Enjoy clean clothes without the chemicals
A natural laundry detergent is free from harmful ingredients. Thanks to its green formula it won’t pollute the environment, damage your clothing or irritate your skin.
If you opt for a concentrated laundry detergent, you’ll need less packaging – that’s another way to go green.
We spent hours testing and researching different laundry pods, powders, and liquids. We used our own insight along with real user reviews and expert advice to help you make the right choice for you.
Here is our list of the best natural detergents.
Our Top Picks
Thehousewire earns a commission through the following independently chosen links at no additional cost to you.1. Best Overall Green Laundry Detergent : Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Laundry Detergent
We love how the gentle honeysuckle scent leaves clothes smelling fresh for days. But if you want another scent, you can. Mrs. Meyer’s offers an entire line of laundry products.
Thanks to a powerful formula, this concentrated laundry detergent gives clothing a thorough clean, too. It contains plant-based enzymes that tackled all the stubborn stains we tested. And without parabens or phthalates, it’s still gentle enough not to cause any skin irritation.
You can use it both in regular and high-efficiency machines. The packaging isn’t biodegradable – still recyclable. It’s not vegan either but isn’t tested on animals.
Read Also The Best Laundry Detergents to Get Out the Grime
- Users love how it removes nasty odors rather than masking them
- You don’t need to use much detergent
- Available in a range of scents
- Can cause irritation because of the essential oils and synthetic fragrances
Technical Specs
Form | Liquid |
Weight | 4 pounds |
Scent | Honeysuckle |
Use | HE and standard machines |
Eco Claims | Made with plant-derived ingredients and essential oil. Free from parabens, phthalates, optical brighteners, and artificial colors |
2. Best Overall Eco Bio Laundry Detergent : Method Concentrated Laundry Detergent
Method laundry detergent uses a biodegradable and hypoallergenic formula that’s tough on dirt and stains.
Certified by the Cradle-to-Cradle institute, we were super impressed by how clean, soft, and fresh clothes came out of the machine. The plant-based ingredients pack a powerful punch, on food stains in particular.
And the smell! It’s worth using Method detergent for that alone. The lavender and cypress we tested smelt beautiful, but there’s a huge range of scents.
The formula is concentrated. In other words, less is more. With a small bottle, you’ll be able to wash about 66 loads.
It’s also non-toxic, biodegradable, cruelty-free, and zero waste.
- The fragrance isn’t overwhelming
- Safe for septic tanks
- Extra products available in the same scent
- The pour cap isn’t ideal for accurate measuring
Technical Specs
Form | Liquid |
Weight | 3.5 pounds |
Scent | Lavender and Cypress |
Use | HE and standard machines |
Eco Claims | Plant-based, cruelty-free, Zero Waste |
3. Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent : ECOS® Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent
It’s packed with green credentials, including a Safer Choice label, vegan, and carbon neutral. And it’s made with only 6 ingredients – no phthalates, phosphates optical brighteners or paraben. It’s hard to find anything as simple and eco-friendly as this.
Yet, it’s still super tough on stains and dirty laundry. There’s even a built-in fabric softener to keep your clothes feeling super soft.
- Simple to pre-treat stubborn stains
- Pet owners love how well it removes hair from clothes and blankets
- It leaves clothes smelling clean and fresh
- It doesn’t remove tough odors, like cologne if you don’t pre-treat
Technical Specs
Form | Liquid |
Weight | 6 pounds per bottle |
Scent | Magnolia and Lily |
Use | HE and standard machines |
Eco Claims | Plant-derived, Safer Choice certified, vegan, Zero Waste, no dyes, optical brighteners, parabens, or phosphates. |
The concentrated formula is designed to remove tough stains at low temperatures. You don’t even need a long wash to get a thorough clean.
And since it’s concentrated, for a bottle, you’ll wash about 38 loads. For a normal load or washing in soft water, you’ll just need two tablespoons. Larger loads or washing in hard water, require three.
We did find a few stains survived a cool wash, but it’s simple to treat them with the stain eraser ball. Pre-treating clothes like this was way more effective than our regular laundry detergent.
And we loved the fragrant smell on the clothes – too.
- Users love how well it cleans with cold water washes
- Easy to pick up online or at your local grocery store
- Clothes smell fresh and soft without needing fabric softener or dryer balls
- You don’t get a stain eraser ball with each pack, so look after it
Technical Specs
Form | Liquid |
Weight | N/A |
Scent | Original |
Use | N/A |
Eco Claims | Plant-based stain removers, recycled packaging, biodegradable |
5. Best Plant-Based Laundry Detergent : Gain Botanicals Liquid Laundry Detergent
As the name suggests, the scent of lavender essential oil gives a nice fresh smell to your clothes.
