What laundry detergent is non toxic

Every detergent we read against the record

No record calls a detergent non toxic, so the table puts the EPA list, EWG's grade and each maker's own ingredient list side by side. The ingredient list tells you more than the name on the front.

Every detergent we read against the record

Product	EPA Safer Choice	Fragrance	Ethoxylated	Preservative	EWG grade	Cost per load	Price
Molly's Suds Original Laundry Powder, Unscented, 240 loads1	No listing found	No fragrance listed	None listed	None listed	A	$0.16 per loadas listed	$38.99
Molly's Suds Liquid Laundry Detergent, Unscented, 200 loads4	No listing found	No fragrance listed	None listed	Phenoxyethanol listed	A	$0.19 per loadas listed	$37.99
ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear, 200 loads5	Safer Choice listed	No fragrance listed	None listed	Isothiazolinone listed	C	$0.10 per loadmaker's dose	$19.98
The Clean People Fragrance Free Laundry Detergent Sheets, 32 sheets6	No listing found	No fragrance listed	Lists ethoxylated ingredients	Potassium sorbate	Not rated	$0.40 per loadmaker's dose	$12.79
Charlie's Soap Fragrance Free Laundry Liquid, 160 loads7	Safer Choice listed	No fragrance listed	Lists ethoxylated ingredients	None listed	A	$0.21 per loadas listed	$32.99
Seventh Generation EasyDose Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear, 66 loads8	Safer Choice listed	No fragrance listed	Lists ethoxylated ingredients	Isothiazolinone listed	A	$0.18 per loadas listed	$11.89
ATTITUDE Liquid Laundry Detergent, Mountain Fresh, 40 loads9	No listing found	Lists fragrance	None listed	Benzoate and sorbate	Not verified	$0.42 per loadmaker's dose	$16.84
Dropps Odor & Stain Laundry Detergent Pods, Orange Blossom, 64 pods10	No listing found	Lists fragrance	Lists ethoxylated ingredients	None listed	B	$0.47 per loadmaker's dose	$29.99
Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free & Clear Liquid, 105 loads11	No listing found	No fragrance listed	Lists ethoxylated ingredients	None listed	Not rated	$0.09 per loadas listed	$8.99

Prices on Amazon, November 2, 2026.¹²

How did we decide which detergents are non toxic?

There is no single record that calls a detergent non toxic. So for each one we put four things side by side: whether EPA Safer Choice lists it,³ what EWG grades it, whether a Prop 65 notice or a recall names it,^{13, 14} and what the maker's own ingredient list says.

From the ingredient list we looked for three things: fragrance, ethoxylated ingredients, and isothiazolinone preservatives (the MIT family).

Are the Safer Choice detergents the cleanest ones?

Three of the 9 are on the EPA list: ECOS,⁵ Seventh Generation⁸ and Charlie's Soap.⁷ Each one also trips a flag on its own label. ECOS lists methylisothiazolinone.⁵ Seventh Generation lists laureth-6 and two isothiazolinone preservatives.⁸ Charlie's Soap lists two ethoxylated surfactants.⁷

The two with no flags are Molly's Suds powder¹ and Molly's Suds liquid.⁴ We found no Safer Choice listing for Molly's Suds. Molly's Suds says its powder is "Safer Choice compliant," which is the maker's wording, not a listing.¹⁵ No listing found does not mean unsafe.

Which detergents still list fragrance or ethoxylated ingredients?

ATTITUDE Mountain Fresh lists fragrance.⁹ Dropps lists fragrance, ethoxylated alcohols and PVA film.¹⁰ The Clean People sheets list glycereth-6 cocoate, which is ethoxylated.¹⁶ Arm & Hammer's Free & Clear label text lists C10-16 alketh and sodium laureth sulfate, plus a whitening ingredient.¹¹

Ethoxylated names matter because the FDA says 1,4-dioxane forms as a byproduct when ingredients with names like "PEG" or "-eth-" are made.¹⁷ An ethoxylated name on a label is a risk flag. It is not proof that 1,4-dioxane is in the bottle.

Do any of these detergents have a recall or a Prop 65 notice?

We checked California's Prop 65 notice list and CPSC recalls for all 9.^{13, 14} We found no notice or recall that names any of these laundry detergents.

The closest hits were 2008 notices about liquid dish soap, one naming Seventh Generation and one naming ECOS's maker.^{18, 19} A Prop 65 notice is an allegation, not a finding.

What does a non toxic detergent cost per load?

The table works out cost per load or per sheet from today's price. Of the two clean reads, Molly's Suds powder costs the least per load.¹ The Clean People sheets cost more per sheet but need no scoop and no jug.⁶

Molly's Suds powder wants warm or hot water, or a pre-dissolve for cold washes.²⁰ If you wash cold, the liquid is the easier fit.

Questions people ask

Is a Safer Choice detergent automatically non toxic?

Safer Choice is one record, and it is worth having. Three of the 9 we read are listed, and each one's own label still names an ingredient some buyers avoid.³ Use the listing and the label together.

Why are Charlie's Soap and Seventh Generation not the pick if they are on Safer Choice?

Both are listed, but both name ethoxylated surfactants on the maker's list.^{7, 8} If that is the thing you want to avoid, pick one of the clean reads.

Which detergents have the shortest ingredient list?

Molly's Suds powder lists four ingredients,^{1, 2} and Charlie's Soap lists four too.⁷ Charlie's two surfactants are ethoxylated, Molly's powder has none.

Does the Molly's Suds powder work in cold water?

The maker says to choose warm or hot water, or to pre-dissolve the powder in hot water if your clothes need a cold wash.²⁰