sustainable home

Keys to Doing Eco-Friendly Laundry

Learn How to Achieve the Ultimate Clean Laundry—Eco-Friendly and Toxin-Free

Keeping up with the laundry is a necessary evil, but it doesn’t have to be detrimental to the planet–even if it is painful. Using non-toxic detergents and other stain-fighting products, along with switching to plastic-free alternatives, can transform one of the most hated household chores into a clean venture.

Table Of Contents
  1. Non-toxic laundry detergent
  2. Non-chlorine bleach
  3. Natural stain remover
  4. Washing Machine Cleaner
  5. Dryer sheet alternatives
  6. Eco-friendly hangers
  7. Hampers & laundry baskets
  8. Eco-friendly lint roller
  9. Eco-friendly laundry practices

The best ingredients for natural laundry detergent are sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium percarbonate and citric acid.

The safest laundry detergents are free of the following ingredients:

  • Phosphates
  • Synthetic Dyes, Fragrances, or Preservatives
  • Phthalates
  • Sufates
  • Formaldehyde
  • Optical Brighteners or Fabric Softeners
  • 1,4-Dioxane – Usually not specifically listed. Ethoxylated surfactant ingredients ends in “-eth”, such as laureth-6 or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), ceteareth or steareth.
  • Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs)
  • Chlorine

For a deeper dive, visit my blog post on non-toxic laundry detergents.

Go Green: Plastic-free laundry detergent

Plastic laundry detergent jugs are among the worst plastic pollution offenders out there: 700 million laundry detergent jugs end up in U.S. landfills each year. Up to 90% of liquid detergent contains water, which leads to considerable volume and weight, thereby increasing emissions from producing and transporting these jugs. Numerous eco-friendly laundry detergent options are available in plastic-free packaging; some are even compostable.

Laundry detergent tablets

tin of Blueland laundry detergent

Blueland Laundry Detergent Tablets – Blueland Laundry Detergent Tablets are made without dyes or bleach and are free from harmful chemcials. The company is a Certified B Corp and Climate Neutral certified. Products are EPA Safer Choice, Cradle to Cradle, Made Safe, EWG verified, USDA Biopreferred, and Leaping Bunny certified.

A Laundry Detergent Starter Set is $25, which includes a tin and 60 tablets. Or go for the Laundry Essentials Kit and receive the tin and 60 tablets along with another tin and refill pouch of Oxi Laundry Booster and three wool dryer balls. Refill tablets come packaged in commercially compostable packaging with water-based inks. Shipping packaging uses paper-based tape. All of Blueland’s products are plastic-free.

Buy at Blueland / Amazon

Laundry powder

  • Meliora Eco Laundry Powder – Fragranced or unscented, this sodium carbonate-based detergent powder is made with ingredients that are MADE SAFE® Certified, Leaping Bunny certified, and vegan. It comes in an uncoated paper and steel canister, with a stainless steel measuring scoop. Refills are packaged in a sturdy kraft paper bag with natural water-based lining and tin tie closures.
  • Simply Co. Laundry Detergent – packaged in a glass jar with a metal lid.

Liquid detergent

These plastic-free liquid detergents are all ultra concentrated, so a little goes a long way.

  • Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Detergent – This powerful liquid detergent contains Phytolase®, the company’s advanced enzyme cleaning technology. The scents are very pleasant and they also offer a fragrance-free option, all packaged in an aluminum bottle. The downside of this product is the price: a 21.6 oz bottle that washes 80 loads runs $26. Eco-certifications include EPA Safer Choice, USDA Certified Biobased, National Eczema Association, and EWG Verified.
  • Branch Basics – The Concentrate – With 4670 reviews averaging 4.9, this versatile non-GMO plant and mineral-based cleaning concentrate can be used to clean virtually anything. For laundry, only one teaspoon is advised per load, or you can dilute with water to make a laundry solution–use your own bottle or buy their glass dispensing bottle that marks how much soap to water to use. MADE SAFE and Leaping Bunny certifed, EWG ‘A’ grade.