According to the manufacturer, the formula is made with 65% plant-based ingredients, making it gentle on the skin. This simple detergent contains any dyes, brighteners, or phosphates neither.
Certified by the USDA as a biobased product, it’s safe to use for both high-efficiency and regular washing machines. And if you’re not completely satisfied, you can benefit from the money-back guarantee.
- Users love how their laundry stays fresh for ages
- Gentle enough for sensitive skin
- Tough on stains
- The bottles don’t last as long as some users expected
Technical Specs
Form | Liquid |
Weight | 5.56 pounds |
Scent | White tea and lavender |
Use | HE and standard washers |
Eco Claims | 65% plant-based ingredients, no dyes, phosphates, or brighteners |
6. Best Natural Laundry Detergent Pods : Grab Green Stoneworks Laundry Detergent Pods
Available in different scents, each dose is packed with plant and mineral-based ingredients. No chlorine, no phosphate, and dye-free!
And since it’s a pod, it delivers the perfect amount every time. Simply place a pod in the drum before adding clothes and set the temperature to low, and let the detergent work.
It’s also effective with cold water cleaning, so you can lower energy consumption at the same time.
- It doesn’t leave a musty smell in your machine
- Reviewers love the fresh, earthy smell
- The company uses eco-responsible packaging
- The pods don’t always dissolve, leaving you with clumps
Technical Specs
Form | Powder pods |
Weight | 1.65 pounds |
Scent | Rose |
Use | HE and standard machines |
Eco Claims | Non-toxic, naturally-derived ingredients, dye, phosphate, and chlorine free, no animal testing |
7. Best Fragrance-Free Natural Laundry Detergent : Seventh Generation Free & Clear Laundry Detergent
Made with 96% of plant-based ingredients, this Seventh Generation Free and Clear makes clothes feel so good.
The unscented plant and mineral-based formula is super gentle, so we recommend it if you’ve got any skin sensitivities. But it still does a decent job of cleaning clothes and removing stains.
Everything felt and smelt clean in our tests, just without the lingering perfume. It cuts through odors and stains, especially if you dab a little straight onto clothes.
It also has several green certifications, EPA Safer Choice or USDA certification, you name it.
- One bottle covers a lot of laundry
- Reviewers love how it leaves their clothes looking like new
- With thousands of positive reviews, it seems it’s a great choice for sensitive skin
- Seventh Generation laundry detergent doesn’t get rid of all stains, so pre-treat any stubborn nasties
Technical Specs
Form | Powder pods |
Weight | 3.25 pounds |
Scent | Unscented |
Use | HE and standard machines |
Eco Claims | USDA Certified Biobased Product, 96% plant-based, EPA Safer Choice, free from fragrances, dyes, and artificial brighteners |
8. Best Eco Non-bio Detergent for Sensitive Skin : Dropps Sensitive Skin & Baby Detergent
According to the manufacturer, it’s formulated to prevent skin irritation, eczema, or psoriasis. You can use it on your fragile garments, baby clothes, or pet bedding.
But that’s not to say it’s soft on dirt. Each pod is loaded with enough cleaning power to shift tough dirt and odors.
You can use it in both high efficiency and standard washers. And because the packaging is made from cardboard, it’s recyclable and compostable.
- The minimal amount of packaging makes it easy to store
- Users love how one pod tackles a lot of laundry
- It’s effective at removing dirt and gunk from clothes – and your machine!
- You need to keep the pods dry to stop them from sticking together
Technical Specs
Form | Pods |
Weight | 1 pound |
Scent | Unscented |
Use | HE and standard machines |
Eco Claims | Plant-based ingredients, no animal testing, recyclable and compostable cardboard packaging, free from dyes, optical brighteners, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, enzymes, parabens, and phosphates |
9. Best Natural Laundry Detergent Powder : Biokleen Free & Clear Natural Laundry Powder
It’s a bit pricey. But one box of powder handles a whopping 150 washes thanks to the super-concentrated formula. And less packaging means less waste and energy, so it’s kinder to the environment.
With just 10 ingredients, this unscented version is also free from a wide range of harmful ingredients like chlorine, ammonia or artificial fragrances.
The mineral-based cleaning agents also leave colors looking bright and whites looking white.
- Users love how you can sprinkle it into the drum to avoid clumping
- It’s straightforward to use
- The cleaning is thorough enough for cloth diapers, even in hard water areas
- Clumping is an issue when washing at cold temperatures
Technical Specs
Form | Powder |
Weight | 10 pounds |
Scent | Free and Clear |
Use | HE and standard machines |
Eco Claims | Not tested on animals, made with biodegradable ingredients. Free from: Phosphate, chlorine bleach, ammonia, sodium lauryl sulfate, petroleum solvents, brighteners, and other pollutants |
What to Look For in Green Laundry Detergent

