean.
Price per ounce: from $0.28 to $0.35
Branch Basics Laundry
I love Branch Basics planet-friendly cleaning system, and their Laundry Detergent contains only the surfactants we’ve deemed safe (decyl glucoside and coco-glucoside.
Price per ounce: $0.27
Christina Maser Vegan Concentrated Laundry Soap
This is a natural laundry soap rather than a detergent, and a perfect alternative to Tandi’s for those of you who want a vegan option for your laundry. Start with a glass jar, and then refill with eco-friendly bags.
Price per ounce: $0.78
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Christina Maser Vegan Concentrated Laundry Soap$22.00 – $29.00 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Quick View
Dropps Sensitive Skin & Baby Detergent
This is a good eco-friendly laundry detergent option, without dyes, phosphates, phthalates, and optical brighteners. New customers can use code Gimme25 for 25% off and existing customers can use Gimme15 for 15% off.
Eco-Me Laundry Detergent
This is my favorite liquid natural laundry detergent–it’s got a safe ingredients list, works well, and smells nice.
Price per ounce: $0.40
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Eco-Me Laundry Detergent$12.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Quick View
Esembly Baby Laundry Detergent
This is the best brand for cloth-diapering moms, and also works really well on workout clothes. It’s also made in the USA, and has an almost impossibly short list of clean ingredients.
Discount code: GOODSTUFF*10* for 10% off.
Price per ounce: $0.39
Fit Organic Laundry Detergent
You guys have been asking about this one for years, and I am pleased to say that–after reviewing the ingredients in Fit’s various lines of natural laundry detergents–it is definitely Good Stuff! The surfactant is saponified coconut oil, and Fit laundry detergent doesn’t contain any of the usual gross preservatives. EWG score: A
Price per ounce: $0.16
Grab Green Laundry Detergent
If you love a detergent pod, this one does the job. GrabGreen contains a few mildly concerning ingredients (such as sodium metasilicate, which may have respiratory effects), but only in small concentrations. EWG score: B
PLEASE NOTE: Grab Green recently switched to synthetic fragrance (phthalate-free), so we only recommend the unscented natural laundry detergent. And their dish soap and hand soap should be avoided as they both contain SLES.
Price per ounce: $0.33
GreenShield Laundry Detergent
The main cleaning agent here is saponified organic coconut oil. The unscented variety is great for even those with the most sensitive skin (like babies). EWG score: A
Price per ounce: $0.25
healthybaby Laundry Detergent Concentrate
This new laundry concentrate is 100% plant and mineral-based, and is safe for a baby and was designed to be neurologically-safe and microbiome-friendly. I also really like how easy healthybaby laundry detergent is to use–you can pump it directly into your washing machine without any spillage (it’s easy for my kids to do their own laundry with this one!).
Price per ounce: $1.76 (but you need very little–this lasts forever!)
Hello Bello Organic Laundry Detergent
Hello Bello is among my favorite of the celebrity-run clean products brands. Their laundry detergent has a legitimately safe list of ingredients, although I haven’t tried it so cannot speak to how it performs.
Price per ounce: $0.22
Kind Laundry Detergent Sheets
We switched to Kind Laundry sheets a few months ago, and I don’t know that we will ever go back to liquid or powder! With a simple, safe ingredients list, Kind is a completely plastic-free laundry detergent alternative.
Price per sheet: $0.36
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Kind Laundry Detergent Sheets$19.95 — or subscribe and save up to 10%Quick View
Meliora Laundry Powder
Coming in as the most affordable per ounce, Meliora is also a great natural laundry detergent option for those who want to clean their clothes with less of an environmental impact. All scents are free of synthetic fragrances, dyes, and brighteners, and the entire system is 100% plastic-free.
Price per ounce: $0.14
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Meliora Natural Laundry Powder$17.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Quick View
MamaSuds Liquid Laundry
MamaSuds is a deep cleaning, all natural laundry soap that is safe for cloth diapers. This is NOT a detergent, and therefore you will not need a fabric softener when using it. MamaSuds household cleaning products are simple, nontoxic, and eco-friendly. They are also incredibly effective and completely free of the Bad Stuff.
Note: This soap contains borax.
Price per ounce: $0.28
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MamaSuds Natural Liquid Laundry Soap$20.00 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Quick View
Molly’s Suds
Molly’s Suds line of laundry products are safe, and even include some organic ingredients, such as peppermint oil.
Price per ounce: $0.28
Pur Laundry Detergent
I love this Black-owned brand of cleaner cleaning supplies. Due to supply chain issues they do not currently have this cool cardboard jug, but I hope it’ll be coming back soon!
Price per ounce: $0.23
Sonett Laundry Liquid
This is my favorite natural laundry detergent. It’s made in Germany, smells delish (although it’s also available in an unscented Neutral), and gets our clothes super clean. Of course, it contains none of the questionable ingredients listed above.
Price per ounce: $0.44
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Sonett Natural Laundry Liquid$24.99 — or subscribe and save up to 10%Quick View
Tandi’s Naturals
Tandi’s concentrated laundry soap is suitable for regular and HE washers. Tandi uses tallow as the basis for this soap, which she blends with natural cleaners like baking soda, plus essential oils for a delicate scent. This soap does not contain borax or SLS/SLES, and is a very effective option.
Price per ounce: from $0.35 – $0.52
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Tandi’s Naturals Concentrated Laundry Soap$19.99 – $28.99 — or subscribe and save up to 15%Quick View
Whoa Nelli Laundry Soap
We haven’t tried Whoa Nelli, and therefore cannot speak to how it performs, but we are big fans of its short list of clean ingredients. Whoa Nelli’s line of powders contain just baking soda, washing soda, old fashioned coconut soap, and some essential oils.
Price per ounce: $0.22
Zum Clean Laundry Soap
Almost all of Zum’s formulas are safe, with three primary ingredients: vegetable glycerin, saponified coconut oil, and baking soda. Avoid the Frankincense & Myrrh formula as it contains synthetic fragrance (although it is free of phthalates). EWG score: B-C, depending on formula
Price per ounce: $0.33
The Okay Stuff
Nellie’s Laundry Soda
We’ve moved Nelly from Sneaky to Okay Stuff, since they removed a few of their most concerning ingredients, and now garner an A from the EWG. We still don’t love alcohol ethoxylates and sodium metasilicate so we can’t quite call this Good Stuff.
Price per ounce: $0.26
Common Good Laundry Detergent
I love when I can move brands out of the Sneaky Stuff category! Common Good got rid of almost all of their problematic ingredients–really all that is left is sodium benzoate, and I’m not so worried about that in this case. Extra points for a the option of a refillable glass bottle!
Price per ounce: $0.56
Planet Laundry Detergent
Planet’s laundry detergent is an okay choice if you can’t find any of the Good Stuff, but I’m not crazy about the fact that it contains laureth-7, which contains a bunch of contamination concerns.
Price per ounce: $0.27
The Bad Stuff
Most big name and generic laundry detergents have the same bad stuff in them; if a bottle doesn’t list its specific ingredients on the label, I wouldn’t use it.
Dreft, as we all know,is marketed as being special for babies and recommended by many pediatricians. Amazingly, nowhere on Dreft.com are ingredients mentioned. The closest they come is under their FAQ:
Q: How is Dreft formulated for my baby’s laundry needs?
A: The Dreft® formula is designed to not only help fight tough baby and toddler stains, but also provide a gentle clean for baby.
With a bit more sleuthing, I was at last able to dig up a list of Dreft ingredients. Fragrance, propylene glycol,ethanolamine, ethanol, sodium hydroxide, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol 4000 (which Skin Deep scores as 5-8), and about a dozen other ingredients make up the “gentle” clean of Dreft. EWG score: D-F, depending on formula.
Tide has a section of its website devoted to product ingredients, and a quick scan reveals that it’s made up of lots of stuff that the EWG’s Skin Deep Database scores as moderately to highly hazardous—such as benzisothiazolinone, fragrance, FD&C Yellow 3, and laureth-9. EWG score: D-F, depending on formula.
The Sneaky Stuff
BabyGanics Loads of Love Laundry Detergent. Contains SLES and undisclosed conditioning agents. I like that they are relatively transparent about all of their ingredients, and while nothing sounds particularly horrid, when I asked for more details on what was meant by “naturally derived plant based cleaning agents,” they admitted: “Our products do not contain SLS however some our products do have SLES in them.” Yuck! I’ve often made my peace with SLS, but definitely not with its more sinister cousin, which is sometimes contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a well-established carcinogen. EWG Score: F.
Better Life has been moved to Sneaky Stuff because of the addition of two problematic preservatives — methylisothiazolinone and benzisothiazolinone.
BioKleen uses cocamidopropyl betaine as a surfactant, so I cannot call this Okay Stuff.
Caldrea Laundry Detergent. Also contains neurotoxic methylisothiazolinone and sodium laureth sulfate. EWG score: F.
Charlie’s Soap is the perennial favorite on tons of natural living blogs, and having used their powder formula, I can attest to its effectiveness. Like other producers, Charlie’s is unwilling to provide their exact ingredients, and would only say this when I probed them further: “Our formulas are what make us special. They have been fully tested for toxicity (Duke University) and biodegradability (Japan Food Research Labs) and effectiveness (SGS US Testing Labs). They are unique and (following the practices of Coca-Cola) secret. Their formula is secret too, but that doesn’t keep folks from drinking it.” Hmmm, comparing themselves to Coke probably isn’t Charlie’s savviest PR move—The Coca-Cola Company is not exactly exemplary when it comes to concern for the health of its consumers. While Charlie’s denies using SLS or SLES, one of the ingredients they disclosed is sodium metasilicate–which Skin Deeps considers moderately hazardous and which the Journal of Reproduction and Fertility found to show reproductive effects in animals at low doses. EWG Score: D
Citra-Suds has also been moved from Good Stuff to Sneaky Stuff. One of my readers suspected that their laundry detergent contains sodium laureth sulfate and I followed up to discover that it does. When doing the initial review, I had an email exchange with a company representative and I asked twice if their laundry detergent contained SLES. I was told that it did not. I suspect that the woman I talked to was just uniformed, but this is no excuse. In addition, some Citra products (laundry and otherwise) contain limonene, a potential carcinogen and definite respiratory irritant. I was told they used orange oil for fragrance, which is a misleading answer as orange oil is technically a different (and harmless) ingredient. It also contains neurotoxic methylisothiazolinon. EWG Score: C.