Go Green: Skip the detergent pods and sheets

Laundry detergent pods and sheets marketed as eco-friendly options are everywhere. On the surface, these popular products seem like the simple solution to replace the bulky plastic jug, but they may not be as eco-friendly as they claim to be.

Detergent pods are encased in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which is also an ingredient in detergent sheets. PVA (also known as PVOH) is a water-soluble fossil fuel-based synthetic polymer. A debate rages on whether it is truly biodegradable, as many companies claim. Others, including one study by ASU, say otherwise, that PVA only breaks down into tiny microplastics, contributing to plastic pollution.

Other studies found that PVA is not filtered out by wastewater treatments and is biodegradable only under specific conditions, which do not include the natural marine environment.

The Washington Post explores this controversy if you wish to learn more. For me, it comes down to this: PVA is based on petrochemicals, which alone have an negative environmental impact. I don’t want to use them if I don’t have to, and in detergent, PVA is an unnecessary ingredient used solely for convenience. Since debate remains on biodegradability, I’d rather err on the side of caution. And there are more than enough eco-friendly, plastic-free laundry detergents to choose from.

Reusing laundry jugs

Here are some upcycle ideas for bottles and jugs.

Recycling detergent jugs

Detergent bottles and caps are recyclable in your curbside bin.

Terracycle has a couple free mail-in programs. The first one accepts fabric care products and packaging from brands Tide, Gain, Downy, NBD. & Dreft, including plastic components (dispensing cup, bag, nozzle, nozzle clip), and plastic packaging wrap, flexible plastic bags, rigid plastic tubs and lids, and Tide To Go pen.

The second program takes Arm & Hammer and OxiClean brand plastic pouches.

You probably didn’t know that up to 700,000 tiny microplastics are released from clothing made from synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, and elastane with each load of laundry. It is estimated that 35% of microplastics in the ocean and 71% in rivers come from synthetic clothing. Purchase a washing bag from GuppyFriend for your synthetic clothes to help prevent microplastics from being released into your wastewater. Another option is the Cora Ball, which you simply place in your load of laundry. The last and most effective option is PlanetCare‘s microfiber filter which you attach to your washing machine. Third-party testing shows this filter catches 90% of microfibers. When the filter is full, you send it back to the company and they refurbish it to be used again.

Non-chlorine bleach

Everyone knows that burning feeling chlorine can create in your eyes and throat, right? Anything that creates those kinds of reactions are obviously not the healthiest chemicals to have around. By itself, chlorine bleach fumes can be harmful and exacerbate conditions like asthma, but mixing it with other cleaners or chemicals such as vinegar, ammonia, or rubbing alcohol can create deadly gasses.

Bleach ingredients to avoid:

  • Sodium hypochlorite is the active ingredient in chlorine bleach.
  • Optical brighteners or UV brighteners. Stilbene and biphenyl are the two fluorescent chemicals used to create the illusion of brightness on fabrics. These materials can absorb UV light and emit visible (blue–violet) light. So when deposited on fabrics, they enhance the whiteness or brightness appearance of white or lightly colored fabrics. These substances do not biodegrade in water, can irritate skin, and break down into metabolites that may be harmful to our endocrine & reproductive systems.

Go Green: Chlorine-free bleach alternatives

Sodium carbonate or hydrogen peroxide are the best alternative ingredients for bleach.

Liquid

Powder

Go Green: Plastic-free bleach alternatives

All of these come in powder form.

