Guide
Laundry products sit on your skin all day. Most conventional detergents and fabric softeners contain synthetic fragrance blends, optical brighteners, and surfactants linked to skin sensitization. Here is what to use instead.
Switch to a fragrance-free, dye-free detergent — liquid, powder, or strip format all work. Replace dryer sheets with wool dryer balls. Skip fabric softener entirely. That single change removes the biggest chemical exposure from your laundry routine.
Synthetic fragrance in detergents is a cocktail of undisclosed chemicals — many are VOCs, allergens, or endocrine disruptors. Switching to a certified fragrance-free and dye-free formula eliminates most of the skin and respiratory burden from your laundry routine.
Look for: no fragrance, no optical brighteners, no dyes. EWG Verified or EPA Safer Choice certification helps.
Laundry detergent strips (Tru Earth, Earth Breeze, etc.) are pre-measured, fragrance-free strips that dissolve in the wash. No plastic jug, no measuring, no spills. They have a simpler ingredient list than most liquid detergents.
Verify the specific brand's ingredient list — not all strips are fragrance-free by default.
Wool dryer balls reduce drying time, soften fabrics mechanically, and reduce static — with zero chemicals. A set of 6 lasts 2–5 years. They are completely inert and safe for sensitive skin and baby laundry.
Dryer sheets coat fabrics with a layer of fragrance chemicals and quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) that transfer to skin throughout the day. Liquid fabric softeners do the same. Neither product is necessary — wool dryer balls replace both functions without any chemical load.
This guide is the overview. The full dataset powers individual safety profiles and comparison pages for every product below.