Which eco-friendly laundry detergents actually clean your clothes? I put 11 to the test
Our writer spent weeks putting capsules, sheets and liquid detergent through their paces to find the best for your clothes and the planet
Nothing makes falling into bed more enjoyable than freshly laundered sheets, especially if they’ve just been dried in the sunshine. It’s a definite bonus, though, to know your clean bedding won’t bring you out in a rash or pollute your local river.
Laundry detergent can be a troublesome product. A few years ago, I suffered a full-body rash after using pound-shop detergent on my sheets. I switched to a big-brand product and never had a reaction again, but there’s still the question of whether its ingredients may be causing environmental harm after they’ve gone down the drain.
The sulphates, phosphonates and bleaches that many detergents use to remove stains and brighten fabric can cause lasting environmental damage, especially to aquatic life. I’m lucky enough to live next to the sea, and the output of my washing machine is unlikely to be doing it much good.
Brands such as Smol, Ecover and Bio-D claim to be eco-friendly alternatives, but can they tackle dirty laundry as well as standard detergents – and are they as green as they say? To find out, I challenged 11 of them to clean my clothes, soften my sheets and remove stains, including makeup, raspberry juice and ground-in mud. Here are the ones that rose to the challenge, and those that were no more effective than using nice-smelling water.
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Why you should trust me
I’ve spent decades writing about products, from smartphones to hay fever remedies, so I’m professionally sceptical of manufacturers’ claims to magically improve our lives by buying their stuff. Given how long I’ve been testing duvets, blankets, mattresses and their toppers and other washable homewares for the Filter, it’s about time I found the best way to launder them.
How I tested
Inevitably, there was a lot of washing. To fairly compare all these detergents on key variables, including stain removal, fabric softness and lasting fragrance, I spent three weeks running my washing machine twice a day. At about 5kg per load and 22 loads, that’s more than 100kg of soggy laundry in the name of Filter research.
Before any socks could get washed, though, I had to choose and source my test detergents. I scoured ingredients lists and company information for evidence of ethical and environmental kudos, including certifications from bodies such as B Corp, Allergy UK and the Vegan Society. I also looked for sustainable packaging, innovative ways to reduce weight and waste, and bottles that could be refilled without buying more plastic.
My house is no science lab, but I did what I could to ensure that my testing was fair and thorough. I devoted one day each to 11 detergents across three weeks. Each time, I used the detergent to wash two sets of laundry in my standard front-loading Beko washing machine. One load was 2kg of clothes that included sweaty running kit, underwear and coloured T-shirts, washed at 20C. The larger 4kg load was washed at 40C and contained white items, including a duvet cover and a large white towel that was my stain-test guinea pig.
Each morning, I daubed the poor towel with mucky substances, including liquid foundation, tomato ketchup, cat food, garden mud and a juicy squashed raspberry. I photographed the blotches before and after washing, then used them to compare how the detergents removed dirt.
Other factors were more subjective. I’m not a perfume-wearer, but I love a gently fresh fragrance from my laundry, as long as its source doesn’t bother my skin. I buried my nose in every load of laundry when it was fresh from the machine, and then again when it was dry. I put a couple of freshly laundered socks aside each time, then sniffed them again after a few days to see how well the scent had lingered.
Price was important, too. Laundry detergent can get expensive, especially for families. I calculated the price per wash for a small (2kg) load, but also awarded value-for-money kudos to detergents that never needed a double dose.
I was left with a little spare after testing, so I was able to donate the detergents to Yellow Door, my local domestic abuse refuge.
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The best laundry detergent
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<em>Best laundry detergent overall:</em>Smol bio capsules
- What we love:Excellent cleaning power using fewer chemicals by weight
- What we don’t love:Not chemical free, and only available on subscription
All I really want from a detergent is clean laundry and good eco credentials. Smol triumphs on the first of these key factors and does well on the second. With B Corp certification, it’s a solid eco choice. It doesn’t quite score five stars, though: Smol isn’t entirely free of hazardous ingredients, and you can only get it on subscription.
Why we love it
Smol’s subscription isn’t a contract, so you’re not tied into a payment trap, and you can order a one-off box (you just pay postage for the “free” nine-capsule introductory offer; mine was £1.99). Regular deliveries mean you won’t run out of detergent or ever need to lug it back from the shops, and you can skip or pause whenever you want.
