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Best plant-based laundry detergent (2026)
Our pick is Seventh Generation Free & Clear: USDA Certified Biobased, it removed 71.84% of stains in Reviewed's lab test, 28 cents a load.1 If you avoid its preservatives, MI and BIT, which some people react to, pick ATTITUDE Baby Unscented.
Seventh Generation Concentrated Laundry Detergent Free & Clear 40 oz
USDA Certified Biobased, and tested in a lab. Skip it if you react to the preservatives MI and BIT.
What counts as a plant-based laundry detergent?
There is no legal rule for the words, so we use a test on the full ingredient list. A detergent passes when the label names USDA Certified Biobased, or the maker's own list calls its cleaners plant-derived (we accept a maker's plant-derived tag), or every cleaner on the list is a named plant type, such as a coconut sulfate or a glucoside. The rest fail because at least one cleaner is not shown to be plant-based. A list also fails if it holds an alkylbenzene sulfonate, a cleaner type typically made from petroleum.2 The USDA label "assures a consumer that the product contains a verified amount of renewable biological ingredients."3
Some labels use a plant or natural word, and most of those pass. Some do not, and 10 labels pass without using the words.
Our pick, and three for other needsThree more picks for other needs
Seventh Generation Concentrated Laundry Detergent Free & Clear 40 oz
Our pickUSDA Certified Biobased, tested in a lab. Pick this one for everyday stains and pre-treat the tough ones. It lists two preservatives, MI and BIT, so skip it if you react to those.1
ATTITUDE Baby Laundry Detergent, Unscented, 80 loads
Shortest all-plant list, no MI or BIT. Pick this one for the cleanest label. Pre-treat stains and wash warm.4
Puracy Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear (Unscented), 16 fl oz, 64 loads
USDA Certified Biobased, with four enzymes. Pick this one for baby-food and formula stains. It lists BIT, a preservative some people react to.5
Cleancult Ultra Concentrated liquid laundry detergent, Juniper Sandalwood, 32 fl oz
USDA Certified Biobased, scented. Pick this one for a scented plant-based liquid. It lists fragrance and two preservatives, MI and BIT.6
Do plant-based laundry detergents clean well?
Seventh Generation's record is mixed. Reviewed tested the concentrated Free & Clear two times and it did well in both, strongest on protein and sweat stains. BabyGearLab's baby-stain test was harsher: "It didn't perform well in our tests with any substance, leaving behind staining evidence of formula, food, and poo." Consumer Reports' group test of gentle detergents, updated June 2026, put Seventh Generation among those that "were disappointing."7 So pre-treat tough stains.
BabyGearLab also tested ATTITUDE's Baby Leaves line, which is not the unscented bottle we pick. "This detergent didn't get out food stains as effectively as the competition. Washed on warm water with an extra rinse, it left stains behind, and clothes required additional washes." So pre-treat stains and use warm water. Good Housekeeping's lab named Cleancult's laundry detergent "a top performer in our test of 28 laundry detergents and eight stain removers."
Plant-based detergents cost a median of 30 cents a load here, against 25 cents for all the labels we read.
| Plant-based detergent | Reviewed (lab) | BabyGearLab (hands-on) | Good Housekeeping (lab) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seventh Generation Free & Clear concentrated1 | On average, it removed 71.84% of our testing stains, with the strongest showing on protein and sweat stains.8 In a second Reviewed test it came in third overall.9 | It didn't perform well in our tests with any substance, leaving behind staining evidence of formula, food, and poo.10 | Not tested |
| ATTITUDE Baby Unscented4 | Not tested | Tested as the Baby Leaves line. This detergent didn't get out food stains as effectively as the competition. Washed on warm water with an extra rinse, it left stains behind, and clothes required additional washes.11 | Not tested |
| Puracy Natural Liquid, Free & Clear5 | Not tested | In our tests, it worked well on our food and formula stains, with only a light yellow discoloring from the fecal matter.12 | Not tested |
| Cleancult Ultra Concentrated liquid6 | Not tested | Not tested | Named a top performer in a test of 28 laundry detergents and eight stain removers, for the Eco Refill.13 |
Each cell is that tester's own result for that product line. Not tested means no result in the tests we read, not a bad one.
Which detergents say plant-based but do not show it?
Some brands say plant-based and mean part of the formula. Under our stricter test (every cleaner from plants), these fail. Dapple's liquid passes; only its pacs fail.
| Detergent | Says | Its list holds | Lab result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tide Purclean plant-based liquid14 | Plant Based; 75% of its formula | An alkylbenzene sulfonate | Named a top performer in stain removal tests.15 |
| Gain Botanicals White Tea & Lavender Plant Based liquid (100 fl oz)16 | Plant Based; 65% of its formula | An alkylbenzene sulfonate | Cleaned better than traditional formulas costing more.17 |
| Truly Free Laundry Wash18 | Plant-Based, Plant-Derived | An alkylbenzene sulfonate | Not tested |
| Dapple Baby laundry detergent pacs19 | Plant-Powered | An alkylbenzene sulfonate | Not tested |
Good Housekeeping's results are for the same product lines. Good Housekeeping tested the Gain Botanicals line; the list shown is for the 100 fl oz White Tea & Lavender size. Tide and Gain lists are retailer copies of the label.