Dapple’s various laundry detergents contain tetrasodium iminodisuccinate (which gets a C from EWG), cocamidopropyl betaine (which also gets a C), and benzisothiazolinone, which is a concerning preservative.
Earth Friendly ECOS laundry detergents contain bad surfactants (like cocamidopropyl betaine) and preservatives (neurotoxic methylisothiazolinone).
Melaleuca Mela Power Laundry is going to remain here in Sneaky Stuff until this brand gets back to me with a list of any of the ingredients found in it.
Ecover gets an A from EWG, but because it contains sodium laureth sulfate, which is known to be contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane, I consider it to be Sneaky Stuff.
Method laundry products contain a number of concerning ingredients, from synthetic fragrance to PEG chemicals.
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Laundry Detergent. Contains synthetic fragrance (though phthalate-free), and preservatives such as methylisothiazolinone, a suspected neurotoxin. EWG Score: F.
Ology Laundry Liquid contains a bunch of ingredients that give me pause, from laureth-7 to cocamidopropyl betaine. I don’t know why EWG gives this laundry detergent an A, but I strongly disagree with this assessment.
Puracy laundry detergent contains borax, which doesn’t worry me, but which I know many of my readers would prefer to avoid. Worse, it uses cocamidopropyl betaine as a surfactant.
Sapadilla Lovely Liquid Laundry Liquid contains cocamidopropyl betaine.
Seventh Generation Liquid Formulas also contains methylisothiazolinone. The powder formulas are okay, but not quite Good Stuff. EWG Score: D.
Trader Joe’s laundry has removed some problematic ingredients (like optical brighteners and synthetic fragrance), but unfortunately they still use cocamidopropyl betaine as their surfactant.
Tide Free & Gentle contains optical brighteners and 1,4-dioxane, a probable carcinogen. (A recent New York Times blog post discussed Tide Free & Gentle specifically.) EWG Score: F.
A Note on Drycleaning
Be wary of organic dry-cleaning establishments. These are almost always sneaky! Learn how to find truly safe professional cleaning services in our recent blog meh “The Truth About Organic Drycleaning.”
366 responses to “Safe, Natural Laundry Detergent Guide”
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It is so frustrating because I have to use non bio laundry detergents – they cannot contain enzymes. I have chronic urticaria and the enzymes in laundry soap is a massive trigger for an outbreak. I have very sensitive skin and also cannot have anything with a fragrance. Not sure why there isn’t at least a few companies that could market non-bio laundry detergent – clearly stating no enzymes!
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Wondering about truly free?
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Hi! Do you have any thoughts on the laundry detergent made by Rebel Green? Is it the good stuff? Thank you!
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Hello–I’m wondering if you’ve reviewed the laundry detergent by Grove Co.?
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we have not, but will add top tehj list for an update!
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Hi! I noticed that my green fill…now called Truly Free…isn’t on your list at all. I could have sworn I started using after reading an older version of the laundry detergent guide. Did something change? Is it still good stuff?
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We use Attitude for cloth diapering. It is the only natural detergent that we’ve found that gets the job done. The others cause a buildup to happen over time that makes a very distinct stinky smell in the diaper, which caused us to have to strip them. Based on Fluff Love University this is the only one they recommend that I would actually use for something that’s next to my baby’s skin.
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Thank you for this very helpful post. Any thoughts on The Ecology Works’ Anti Allergen Solution Laundry Detergent? It claims to be hypoallergenic and does not contain perfumes, dyes, or enzyme. Thank you
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Hi Ana-
they don’t seem to disclose their ingredients on their website, so I cannot evaluate. Thanks.
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Hi Maia,
Thanks for your response! I have since reached out to the company by phone and email (they didn’t respond the first time I reached out), and have received a copy of their Safety Data Sheet.
Water 70%
SLES 22%
Sodium Bicarbonate <Less than <1%
Proprietary Surfactant <Less than <1%
Proprietary Oxidant <Less than <1%Unfortunately, they do contain SLES. 22% seems high to me.
As far as the other proprietary ingredients, they said: "We keep a section of our ingredients as a trade secret for the surfactant complex but it is based on coconuts."
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What about tru earth laundry sheets?
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This brand contains cocamidopropyl betaine and synthetic fragrance, so doesn’t make our Good Stuff list.
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Better Life laundry detergent has changed their ingredients to include two toxic synthetic preservatives. Why is it still on the good stuff list?
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Does anyone have any comments on MollySuds Unscented Delicate Wash? They have various powder detergents but I find that I sneeze terribly when trying to use the powder form. So we opted for the delicate wash.
What about Hello Bello unscented detergent? or HappyNest Concentrated Detergent?
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Better Life has changed their formula(2021). It now includes methylisothiazolinone and benzisothiazolinone.
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Hi there-
You’ll see in our latest Guide update that it has been moved to sneaky stuff because of those preservatives.
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What about Method laundry detergent? Is that good to use?
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No! I wouldn’t use any method or Ms Meyers products.
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Hello, which of your recommended detergents will work best for hard water, and cold washes?
Thanks!
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I’d give Tandi’s a try.
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What about the Biokleen powder detergent? Is it sneaky stuff too?
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Just learned that Sonnett is sneaky and contains SLS
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Yes, here is what we wrote about it. https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/whats-wrong-with-sodium-laurylsodium-laureth-sulfate/
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Seriously? Is this still true?! Why can’t this be easier???
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What about fading? Which soaps are gentle on clothes.? My baby’s 22. I’m no longer washing diapers. I want my work clothes to look bright – not faded. Thanks
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We have been using Attitude for some time now for our baby and for us. It works great. Tough on spots and clothes look bright and clean. Also Planet detergent is not bad either but still prefer Attitude. Hope it helps)))
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My problem with “healthy and natural living”, in principle a good thing, is that it is often, if not always, synonymous of bad science. For example, it is a disservice to give people the impression that natural means safe, and synthetic means potentially toxic. There are too many statements in your blog as to “natural and safe”. If you really want to contribute to consumer education, you should dispel this wrong idea. In fact, often natural is more dangerous than synthetic, because natural products are not always tested toxicologically, whereas synthetic ones do, and the bad ones are weeded out or controlled. For example, your favorite detergent contains litsea cubeba, which has oils rich in citral; you know this is a chemical, a strong allergen, and 100% natural, as you say in another section of your blog. There is also misleading information on dioxane, which is contained in Tide at levels that are absolutely no concern. The dose makes the poison. Carcinogen is a misleading word: at what level? Do the math and figure out how silly this concern is. You state that residual detergents can be absorbed through the skin. Can you support these statements with data? Ionic detergents are not absorbed. It takes a lot of mental gymnastics to label decyl glucoside, the typical non-ionic detergent contained in many of these products, “natural”: it is made of two components joined together by a chemical reaction, and therefore it is not natural. We live in a chemical world. As a chemist, I know some chemicals, synthetic or natural, are bad for you, and some are good, and good can be bad at a higher dose. Unfortunately, the most toxic chemicals on the planet are all natural, and I am sure you know why. Amazing that the majority of the people do not understand this simple fact, and waste their money on products containing “rhythmatised water”!
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I agree with Vic’s comments. I have just stumbled across this site and as a chemist I find the degree of misinformation on here appalling.
I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for years QC testing most of the raw materials in these products. Even the so called “good stuff” contains small amounts of heavy metals(arsenic, lead) residual solvents and potential allergens in essential oil components.
The limits set for these impurities and residues are very strict and are such small amounts. (usually less than a few parts per million) there is very little cause for concern.
This is what happens when you have people with no understanding of toxicology or chemistry blogging whatever they have read on some other fools website.
Blind leading the blind-
Then I’d like to know which detergent you suggest JP…
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An understandable position. I imagine most of us here do not have a chemistry degree (I sure as heck don’t) and are filtering through all the “truth” on the interweb attempting to make safer choices for our families.
In your opinion how does a site like EWG stack up?
Are there other resources for those of us bereft in this area?
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I just recently bought My Green Fills because I love the concept of no more plastic jugs. However, it is SUPER fragrant both in the bottle (I can smell it the minute I enter the basement) and on the clothes. The ingredient list looks pure and I can totally just go for the unscented packet next time but it makes me worried that something is in there that shouldn’t be. Is it possible that their essential oils are synthetic and/or that there are unlisted ingredients, or did they confirm the purity of their oils/do they have to list all ingredients? Thanks so much!
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Hi! Opinion on Tru Earth strips? I love all the new strips, but there’s lots of “different” ones.
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Hi,
Can you update this page to include honest detergent, Woolite, and the laundress.
Thanks
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What are your thoughts on Branch Basics?
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Hi,
Do you have any opinion on the “soap nuts” or also called “soap berries”?
Thanks
Jin
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Hi,
What do you think about the doterra laundry detergent? Also, branch basics.Thank you,
Trisha -
Hi! I was wondering if you’ve researched any of the brands that are producing the trendy new laundry detergent strips? The strips claim to be more eco-friendly alternatives to the usual laundry detergents packaged in plastic jugs. The two brands I found that seem to be good ones without toxic chemicals are Sheets Laundry Club, Tru Earth and Well Earth Goods.
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Hi Megan,
That sounds great and we will look into those. We have not yet.
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Hi, my 1 year old daughter has eczema. I just wanted to find out if KODOMO baby laundry detergent is safe?
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How safe is the Rockin Green brand? I love their hard rock detergent.