  • Meliora Oxygen Brightener – This powder is made from two simple ingredients–sodium carbonate peroxide and sodium carbonate (washing soda)–that act as both a laundry booster and an oxygen cleaner making it a great bleach alternative. Made Safe and Leaping Bunny certified. It is packaged in the same paper and steel canister as their laundry powder. Also available at EarthHero
  • Blueland Oxi Laundry Booster – You can buy starter pack that includes a tin to store this booster powder, and subsequent refills come in a comercially compostable pouch. Cradle to Cradle Certified, Leaping Bunny, EPA Safer Choice.
  • Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Booster – Like their detergent, this fragrance-free booster powder utilizes enzymes to help remove stains and odors. It comes in a cardboard canister with a wooden measuring spoon. USDA Certified Biobased, EPA Safer Choice. Also available at Amazon / Whole Foods / Grove
  • Aspen Clean Oxygen Bleach Powder and Stain Remover – 100% plant-based and certified vegan and cruelty-free. Ecocert certified and EWG verified.
  • Mama Suds Extra Strength Oxygen Powder – Two simple ingredients: sodium percarbonate, sodium carbonate. Certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and Vegan by PETA

How to whiten clothes naturally

What are natural bleach alternatives for laundry? You probably already have them in your house.

  • vinegar
  • baking soda
  • hydrogen peroxide
  • lemon juice
  • sunlight

Read more about how to utilize these ingredients from The Spruce.

Natural stain remover

  • Puracy Stain Remover – I LOVE this stain remover for clothes. It has obliterated stains that I thought were a lost cause–blood, dirt, grass, grease, and even old stains that have made it through the laundry a time or two. The ingredients are 98.95% plant-based, including 6 enzymes, contain no petroleum based chemicals, and are fully biodegradeable. Refills offered, and now available in a plastic-free option, see below.
  • Grove Stain Remover Spray
  • Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover

Go Green: Plastic-free stain remover

Stain remover sticks dominate the plastic-free options. I have yet to try these but they are on my list as soon as I run out of my Puracy spray, which has recently become the only plastic-free spray stain remover option.

  • Puracy Stain Remover – I am very happy to see it has become available in a plastic-free packaging option. The company’s new ‘Clean Can’ line has several of their products packaged in aluminum cans. You can buy a bundle that comes with a [plastic] sprayer that screws onto the can, or just pour the contents into your own sprayer. At this time the cans are only available on the company’s website.
  • Ethique Flash! Multi-purpose Stain Remover Bar – Main ingredients include sodium bicarbonate, kaolin clay, and lavender oil. Packaged in a paperboard box.
  • Meliora Soap Stick Stain Remover – Simple ingredients: sodium cocoate, glycerin, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, water. Packaged in paperboard box printed with vegetable-based inks
  • Zero Waste Store Stain Remover Stick
  • Mama Suds Laundry Stain Stick ($7.50) – made from saponified olive oil, and that ‘s it. Certified cruelty-free and vegan.

Washing Machine Cleaner

  • Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner. EPA Safer Choice. I just wish the tablets weren’t individually packaged in a plastic wrapper.
  • The cheaper, zero waste option is to run a full load with hot water and 2-4 cups of vinegar.

Dryer sheet alternatives

Single-use dryer sheets like Bounce can be used several times, but they still eventually end up in the trash. Most dryer sheets are made from nonwoven polyester material (aka plastic) coated with softeners and other chemicals. These chemicals achieve their fabric softening and anti-static cling properties by leaving a coating on your clothing. They may also leave a film behind inside your dryer, and build up in the vents or lint trap can decrease the dryer’s efficiency.

The coating on clothing also decreases absorbency, which is less desirable on towels or moisture wicking clothing, such as activewear.

Packaging doesn’t always list all the chemicals contained in dryer sheets. Many unlabeled toxic substances have been detected in dryer sheets. Dryer vents may introduce some of these, such as harmful VOCs, into the air. Dryer sheets can also be harmful or even fatal to pets in ingested.

There are more eco-friendly options out there, made with plant-based, biodegradable materials, but I say skip all these single-use options and go reusable.

Go Green: Wool Dryer Balls

wool dryer balls

Wool dryer balls are exactly what they sound like: round balls made of wool. These reusable balls are hypoallergenic and in my experience, work just as efficiently as dryer sheets to decrease static cling and keep clothes soft. They work well to remove pet hair, too. I worried that hair would wrap around the ball and be a pain to clean, and while some stray hairs do sometimes get attached, they are simple to remove.

