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Good, better, best: The healthiest laundry detergent for your family

Veronica Sparks
By

As a responsible human, you try to eat organic, buy local, and use all-natural and cruelty-free cosmetics. You may have even switched over to using chemical-free and organic cleaning products in your home. When it comes to laundry detergent, many brands contain chemical additives used for fragrance or brightening, which can be harmful to you and your family. These chemicals can cause skin irritation and have even been shown in studies to negatively impact your body’s hormones. Not only are these artificial ingredients harmful to your body, but they are harmful to the environment. When your water drains out of your home, it eventually reaches wildlife, and if it contains toxic ingredients, marine life, and other wildlife will be exposed to it. For all of these reasons, we’ve set out to find the safest, chemical-free laundry detergent options for cleaning your clothes.

Good: Seventh Generation Concentrated Laundry Detergent

Seventh Generation is a brand that you can easily find in chain supermarkets like Target. It’s certified by the USDA as a detergent made with at least 96% totally bio-based products, and it’s EPA certified as a Safer Choice for humans and the environment. The formula in this detergent has plant-based triple enzymes like Amylase and Protease that combat the toughest of stains and get your clothes squeaky clean. It’s also hypoallergenic, so it’s gentle on sensitive skin that reacts poorly to irritants. Those prone to conditions like contact dermatitis will find relief in the fact that no artificial additives or irritating fragrances are used in this detergent.

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Better: Dropps Stain & Odor Laundry Detergent Pods

With these handy detergent pods, you’ll have the benefit of both convenience and safe ingredients. This detergent fights foul odors and tough stains without harsh chemicals, dyes, parabens, phosphates, or phthalates. If you would like a subtle hint of fragrance, Dropps has options that offer fresh lemon scents, pine scents, lavender, or fresh clove, added using natural essential oils instead of artificial fragrances. However, they also have a fragrance-free option for those with skin sensitivity to any added scents. Best of all, this detergent is cruelty-free, and the packaging it comes in is completely recyclable and compostable to help you reduce your carbon footprint.

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Best: Dr. Bronner’s – Pure-Castile Liquid Soap

This liquid soap is so safe and so mild, it can be your one-stop-shop for anything you need to be washed. It can be your hand wash, your laundry soap, or your dish soap. You can even use it on your hair and body, as long as it’s diluted properly. With plant-based, organic, and fair trade ingredients and no artificial additives for brightening or fragrance purposes, this detergent is completely vegan, biodegradable, and safe for the environment. You can be confident that your conservation efforts will be contributed to with this product. To top it all off, this detergent is certified cruelty-free and is never tested on animals.

Making healthy and socially responsible choices in your food, cosmetics, and cleaning practices is an excellent start to protecting you and your family from toxic chemicals and protecting the environment and the wildlife in it from harm. Committing to a chemical-free and plant-based laundry detergent has so many benefits in and outside of your home; it’s no wonder so many health-conscious individuals are making the switch to organic choices in this area. The best and healthiest laundry detergent brands use organic, plant-based ingredients, have no artificial additives for brightening or fragrance, and package their product in environmentally friendly materials. With all of our picks here, the good, the better, and the best, you can feel good about the product that your family is putting on their bodies every day.

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Veronica Sparks
Veronica Sparks
Contributor
Veronica Sparks is a writer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who loves writing about gardening, home décor, and DIY life. She’s…
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