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I have been using Tandi’s natural and my clothes just don’t smell clean. No I am not looking for tide smell. I just don’t want them to smell like workout clothes or other yucky laundry smells. Any suggestions on what to try that would help get out those smells. Busy mom who doesn’t have time to separate all the smelly laundry from the not and do extra loads!
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Hello! Which detergent do you think is the most natural and the best for protecting the dark colors from fading? I am using Woolite dark right now for dark clothes but I am sure Woolite is not safe LOL
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I’d like your thoughts on Norwex detergent as well! Thank You!
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What about Norwex? Just received some as a sample and it works pretty well!
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What about Kirkland free and clear? Good stuff or sneaky stuff? Thank you!!
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I believe they changed the formula a few years ago. Before that, I bought the free and clear and all was o.k. But then after a long time using it, I opened a new container of the Kirkland free and clear and it reeked of fragrance. I got very sick and had to run out of the laundry room. I do not trust it at all, personally, based on my experience. I cannot comment on the safety of its ingredients. I have MCS, and this product is a no-no for me. I use Better Life. I love it. I’ve had no problem with it fading clothes as was mentioned in this article.
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Hi! so I got the My Green Fill after using Better Life for years. I haven’t had something that smelled so potent and is natural in years!! I have asthma and so chemicals reek havoc on my lungs. In saying that, it smells so much like the “bad stuff” Im nervous of their fragrance. I haven’t had a reaction yet either. I know they say its 100% plant based oils and essential oils…. but this feels too good to be true. I just want to double check that its completely safe. I think I’ve fallen in love, but if I had to get their unscented and add essential oils to it, Im scared I wouldn’t love it as much!! Please assure me that plant based oil is ok for scent!
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Why is cocamidopropyl betaine bad? The biokleen works great esp on cloth diapers. Thanks!
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What about Dropps laundry detergent pacs (baby)? Thanks!
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Has anyone looked at the new Hello Bello line of products? I’m always on the hunt for good AND cheap 🙂
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Mamasuds has an EWG score of “F” ????
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Has anyone tried any of these with hard water/well water ? I’ve used Grab Green and Eco Me but they leave odd stains that I know weren’t on the clothes before putting them into the laundry. I have a whole house water softer but doesn’t seem to do the trick. Any suggestions ?
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Which of these (if any) are okay to use with washing machines that require HE (high efficiency) detergent? Thank you!
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It was nice to see this natural laundry detergent guide. I am looking into finding some biodegradable laundry soap to help me be more respectful to the environment. I think that it would make me feel a lot better!
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Hi Maia, have you heard of dropps?
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Thoughts on EcoMax hypoallergenic laundry detergent?:
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Food Grade Sodium Citrate, Food Grade Potassium Sorbate Preservative, Food Grade Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose, Food Grade Xanthan Gum.
Thanks 🙂 -
Hi, is Molly Suds considered a “soap” or a “detergent”? I’m making the switch to soap products for my home, and some of these “sodium xxx” ingredients are quite confusing. Thanks!
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I see that My Green Fills is on your good list. I’m a bit confused because I was under the impression that two of the ingredients in it are pretty bad. Tetrasodium Salt and Polyacrylic Acid Sodium Salt. The research I’ve found says that Tetrasodium EDTA is made from formaldehyde and sodium cyanide and OSHA deems Polyacrylic Acid Sodium Salt hazardous as well. I would love to hear your insight. We’re about to start our cloth diaper journey. Currently we use Rockin Green and love it, but I’d like to find something to use in case it doesn’t work well with our diapers. I’m so torn because I know Tide works really well, but it’s so toxic and my son gets hives every time we’ve tried it. I don’t even want to risk it with my daughter.
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Hi, What do you think about the product Dropps?
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Can you tell me what is Good Stuff for washing wool? I love buying wool for myself and kids as base layers for the winter. I don’t wash it often (a great thing about wool, it doesn’t get dirty like other fabric), but when I need to wash it what would you recommend? I had been using Euclan, than realized that a lot of the ingredients had bad ratings on EWG. I use Molly’s suds for my regular laundry and have been happy with that.
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Hi! I saw someone else asked about Norwex but there was no response. Have you since researched into that brand?
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Which natural detergent would you recommend for well water? Our water is very hard and is high in iron. Thank you in advance!
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Hi, great post and very helpful information included. Thank you! But I am surprised more innovative green products were not mentioned in this article. Like Dreambly laundry sheets. What I like about dreambly is #1 it works amazing but its everything you need for laundry in just one sheet. I was a bit skeptical at first as I couldn’t believe you can actually do this but sure enough what they claim actually works. Each sheet is 100% organic and biodegradable in just 10 days so its a true eco-friendly product which I am all about. What i do is put two sheets in the wash for the best results and drop a couple drips of my fav organic essential oil (Lavender) and then take same sheet out of wash drip oil on the sheet again and toss in the dryer. Clothes come out so clean and smelling great… it is so simple… plus they offer subscription for discount and automatically ship and the sheets are great for travel too. Here is link to their website to check them out- https://dreambly.com/products/dreambly-wash-dry-sheets-40ct-special?rfsn=1596216.2b8bd4&subid=GTGS
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Love to read this article. Thank you so much for your article. It really gives me information that I am looking for 🙂
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I’m so confused on this! I was going to order some MamaSuds but EWG gives it an F rating and says borax is not safe. Can you give me some insight please!
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EWG does not like Borax. We have the studies and we are ok with Borax in laundry soaps.
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What are your thoughts on Amazon’s brand Presto! laundry detergent?
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Hi Maia,
What are your thoughts on the unscented 2x powder Laundry Detergent made by 365?
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What about Cleancult pods? Any opinions about them?
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I’m confused by your statement regarding Charlie’s. It ranks as a A on EWG? Did they change their ingredients?
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It has a review an A on EWG as of November of 2017, but this is after a formula change. Within this rating, EWG has specifically noted that there is some concern in terms of Asthma/Respiratory issues as well as some concern with cancer.
When Charlie’s was first entered in the EWG data base in 2011, it was given a D rating and historically, Charlie’s soap hasn’t been very transparent with their ingredient list.
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Did you know that ewg rated mamasuds an F due to the sodium borate? I know borax gets mixed reviews but I havent made up my mind on it yet. I need a new soap for everything but I has to work for diapers too. What are your thoughts on branch basics especially after their reformulation?
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Do you know anything about Dropps laundry detergent? I’ve started to see advertising for it. I always buy sensitive-skin products that are fragrance-free, but now I have a baby and I see this company makes a baby-specific product, too.
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I guess every detergents have their own side effects on the skin.
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Hi, I was wondering if Puracy products were good stuff?
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I was wondering about some of these detergents being flammable. If you get cooking oil on your clothes, for example, you are supposed to wash them very thoroughly before drying them because it could catch on fire in the dryer. Could tallow, coconut oil or essential oils in the wash potentially cause a fire hazard for that reason? I want to switch to the best possible detergent (we were using Ecos – disappointed!) but I am also worried about the more immediate danger of fire.
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Thanks for the updated guide. I currently use Canadian brand Bio-vert. It does a really good job cleaning our little one’s clothes. Any thoughts on if this detergent is “good stuff”?
Appreciate it! -
What do you think of the Boulder laundry detergent?
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Hi,
Do you guys know which of the good and ok products are the least expensive per load by any chance? If not, no problem! Thanks for all of your research!
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I always use Better Life and Eco-Me and love them!
I was just wondering about the used clothes I get for my daughter .. they smell strong .. that disgusting Tide fragrance or whatever is used.. I wash them once I get them but often they still have that scent.. is that ok? Or does it still have the same effect on my daughter? -
I was thinking about getting tadi powder detergent but in its ingredient it list lye which is another name for sodium hydroxide right? Isn’t sodium hydroxide one of the ingredients to avoid? Im new to greener and healthier lifestyle and just trying to educate myself!
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Hi Megan,
Lye is actually potassium hydroxide, not sodium hydroxide, but they are very similar and I understand your concern.
Here is why it is not a concern.
Soap is the result of a chemical reaction called saponification that occurs between lye and a molecule called a triglyceride (a fat or oil), where both substances are chemically transformed, creating soap and natural glycerin. Neither of the original ingredients exists anymore. All the lye – either sodium hydroxide for bar soap or potassium hydroxide for liquid soap – is consumed in the reaction.
So the difference is in the language. A product MADE WITH LYE is entirely different from a product CONTAINING LYE.Thanks for your question!
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Hi! Just curious what your thoughts are on Buckaroo laundry detergent?? I have been using this over a year now and I really like it.
https://www.buckaroo-organics.com/laundry/soapberry-suds-organic-laundry-detergent -
Hi,
I have heard that Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder is a good option for washing cloth diapers and clothes in general. What are your thoughts on this product?
Thanks,
Liz-
Sorry, I see now you have responded to this product before. Thanks
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Hi!
I’m wondering if you think grabgreen’s “delicate fragrance free” pods are good stuff (as I know you’ve already recommended the 3in1 fragrance free pods)? Also, I’m wondering what you think of their fragrance free stoneworks dryer sheets?
Thanks!-
Yes, I would consider any of those fine:)
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How is the Biokleen powder detergent?
Ingredients are: Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Sulfate, Laureth 7 (plant based surfactant), Sodium Silicate, Zeolite, Cellulose Gum (plant based chelator), Hydrogen Peroxide, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride.
Wasn’t sure how sodium sulfate was different from SLS or SLES.
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HI, I am having a problem getting my sheets as soft as they should be. I have tried Tandi’s and Mama
suds and I am wanting to try a fabric softener (as much as it makes me cringe), but there must be some “good ones”, no? Thanks-
Have you gotten our cleaning product cheat sheet? You can find it here: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/thankyou/
Dryer sheets are on there.
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What do you think of the Whole Foods brand unscented liquid detergent? The only ingredient on EWG that looks questionable is Acacia Senegal Gum but that is also in Green Shield.
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What about Country Save? Also looking for a cloth diaper solution.
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Hi. I’m not sure if this has been asked yet but what do you think of MyGreenFills laundry products? I can’t seem to find actual ingredients anywhere.
