My Search For Clean Laundry Options

(Updated 11/06/2023)

A few months ago I received an email about The Laundress recall, and while I read through the warnings of rashes and bacterial contamination, I had a load of delicates in the wash. I rewashed them, scrubbed the washing machine multiple times, and started researching new options.

I was feeling panicked because this was a product I had been using for years, and it’s also a product I frequently promote to my styling clients. 

A friend recommended an app called Yuka, where you can scan the barcode of food and beauty products, and it will rate it on a scale of 0-100 (0 being horrible for you, 100 is clean). I became a woman on a mission; I scanned nearly everything in our house, and we have spent the last couple months making swaps wherever we can. If you see us at the grocery store pulling our phones out for every item we pick up, now you know why 😆

In my search for better options, I learned that all of the laundry products I was using were actually terrible for our skin, and the environment. I am someone who feels fairly knowledgeable about clean options, or so I thought, and this was a rude awakening.

I stumbled upon the EWG website and began entering our laundry options. The baby detergent, the free & clear laundry detergent for my 6 year old, and my delicate wash all received a D or F on EWG. I was now on a mission to relearn about ingredients, and swap out all of our products (apologies to my husband). After a couple months of testing options and a lot of research, here is where I’m currently at with laundry products, and some of our beauty and cleaning products.

Dirty Labs Delicate Wash

I really like this, and will keep using this going forward. I loved The Laundress Delicate because it smelled really beautiful, and the Dirty Labs is unscented, so I do miss that. I generally don’t use scented laundry detergent for myself, but it was always nice to have my delicates and whatnot smell pretty, so that’s the only adjustment for me. It’s an ultra concentrated detergent, so it feels odd putting in such a small amount, but it works great. 

9 Elements

I was not a fan, and would not buy this again. I used the Eucalyptus scent, and I honestly disliked everything about it. We went through it so fast, clothes were coming out still dirty, and there was a subtle vinegar smell to it. Not the vibe we’re going for. I have been using their lemon dish soap though, and I do enjoy that. Like the detergent, I feel like I’m going through it really quickly, but it works well and smells great.

Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls

I have been wanting to switch to these for a while, and I’m so glad we have them now. We have always used free & clear dryer sheets, but I learned that even those are actually filled with crap, and I wanted an eco-friendly option. I also wanted these for bulkier items like our comforters that take *forever* to dry, and these help to significantly reduce dry time. The package says to use 3 for a small load and 6 for a large load, but I found that using all 6 of them works the best. The only negative for me is that there’s still a ton of static, so we now use all 6 dryer balls in each load, plus one dryer sheet. If you know of an eco-friendly solution to the static problem, please let me know! Our dryer balls are from Smart Sheep, which is a great company that is definitely worth looking into. Read more about them here.

Puracy Stain Remover

One thing I have to keep in mind as I go through this process is that I want all of these to work. I want cleaner but effective options, and it’s challenging to stay unbiased while testing these. That being sad, I’m not loving this stain remover. I want to, but so far it has not worked that well. It recommends soaking stains for 24 hours, but I don’t always have that luxury with a house full of kids and pets and a consistent mountain of laundry. I’ll keep testing it, and will try the soaking option, but as far as a spray and throw in the wash situation goes, it’s not working how we need it to.

Update: This did not live up to my expectations, no matter how much I wanted it to work. I am still on the hunt for a clean alternative, and am sad to report that I’m still using OxiClean.

Molly Suds

I think this was the part I spent the most time researching. There are so many options, so many companies, and a lot of confusing information. Do I want powder, or detergent sheets, or plastic pods? After all of the ‘you’re buying water’ commercials that are out there I knew I didn’t want another detergent jug. The pods are convenient, but they’re plastic - there are recycled plastic options, and nonplastic options that also do not have microplastics. Seriously, who knew laundry was so intense. I did some crowdsourcing on Instagram asking what the best clean detergent was, and the overwhelming response was for Molly Suds.

Once I decided on a brand, I then had to narrow down the variety of options and scents. I finally landed on the powder in Eucalyptus, and the Oxidizer in Lemon. They smell great, and so far I am totally hooked. I’ve never used a powder detergent before, but this is easy to use, and it cleans really well. I even tested it on my husband’s work clothes - we own a hot rod shop, so often clothes can smell like gas - and it worked just as well as the other brands we used to use. As for the Oxygen Whitener - so far I’ve used it on towels and whites, and it’s working really well.