The detergent was my favourite by far. Smol’s capsules contain chemicals, including some derived from fossil fuels, which is probably why Smol can say it uses “less chemicals” than big brands. It works, too: in the 40C stain test, Smol was the only detergent to remove any trace of the mud I’d ground into my towel. With my 20C load, my clothes emerged outstandingly bright and clean.
Everything smelled delightful, and that was important for me. Smol doesn’t give its detergent’s fragrance a name, but says it’s “unique to Smol” and created using what the brand claims are ethically sourced essential oils, including orange, pine, elemi, lavender and patchouli. If you’re a fan of punchy fragrances, you may want to add fabric softener for extra scent, but I loved the gentle, soothing aroma that lasted for days.
It’s a shame that … Smol’s concentrated formula is slightly lower on harmful chemicals rather than free of them, like a natural or plant-based detergent would be. The company is transparent about its ingredients, though (here’s the full list), and there are no parabens, phosphates or phthalates. It’s also a shame that you can’t buy Smol at the shops.
Type: bio, non-bio or fragrance-free capsules (I tested non-bio)
Size: 24 capsules
Maximum loads: 24
Price per load: 25p
Scent tested: standard Smol fragrance using orange, pine and other essential oils
Sustainability: B Corp certified, concentrated formula, certified free of microplastics, 100% plastic-free packaging (sustainable FSC-approved cardboard)
Certified cruelty-free? Yes
Vegan? Yes
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<em>Best budget laundry detergent:</em>Ecoegg laundry egg
- What we love:Great value and convenience; good eco-credentials
- What we don’t love:Not the strongest on stains
This refillable egg-shaped plastic cage looks like it should come filled with Maltesers for Easter. Instead, you fill it with the supplied “mineral pellets”, a mixture of tourmaline and detergent pellets, snap it shut and plonk it in with your laundry for up to 70 washes, all for less than a tenner. A full 70-wash refill costs an even more impressive £6.65.
Why we love it
The 70-wash lifespan of each Ecoegg mineral pack is more than double that of most products in this test. If you live on your own and don’t roll around in mud too often, one Ecoegg could last all year. It’s also the most convenient detergent in my whole test: no liquid mess, no plasticky pods.
There’s a sustainability claim baked into Ecoegg’s name, which is surprising for a product made from plastic and containing cleaning agents. The name is more than justified, though, not least because the egg itself is refillable and can be used for years. The mineral pellets are free of phosphonates, sulphates and parabens, and I didn’t suffer any skin trouble with the “fresh linen” fragrance pellets I tested, but if you’re particularly sensitive, there is a fragrance-free edition too, which is approved by Allergy UK.
My Ecoegg did a fine job of cleaning underwear, de-stinking running kit and leaving my bedsheets feeling soft and smelling fresh, which is impressive for a detergent that works out at 14p a wash for a small load.
It’s a shame that … the detergent wasn’t powerful or sudsy enough to remove stains in one wash in my hard-water area. The makeup, mud and raspberry marks on my white towel remained noticeable.
Type: non-bio mineral pellets
Size: 1 egg
Maximum loads: 70 before it needs refilling
Price per load: 14p
Scent tested: fresh linen
Sustainability: no phosphates or parabens, refill pellets available, FSC-certified cardboard packaging, Allergy UK-approved fragrance-free range
Certified cruelty-free? No, but claims to be cruelty-free
Vegan? Yes
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<em>Best-smelling laundry detergent:</em>Ecover non-bio laundry liquid
- What we love:Great value; super sudsy; laundry smells divine
- What we don’t love:Sulphates could cause sensitive skin reactions
As well as ticking all the right aroma boxes, Ecover is also one of the best-value products I tested, especially as it’s so often available for less than its £10 RRP. Its cleaning performance is excellent, too, and its formula is lower in hazardous chemicals than its big-name rivals.
Why we love it
Ecover’s 1.43l bottle is not bad value even at its full price, and in my washing test I found that a little goes a long way. Not only did one capful of this detergent create the most impressive suds of all the detergents in my test, despite me living in a hard water area, but it also rinsed away completely to leave my fabrics looking bright and smelling unbelievably good. Stain removal was well above average, with mud, cat food and ketchup all washing away – although raspberry and the makeup left shadowy marks.
Ecover achieved these impressive results with a formula that uses rapidly biodegradable ingredients, excludes phosphates and optical brighteners, and largely avoids petrochemical ingredients derived from fossil fuels. Its fragrances, too, are 50% naturally derived – and the lavender and sandalwood variety was my favourite in the whole test. It’s not overpowering (some may find it too subtle, in fact), and it lifted my mood and lingered for days.
