Is My Laundry Detergent Safe?
Laundry is a necessity for everyone. If you have a family, especially young children, you find yourself doing more and more loads of laundry. With babies and young children in the house, the laundry can sometimes feel never ending! Each time you run a load of laundry, do you know what chemicals you’re using to clean your clothes? Keep reading to learn all about choosing a non-toxic laundry detergent.
Lack of Regulation for Safe Laundry Detergent
There are regulations regarding child-safe packaging on laundry detergents, but what about child safe ingredients? Government agencies have put less focus on researching the long term consequences of repeated exposures to the chemicals in laundry detergent, resulting in inadequate safety regulations on potentially toxic ingredients.
However, as my blog post on water safety regulation pointed out (which you can check out here), just because these chemicals are in your laundry detergent and available for purchase, do not assume they are safe. Unfortunately, it has been left up to the consumer to sift through labels, ingredients, and research studies. Most of us are too busy to do all this research, nor should we have to.
Keep reading if you want a summarized, simplified explanation on the chemicals in your laundry detergent, what makes a safe laundry detergent, and some options you can have on your shopping list the next time you need to restock.
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Toxic Chemicals in Laundry Detergent
The Environmental Working Group, also known as EWG, is a helpful resource when it comes to identifying harmful chemicals in personal care products and cleaning supplies. They perform independent research on toxic chemicals and also use information provided by the CDC and European Union to educate on the dangers of specific ingredients. Below are some chemicals identified by the EWG due to concern for respiratory irritation or asthma, skin allergies and irritation, developmental and reproductive toxicity, or cancer.
- Fragrance: If you’ve read my post on endocrine disrupting chemicals and their effects on your hormones, you should know that one easy way to avoid dangerous chemicals is to avoid products with the term fragrance on the label. This is an easy way for companies to hide many different chemicals and include it in this umbrella term. We are conditioned to think if your clothes smell clean, that they are clean. However, one study performed by the University of Washington found scented laundry products released fumes with “more than 25 volatile organic compounds, including seven hazardous air pollutants”. Two of these chemicals included acetaldehyde and benzene, which are considered carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency, but have no established safe exposure level (1).
- Sodium Borate: Most well known as borax, this chemical can cause reproductive harm and harm a developing fetus. It is also considered an endocrine disruptor, an allergen, and a skin irritant.
- 1, 4-Dioxane: 1,4-Dioxane is a carcinogen that finds its way into laundry detergents as a result of adding surfactants. It is known by the CDC to cause cancer, and can also cause respiratory, skin, and eye irritation.
- Buffers: Buffers can contain many different ingredients in order to maintain a stable pH. Some are safe, some are not. For example, sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) is one buffer solution that is harmless. However, there are others like boric acid that can cause developmental and reproductive harm with overexposure, and is extremely toxic if accidentally ingested (2). Oftentimes, labels do not specify which kind of buffer is being added to your detergent.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: This is a surfactant which helps mix the oil and water together in cleaning agents, enhancing its ability to remove dirt and grime. However, in certain concentrations it can be irritating to the skin. For those who have sensitive skin, rosacea, or have a tendency to get rashes, this is an ingredient to avoid.
EWG Verification
The EWG compiles all their evidence on ingredients and gives recommendations on products, ranking them from A-F. Marking a product as EWG Verified means it has no chemicals of concern and passes their strict standards for health. Although incredibly helpful, it can be hard to sift through this information while at the grocery store trying to quickly make a purchase. Therefore, I have broken down some laundry detergent suggestions based on EWG verified laundry detergents, as well as brands that can be found at more traditional shopping locations. You can refer back to this list as a quick go-to guide to make it easy to decide on a safe laundry detergent for your family.
EWG Verified Laundry Detergents
- AspenClean Laundry Detergent, (Unscented, Lavender & Lemongrass, Eucalyptus & Rosemary): This detergent comes in fragrance free options, as well as scented options using natural oils. It is made with organic ingredients. The fragrance free detergent is hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and a great option for sensitive skin and those with allergies. Check it out here.
- AspenClean Laundry Detergent Pods Zero Plastic (Unscented, Lavender & Lemongrass, Eucalyptus & Rosemary): If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option, AspenClean makes laundry pods that are packaged with zero plastic and are made with organic, plant-derived ingredients. Check it out here.
