11 Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent Subscriptions

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The Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent Subscriptions

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One thing that can make the laundry process easier to manage is having your detergent delivered via a subscription service, ensuring you never run out and that you don’t have to make any extra trips to the store. And for those who want to minimize their environmental footprint, finding an eco-friendly laundry detergent subscription is especially important.

The good news is that there are plenty of subscription services out there that focus on sustainability. How can you decide which one is right for you? In this post, we’ll highlight a few of the best eco-friendly laundry detergent subscriptions, and provide some general tips on how to make your laundry better for the planet.

Our Picks for Laundry Detergent Subscriptions

Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

How We Chose Our Favorite Laundry Detergent Subscriptions

Before we provide our list of recommendations, it may be helpful to consider some of the specific factors that separate eco-friendly laundry detergents from traditional options. Here are some of the ranking criteria we used.

Type of Detergent

Do you prefer using liquid detergent? Or how about laundry powders, laundry detergent pods, or strips? Some subscription services allow you just one option, while others will let you choose the medium that’s right for you and your washing machine.

Ingredients

As you seek ethical and eco-friendly laundry detergents, it’s always wise to consult the ingredient list. For our choices, we have sought to celebrate detergents that feature biodegradable, water-soluble, cruelty-free, vegan, and all-natural ingredients. We’ve tried to choose laundry detergents that are hypoallergenic, as well.

Toxicity

We have also prioritized detergents that are non-toxic and free from harsh chemicals. Some detergents are made with harsh or abrasive chemicals, including phosphates, sulfates, phthalates, dioxane, surfactants, and parabens. We’ve tried to include detergents that do not feature these chemicals.

Key Certifications

Many laundry detergents come with meaningful seals of approval. For our list, we’ve tried to celebrate products certified via EPA Safer Choice Products Standards, USDA Certified Biobased Product, Leaping Bunny Cruelty-Free, high-efficiency (HE) washer safe, etc.

Packaging

If you’re mindful of ecological stewardship, then you’ll naturally want to seek laundry detergents that are packaged with recyclable, recycled, reusable, or compostable materials. The best laundry detergent subscriptions help you get closer to a zero waste laundry room as possible.

Pricing

Last but not least, we recommend comparing price points for different laundry detergent subscription services to find one that will work for you.

These are just some of the core considerations to make as you search for the best laundry detergent subscription service.

The Best Laundry Detergent Subscriptions

One thing to note about these laundry detergents: Some of them offer their own subscription models and some do not, but you can subscribe to any of them via Amazon. With that in mind, these are our picks for the top 11 eco-friendly laundry detergent subscriptions of 2021.

Best Overall: Cleancult

Cleancult

cleancult.com

Cleancult has long been one of the leading names in eco-friendly laundry detergents. Not only do they have a range of products, but they do an outstanding job of shipping everything carbon neutral in eco-friendly, plastic-free containers. We also recommend Cleancult to anyone who really wants their detergent to be fragrance-free and accommodating to sensitive skin.

Why buy: We recommend Cleancult because of their industry-leading approach to eco-friendly packaging that includes zero waste refillable glass bottles.

Buy

Best Packaging: Dropps

Dropps

dropps.com

Dropps claims to make laundry detergent that contains potent cleaning properties without any “bad stuff.” We’re happy to say that they live up to this mantra. Their products are made to minimize pollution, animal cruelty, and plastic waste. You can subscribe to save up to 25% on their laundry pods and other products. If you enjoy your Dropps laundry detergent, you might also consider checking out their dishwashing products.

Why buy: We recommend Dropps for their strong stance against “bad stuff,” including plastic waste and animal cruelty. We love their compostable packaging and carbon neutral shipping.

Buy

Best Plastic-Free Option: The Simply Co.

The Simply Co.

packagefreeshop.com

The Simply Co. offers “the only laundry detergent you will ever need.” Their product is made from organic and natural ingredients, including baking soda, washing soda, and organic castile soap. It’s 100% biodegradable, septic safe, and works with HE washers. Best of all, it comes in a recyclable glass jar with recyclable lid, making it completely plastic free.

Why buy: The Simply Co. laundry detergent is a great way to cut plastic out of your laundry routine, while also using an all-natural and biodegradable detergent.

Buy

Best Selection: Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation

seventhgeneration.com

Seventh Generation does just about everything right. They provide products that offer real cleaning power with a triple enzyme formula. They also invest a lot of time and effort into ensuring that their products are made largely from plants and other renewable ingredients. In fact, their liquid laundry detergent is 100 percent biodegradable. There are plenty of sensitive-skin free & clear options, too, making Seventh Generation a lineup that should appeal to pretty much anyone.

Why buy: We recommend Seventh Generation for their powerful products, like their concentrated formula detergents, and their commitment to ecological stewardship.

Buy

Most Detergent Options: Biokleen

Biokleen

biokleenhome.com

Biokleen goes out of their way to minimize packaging, physical waste, and even undue energy use by manufacturing their products with cold water. Their cleaning products employ natural ingredients, including plants and minerals, to provide powerful stain removers and odor eliminators. Also note that this is a laundry subscription service where you can take your pick between liquids and powders, simply depending on your preference.

Why buy: We recommend Biokleen because they offer a number of laundry products that are powerful but also incredibly eco-friendly, something evident in their ingredients and manufacturing processes.