It’s a shame that … Ecover contains sodium lauryl sulphate and laureth-7, which may trigger reactions in sensitive skin (I didn’t suffer any). Some organisations, including the UK-based Naturewatch Foundation, have urged stockists and consumers to boycott Ecover after it was bought by SC Johnson, which tests on animals, but Ecover itself is still certified cruelty-free.
Type: non-bio liquid
Size: 1.43l
Maximum loads: 40
Price per load: from about 18p
Scent tested: lavender and sandalwood
Sustainability: factory certified platinum zero waste by True, bottles are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic (caps 50%), refills available
Certified cruelty-free? Yes
Vegan? Yes
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<em>Best laundry detergent for sensitive skin:</em>Bio-D fragrance-free laundry liquid
- What we love:Kind to fabric and skin; cleans well
- What we don’t love:Won’t shift stubborn stains, including mud
Bio-D’s fragrance-free liquid is the only other detergent in my test to be accredited by Allergy UK. Despite being fragrance-free, it left my clothes and sheets smelling fresh. Its biodegradable formula is great for delicates, not least because it’s designed to be used at low temperatures, but like Ecoegg, it struggled to shift my stubborn stains.
Why we love it
I confess I was surprised by how well Bio-D’s naturally derived formula cleaned my laundry. The gentle liquid left my stinky running kit smelling and feeling wonderfully clean even at 20C, and it generated enough suds to be effective for hand-washing, too. My fabrics looked bright but didn’t feel as soft as with some of the other detergents. If you’re after softness and fragrance, Bio-D’s lavender fabric conditioner is worth adding.
It’s a shame that … my ground-in mud, makeup and raspberry stains sailed through almost untouched, so this may not be your first choice of detergent if you have to deal with lots of mucky school shirts.
Type: non-bio liquid
Size: 1l
Maximum loads: 25
Price per load: from about 20p
Scent tested: fragrance-free
Sustainability: B Corp certified, bottles made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic (except caps), solar-powered manufacture, fully traceable ingredients, refills available, Allergy UK-approved fragrance-free range
Certified cruelty-free? Yes
Vegan? Yes
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The best of the rest
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Ineos non-bio laundry liquid
- What we love:Plant-based; fruity fragrance; good cleaning power
- What we don’t love:Not chemical-free as its “plant powered” tag suggests
Best for: families who need reliable cleaning without a big price tag
Ineos is well priced for a detergent that beat most others in fading my dreaded raspberry stain. It also left my sweaty running kit smelling gorgeous after a mere 20C wash.
Ineos is not quite what I’d call an eco detergent, but it does take a few steps in the right direction. Ineos contains some plant-based ingredients (just enough to warrant its claim of being “plant powered”) and omits phosphonates and optical brighteners, but the formula still contains synthetic ingredients, including one that’s harmful to aquatic life.
It didn’t make the final cut because … I would have liked the lovely fragrance to last longer than a day.
Type: non-bio liquid; size: 1l; maximum loads: 33; price per load: from about 21p; scent tested: rhubarb and pomegranate; sustainability: some plant-based cleansing ingredients, bulk sizes available; certified cruelty-free? Yes; vegan? Yes
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Method concentrated laundry liquid
- What we love:Good value and works well on stains
- What we don’t love:Scent won’t suit everyone; not especially green
Best for: anyone who wants their detergent to act like a second perfume
Method is Ecover’s sister product, and its eco credentials include recycled bottles, cruelty-free testing and a formula designed to work at lower temperatures. However, it contains many of the standard synthetic detergent ingredients.
On the upside, it’s a capable cleaner with a strong, lasting floral scent that many will love. The bottle’s a bit dribbly, but once I managed to get the liquid into my washing machine, it made an excellent attempt at removing the raspberry stain in a single 40C cycle.
It didn’t make the final cut because … owned by US conglomerate SC Johnson, Method is not a particularly eco-friendly choice thanks to ingredients including laureth-7, sulphates and optical brighteners.