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Hi Maia! I love your website. Period. I’m expecting baby #2 soon and we’d like to try cloth diapering this time. We love the idea of reducing exposure to chemicals found in many disposable brands, and I am all about the eco-friendly nature of cloth diapering. But I’ve come up against one challenge: according to the Fluff Love University website’s Detergent index (http://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/how-to-wash-cloth-diapers/detergent-index/) NONE of the detergents you have on the “good stuff” list are recommended for washing cloth diapers! Is there a brand you recommend for laundering cloth diapers? If not, which of Fluff Love’s “recommended” detergents are the safer/ safest options? Thank you!
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Hello! First of all, thank you for your website. It has been invaluable to me as I try to raise my little one with clean products that are free of chemicals and “bad stuff” – I have found many (many!) of the items my household currently uses on this site. Regarding laundry detergent… I have been using a brand called Good Natured (www.goodnaturedbrand.com) – the ingredients seem simple enough: Plant-based (coconut) soap flakes, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate (some also include essential oils). It does a great job on our clothes. I get a little confused on the coconut based soap, however – it seems some forms are “good” and others are not. Thoughts on this one?
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Hi! Love your site, have used it a lot for our first little one – Savannah now 10 months 🙂 Someone may have asked already but what would you recommend as a safe product to remove stains? We are into solid foods now so avocado, blueberry, strawberry, pasta sauce – you name it and it is on her! Even the reoccurring blow out stains. Some I am able to catch fresh after they happen but most are not until the end of the day. Thank you for your hard work, this site is really fantastic!
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Hi Christina-Have you gotten our cleaning product cheat sheet? You can find it here: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/thankyou/
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How about the Dapple baby products?
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Hi!
Is method free and clear detergent good to use on my baby’s clothes?-
Unfortunately, I consider Method to be Sneaky Stuff. 🙁
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How does Tandi’s handle adult stinky workout clothes?
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Karli,
I am the founder of PURE Natural Laundry Detergent. Completely natural and we list our ingredients on the bottle. Made Safe certified! PURE is awesome at REMOVING odor naturally and not covering or masking it!-
available from our website or Amazon….
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Now available right here on Gimme the Good Stuff:)
https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/pure-natural-laundry-detergent-2-bottles-per-order/
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Have you looked into Norwex laundry detergent? Thanks!
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Hello,
Have you looked at the ingredients in the young living thieves laundry detergent?-
Not yet, but it’s on our list:).
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what is the definition of organic detergents? i dont know how to find it in the google. Please give me a sites.
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Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for your quick reply! Glad to here that both products are safe! I can’t wait for my grandson to be born and feel so lucky that my daughter and son in-law live with me! My husband and I started our family early, and have been ready to be grandparents for a long time. We are buying the nursery furniture and are having a hard time deciding on a crib to buy. I’ve done a lot of research online and still can’t decide what crib is best! Do you have any recommendations? Also, if you could only afford to change a few things at first, what would be the first few steps you’d take to improve the health of your family?
Thank you.
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Hi,
I’m gonna be Grandmother for the first time and am a Breast Cancer survivor and am looking to get rid of the toxins in my home. I am very overwhelmed with all this, as so much of what I use/used is bad for you! And most of the good stuff and organic products are so expensive!
I saw Sonett Laundry detergent on Amazon too and it’s described as having “Sonett Modular System with Sonett Softener and Sonett Bleach Complex.” What is that all and is it safe or the Good Stuff?
Thank you
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I am a Grandmother too! Sonett is definitely Good Stuff. We are now selling it again too.
Good for you Grandma for getting toxins out of your home. Don’t be overwhelmed, just take one step at a time and you will do a lot to improve your health and the health of your children and grandchildren. Suzanne/Nana
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Hi,
I read on Tandi’s naturals website that it contains “oxygen bleach” what is that and is it safe?
Thank you
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Oxygen Bleach is very different from chlorine bleach which is not safe.With Oxygen Bleach you will get rid of stains and dirt without exposing yourself and your family to toxic chemicals. Powdered oxygen bleach is made from natural soda ash or borax and hydrogen peroxide. Oxygen bleach works by releasing its oxygen once it is exposed to water. This leaves only borax or natural soda ash as the by products, both of which are non-toxic to humans, animals and plants making them ideal for the person trying to live an eco-friendly lifestyle
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well Sonett have a beautiful scents or flower or lemon, also I tried one without scents and the clothes had a good fragance
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Hi! I love the idea of all natural laundry detergent but I miss that fresh scent. Everything I’ve tried either has no scent at all, or worse, doesn’t take some of the dirty scents out of our clothes! Any recommendations for something all natural with a little fragrance? I’ve tried adding some lavender essential oil but haven’t noticed a difference…
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Hi Elane!
It’s true that nontoxic detergents typically don’t have strong scents that are imparted on laundry. I’d say the best I’ve found is the Tandi’s–citrus or lavender. https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/tandis-naturals-concentrated-laundry-soap/
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I am so happy Sonett soap return to business in USA , with office in NY and Miami
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Hello, I find your website very interesting. Thank you for your research first off. What are your thoughts on Clorox 2 Stain Remover and Color Booster Liquid Detergent? What are your thoughts on Dove Detergents? I’m looking for a detergent that is fragrance free, non-chlorine, sulfate free and free from all other toxins and chemicals, which detergent would you recommend? Because I have asthma and allergies.
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New mommy here and blog flower 🙂
What are your thoughts ingredient-wise on the eco max detergent? -
Is powder detergent as safe as liquid- since there is a chance you can inhale some of it?
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I found Sonett in Amazon. Do you still recommend this product? My son has eczema so I would like to change laundry detergent for his clothes.
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Yup! I still think this is Good Stuff:).
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Hi Maia, I have a six month old baby and have been using Dreft. I came across your website and found it is a bad stuff. =(
I want to use a good detergent for him and I was wondering if you already checked the ingredients in Greenshield organic baby laundry detergent (free & clear)/Greenshield laundry detergent (free & clear)? I will appreciate your thoughts. Thank you!-
Yes, GreenShield was good last time I checked:).
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What is your thoughts about Attitude Little Ones Laundry Detergent?
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Okay Stuff:).
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Hello,
Any thoughts on any Attitude detergent products?
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What is your thought about Puracy Natural Laundry Detergent?
Thanks
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Hi Maia,
I could have sworn that at one point a year or so ago you said you recommended Biokleen. And now I don’t seen anything about it on your site. Is it still good stuff? Or has it become sneaky stuff now that it’s more readily available in the U.S.?…
Thanks!
Kelly -
I was looking for an answer to Kayla as I need a soap for friends and family to use that will not make me ill. I have multiple chemical sensitivity… and react to a lot of things on the safe list. I have found my own best personal answer in bonners baby soap unscented with epsom salt… vinegar rinse real vinegar not the chemically made one.. Heinze is real.
But I live with other people who are not so willing to compromise .. and have family that I cannot stand to be in the same roomw with.. for many reasons…all scent related what they are wearing on body or clothing makes me ill. I am looking for something that will give them really clean clothing and not cause me to be sick. My question is does it exist…I have tried many of the green brands suggest by EWG for grooming and cleaning.. many unscented that still causes reactions. I tried Nellies and can’t tolerate it have you tried it? Since it is used for diapers I thought it might be good but it is not good for me. I am bit leary trying more products as I have wasted a lot of money already how does the one your recommending stack up to Nellies?
I have a very large family stock is going up in whatever I can find that is both nonreactive and cleans well. The only hang ups people in my family have with bonnars is it does not clean that well and will not take out any stains unless you soak it forever and sometimes not even then… people don’t have the time for that… having to add the epsom salts and the price… it gets expensive. It is the only choice I have but I can’t impose that much onto them.
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What about Purex?
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Hello, what are your thoughts on Ecover Powder laundry detergent? I use cloth diapers for my daughter and that was one of the approved detergents for the diapers.
Thanks!
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Found this website, http://natcapint.com, that states it’s the US distributor of Sonett. Have you tried it?
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Also, contacted Sonett USA on Facebook and was informed they still have product for sale. 2ltr for $19.99. They are shipping out of NY.
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Natcapint stated product could be purchased through them, if you signed up as a buyer, or on Amazon.
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Hi Maia!
I see that you have Better Life detergent in your good stuff store. I am wondering if you feel that their stain and odor remover is also good stuff? I tried to look up the ingredients on your glossary, but not many of them were on there. It looks good to me, but I just wanted to make sure.
Thank you!
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Yes:)
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Hi Maia, Im located in France and having trouble finding an all-natural and safe laundry liquid for my little one who suffers from eczema (and also for one thats safe enough to use on my newborn arriving soon.) The only detergent from your list I can seem to find here online is Sonnett but can see you have crossed it out. Is that purely because its no longer available in the US? Do you still recommend it?
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Yes, I still very much recommend Sonnet!
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What about Ivory Snow liquid detergent and/or powder detergent. Haven’t been able to find it in local stores anymore, but it’s still available on Amazon.
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I consider this Sneaky Stuff.
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Thanks Maia! I have a new 9 week old grandson and I’ve been helping my daughter to sleuth out what laundry products are safest. She (and I) have both fallen in love with the light scents of Dreft and Ivory Snow. A little sad to learn that both of these products are full of harmful chemicals. As a mom of 10, I always used Ivory Snow for my babies’ laundry (as did my mother lol). Most recently I started using it again for my youngest daughter (college-age) who has been having a terrible time with eczema. I see your info about Dreft, but could you please explain what makes Ivory Snow “sneaky”? …The dermatologist is now recommending ALL CLEAR. …Thanks for all your work!
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Hi Esther!
Here is the easiest way to show the Bad Stuff in Ivory Snow: http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/1799-IvoryUltraSnowLiquidLaundryDetergentThese companies are super sneaky!
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Hi Maia,
I noticed many stain/cloth diaper questions above. I’ll be there in a few months with our first and only would consider cloth due to finding pure oxygen bleach (aka no fillers- only sodium percabonate and sodium bicarbonate). I found it to work amazing on just about everything (way more than just clothing stains or a laundry booster) Good stuff ?