- Attitude Nature+ Laundry Detergent, (Unscented & Wildflowers): This EcoLogo Certified laundry detergent is made with only natural and plant-derived ingredients. It is biodegradable and comes in both traditional plastic packaging, as well as an eco friendly and refillable cardboard packaging. Check it out here.
Non-toxic Laundry Detergent at Target
- Seventh Generation: Look for the two specific detergents from this brand that I list below.There are many different options from this brand that received “D” and “F” ratings, including some of their Free & Clear formulations. The two listed below get an “A”, and “B”, respectively.
- Seventh Generation Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent Packs, Fresh Citrus Scent
- Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent Packs, Free & Clear
- 9 Elements Laundry Detergent, Eucalyptus or Lemon scent: Both of these scents got an A rating on EWG. Their brand focuses on minimal ingredients, and as the name implies, they never use more than 9 ingredients in their products. Over 50% of the ingredients are plant derived, and they use vinegar as a base of their cleaning agents. Although their products are scented using 100% essential oils, if you are someone who is sensitive to smells and prefers unscented products, this brand unfortunately does not offer a fragrance free option at this time. Check it out here.
- Ingredients Matter Laundry Soap, Fragrance Free: “A” rating from EWG. This laundry soap is hypoallergenic, and is free from synthetic fragrances, preservatives, dyes, parabens, phosphates, sulfates, and optical brighteners. Check it out here.
Non-toxic Laundry Detergent at Costco
- Nellie’s Laundry Soda: This detergent is fragrance free, contains only 4 ingredients, and gets an “A” rating from the EWG. Whereas liquid detergents are made up of mostly water, this powdered formula is highly concentrated and only requires 1 tablespoon per regular load. Check it out here.
Non-toxic Laundry Detergent for Babies
- Attitude Little Ones Nature + Laundry Detergent Unscented: EWG Verified, fragrance free, hypoallergenic, and vegan. Uses green tea extract as a natural antibacterial agent for clean clothes without irritating baby’s skin. Check it out here.
- Hello Bello Organic Concentrated Laundry Detergent Unscented: A rating. Although the scented versions claim to use plant derived ingredients, this ingredient got a “D” rating from the EWG due to the potential for skin and respiratory irritation. It would be my advice to stick with the fragrance free formulation especially if using for babies and children. Check it out here.
Brands That Get an “F” Rating From EWG
- All 2x Ultra Concentrated Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear: Even though this may be marketed as a safer option since it is Free & Clear, this detergent contains buffers, stabilizers, and non-specific fabric brighteners. These ingredients can all cause developmental and reproductive effects, and are known endocrine disruptors.
- Tide Free & Gentle as well as traditional Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent: Scent, or no scent, Tide is not a safe option. It contains many of the toxic chemicals we discussed avoiding, such as sodium borate, 1, 4-Dioxane, and other chemicals that can affect your reproductive, respiratory, and endocrine systems.
- Kirkland Signature Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergent: Contains surfactants, which can cause damage to your immune system, internal organs, endocrine system, and reproductive system.
Toxic Laundry Detergents Marketed for Babies
Just because something is marketed to babies, does not mean it is safe to use. It’s unfortunate that companies will market to parents of young children and yet not ensure that their products are free from harmful ingredients. Since children are physically smaller in size, and are undergoing rapid growth and change in how their organ systems function, they are far more susceptible to the adverse effects of toxic chemicals.
- Babyganics 3x Laundry Detergent, Fragrance Free: contains sodium borate, as well as preservatives linked to lung and skin irritation.
- Dreft Pure Gentleness Liquid Detergent, Free & Gentle: Dreft is often a brand recommended by doctors to new moms. However, it gets an “F” by the EWG due to the presence of sodium borate, 1,4-dioxane, and ethylene oxide which is a carcinogen.
Hopefully you’ve learned from this post that it’s easier than you realize to switch to a safer laundry detergent. Avoiding common yet toxic ingredients improves your health, and is also better for the environment. It’s becoming easier to find safe products in brands that you recognize and can find at everyday stores. All it takes is a little research, and I hope this list helped to make it easy for you to choose an option that works for your family.
Click here to visit the EWG website if you find yourself interested in looking up the rating of your existing laundry detergent, or simply explore their database. They are a great resource on finding safer products for your home, yourself, and your family.
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