5 Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents

Looking to “green” your laundry routine? There are a variety of environmentally friendly laundry detergents out there, but how do you know which one to choose?

Through repeated trial and error, I have discovered what I believe to be the 5 best eco-friendly laundry detergents. Each of them have their pros and cons, so try them all and see which works best for you.

1. Seventh Generation Free & Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent

Seventh Generation products are arguably one of the most well-known eco-friendly cleaning products lines available, but I’ll admit I hadn’t had much experience with their products until I tried Free & Clear.

I picked this up because obviously it was environmentally friendly, but it’s also fragrance and dye free, meaning it won’t irritate people with sensitive skin or allergies. Instead, they scent their detergent with natural oils and botanical extracts, and the scent is nice without being overpowering.

While it worked well on moderately dirty clothes, a grape juice stain refused to come out of one of my T-shirts. I pre-treated it with the detergent, washed it again, but still no luck.

So while I was happy overall with the cleaning power of Free & Clear, tough stains are a little harder to tackle.

(Available through Amazon.com or Retail Stores)

2. Sun & Earth Deep Cleaning Laundry Detergent

A friend turned me on to Sun & Earth, and I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. The product is, of course, safe to use even for people with the most sensitive skin; it’s biodegradable, and it really removes dirt, grease, and oil really well.

I used this detergent during my regular weekly load of laundry and I was very happy with the results. I have a very active German Shepherd and when we play together I somehow end up with more dirt, grass, and mud on me than he does. Let me tell you — when Sun & Earth says their detergent “deep cleans,” they mean it! My clothes looked like they had never seen the outdoors, and I couldn’t have been more pleased.

3. Method HE Compatible Laundry Detergent

At my local Target, I came across Method’s laundry detergent. I had never tried it before, and the scent (water lily and aloe) sounded appealing. What sounded even more appealing was the fact that they do not test their products on animals; environmentally friendly and biodegradable.

While the bottle is smaller than I like to buy, it is 3x concentrated (meaning you can use less and still have the same cleaning power). It made my laundry smell absolutely divine, and it cleaned fairly decently as well.

In fact, the moment my clothes came out of the dryer I could just feel how clean they were. I was highly impressed with their detergent, and I would definitely use it again.

(Available at Target or Online)

4. Ecos Liquid Laundry Detergent

Ecos Liquid Laundry Detergent is easily the most cost-effective natural detergent I’ve found. I got a huge bottle at Costco, and because it is concentrated you only have to use a small amount to get the cleaning results you’re looking for.

The scent I chose was Magnolia and Lillies, and I was pleased the scent didn’t overwhelm me like most floral fragrances tend to do. While the detergent contains a soy-based fabric softener, I still had to use dryer sheets to get rid of the static cling. However, this minor inconvenience did not put me off from the amazing cleaning power of the detergent. It was even able to get out ground-in dirt and food stains that had been sitting for a few days!

This is definitely an eco-friendly laundry detergent worth trying.

(Available at Costco or Online)

5. MelaPower 6x Laundry Detergent

MelaPower’s 6x concentrated laundry detergent really gets your clothes clean — I mean really clean! The scent is light and fresh, and offers a great, affordable way to green your laundry routine. According to the bottle, you only need about a 1/2 oz. of detergent per load of laundry, so one bottle will last you forever.

Plus, it’s free of bleach and other chemicals and is a great eco-friendly laundry detergent that’s also affordable. How can you beat that?

Whether you want to try out an eco-friendly laundry detergent for the first time or are unhappy with your current pick, these 5 detergents are easily some of the best I’ve found.

Have you used any of these detergents before? Is there a particular brand you recommend above all others? Leave me your feedback in the comments!