The balls can also help reduce drying time, saving energy.

If you prefer fragrance, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to them before running the dryer. This does cause some discoloration (as seen in the photo) which is normal.

Blueland
Grove
Target

What if I’m allergic to wool?

For those who are allergic to wool or prefer a vegan option, there are several choices.

For your existing dryer sheets, here are some ideas to give them a little longer life.

Lint from natural fabrics can be composted or placed in your green waste bin.

Eco-friendly hangers

Go Green: Plastic-free hangers

There are a variety of metals and woods that make great alternatives to plastic hangers.

Hampers & laundry baskets

Go Green: Natural materials

Admittedly, buying a plastic-free hamper or laundry basket made from natural materials will most likely cost you more than plastic. Plastic is cheap, right? I’ve got a really nice rattan laundry hamper from Pottery Barn that I splurged on in the early days of being a poor newlywed, and that thing still looks new after over 20 years.

Look for hampers and baskets made from natural materials, such as rattan, wicker, seagrass, or bamboo. But make sure to pay special attention the material actually specifies it is indeed natural and not synthetic—especially wicker, which is a weaving method and not a type of material.

An additional challenge for a truly plastic-free option is the basket liner. The majority of these canvas liners are often a cotton-polyester blend, rather than pure cotton or linen, so be sure to check the label.

Plastic-free laundry hampers

Plastic-free laundry baskets

Eco-friendly lint roller

Go Green: Reusable lint rollers

Say goodbye to those wasteful tape lint rollers and get yourself a reusable lint remover.

Plastic-free lint roller options include:

Eco-friendly laundry practices

Go Green: Wash with cold water

About 90% of the energy used by a washing machine is to heat the water, so the best practice is to wash with cold water. I resisted this until recently because I didn’t think cold water would clean clothes as well. But I’ve been doing this for months now and I assure you that it works just as well.

Using cold water not only saves you money, but it substantially decreases decreases carbon emissions: if you washed 4 out of 5 loads of laundry in cold water for one year, the CO2 emissions would drop to 864 pounds of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to planting 0.37 acres of trees.

Cold water helps also prevent shrinkage and retain colors in your clothes and is better for delicate fabrics.

More green washing tips

  • Wash full loads as much as you can. It uses the same amount of energy either way, so fill up.
  • Use the extended spin cycle to remove as much water as possible and decrease drying times.
  • Read Consumer Reports tips on extending the life of your washing machine.

An Energy Star washing machine uses 20% less energy and about 30% less water than regular washers. Click here for the most energy efficient washing machines of 2023.

Green Drying tips

  • Air dry when you can, especially delicate clothing or things you wear/wash frequently, like workout gear. This prolongs the life of your clothes saves energy by not using your dryer. If there’s room, install a closet rod in your laundry room to hang damp clothes. I use mine a ton, especially for delicates and workout clothes. I also bought this drying rack, which I love. For more ideas, check out Consumer Reports line drying tips.
  • Switch loads while the dryer is warm, which uses the remaining heat inside of the dryer for the next cycle.
  • Empty and clean the lint filter and dryer duct regularly to keep your dryer running more efficiently and safely.
  • Dry on low heat; even though it takes longer, it uses less energy.
  • Use a cool-down cycle if your dryer has one. This allows clothes to finish drying with the heat remaining in the dryer.
  • Use the moisture sensor option instead of timed drying, if your dryer has one. This will lead your dryer to turn off when its contents are dry, saving energy and decreasing the wear of over drying your clothes.

Energy Star dryers use about 20% less energy than other models. In fact, if all the clothes dryers in the country were Energy Star certified, citizens would save $1.5 billion dollars per year in utility costs. It would also decrease greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 2 million vehicles. Click here for the most energy efficient clothes dryers of 2023.

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