Type: bio liquid; size: 990ml; maximum loads: up to 33; price per load: 20p; scent tested: peony blush; sustainability: 100% recycled plastic bottle (except cap); certified cruelty-free? Yes; vegan? Yes
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Miniml non-bio laundry liquid
- What we love:Fully biodegradable; leaves clothes feeling soft
- What we don’t love:Not strong enough to shift stubborn stains
£6.99 for 1l at Regn
Best for: families, and children sensitive to cleaning chemicals
Miniml’s biodegradable formula contains almost entirely (99%+) plant-based ingredients – for example, a coconut-derived surfactant – and felt gentle on my skin and fabrics. It did a fine job of freshening up and softening my clothes and sheets, although it couldn’t rescue my longsuffering stained towel. I expect it would take a few more washes before the slightly faded marks stop being noticeable.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the gentleness of Miniml makes it a great family choice, and it can even be used for hand-washing, but it may admit defeat against a muddy school kit.
Type: non-bio liquid; size: 1l; max loads: 33; price per load: from about 17p; scent tested: dragon fruit and orchid; sustainability: biodegradable formula, bottles made from recycled plastic (except lids) and refill pouches and 5l bottles are free to return, refills have a closed-loop supply chain for zero waste, factory runs on renewable energy, B Corp certification pending; certified cruelty-free? Yes; vegan? Yes
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Faith in Nature laundry liquid
- What we love:Gentle on sensitive skin, B Corp certified
- What we don’t love:Not powerful on stains; squirting gets messy
Best for: eco-conscious householders who want a full range of green cleaning products
Faith in Nature, which has B Corp certification, makes all sorts of plant-derived household cleaning products that can be refilled. As with Ecover, it contains laureth-7, which may trigger sensitive skin, but I didn’t suffer any reactions. It smelled delicious, felt soft and looked bright.
As with many of the detergents made largely from plant-derived ingredients, though, Faith in Nature couldn’t remove my makeup and raspberry stains. I faded them slightly by spot-cleaning with a little of the detergent, but that still didn’t shift the marks completely. I think the lesson here is that if you want to wash with truly green detergent, don’t get makeup on your clothes.
It didn’t make the final cut because … I just couldn’t work out how to squirt the liquid into my machine’s drawer without dribbling it all over my hands.
Type: non-bio liquid; size: 1l; maximum loads: 30; price per load: about 33p; scent: aloe vera and rosemary; sustainability: B Corp certified, recycled plastic bottle, larger 5l and 20l bottles can be returned for free, refills available; certified cruelty-free? Yes; vegan? Yes
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Eat Dirt non-bio laundry liquid
- What we love:Sustainable ingredients; lovely scent and packaging
- What we don’t love:Expensive, especially if you don’t subscribe
Best for: anyone who’d like to display their detergent as well as use it
Newcomer Eat Dirt is one of the most beautifully packaged products I’ve seen. Its one-litre tin is much easier to recycle than a plastic bottle, but I’d rather hang it on the wall or use it as a vase. It’s a glorious piece of visual design, although I did find it a pain to open.
Once I managed to get a capful of liquid into my machine’s drawer, I was struck by its delicious smell. Its cleaning agents are reassuringly green too, although there are a few standard detergent ingredients, such as the preservative phenoxyethanol. It left my clothes looking clean and bright and feeling soft, and although it couldn’t shift the makeup and raspberry stains, it left my towel smelling sensational.
It didn’t make the final cut because … Eat Dirt is expensive, especially if you only want a one-off rather than a monthly subscription. It’s aiming to be available in stores soon, though, and I’m hoping that will bring the price down.
Type: non-bio liquid; size: 1l; maximum loads: 50; price per load: 50p; scent tested: bitter orange; sustainability: mostly naturally sourced ingredients, recyclable tin, often delivered in secondhand boxes; certified cruelty-free? No, but claims to be cruelty-free; vegan? Yes
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Nimble Cares laundry detergent sheets
- What we love:Light and easy to use; kind to skin and fabrics
- What we don’t love:Expensive and not particularly powerful
Best for: saving space and spills in your cleaning cupboard
Laundry sheets are like slightly spongy pieces of A5 paper infused with detergent and designed to dissolve in your washing. They’re easy to use, and they’re much lighter than liquid or pods, so they score sustainability points for being less carbon-intensive to transport (although they are being shipped from China).
I loved the lightweight logistics of Nimble Cares’ sheets, but I was slightly disappointed by their cleaning power. I used a whole sheet on my large load (half a sheet is recommended for small loads), and it still couldn’t shift the mud, makeup or raspberry. My fabrics did feel soft, though, and the use of allergen-free perfume is helpful if you have sensitive skin.
It didn’t make the final cut because … even if you stick with the half-sheet recommendation for smaller loads, this is a pricey detergent. Nimble’s failure to publish information about its use of toxic chemicals falls short of the Good Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark.
