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Category guide

Laundry

Ditch heavy fragrance and residue for simpler formulas.

1 avoid16 caution15 better7 best39 items tracked — 17 flagged for concern

Laundry products occupy an unusual risk category: residues stay on fabric and remain in direct contact with skin for hours at a time. Synthetic fragrances — the most common complaint ingredient in detergents — contain phthalates (plasticizers that act as endocrine disruptors) that are not required to be individually disclosed. Optical brighteners, used to make whites appear whiter under UV light, are not rinsed out and have been found to absorb through skin. Many conventional liquid detergents also contain 1,4-dioxane, a probable carcinogen formed as a byproduct of ethoxylation, not listed on any label.

The risk is amplified for infants and people with eczema or chemical sensitivities, since compromised or thin skin absorbs residue more readily. Fragrance is the single highest-impact ingredient to eliminate: switching to a fragrance-free detergent removes the largest source of ongoing dermal exposure in most households.

Cleaner detergents use short ingredient lists — an enzyme blend (protease, amylase, lipase) for stain removal, a simple surfactant, and a pH buffer. No optical brighteners, no fragrance, no ethoxylated alcohols that generate 1,4-dioxane. The items rated Best below meet most or all of these criteria.

Key concerns

  • ✕Synthetic fragrance / phthalates
  • ✕Optical brighteners
  • ✕1,4-dioxane (ethoxylation byproduct)
  • ✕Ethanolamines (DEA, MEA, TEA)

Safer alternatives

Fragrance-free, enzyme-based, no optical brighteners, short ingredient list

Read the full Laundry safety guide →

Compare any two laundry

Click any cell to see a full side-by-side safety comparison.

vs.Laundry Scent Booster Beads (Downy Unstopables Type)Heavily Scented Laundry DetergentBorax Laundry BoosterLiquid Fabric SoftenerScented Dryer SheetsScented Laundry Pods (Tide Pods Type)Gain Scented Laundry DetergentPlastic Spiky Dryer BallsArm & Hammer Laundry DetergentPersil ProClean Detergent
Laundry Scent Booster Beads (Downy Unstopables Type)—CompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompare
Heavily Scented Laundry DetergentCompare—CompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompare
Borax Laundry BoosterCompareCompare—CompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompare
Liquid Fabric SoftenerCompareCompareCompare—CompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompare
Scented Dryer SheetsCompareCompareCompareCompare—CompareCompareCompareCompareCompare
Scented Laundry Pods (Tide Pods Type)CompareCompareCompareCompareCompare—CompareCompareCompareCompare
Gain Scented Laundry DetergentCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompare—CompareCompareCompare
Plastic Spiky Dryer BallsCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompare—CompareCompare
Arm & Hammer Laundry DetergentCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompare—Compare
Persil ProClean DetergentCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompareCompare—

Plant-Based Fabric Conditioner

Softening fabrics without synthetic quats or heavy fragrance

Risk: better

Materials

Plant-derived softening agents (e.g. distilled vinegar, cocamidopropyl betaine), Essential oils (in scented versions)

Cleaner alternatives

wool dryer balls