Thanks.
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I haven’t come across any comments about the ‘Attitudes’ company and their line of products… have you looked into or personally used any of their products?
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What about better life unscented laundry and dish washing detergent?
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Hi – I am a soon to be mom and have been reading through your reviews on various items. A lot to process and research that is for sure, but very helpful! As for the detergent, what do you think about Method (Method Naturally Derived 8X Concentrated Laundry Detergent Pump)? I’ve heard this is a good product from another site but didn’t see it on yours or in any of the comments here.
I wanted to get the Eco-Med laundry detergent, but I read some reviews that it does not get out really bad stains well. If you know anything about that let me know, thank you!
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Tallowate (Sodium tallowate) is made from dead animals. You do not need a dead calf to clean your clothes or your skin.
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What do you think about Attitude Baby Laundry Detergent?
The ingredients are: Aqua/water/eau, vegetable anionic surfactants (sodium coco sulfate), vegetable non-ionic surfactants (lauryl glucoside), sodium citrate, sodium gluconate.
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I was just coming down here to ask the same question as the person above me!
what about ecos laundry detergent?
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Hello … love your site!
What do you think of Eco’s detergent? -
Hi, I am a Lebanese mother living in Dubai and find your website so useful! If I can’t find the products that you recommend here, I tend to just buy online and get the stuff shipped over to us in Dubai. So first and foremost- thanks for all the information you share!
With regards to laundry detergents, I have been using “natural olive oil soap flakes” or “Aleppo soap flakes (made with laurel oil)”. these are similar to French “Savon de Marseilles”, and have been known for being delicate and organic. Almost all mothers in Lebanon use these soaps for their babies.
However, I am reading the packet of one of the brands of soap flakes that I use, and the following ingredients are listed: sodium palmate & oleate, aqua, perfume, sodium hydroxide, titanium dioxide, sodium chloride.
I would be most grateful if you could let me know if and how these chemicals are toxic to babies (I should assume most of them are (bar sodoum chloride), which is utterly disappointing!! ).
Many thanks!
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The only red flag I see is “fragrance,” which usually is a proprietary chemical blend (including phthalates) unless it specifies otherwise.
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Also wondering about a Canadian made liquid laundry detergent called ‘Souris Verte’. Looks like it’s Eco certified. However, I’m unable to locate the product on skin deep’s site.
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I don’t know that one, but will look into it!
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Thanks! Really appreciate it!
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What are your thoughts on CrystalWash?
https://secure.crystalwash.com/order/?w=crystalwash.com&flid=25off&cp=13300-
Haven’t researched, but it’s on the list for a future investigation!
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Hi,
I live in Turkey and the only two “green” options are Seventh Generation, Frosch, Friendly and Sodasan. I saw that Seventh Generation falls under the sneaky stuff, how about Frosch, Friendly and Sodasan?
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I don’t know those other brands, but I will add them our list for a future investigation. In the meanwhile, Seventh Generation has changed some of their formulas and overall I would call it Okay Stuff.
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Hello, I have a bundle of joy on the way,
I was wondering what laundry detergent do you recommend from the eco me (unscented, lavender blossom, etc… )?I also plan on doing cloth diapers will it be safe to wash the diapers in this detergent?
If I use a fabric softer or a stain remover on some stains that don’t come off, which fabric softer and stain remover do you recommend that I could use for baby clothes and the diapers?
Please help. Thank You!
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I like any of the Eco-Me scents, and would probably lean toward an unscented one or baby clothes and diapers. If you sign up for our newsletter (upper right box on the homepage), you’ll get a Cheat Sheet on cleaning products, including my favorites.
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Im looking for a laundry detergent to wash my babys clothes in, i really wanted to go with Tandis but i cant get past the beef tallow thats used. I looked into the eco me one as you said that was your favorite but i have read its not that great on stains, i am wondering what you would recommend? Also just out of curiosity did you wash you baby cothes before bringing baby home from the hospital? Thanks in advance 🙂
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Yes, I would definitely recommend washing everything before putting it on your baby. I happen to love the Tandi’s laundry, but you might also try MamaSuds, which does not contain any tallow. https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/mamasuds-liquid-laundry/
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I’m a huge fan of Molly’s Suds, all three formulations … is there a reason her line is excluded!
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We consider Molly’s Good Stuff:). Our lists are never exhaustive, but I will add Molly’s to the list for when we update!
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Hello, wondering your thoughts on Fit Organic baby laundry detergent? EWG gave it an “A” rating.
Thank you in advance!
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We haven’t looked into this brand yet but it’s on our list!
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The greenshield detergent link is a different one than the one that is pictured. There is also a baby version is that best to use?
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Either one is fine:).
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Hi. I am looking for a natural detergent that is totally coconut free. My 3 year old seems to react to coconut oil and he has a major dry skin problem. He reacted to Dreft and then I switched to Charlie’s Soap and had no problems but I have been wanting to try something new because our clothes just don’t stay smelling fresh with Charlie’s Soap. So I bought Dapple and it’s base detergent is coconut base and we are having issues with our son waking up in the middle of the night scratching all over again. I don’t want to be stuck with Charlie’s Soap but it seems all other truly safe natural detergents use coconut as the main plant based detergent. Any help/advice would be great. Thank you!
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I wrote a post about eczema, and a major part of it was about avoiding detergents (which is where a lot of those coconut ingredients hide). Here’s a link to that: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/natural-eczema-treatment-for-babies-kids .
In terms of laundry soap without coconut, here’s one that I use myself and have found to be extremely effective: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/tandis-naturals-concentrated-laundry-soap/
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Hi there! I love your posts! Thank you for all of the work and research you do to help others!!
I’m wondering if there is a Fabric Softner, and a Stain remover you would recommend? Like a pre-treat stain remover?
Thanks so much!!!-
If you sign up to be on our mailing list (upper right of our homepage), you will receive the Safe Cleaning Products Guide, which has recommendations for both.
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What about Planet’s detergents?
http://www.planetinc.com/ingredients.htm
Thank you so much for all that you do for us!!!
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I’m not a fan as most of their formulas contain sodium laureth sulfate.
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I was wondering this too. They have an EWG score if A?
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Has anyone tried GNLD? Plant based and chemical free. I hope they’re not on the sneaky list.
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We will add to our list to investigate!
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Tandi’s is concentrated so you do not need very much.
On the package it says: Small load—–1tbsp
Regular load—–1 1/2 tbsp
Large load—–2 tbspUse about half with HE machines
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I have a question about Tandi’s. How much do you use? Just one scoop for a full load of clothes (HE washer). Or more than that if you’re filling the washer with a full load of clothes? Just seems like such a small amount.
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These are the instructions from Tandi
small load 1tbsp
regular load 11/2 tbsp
large load 2 tbsp
Use about half for HE machinesIt is concentrated so that you don’t need that much.
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Whats your take on the Honest company detergent?
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I think it’s Okay Stuff (even with the SLS that it was found to contain).
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Have you any thoughts yet on the fit baby organic laundry detergent?
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Not yet, but it’s on our list for a future review!
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I noticed the Seventh Generation free & clear pods don’t have methylisothiazolinone in them like the liquid detergent does. The pods received an A+ rating on EWG. Wondering your take on all of this and if there are any ingredients you see in the pods I should stay away from?
Thanks!!
Annie-
Nope! Those pods are fine:)
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Thank you so much Maia !! :))
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Hi Maia,
I love your website, thank you ! I have been using for myself : Whole Foods Market, organic laundry detergent, 3X concentrated , unscented.
Ingredients : aqua (filtered water), sapindus mukorossi (organic soap nuts), saponified cocos nucifera oil (saponified organic coconut oil), aloe barbadensis (organic aloe vera leaf juice powder), thymus satureioides (organic thyme leaf oil), sea salt, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, xanthum gum, acacia senegal (organic gum arabic), cyamopsis tetragonolobus gum (organic guar gum), organic glycerin, quillaja saponaria (organic soap bark). 200 FL OZ.
It is rated B on EWG. I have a sensitive skin and it has been working great on me. I am planning to use it also on my baby clothes (baby should arrive in a few weeks ! 🙂 and I was wondering what was your opinion on this product? I don’t see reviews either on the Internet about this one, that I buy at Whole Foods.I also just see they are selling a Whole Foods Market a baby laundry detergent, unscented. However, it doesn’t seem to be organic. I have only find it online, I have to check in store to have the list of ingredients. I see already it is hypo-allergenic, free of dyes, no phosphates, phtalates, chlorine or petrochemicals. I haven’t found it on EWG. I was wondering if you knew this one as well ? I will try to get the ingredients list otherwise.
Thank you so much!!
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The ingredients you listed in the detergent you are using are safe, and fine to use on baby clothes:).
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Hi Maia,
What do u think of laundry detergent with listed composition:
Decyl glucoside, alkyl polyglycosides, cocamidopropyl betadine, acrylic acid homopolymer, 2.4 dichloro 2 hydroxy diphenyl ether, phytoliquid camomile bg, tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, MethylisothiazolinoneThank you.
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I don’t love this list of ingredients. It isn’t terrible, but you can do better!
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Any suggestions for Fabric fresheners? I see that Caldrea’s and Laundress aren’t that great…any DIY suggestions to spot clean and refresh/ get rid of bacteria for clothes in between washes? Thanks!
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Hmmm, I am sorry to say that no, I have never researched fabric fresheners! So sorry.
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I see that Seventh Gen is on the sneaky list but their eucalyptus/lavender detergent is the only thing I’ve found that will not make my youngest rash out. I think I’ll have to take a little sneaky to keep her from scratching her skin raw.
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What about Country Save? EWG gives it an A. They also make an oxyclean – any thoughts on oxygen bleach?
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Sounds like it’s Good Stuff!
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Maia,
I see that Mamasuds makes a borax-free laundry soap, will GTGS be carrying it too?-
Yes, we do plan to carry this in the future (as we make more room in our warehouse!).