Questions people ask
Is Tide Purclean really plant-based?
Tide says so, and Good Housekeeping's lab named it a top performer on stains.15 Its list also holds an alkylbenzene sulfonate, so it fails our test.14
Is Seventh Generation Free & Clear plant-based?
Its label claim is USDA Certified Biobased.20 Reviewed's lab tested it and found it did well.8 It also lists two preservatives, MI and BIT, which some people react to.
Is plant-based the same as vegan?
No. Look for a vegan label if you need one.
Sources (20)
- Seventh Generation Concentrated Laundry Detergent Free & Clear 40 oz: ingredient list, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “water, laureth-6 (plant-derived cleaning agent), sodium lauryl sulfate (plant-derived cleaning agent), sodium citrate (plant-derived water softener), sodium…”
- SSWM: Linear alkylbenzenesulfonate, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “derived from petroleum bi-products”
- USDA BioPreferred Program: About, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “This label assures a consumer that the product contains a verified amount of renewable biological ingredients.”
- ATTITUDE Baby Laundry Detergent, Unscented, 80 loads: ingredient list, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “Ingredients5-15% anionic surfactants / agents de surface anioniques (Sodium Coco-Sulfate), 5-15% non-ionic surfactants / agents de surface non-ioniques…”
- Puracy Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear (Unscented), 16 fl oz, 64 loads: ingredient list, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “FULL INGREDIENT LIST Laundry Detergent (Unscented) Laundry Detergent (Fresh Linen) Ingredients Protease Amylase Lipase Mannanase Purified water Decyl…”
- Cleancult Ultra Concentrated liquid laundry detergent, Juniper Sandalwood, 32 fl oz: ingredient list, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “ingredientProfileName: Liquid Laundry (Juniper Sandalwood) - Water, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Laureth-7, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Cocoate, Fragrance (Geraniol…”
- Consumer Reports: How Well Do 'Gentle' Laundry Detergents Actually Clean?, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “Kirkland, Tide, Persil, and All were among the best-performing gentle detergents, while Dreft, All Mighty Pacs, Arm & Hammer, Seventh Generation, and Target's…”
- Reviewed: The Best Laundry Detergents for Sensitive Skin of 2026, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “On average, it removed 71.84% of our testing stains, with the strongest showing on protein and sweat stains.”
- Reviewed: The Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents of 2026, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “During the stain-removal rounds, this eco-friendly laundry detergent came in third overall.”
- BabyGearLab: The Best Baby Detergent, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “It didn't perform well in our tests with any substance, leaving behind staining evidence of formula, food, and poo.”
- BabyGearLab: The Best Baby Detergent (ATTITUDE Baby Leaves), read November 8, 2026. Quote: “This detergent didn't get out food stains as effectively as the competition. Washed on warm water with an extra rinse, it left stains behind, and clothes…”
- BabyGearLab: The Best Baby Detergent, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “In our tests, it worked well on our food and formula stains, with only a light yellow discoloring from the fecal matter.”
- Good Housekeeping via Yahoo: Cleaning Experts Reveal The Best Laundry Detergents (Yahoo copy), read November 8, 2026. Quote: “a top performer in our test of 28 laundry detergents and eight stain removers”
- Tide Purclean plant-based liquid, Honey Lavender, 63 fl oz: ingredient list (retailer copy of the label), read November 8, 2026. Quote: “Ingredients include: Sodium C10-16 Alkylbenzenesulfonate”
- Good Housekeeping via Yahoo: 7 Best Detergents to Green Up Your Laundry Routine (Yahoo copy), read November 8, 2026. Quote: “a top performer in GH Cleaning Lab stain removal tests. ... It worked in hot, warm and cold water and 75% of its formula is made with plant-based ingredients.”
- Gain Botanicals White Tea & Lavender Plant Based liquid (100 fl oz): ingredient list (retailer copy of the label), read November 8, 2026. Quote: “Ingredients include: Cleaning Agents (C10-16 pareth; sodium C10-16 alkylbenzenesulfonate; sodium lauryl sulfate; C10-16 alkyldimethylamine oxide)”
- Good Housekeeping via Yahoo: 7 Best Detergents to Green Up Your Laundry Routine (Yahoo copy), read November 8, 2026. Quote: “has 65% of its formula coming from plants ... in our test, cleaned better than traditional formulas costing more”
- Truly Free Laundry Wash, Signature Scent (jug + fill pack, 50 loads): ingredient list, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “Ingredients include: Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate”
- Dapple Baby laundry detergent pacs, Fragrance Free, 30 count: ingredient list, read November 8, 2026. Quote: “Ingredients include: Sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate”
- Seventh Generation: Free & Clear concentrated detergent, label claims (saved 11-04), read November 8, 2026. Quote: “USDA Certified Biobased”
The paper trail
Every product on this page was looked up in the EPA Safer Choice list, CPSC recalls, California Prop 65 notices and EWG’s database. We read each maker’s full ingredient label and worked out what a load or an ounce really costs. Every fact links to where it came from. How we snoop.