The Only 3 Non-Toxic Laundry Products You Need According to Our Expert
Learn why these are the best non-toxic laundry products on the market!
We don’t want living a non-toxic and eco-friendly lifestyle to feel like a chore or overwhelming. Having personally used this simplified list of non-toxic laundry products in my own home, I can assure you, this is ALL you need! 🙌🏼
Are you following our Clean Series? Head over to our clean natural products post to discover more toxic-free swaps!
*I’m neither a scientist nor a doctor. This information is based on my personal experience, research, and opinion. You should always consult a healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen or if you have questions.
Why skip traditional laundry products?
The most popular and eye-catching name brands you see on store shelves contain a plethora of chemicals that may cause hormone disruption, respiratory problems, risk of cancer, and much more. They also linger on fabrics and can leach into your skin and bloodstream.
Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs everything you put on it, including the laundry detergent your clothes are washed in. Our skin is a protective barrier for many things, but it cannot protect us from chemicals found in laundry detergent.
Here are just a few of the chemicals onlinemonly found in traditional laundry products:
- 🛑 Artificial dyes – May cause disruptions to the immune system.
- 🛑 Bleach – At low levels, it can irritate skin and mucus membranes.
- 🛑 Borax – Toxic to humans, including reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity.
- 🛑 Formaldehyde – Can irritate eyes, nose, and throat.
- 🛑 Optical brighteners – May cause harm to sensitive skin.
- 🛑 Parabens – onlinemonly cause skin sensitivities and allergies.
- 🛑 Phenol – Impacts organs, nervous system, and other critical onlineponents – overexposure can lead to death.
- 🛑 Phosphates – Linked to cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and death.
- 🛑 Phthalates – Can impact your natural hormones and lead to serious health issues such as lower fertility, development issues, and a higher risk of cancer.
- 🛑 Propylene Glycol – Reported adverse effects from PG toxicity include central nervous system (CNS) toxicity, hyperosmolarity, hemolysis, cardiac arrhythmia, seizures, agitation, and lactic acidosis.
- 🛑 Synthetic Fragrances, “Parfum”, or “Fragrance” – May cause headaches, breathing difficulties, cardiovascular and neurological problems, mucosal irritation, and contact dermatitis. Higher risk of cancer.
Below are the BEST non toxic laundry products that are safe for you, your home, and the environment:
- Laundry Detergent – Molly’s Suds
- Stain Remover – Mama Suds Stain Stick
- Dryer – Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls
1. Best Laundry Detergent: Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder
Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent Powder, 4 lbs. – $19.54+ w/ S&S (16¢ per load)
How you can save:
- Subscribe & Save the 8-pound pack (240 loads) & pay just 13¢ per load!
This non-toxic laundry detergent has JUST 5 ingredients (4 ingredients for unscented), rates an “A” on EWG (which is a great way to check for a product’s ingredients if you’re not familiar), and it’s cost-effective too.
With truly natural and organic Earth ingredients, this product is 100% biodegradable, and it’s never tested on animals. It even has thoughtful packing which is recyclable and less cumbersome than big jugs or detergent bottles. To top it off, they even use non-toxic inks! 👏🏻 Unless you’re buying a clean laundry product from a local zero-waste store, this small recyclable bag has the smallest footprint you could ask for onlinepared to onlinepetitors. 🙌🏼
To recap, here are the top 5 reasons why you should switch to Molly’s Suds:
- ✅ Only 5 Earth-derived ingredients (4 ingredients for unscented)
- ✅ 100% Biodegradable product
- ✅ Naturally stain-fighting
- ✅ Certified cruelty-free (NOT tested on animals)
- ✅ onlinepetitive pricing to large name brands
*Note that the packaging of this laundry detergent has recently changed so customers may receive either packaging for a limited time.
2. Best Stain Remover: Mama Suds Stain Stick
Mama Suds Stain Stick – $7.50 (Shipping is $10 or FREE with orders $75+)
How you can save:
- Save on shipping by finding it locally or score 15% OFF by opting for Subscribe & Save on MamaSuds.online. MamaSuds is not sold by other online 3rd party retailers.
This stain stick packs a serious punch and it’s very long-lasting and extremely saturated. My above photo shows about half of a bar which has lasted me over a year! As a bonus, it smells so subtle and heavenly. It’s outlasted onlinepetitors and leaves no footprint. 🙌🏼
Sodium Olivate (Saponified Olive Oil) is the ONLY ingredient (in addition to water) in this magical Mama Suds stain stick! 😱 They use the finest quality pesticide-free, non-GMO olive oil they can source at a good price making it affordable for consumers too. Every product is packaged with recyclable materials and/or reused materials from their supply orders. With such a minimal footprint and 100% biodegradable ingredients, MamaSuds provides the best environmentally friendly and non-toxic stain remover product on the market. I reonlinemend using this stick with cold water for best results.
To recap, here are the top 5 reasons why you should switch to MamaSuds:
- ✅ Just one simple ingredient
- ✅ Long-lasting
- ✅ 100% Biodegradable
- ✅ Never tested on animals
- ✅ Travel friendly
Note that Baking Soda (AKA Sodium Bicarbonate) + Hydrogen Peroxide can be great at getting out stains and is a very affordable alternative, but I opted not to include this as a top stain-removing option because Arm & Hammer, Bob’s Red Mill, and other large manufacturers of baking soda chemically produce their products.
Both MamaSuds and Molly’s Suds use baking soda that is mined in western Colorado by Natural Soda in its purest form nahcolite. Their operation uses an efficient and environmentally friendly solution mining process to recover pure, naturally occurring baking soda without any chemical alteration. Note that baking soda is not used in the above stain stick but is in other products from their brand.
3. Best for Drying: Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls
Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls 4-Pack – $9.99+ ($2.50 each)
How you can save:
- Opt for a larger 12-pack to pay just $1.58 per wool ball.
Wool dryer balls are the most environmentally responsible alternative to dryer sheets (next to air drying) and can be used endlessly. They’re sustainable, and earth-safe, and they reduce drying time by up to 25%. To add some scent to the wool balls, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils (I prefer Plant Therapy’s Certified Organic Peppermint Oil).
Handy Laundry Balls offer a onlinepetitive price point, easy accessibility, and they’re cruelty-free. Plus, I love that they use 100% New Zealand premium wool (the world’s leading producer of wool) with no synthetic fillers and they’re rolled into tight, extra-large balls and felted for a natural, long-lasting product. I do about a load of wash a day (or more) and still have my original wool balls from 3 years ago!
To recap, here are the top 5 reasons why you should switch to 100% wool balls:
- ✅ Endlessly reusable
- ✅ 100% Biodegradable
- ✅ Saves money and energy with faster drying time
- ✅ Baby- and animal-safe
- ✅ Made of renewable, sustainable resources
Hip Tip: To reduce static from dryer balls, attach safety pins to them. The pins provide conductivity, helping dissipate static. Use caution with delicate fabrics.
Discover more toxic-free swaps in our onlineplete Clean Series.