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Eco me detergent safe for babies too?
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Yes, sure is 🙂
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Do you have any recommendations for fabric softeners or dryer sheets?
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Here are some of my favorites:
Dryer Sheets/Balls
https://www.amazon.com/Attitude-Anti-Static-Eliminator-Cloth-Sheet/dp/B005E74TCO?tag=gimthegoostu-20
https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Green-Natural-Sheets-Lavender/dp/B001KUQHEW?tag=gimthegoostu-20
https://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Generation-Fabric-Softener-80-Count/dp/B002NL044Q?tag=gimthegoostu-20
https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/soaring-heart-organic-wool-dryer-balls-2-pack/ (which also make clothes dry faster)Fabric Softener
https://www.amazon.com/Ecover-Natural-Plant-based-Softener-Morning/dp/B00B97OGT4?tag=gimthegoostu-20
https://www.amazon.com/Greenshield-Organic-Fabric-Softener-Lavender/dp/B0058GP13M?tag=gimthegoostu-20
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i checked greenshield in the Ewg and it shows that its high in asthma/respitory affects. my sonhas sleep apnea. i want to know what EWG means by that.
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Is dapple baby laundry detergent safe?
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We will look into this for when we update the Safe Detergent Guide!
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Thanks so much. So , do you recommend honest’s baby shampoo & body wash as well? Or Aveeno baby wash? It’s the one with the light blue cap..suppose to be for sensitive skin.. I also saw you like babo botanicals & the Shea moisturizer but i saw some red flags on their ewg review & they are a little more pricey
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Hi, love your website. I am a new Mom and struggling so much to find the best & affordable baby wash & laundry detergent before my baby girl gets here. I’ve so far only heard of the honest co. , dapple, & ecos being the most natural products I can find & that are available in the store. Please let me know your opinion on those & also if you have recommendations of better washes & detergents.
Thanks so much
Ty-
Any of those will be much better than conventional detergents, and you should feel fine using them on your baby’s clothes. If it were my baby, I would choose Honest out of those three.
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What are your thoughts on “Molly’s suds ” laundry detergent ..?
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In response to other comments, she said it’s Good Stuff 🙂
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What are your thoughts on The Pink Solution? It contains sea kelp, vegetable tallow, coconut oil, soda ash & water. It comes as a concentrate and you mix it with warm water. Would it be cloth diaper safe?
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Sounds safe to me. I’d reach out to the company to find out if it’s safe for cloth diapers.
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Any thoughts on Fit Organic detergent? I read thru the posts and didn’t see anyone else ask. Thanks!
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I don’t know this one but I’ll add it to the list to research.
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Any results on Fit Organic yet? Just curious. Thanks!
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No, we haven’t done a review of this yet! We will, I promise!
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I’m curious if you ever review any of the Kirkland brand products, such as the Environmentally Responsible detergent.
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In general, I consider Kirkland Bad or Sneaky Stuff, but I have not reviewed their entire line.
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Since Sonett seemed to be your go to for all household items and they are no longer being shipped to the US, is there one particular brand that you would recommend for all household items? Laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, all purpose cleaners, bleach alternatives, bathroom cleaners? Something that is a good bang for your buck? I’m so upset to see that Method sprays and cleaners are not safe as they truly worked for me. $14 for 32oz of EcoMe detergent is a bit ridiculous and Greenshield has reviews where people say it doesn’t clean. It’s quite overwelming and having to pick and chose items from different brands gets to be too much.
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I agree with the above comment, it does get to be too much. I stumbled across a brand called Puracy. I haven’t had time to really look into that brand. What are your thoughts on Puracy? Good, bad, sneaky??
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From the research I’ve done so far, it looks Okay-ish. I don’t like some of the preservatives they use, though. They wouldn’t be my first choice.
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Sorry, that posted twice!
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Three brands that are across-the-board good, in my opinion: Better Life, Eco-Me, MamaSuds.
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Thoughts on Ecover Zero laundry detergent? EWG gave it an “A”.
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I don’t know why they rate it an A, as it contains sodium laureth sulfate.
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What are your thoughts on Disney Baby Eco? Also, I see the Eco is on your “good stuff” list but then you explained to someone that you do not like their ingredients.
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What are your thoughts on Eco-Baby?
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Not sure what brand that is–could you provide a list of ingredients?
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I noticed the newly added liquid detergent, mama suds, contains borax. You still consider this safe?
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Yes, I do. There is a ton of confusion around borax–mostly people confusing sodium tetraborate with boric acid. The bottom line is that I just cannot find evidence that the former is harmful unless ingested in large amounts. I do plan to write a blog on this soon to provide more detail. Thanks for being vigilant!
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Any ingredients of concern in Attitude’s BABY LAUNDRY DETERGENT -Fragrance-free?
aqua <100%
anionic surfactant derived from coconut <30%
non-ionic surfactants derived from corn and coconut <7%
sodium citrate <5%
sodium gluconate <5% -
Hi Maia! I have been looking at the links to Greenshield and Eco-me laundry detergent that you provided. I noticed you only have certain ones pictured, so are all of their detergents safe or just the ones you have pictured under your good stuff list? Thanks is advance! And thank you for providing all of this information!
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Everything from Eco-Me is safe. Greenshield has changed their ingredients so I now want to look into them again to make sure they still are Good Stuff:)
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Great! Thank you so much! Would you consider Eco-me dish soap and liquid hand soap good stuff as well??
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Thank you! I was just looking over your blog again and I see you also have Eco-me dish soap listed and you had commented that their hand soap is good as well! I will be trying these products out! I struggle finding a good liquid hand soap!
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Hi Maia. Did you look into the changes that GreenShield has made? I am looking into getting their detergent. Thank you!
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http://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/how-to-wash-cloth-diapers/detergent-index/
For those interested, here’s a good index of laundry detergents and their effectiveness for cloth diapers based on user input.
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We recently switched from Ecos to Grab Green, and I’m loving their lavender pods. After finding your site, I looked into it a little more, and the package itself it doesn’t list it, but on their website, they list “sodium sulfate” as an ingredient. I’ve emailed the company to understand if that’s SLS or something else. But it’s not even listed on my package so I’m downright confused.
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do you have any experience with the better life brand? I am becoming a big fan of their’s and wondering how their laundry detergent is.
http://www.cleanhappens.com/products/spin-credible-laundry-detergent?variant=383598258
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I would call Better Life laundry detergent Good Stuff, despite some surfactants with a lack of safety data.
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Is the Sonett laundry liquid lavender as good as the Sonett clear detergent. Thanks.
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Yes, all are equally safe.
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Is Sonett laundry liquid Lavender as good as the Clear Sonett.
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Yes, they work equally well.
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The only ingredient I am not really into is benzisothiazolinone. You can check our glossary for more on why:)
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What do you think about Dapple baby detergent. The website list the following ingredients:
Water, citric acid, tetrasodium iminodisuccinate (natural complexing agent), sodium citrate (natural water softener derived from citric acid), glycerin (natural emollient), coconut fatty acid (natural cleaner derived from coconut), sodium lauroamphoacetate (natural cleaner derived from tree oils and glucose), lauryl glucoside (natural cleaner derived from glucose), protease & amylase (natural enzymes to enhance cleaning power), cellulose (natural derived thickening agent), benzisothiazolinone (preservative).
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What are your thoughts about Dapple Fragrance Free Natural Baby Laundry Detergent. According to their website, the ingredients are as follows:
Water, citric acid, tetrasodium iminodisuccinate (natural complexing agent), sodium citrate (natural water softener derived from citric acid), glycerin (natural emollient), coconut fatty acid (natural cleaner derived from coconut), sodium lauroamphoacetate (natural cleaner derived from tree oils and glucose), lauryl glucoside (natural cleaner derived from glucose), protease & amylase (natural enzymes to enhance cleaning power), cellulose (natural derived thickening agent), benzisothiazolinone (preservative).
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I was also wondering about Molly Suds. This is what I found.
Ingredients
Proprietary blend of: sodium carbonate (sourced from the Green River Basin in WY), sodium bicarbonate, magnesium sulfate (heptahydrate), unrefined sea salt, organic peppermint (menthe piperita) oil.-
Yes, Molly’s is Good Stuff:)
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I know Molly’s Suds is safe, but have you tried it? I went through 2 bags of it to give it a fair chance but really did not clean my laundry well. I even emailed them asking for tips and they suggested hot water, which shrunk my clothes! Anyway, I’m curious if Tandi’s is similar in cleaning to Molly’s Suds because I am considering trying Tandi’s but want something that works much better than Molly’s Suds. Thanks!
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I THINK Molly’s sent me samples a long time ago and I tried it, but all the samples are bleeding together in my mind, so I can’t promise my memory is accurate! In any event, I do truly love the Tandi’s detergent, and it is the single best seller in our store, so others do too:). The ingredients are totally different from Molly’s (it is tallow-based), so I would say it’s worth a try! My clothes come out of the dryer totally clean.
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I am from Canada, and I can’t find any of the good stuff here. Is there another list of any that would be available here?
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Have you found a new detergent to use for wool? How would you recommend washing wool–I’ve heard variations and don’t want to damage my mattress covering that I’m going to start using (thanks to your site for introducing me to the idea of using wool for that, by the way!) Also, would you re-lanolize it on a regular basis and if so, how do you do that and do you have a link for what/where to get it? Thanks for creating such a helpful site as we try to take steps toward detoxing our home!
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The only good wool cleaner I know is Sonnet, but it is no longer being imported to the US. You could contact Sonett USA http://sonett.us.com/ and see if they have any left in stock that they could send you!
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What you think about Aden and Anais laundry detergent?
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i can’t find their ingredients listed anywhere! if you can send along, I am happy to weigh in.
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Have you heard of Molly’s Suds? Would you consider that “Good Stuff”?
