The Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents of 2024

Tru Earth laundry strips are easy to use because you simply tear and toss the strip into the washer. It combines the convenience of a detergent pod while being easier to transport and less enticing to children.

As a stain fighter, we found these strips to be on par with some of the top contenders on this list. Tru Earth laundry strips removed about 59% of our testing stains, allowing it to tie for fourth place in our roundup.

The recommended dose for a medium-sized load is half a strip and weighs just a fraction of what liquid competitors recommend. The whole package weighs just 2.5 ounces, so it takes a lot less energy to transport. Also, these hypoallergenic laundry strips contain no added dyes and are paraben-, phosphate-, and chlorine bleach-free.

Combine that with the fact that the strips are biodegradable and the packaging is plastic-free, Tru Earth laundry strips ended up pretty high on our list.

The Method’s eco-friendly laundry detergent might seem like a good idea if other detergents are too expensive, but it lacks a no-mess pump bottle and some stain-removal power of Method's 8X detergent.

However, Method's 3-in-1 detergent is one of our favorite eco-friendly laundry detergents. During testing, it removed 66% of our testing stains and left our laundry with a pleasant, but not overly assertive scent. We did miss the no-mess pump of the 8X because the cap, which doubles as a measuring cup, felt a bit too small so spills happened often.

Even though a less-concentrated detergent wastes energy in the shipping process by moving water, at least the 3-in-1 formula is somewhat environmentally sound. By our count, nearly all of the contents in the bottle are either biodegradable or plant-derived. Even the container itself is made from 100% recycled plastic.

Biokleen touts its Citrus Essence Laundry Liquid as 100% plant-based, boasts an EPA Safer Choice stamp of approval, and its citrus-scent is like a tall glass of Florida orange juice. Our reviewers loved both the scent and the price.

However, in our stain removal tests, it couldn't stand up to the best "green" suds or traditional detergents that use harsh chemicals. It had a particularly tough time with grease stains.

That being said, it's important to remember that most clothes just aren't that dirty. If you work in agriculture or construction, you might want to steer clear of Biokleen laundry detergent, but it could be a fine choice for folks who just need to spruce up their laundry and enjoy smelling like oranges.

The Biokleen laundry detergents are plant-based and made in the U.S. without artificial fragrances or dyes. Additionally, Biokleen laundry detergents are cruelty-free and do not contain phosphates, chlorine, ammonia, or brighteners.

Ecos laundry detergent has been around for decades and is a crowd favorite. We tested the magnolia-and-lily-scented version. The smell reminds us a little of essential oils—light, yet pleasant. This detergent is also made in the U.S. and sports an EPA Safe Choice badge.

Our analysis of Ecos’ test results showed that it removed 59% of our test stains. In terms of cleaning power, it’s in the back half of the pack. However, it’s hard to argue with a cleaning product with a track record as long as Ecos laundry detergent. The reason we ranked this eco-friendly laundry detergent lower down the list is because we liked the scent of Biokleen more and Tru Earth has a bit of an edge in eco-friendliness.

Molly’s Suds laundry detergent is a powder that contains no dyes or fragrances and is cruelty-free. Instead, it gets your clothes clean and fresh smelling with the power of mostly baking soda and peppermint oil.

Powdered detergents are often more eco-friendly to ship because unlike liquid detergents they do not contain any water.

Overall, our scans show that Molly’s Suds laundry detergent powder removed about 57% of our test stains. It wasn’t as powerful as our best eco-friendly laundry detergent pick, but it did remove odors relatively well.