Types
Liquids are an option that do work well at cold temperatures and you can easily pre-treat stains with them. They also tackle grease and oil marks very well.
Capsules are becoming more popular thanks to their convenience. Just pop the pre-measured dose into the drum! The concentrated detergent dose uses less packaging than many conventional detergents, so it’s easy to store and transport.
For example see this Dropps Stain and odor laundry detergent pods.
Another type exists and is practical if you’re on the go: laundry detergent sheets.

Composition
As an example, the Pardo Naturals detergent contains only three natural ingredients: baking soda, washing soda and castile soap.

Biological or Hypoallergenic (Non-Bio)
Hypoallergenic or non-bio detergents don’t use enzymes or artificial fragrances. It means they’re gentler, but not so tough on stains.
Bio is best for whitening whites and cleaning heavily-soiled laundry. Use non-bio for delicate clothes or if you have sensitive skin.

Packaging

Green Certifications
In short, it means they use safe and natural ingredients, making them eco-friendly. It’s easy to search for Safer Choice detergents on the Environmental Protection Agency website.
The USDA Organic Seal is given to products made by approved methods and with at least 95% organic ingredients(2). The last 5% of ingredients aren’t harmful to human health or the planet.
The word “organic” is regulated, so look out for this rather than “green”, “eco”, or “natural”. While the latter words are good indications, products don’t require any verification to use them.
There are other labels to look out for, like the Leaping Bunny cruelty-free logo. The Vegan Society, Soil Association, and other trusted environmental bodies approve certain detergents with their own eco-friendly certifications.

Scent
If you prefer a scent, it’s easy to find eco brands with fresh and natural scents. Better Life Concentrated Detergent Grapefruit uses essential oils to create a fragrant waft without harsh or synthetic chemicals.
How We Tested Natural Laundry Detergents
When testing products, we check label information for ingredients, directions, and certifications.
We also look at how much detergent is recommended to use on large or medium loads.
From coffee to wine stains, we test the detergent in a whole range of conditions to see how it performs in a real home. We also make sure to test the product on different types of fabrics such as cotton, polyester, white and colored cloths.
During our tests, we try several machine settings (cold, delicate, warm etc…) and we load our washing machine with other items such as sheets or towels.
Finally, we look at everything from ease of use to the amount of suds produced, and if it leaves any residues.
Natural Laundry Detergents Comparison Chart
Product | Form | Use | Scent | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs. Meyer's Detergent | Liquid | HE and standard machines | Honeysuckle | |
Method Concentrated Detergent | Liquid | HE and standard machines | Lavender and Cypress | |
ECOS® Hypoallergenic Detergent | Liquid | HE and standard machines | Magnolia and Lily | N/A |
Persil Bio Biological Detergent | Liquid | N/A | Original | |
Gain Botanicals Detergent | Liquid | HE and standard machines | White tea and lavender | N/A |
Grab Green Detergent Pods | Powder pods | HE and standard machines | Rose | N/A |
Seventh Generation Detergent | Liquid | HE and standard machines | Unscented | |
Dropps Baby Detergent | Pods | HE and standard machines | Unscented | N/A |
Biokleen Natural Powder | Powder | HE and standard machines | Free and Clear | N/A |