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Yes Molly’s is Good Stuff:)
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My 4 month old son has really bad eczema, and I’m thinking it could be due to my laundry detergent. Is Tandi’s gentle enough for babies with eczema, or can it be harsh? I have also read that laundry soap can decrease the flame retardant properties of clothes. Is this a concern with Tandi’s?
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Hi Ashley-
I actually recommend Tandi’s for clients with eczema because it contains no detergent–it’s old fashioned tallow soap. And clothing is no longer treated with flame retardant chemicals, which is a good thing:).-
What other brands from the good stuff list would you recommend for babies with ezcema? I am trying to find a more affordable option than tandi’s.
Thanks!
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If you want to use a true laundry soap (rather than a detergent), check out MamaSuds: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/mamasuds-liquid-laundry/
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Mia,
What would you recommend for getting whites whiter or removing stains?. I have a 20 month old and can’t seem to get the stains from his lighter clothing. (Stains from oranges). I use greenshield organic laundry detergent
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I use this: http://amzn.to/1RYg0xh
I would say it’s Okay Stuff, not really Good Stuff, but considering I don’t use much of it, I’m fine with it!
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Hi Maia,
Have you heard of The Soap Works? I am wondering if their “Pure Laundry Soap Powder” is pretty much the same as the Tandi’s product… and considered Good Stuff? (http://puresoapworks.com/laundrypowder.htm)
Thank you!
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Hi Yukino-
there are a few differences, mainly that this soap contains borax, and Tandi’s does not. Some people think borax is toxic, but I’m not particularly worried about it.
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What are your thoughts on ALL Free and Clear?
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sneaky:(
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What are the sneaky ingredients?
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Here’s a list: http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/6360-AllLiquidDetergentFreeClear
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Can you use any of the safe products in high efficiency washing machine? Or any recommendations for high efficiency washing machines and what about dryer sheets?
Thank you
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Yes, they are all fine for HE machines. Instead of dryer sheets, we recommend these: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/soaring-heart-organic-wool-dryer-balls-2-pack/
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I just ordered Tandi’s laundry soap and wanted to know if it’s safe for use on cloth diapers?
Thanks!
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What is the best detergent for cloth diapers as far as safe and effective? Does anyone know much about Charlie Banana?
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Hi Maia,
Any recommendations on stain remover that is safe for baby clothing? I find that the EcoMe detergent sometimes needs a little help for tougher stains.
Thanks!
Stephanie-
The Ecover one is the one I use–not perfect, but the least bad I’ve found.
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How about Sonnet stain remover? Thanks
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Safe!
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What are your thoughts on country save detergent?
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I don’t know that brand, but will add it to the list! 🙂
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Thanks for adding to your list–it’s what was recommended to me for cloth diapers and has worked great for me. But it’s not on EWG either, so I’d love an opinion; thanks! 🙂
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Do you know if Eco-Me laundry Detergent is safe for cloth diapers?
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Do u recommend borax in homemade laundry detergent?
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I haven’t found any studies to suggest that borax is truly toxic, but I know some people really worry about this ingredient (including EWG), so it’s really a personal call.
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Hello… Let me start by saying a big THANK YOU for what you do for us.
Have you heard of Nellie’s laundry soda? What do you think of it?
Z
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Sneaky Stuff, unfortunately:(
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What makes it sneaky? What do you think about Eco zone balls?
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These are the ingredients in Nellie’s products that concern me:
http://www.ewg.org/guides/substances/3124
http://www.ewg.org/guides/substances/5615
http://www.ewg.org/guides/substance_groups/55
http://www.ewg.org/guides/substances/1380I am sorry, but I am not familiar with Eco Zone Balls–will check them out!
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Hi Maia,
We just started using If You Care laundry detergent after failing to find Green Shield at any Whole Foods near us. Thoughts?
Thanks!
Erica
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I’ll respond on FB now, but looks like Good Stuff! 🙂
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I stand corrected—If You Care’s laundry liquid is Sneaky.
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Hi! Just curious what your thoughts are on the Honest Company laundry pods. I saw a comment above from someone else, but was curious what you thought. Thanks!
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Some of the ingredients aren’t great, but overall I think the pods are fine…
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Hi, I read under your description that Tandi’s powdered laundry soap is not for use on wool and silk fabrics. What do you use to wash your wool and silk laundry?
Thanks!-
At the moment I am using this, but will need to find a replacement since it’s no longer being imported to the US:
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Hi Maia,
I am trying to make the changes to remove all of the toxins from my house. I was wondering about seventh generation free and clear laundry detergent or Dr Bonners soap. Thank you in advance for your help.
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Dr. Bronner’s is definitely Good Stuff:). You can see my thoughts on 7th Gen above, under Sneaky Stuff.
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I have been using Ology detergent since my son was born, it got an A rating for their free & clear on EWG and a B rating for their Lavender/Vanilla. I like it alot, it cleans the clothes nicely and is pretty cost effective. It’s actually made by Wagreens I think. Anyone else try it? Maia any thoughts?
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Hi Maia,
I found NearBayou laundry soap at my local grocer while looking for a safer laundry detergent/soap. I purchased and used it the last couple of months and I am very happy with it. Have you researched and used it and if so, what are your findings?-
I tried to look it up for you, but they don’t seem to list their ingredients on their website. If you let me know what’s in their formula, I’m happy to take a look. Thanks!
-M-
Hi Maia, This is Tess from NearBayou. I would be happy to share a full list of our ingredients with you. What would be a good email address to reach you at?
And Patti, I am glad you like our soap. Thank you for supporting us! Much appreciated 🙂
Regards,
Tess
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What’s your opinion on Biokleen Free & Clear liquid laundry detergent? It was recommended on another site, though I can’t remember what site that was at the moment.
Thanks!
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I don’t like it, mostly because of the cocamidopropyl betaine. Otherwise, it’s okay. I just think there are better options out there!
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What about Ecos?? Ive been using that for my baby girlsclothes!
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I don’t love some of the ingredients in Ecos, including the preservative methylisothiazolinone.
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You don’t like some ingredients listed even though you have it under “good stuff”?
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Ecos is a completely different brand from
Eco-me FYI
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Hi! I really enjoy reading your Safe Product Guides. Thank you for taking the time to create them! What would you recommend as a more economical alternative for detergents? We are on a fixed income and do a ton a laundry, so I’m looking for a safe yet affordable detergent I can commit to (without creating my own). Thank you!
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Hi Amy,
We are a small family business doing our best to help our community.
We make our own soap from a Castile base, which is also homemade. My in-laws started making this soap because they had a lot of children(16 children altogether) and needed an economical, yet safe alternative to commercial laundry detergent.Her little abbies were all in cloth diapers and were breaking out in rashes because of their laundry detergent. Our soap is plant based and all our ingredients are listed on our website – http://www.nearbayou.comWe sell scented and unscented laundry soap.
You may check out my Etsy store for cheap homemade laundry soap at https://www.etsy.com/shop/NearBayouNaturals?ref=hdr_shop_menuI do hope it is what you were looking for.
Regards,
Tess
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What about the Ecos brand laundry detergent?? I believe you once had it as “the Good Stuff”.
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Hi Shearl-
See my comments on Ecos below (I’m not a fan).
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Thanks for the response in your mail.
I will check on EWG but then let me ask again – I ve been doing some readings on Alkyl Ployglucoside and discovered that it is a family of safe surfactants. Which variants in your opinion iare good for laundry (good foaming, wetting, and cleaning)?
Pls if you have a document on the list of all Alkyl Ployglucosides and application of each, kindly post?A billion thanks this time
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The EWG is NOT a good resource for evidence-based (read: scientific) information.
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Hi! What about Full Circle Laundry Detergent? Thank you for all your info and help!
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What about Honest Landry detergent?
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Honest is not so honest with some of their claims (e.g. “No SLS” but they use sodium coco sulfate which chemically is the same) but their detergent is fine anyway. I would recommend Dapple natural baby laundry pods. They clean better
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Ok.. I just can’t stand it any more. I’m a PhD chemist and I formulate laundry detergents. The misinformation that is propagated by posts like this is just mind boggling. I am a mom too and I totally understand that you’re concern with health and safety of your children. Also I’m very “green”. I care deeply about the environment and try to pollute as little as possible. But please, let’s not get obsessed! Everything is toxic- it all depends on concentration. Water will kill you if you drink too much of it.
Let me share with some facts:
– petrochemicals are just as good/bad as “naturally derived” chemicals. It’s the chemical that is good/bad not the source/raw material
– phospahtes are bad for the environment but laundry waste water is a tiny fraction of the pollution. Overdosing and uneducated use of fertilizers is much bigger issue that should be addressed. Besides nobody uses phosphates in laundry anymore anyway (even though they work great!)
– SLS is not toxic/carcinogenic. In fact it is a great surfactant (cleaning agent). If it is applied directly on skin it can cause irritation (because it washes off protective oil on your skin so well) but when used in laundry it will be washed off and will not contact your skin.
– sodium metasilicate is totally safe cleaning agent/pH adjuster/soil redeposition agent. It can have “respiratory effect” if you want to breath it in.. But I wouldn’t recommend to sniff your powder detergent 🙂 And BTW essential oils can cause respiratory effect too if you breath the vapors but again it’s all about concentration.
– bleach is safe! Just don’t drink it or sniff it! And read the instructions about dilutions. The chlorine is there in a form of sodium hypochlorite and not in a form of toxic gas (unless you mix it with acidic toilet bowl cleaner…). It’s like saying eating table salt will kill you (salt contains chlorine and sodium).
In general you’re safe using most of the detergents.
However I have to agree on some of the points the author makes:
– I wouldn’t recommend optical brighteners – they are design to stay on the clothes so they appear whiter that they really are. They can cause some irritation to sensitive skin. Just dry your clothes outside if possible. Good old sun will do the brightening for you.
– avoid fragrance in general. You really don’t need it. Clean laundry should smell.. like nothing. That’s indication of clean laundry. At very low concentrations they are fine if you really want your laundry to smell but they can irritate sensitive skin
– dyes are totally unnecessary. And can be irritating. They add them for purely esthetical reasons.