The company recommends warm or hot water for powder detergents which I wasn’t into (I use cold water for the majority of our laundry, and I use warm for my husband’s work clothes), but I have done a few loads on cold and did not notice a difference in the effectiveness. Some of the reviews I read said if you don’t use warm you’ll end up with undissolved powder on your clothes, but I have yet to experience that. 

Update: It has been over 9 months and I have been loving Molly Suds. We have tried Eucalyptus, Lavender, the Oxygen Whitener, and the delicate wash. A few members of my family had a skin reaction to the whitener, so I no longer use that. I have tried both the powder and the detergent, but I found the detergent went so fast it just didn’t make sense to purchase it again. It claims to have 120 loads worth, but no matter how small an amount I tried to use it still went very quickly. My next order will be for the baby laundry powder, or the unscented laundry powder.

Overall, I’m a big fan of Molly Suds, Dirty Labs, and Smart Sheep. The jury is still out on Purity, but I think I’ll be looking for an alternative option after I run through this bottle. Molly Suds has a stain remover so that may be our next product trial. As for 9 Elements, I think I’ll keep using their dish soap, but I will not purchase their laundry detergent again. 

As for skincare and beauty products, here’s a quick rundown of the swaps I’ve made.

Skincare and makeup:

Saie: I’m currently using their mascara, brow gel, and face sunscreen. I love everything I’ve tried from this company, and the ingredients are fantastic.

Merit: I have just started using their brow gel and it is perfection. I love all the Saie products, but Merit won me over with their brow gel.

Ilia: This company has been a staple in my makeup bag for a few years now. I love their mascara, eyeliner, and tinted lip conditioner.

Biossance: I’ve been a fan of this company for a while, their stuff is totally clean and works incredibly well. I am currently using (and loving) their Squalane oil, the Squalane + Copper Peptide Serum, and the Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil.

Moisturizer: For a while I was using Honest Company Daily Calm Lightweight Moisturizer. It’s completely clean, and is a great price.

Update: I recently switched to Youth To The People Air Whip Moisturizer. It’s lovely and perfect for summer, but a little lightweight for the drier months. I’ll be switching to something thicker when I run through this.

Face Wash: I’m currently using Tatcha Deep Cleanse Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser. This is a lovely face wash, and it’s gentle enough exfoliant to use as often as you shower. I am also trying the Kiel’s Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, and am in love with it. My skin feels incredible after I use it, and this is definitely making it into my permanent routine.

Body Products & Kid’s Products:

Necessaire: I’ve seen every influencer on Instagram peddle this product for so long, and I finally ordered some. After one use I could completely understand the hype. The set I ordered came with 4 of their products: body exfoliator, body wash, body serum, and body lotion. The company uses skincare grade ingredients, and it feels incredible. The exfoliator and wash came in Eucalyptus, and the serum & lotion came unscented. The eucalyptus is very light, and I really love all of these products. Consider me fully influenced.

Deodorant: I have been loving Schmidt’s Rose & Vanilla. This is one of the first natural deodorants I’ve tried that actually works, and isn’t sneaky with its claims of clean ingredients. When I was shopping for this, a few of their other scents did trigger a negative ingredient, so definitely download the Yuka app and do your own research before choosing your scent.

Update: I have recently switched to the Vanilla & Oatmilk, and I love the scent for the winter months.

Kid’s products: Pipette and Hello Bello. Logan uses the Pipette body lotion and baby shampoo; they’re gentle on his skin, and his eyes. Olivia uses the Hello Bello Sugar Plum Nighttime Shampoo which can double as a bubble bath, and the Watermelon Conditioner. Both of the Hello Bello products scored a 100 on Yuka, so this is a permanent switch for us.

Toothpaste: We’ve used Hello products for a long time, and recently added Lumineux to our lineup for a nontoxic whitening option.

I’ve added links to shop all the items mentioned above that I enjoyed and would purchase again. You can shop the home items here, and the skincare & makeup items here.

That’s all I’ve got for clean products for now, and I’ll continue to update this post as I try new products. Download the Yuka app if you haven’t yet so you can be informed on what’s actually in your food & beauty products. If you have any suggestions or favorite clean products & brands, please let me know in the comments!