Buy

Best Scents: Grove Collaborative (Mrs. Meyers)

Grove Collaborative (Mrs. Meyers)

mrsmeyers.com

Grove Collaborative is the company behind the excellent Mrs. Meyers line. You can pick from a number of great household products from Grove and Mrs. Meyers, including hand soaps, dish soaps, multi-surface cleaners, and of course laundry detergents. The Mrs. Myers Clean Day detergents are all made with a balance of essential oils and plant-based ingredients. Many of them offer lovely, subtle scents, and all of them provide all-natural cleaning prowess.

Why Buy: We recommend Mrs. Meyers from Grove Collaborative because of the emphasis on natural, garden-fresh ingredients and biodegradable formula.

Buy

Best Concentrated Detergent: Frey

Frey

frey.com

Much of Frey’s reputation rests on their fresh, enticing scents. That’s certainly a cool feature, but it’s not what makes their laundry detergents so great. What we love about them is that they are another great example of designing household products in an eco-friendly way, drawing from high-quality, all-natural ingredients. Also note that the Frey team plants a tree for every order you place.

Why Buy: We recommend Frey for their aromatic scents and for the innovative ways they give back on every order, like planting trees and the Wash for Wash program.

Buy

Best Laundry Strips: Tru Earth

Tru Earth

tru.earth

If you’re looking for eco-friendly laundry strips, your best bet is probably Tru Earth. They showcase an eco-friendly, fully-dissolving, low-sudsing strip that works well in any kind of laundry machine, including high efficiency (HE) units. These strips are simple, sensitive, hypoallergenic, made without abrasive chemicals. We also love that they are lightweight, which dramatically reduces the amount of fuel used to transport them to market.

Why Buy: We recommend Tru Earth for their high-quality, lightweight, eco-friendly laundry strips, made with plastic-free packaging.

Buy

Best Hypoallergenic: The Honest Company

The Honest Company

honest.com

At Honest Company, you’ll find a number of safe and non-toxic products for use around your home, including laundry detergent. True to their name, this company is always very clear about the ingredients used in their products. Their Baby Laundry Detergent is hypoallergenic and is an EPA Safer Choice and USDA Biobased product.

Why Buy: We recommend Honest Company because of their total transparency about the ingredients in their award-winning laundry detergent.

Buy

Best Refills: MyGreenFills

MyGreenFills

mygreenfills.com

MyGreenFills designs soaps and household cleaners that get the job done without requiring any harsh or abrasive chemicals. They also utilize refillable jugs and recyclable packaging, really setting a high bar for eco-friendly distribution. And, they have a really appealing, cost-effective subscription model, making it easy to find a unique solution for your home.

Why Buy: We recommend MyGreenFills because they provide eco-friendly cleaning products with great packaging, including a refillable jug that we especially love.

Buy

Best Reusable Option: Eco Nuts

Eco Nuts

econutssoap.com

Eco Nuts is a company that is well-regarded in eco-friendly circles and offers a USDA organic laundry option. For a top-notch sustainable laundry detergent, these “soap nuts” get your clothes clean without a lot of waste or a lot of harmful chemicals. You can reuse these ethically harvested soap berries up to 10 times, and they come with a cloth bag that can be reused hundreds of times.

Why Buy: We recommend Eco Nuts soap nuts detergent because they represent a truly innovative way to get the laundry done, without the need for harsh or hazardous chemicals.

Buy

Do Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents Work?

Hopefully, our list gives you some good ideas for your next organic laundry detergent purchase. But do these products actually work the way they say they do?

Let’s take a look at this question in two parts.

First, do eco-friendly laundry detergents actually clean your laundry, leaving your clothing soft and stain-free? The ones we’ve listed in this article certainly do. That’s because they harness the potency of natural ingredients, including botanicals and minerals, which are as effective as any artificial chemicals. Also note that most eco-friendly detergents are highly concentrated, so not only do they work well, but they actually enable you to get your laundry done while using far less of your detergent.

Second, do these products really display the environmental sensitivity that proponents say they do? Again, the answer is a resounding yes, and it’s precisely because they do not include the kinds of chemicals that tend to linger in the soil or in the water; rather, their ingredients are made to be naturally biodegradable, significantly reducing total environmental impact.

A big problem with traditional laundry detergents is that they come in plastic containers, which means lots of physical waste that ends up in a landfill somewhere. Again, we want to emphasize that the products we recommend in this article all come in packaging that’s either recycled, compostable, or at the very least made from recyclable materials.

Other Eco-Friendly Laundry Products

Getting an organic laundry detergent subscription is a meaningful first step toward greater environmental stewardship, but what about other green products for use in the laundry room?

There are plenty of accessories you can invest in to make your laundry process even “greener,” including some that are available from the brands we listed above. Examples include:

  • Wool dryer balls
  • Biodegradable dryer sheets
  • Guppyfriend wash bags
  • Lint brushes
  • Lines for hanging your clothing to air dry

Consider adding a few of these items to your shopping list!

Make Your Laundry Cleaner for the Environment

Laundry is an inevitable part of life, and often, it can seem unending. One way to reduce a small part of your laundry burden is to sign up for a subscription detergent service. And, by choosing organic or eco-friendly products, you can also play your part in creating a better world.

Josh Hurst is a journalist, critic, and essayist. He lives in Knoxville, TN, with his wife and three sons. He covers natural health, nutrition, supplements, and clean energy. His writing has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.

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