– make sure ingredients are biodegradable. Just be nice for the environment.
I also recommend to use concentrated powders instead of liquids for two reasons:
1. don’t pay for water and extra packaging
2. to reduce the amount of chemicals. In liquid you have to add special chemicals (that don’t do any cleaning) to keep all ingredients “together” so they won’t phase separate but also won’t deactivate each other.
I can attach references if you ‘re interested. And please let me know if you have any questions. I would love to debunk some of the urban legends circulating around this topic.
Stay happy and healthy!-
I am curious what detergents you recommend that fit the requirements you laid out?
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Hi my name is victor I have exactly what you are looking for SA8 detergent my email is vic.l.more86@gmail.com you can contact me for more information
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Hi Maia, Anita and Stephanie,
What are your thoughts on Method’s Baby Laundry detergent (apparently only come in a liquid formula, unfortunately as I agree with you on Powder vs. Liquid Anita)? And in general, what are your thoughts on Free and Clear formulas? While generally I don’t disagree with you, Anita, on SLS it is not suitable for us because of an allergy in our family to SLS and SLES – and Dapple contains Sodium Coco Sulfate, chemically the same as SLS. Any suggestions?
Many thanks,
Terry
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Hi Terry-
I don’t like Method–their baby detergent contains synthetic fragrance (although free of phthalates), optical brighteners, and PEG-chemicals. Free & Clear formulas vary by brand–some I think are good, others just pure greenwashing. Have you checked out Tandi’s laundry detergent? It’s made of beef tallow, which sounds weird, but it’s worked very well for us, and developed sort of a cult following.
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So it doesn’t matter what time of laundry soap just avoid optical brighteners and make sure it is biodegradable. I have been trying to eliminate toxins in my house and it has been very overwhelming.
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Hi Angie-
I know how overwhelming it can be, and it sounds like you’re off to a great start! In terms of laundry detergent, you definitely want to avoid optical brighteners and any synthetic fragrance. I hope the list of Good Stuff above will be helpful!
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Thanks for the clarification and alternate perspective. After reading your thoughts/input I’m curious to know, what detergent to you use for your own family?
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We use Tandi’s! As do the other Gimme the Good Stuff owners;)
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I really respect what you said and how you said it. I’m wondering what resources you have to share for non scientists to review.
I’m also wondering what you think about the EWG.
As for the validity of avoiding “chemicals,” for some it is a matter of health. Chemical sensitivity is real- recognized by the CDC and HUD (requiring housing modifications for section 8 housing recipients who have MCS disorder). Most of us who are researching recommendations such as this site has to give are seeking resolutions after experiencing immune complications.
For me, I prefer to keep things as simple as possible. Including not using soaps that remove my skin’s oil because it isn’t meant to be disturbed. Our bodies don’t need soap- they need oil and warm water to be cleaned.
Another interesting tidbit is the New Zealand study that illuminated SIDS by sealing the crib mattresses to illuminate off gassing. SIDS dropped from 150-some odd cases to zero. That is significant. If not for picking a non surfactant laundry detergent, avoiding the things mentioned for mattresses and furniture could be very valid.
And anyway, the way I generally feel about things is that we have choices for a reason. Different bodies respond to different household items the same way they respond to foods differently. It’s ok for someone to find a way of purchasing things that works for them that might be contrary to what chemists think, because scientific opinion changes. Particularly in regard to what’s deemed as safe in our homes and bodies.
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Eliminate not illuminate
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What detergent is best for flame resistant clothing? Tallow is not supposed to be used at all so they say. I just want my FR clothing to stay FR since I am a lineman. Meaning I work on 4100 KV to 500000KV.
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I’m sorry, but this is outside my area of expertise! Maybe someone else will chime in with an answer!
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Saponified coconut oil is really NOT THAT SAFE! Look at the research here or google it yourself – genotoxicity… https://academic.oup.com/mutage/article/19/6/441/1053259
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“Let’s not get obsessed’…., “Everything is toxic…”, “water will kill you…”
It’s possible you MAY have had some good insights to share but when you start off by spouting the same buzzwords all the other pro chemical gmo people do I shut down. We AREN’T stupid, even natural things like mushrooms can kill you if you eat the wrong one! And who are you to judge how much risk (aka how ‘obsessed) we should or should not take with our health and the health of our families?If you want to have a real dialagoue and didn’t just come here to troll people you should start with some common courtesy and respect. But I caught where you said ‘bleach is safe” and all my monthes of research say otherwise so I wouldn’t trust a word you say. I feel bad for your children; if you don’t care that strongly about your health fine but DON’T risk smeone else’s health unessisarly.
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Agree.
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Bleach is safe? It’s corrosive, may cause asthma, and diminishes lung function. Not gonna use that in our home.
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LOVED finding this site! Question on the detergents… are ALL of the “good” detergents 100% safe for baby skin (minus any allergies / sensitivities per baby)? THANK YOU!!!
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Hi Stephanie!
Yes, I would feel comfortable using any of the Good Stuff on baby clothes.
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Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into these guides!
I cloth diaper and am wondering if any of “The Good Stuff” Landry detergents would not work well for cloth diapering. Are there a few you think will clean them best? Thanks!
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I’m wondering this too.
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I need help finding a good cloth diaper laundry soap as well!
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I’m struggling with the same thing. Unfortunately, all the detergents on this list seem to be “not recommended” for use with cloth diapers. According to the website Fluff Love University, they don’t recommend detergents if it “does not contain a sufficient concentration of surfactant to clean human waste from multi-layered cloth diapers when used at up to three times the manufacturer’s recommended use amount, uses a formula that is known to cause burns to users, uses a formula that will cause damage to cloth diapers or impede their function (as by coating fibers to trap soil or cause repelling of liquids), has been consistently shown to be ineffective among users in our Facebook troubleshooting group.”
Here’s a site I use to check: http://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/how-to-wash-cloth-diapers/detergent-index/
Personal results may vary, but in the mean time, I’m still searching!
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I’m struggling with this exact same issue! The best detergent I’ve found that fluff love university recommends is Attitude, but I’m not sure if it would be considered “Good Stuff”….
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I am in the same boat. Have always wanted to use a eco friendly, non toxic detergent for diapers and came here for recommendations, but we have VERY hard water and the only thing that doesn’t leave strong ammonia smells and funk is TIDE free and clear powder. Before reluctantly switching to TIDE, I was using Mighty Bubbles and adding Calgon to manage the build up and it still didn’t solve my washing problems. I fear that cloth diapers and hard water are incompatible for finding a safer detergent if you don’t want to be dealing with build up and bad odors.
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What about Nellie’s All Natural Laundry Soda?
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Nellie’s is Sneaky Stuff:(
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What Ingredient in Nellie is considered sneaky? I want to go with tandi but it’s so incredibly expensive for a small amount and I am trying to find a detergent for my ezcema baby ?
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Here are the ingredients the concern me in Nellie’s:
ttp://www.ewg.org/guides/substances/3124
http://www.ewg.org/guides/substances/5615
http://www.ewg.org/guides/substance_groups/55
http://www.ewg.org/guides/substances/1380
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You mention that both Sonett & Eco-Me are your favorite. I’m not sure when this post was written, but I’m curious if you still like them both equally or if your opinion has changed on either. Thanks!
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Sonett is my favorite:)
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Thanks for this post…I was surprised to find my usual clothing detergent (Seventh Generation) on the ‘Sneaky’ list. I use ‘Rockin’ Green’ powered detergent on my cloth diapers and it does an excellent job. Would you recommend it?
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Hi Anna-
Yes, Rockin Green looks good!-
Hi, did you ever hear anything about the detergent brand attitude for little ones.
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Is saponified coconut oil really THAT safe? What about research studies on its genotoxicity? https://academic.oup.com/mutage/article/19/6/441/1053259
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Rockin green will not effectively clean diapers. I use to use it and ended up with ammonia which caused ammonia burns on my LO.
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what do you use instead? I am trying to get rid of the ammonia smell in my cloth diapers.
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Hi. Have you been able to find anything to get rid of the ammonia smell? I’m having the same problems, and they smell just down right funky once my little one urinates in them. I currently use Tandis, and it’s not working well. 🙁
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OK, I am old school being over 70, but I used to use a diaper pail full of water and add a cup of Borax . I would immediately throw rinse diapers and stained clothing into soak until laundry time. The whole thing plus my laundry soap got dumped in the machine for super soft stain freeand fresh smelling baby clothes.
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I had the same issue with our cloth diapers. First i did a cold rinse then I added 3/4 cup of white vinegar to the bleach compartment (HE front loader) and washed with hot water. Problem solved!!
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If possible, dry cloth diapers outside in bright sunshine. Will get rid of the ammonia.
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I throw in a little vinegar and it seems to have done the trick. I also hang outside and it helps.
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I am having a baby soon, wondering which detergent I should get to wash all her stuff in and that would be easy to get and supply….
looking at the Tandi’s, the Greenshield, or another company not sure if you have researched them yet, they are fairly new they are called MYGreenfills laundry detergent…. Let me know what you think.. and if any of these or if one you think works better than another.
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My vote is for Tandi’s, and it’s what we use ourselves. I haven’t heard of MyGreenfills but will add it to the list for when we update this guide!
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Have you heard of Lion Bear Naked Soap? Funny name I know, it’s a company based out of Denton, TX. Not very known, but I tried out their unscented laundry powder after seeing they had high EWG ratings. Makes our clothes smell fresh! I love it but I hate that shipping costs as much as the product..
Also what are your thoughts on Dapple?-
I am not familiar with Lion Bear soap, but will add to my list for a future investigation! Dapple is mostly okay, although there are other brands that I prefer.
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Hi, Thanks for all the valuable information! I’m stocking up for a new baby and your site has been really helpful. Any thoughts on the GO by Greenshield Organic Laundry Detergent for Free & Clear for baby or regular? https://www.greenshieldorganic.com/product/organic-laundry/
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DO you know much about Whole Foods lavender detergent ?
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