Type: non-bio detergent sheets; size: 30 sheets; maximum loads: 60; price per load: from about 26p; scent tested: spring blossom; sustainability: mainly plant-based ingredients, no plastic in product or packaging, light weight reduces carbon footprint; certified cruelty-free? No, but claims to be cruelty-free; vegan? Yes
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Dr Beckmann Magic Leaves non-bio
- What we love:Good on stains and great value for money
- What we don’t love:Formula is based on standard synthetic ingredients
Best for: families regularly dealing with muddy school uniforms
Dr Beckmann describes its new sheets as “a great eco choice” because they have less packaging than powder or liquids, but their ingredients are pretty standard detergent fare, including sulphates, perfumes and chemicals that are “harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects”.
On cleaning power, though, Magic Leaves do well. The dissolved sheet fought a particularly winning battle with my ground-in mud – a weak spot for the eco-liquids – and left my whites looking bright. Its results didn’t outclass Smol’s, though, and Smol ticks far more sustainability and ethical boxes with B Corp and Leaping Bunny certifications and plastic-free packaging.
It didn’t make the final cut because … despite the green claims, its ingredients are pretty standard laundry detergent fare. You’re hit by the familiar old laundry detergent smell the moment you open the packet.
Type: non-bio sheets; size: 25 sheets; maximum loads: up to 50; price per load: from about 7p; scent tested: fresh breeze; sustainability: biodegradable, lightweight packaging reduces transport emissions; certified cruelty-free? No; vegan? Yes
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What you need to know
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How can I tell if a laundry detergent is sustainable?
Limit your sustainability expectations if you want clean laundry. “I don’t think any detergent can ever be completely sustainable, because there will always be an environmental impact somewhere along the line,” says Ross Osborne, sustainability director at cleaning supplies company Jangro. “The more honest question is whether one detergent is more sustainable than another.
“You have to look at the whole picture. That includes the ingredients, how biodegradable they are, their potential effect on aquatic life, how much product is needed, the packaging, where it has been manufactured, how far it has travelled and whether it actually works.”
In my testing, I was impressed to discover how well many of the detergents cleaned my laundry using non-synthetic and biodegradable cleaning agents. These include naturally derived surfactants (as used by Bio-D, Miniml and others) and the mineral tourmaline (as used by Ecoegg), plus essential oils for fragrance (as used by Smol).
A vital factor is a detergent’s ability to clean at cool settings, says Lauren Hill, product manager at appliance manufacturer Haier. “Detergents designed for lower temperatures reduce the energy used during the washing cycle. Also consider concentrated formulas that contain less water and require smaller packaging, which reduces transport emissions.”
Other steps in the right direction include plastic-free and refillable containers, recycled bottles (not just “recyclable”), and innovations such as lightweight laundry sheets, which can help reduce transport emissions. One of the most original sustainability measures I encountered during this test was Eat Dirt’s decision to often deliver its products in used boxes, eBay-style. That shows an imagination and lack of brand vanity I wish others would follow.
Bio vs non-bio detergents
Bio (biological) detergents may sound more environmentally treacherous than non-bio, but that’s not necessarily the case. It just means they contain enzymes (usually protease, amylase and lipase) that help break down common stains such as food, sweat and blood. Enzyme-based products can be an effective bleach-free way to clean around the house. As a cat owner, I swear by the Naturally Gone enzyme spray for getting rid of the dreaded “cat wee” whiffs.
“Enzymes are a good example of a biodegradable cleaning agent that actually works,” says Osborne. “Different enzymes deal with different types of soiling. Proteases help break down protein-based stains, amylases work on starch and lipases tackle fats and oils. This helps a detergent clean effectively at a lower temperature rather than relying on hotter water or larger quantities of conventional chemistry.”
Repeated studies have found that enzymes can trigger reactions in people with eczema or sensitive skin, though, so if that applies to you or your kids, you may be better off sticking with non-bio detergents. Non-bio formulas can still rely on potentially hazardous surfactants such as sodium laureth sulphate, so look for naturally derived surfactants – such as the coconut-based ingredients cocamidopropyl betaine, lauramine oxide and cocos nucifera oil in Miniml – if your skin can’t tolerate bio formulas and you’re trying to shop sustainably.
For more, read our easy plastic-free kitchen swaps and the best refillable beauty products
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Jane Hoskyn is a features journalist with three decades of experience rearranging bookshelves and “testing” gadgets while deadlines loom. She would always rather be running in the woods, which is probably why she needs to wash her clothes so often