13 Dangerous Chemicals in Laundry Detergent to Avoid

QUICK SUMMARY

Your laundry detergent can be a source of constant chemical exposure because detergent residues and scents can stay on clothing, pajamas, towels, sheets, and cloth diapers that sit directly against your skin for hours at a time. Avoiding the worst chemicals in laundry detergent is one of the easiest non-toxic home swaps you can make.

The top laundry ingredients to scrutinize and avoid are sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, phosphates, formaldehyde, chlorine bleach, ammonium sulfate, 1,4-dioxane, optical brighteners, quats, nonylphenol ethoxylates, synthetic fragrance, dyes, benzyl acetate, and dichlorobenzene.

The goal is not fear. It is stewardship. God has given us bodies to care for and homes to manage wisely, and laundry is one of those everyday routines where small changes can help reduce toxic burden for the whole family.

Full Toxic List: 13 Dangerous Laundry Detergent Ingredients

Commercial laundry products can be a chemical cocktail of harm to people, pets, and the environment, and avoiding dangerous chemicals in laundry detergent is a must as you look for ways to improve the health of your family and home.

Below is the complete list of 13 dangerous ingredients detailed in this guide that you should scrutinize on any laundry product label.

13 Dangerous Chemicals

Laundry waiting to be washed is as perpetual as doing dishes—the seemingly endless chore! However, your loads of literal dirty laundry are nothing compared to the dirty laundry of harmful chemicals in laundry detergent.

And the dangers to your health… Let’s help these companies air out THEIR dirty laundry. Following is a list of the most common harmful chemicals in laundry detergent products.

Natural Living Family Group Buy! We’ve been using Truly Free laundry products since 2017 and we’re close with the owners. We’ve asked our friend Stephen to bless our Natural Living Family with a special ‘group buy’ deal and we have something great for you… Today, you can get 100 loads FREE of their non-toxic laundry detergent that works better than anything else we’ve ever tried. We know you’ll love the safe, healthy ingredients and to-your-door convenience as much as we do.

1. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate/ Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLS/ SLES). SLS and SLES are surfactants, which means they help loosen soil, lift oils, and create foam. They are common in laundry detergents, dish liquids, hand soaps, shampoos, and other cleaning products. The problem is that SLS is a well-known skin irritant in research settings, and investigators use it as a standard irritant in patch testing to compare skin reactions. (1) More recent research also suggests that laundry detergent exposure can impair the skin barrier and may contribute to allergic sensitization in early life. (2) That is especially important for babies, children, people with eczema, and anyone with sensitive skin. SLES has an added concern because ethoxylated ingredients can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane during manufacturing.
2. Phosphates. Phosphates help detergents perform better in hard water, but they are a major environmental concern. Too much phosphorus and nitrogen in waterways can contribute to eutrophication, hypoxia or “dead zones,” fish kills, harmful algal blooms, and decreased aquatic life. (3) This is stewardship. What goes down your laundry drain does not disappear. It enters wastewater systems and eventually affects God’s creation downstream.
3. Formaldehyde. Yes, the toxic chemical many people associate with preserving dead bodies can also show up in household products or be released from certain preservatives. NIOSH describes formaldehyde as a colorless, highly toxic gas that can irritate the skin, throat, lungs, and eyes, and repeated exposure can possibly lead to cancer. (4) That does not belong in products touching your family’s clothing, bedding, towels, or cloth diapers. Watch labels for formaldehyde, formalin, methylene glycol, DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, and imidazolidinyl urea.
4. Chlorine Bleach. It’s not surprising that bleach is a skin and lung irritant, but most people do not realize how casually it is used in homes. Some families add a cup to every load of whites, and advertisements often show people pouring bleach near children without gloves, eye protection, or ventilation. Reality check: bleach is caustic.
   

   Chlorine Bleach is Dangerous? Sodium hypochlorite, the active chemical in many bleach products, can cause burning eyes, coughing from fumes, chest tightness, skin irritation, burns, blistering, throat pain, and other poisoning symptoms. MedlinePlus also warns never to mix ammonia with bleach because the gas can cause choking and serious breathing problems. (5)

   Use bleach with extreme care if you use it at all, and never mix it with ammonia, vinegar, toilet cleaners, or other cleaning products.

5. Ammonium Sulfate. Ammonium sulfate can appear in cleaning and laundry-related products, but concentrated safety data sheets warn about irritation and environmental handling, including avoiding release into drains and waterways. (6) Here’s the thing: laundry products touch your skin all day through washed fabrics. Why bring questionable additives into your wash when safer options exist?
6. Dioxane (1,4 Dioxane/ Diethylene Dioxide/ Diethylene Ether/ Dioxan). 1,4-dioxane is usually not intentionally added to detergent. It is commonly a contaminant or byproduct associated with ethoxylated ingredients, including ingredients with names like “laureth,” “PEG,” “polysorbate,” or words ending in “-eth.” In 2024, the EPA determined that 1,4-dioxane presents unreasonable risk to human health, identifying concerns including liver toxicity, effects in the olfactory epithelium, and cancer from inhalation, dermal exposure, and drinking water exposure. The EPA also noted that 1,4-dioxane contamination in commercial and consumer products like dish soaps and laundry detergents can contribute to risk when products are washed down the drain and contaminate surface water used for drinking water. (7) Put simply, this is one contaminant to avoid whenever possible.
7. Optical Brighteners/ UV Brighteners. Optical brighteners are included in laundry detergents to make clothes look whiter and brighter, but they do not actually remove stains. They coat fabric with fluorescent compounds that reflect light so stains are harder to see. They are stain-hiders, not stain-fighters. Research continues to evaluate their toxicological effects, and optical brighteners are frequently detected in wastewater. (8) Why add another unnecessary chemical to clothing that sits against your skin?
8. Ammonium Quaternary Sanitizers (Quats/ Synthesized Cationic Surfactants). These cleaning additives, commonly called “quats” or QACs, are widely used in disinfectants, preservatives, surfactants, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and other household products. StatPearls notes that high QAC exposure can cause toxicity; dermal exposure may lead to irritation, dermatitis, and chemical burns, while inhalation may cause respiratory irritation and bronchospasm. (9) There is a time and place for disinfecting, but most everyday laundry needs cleaning, not chemical sterilization.
9. Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (Nonoxynol, NPEs). NPEs are detergent-like surfactants that have been used in industrial and consumer products. EPA states that NP/NPEs have uses that can lead to widespread release into aquatic environments and are highly toxic to aquatic life. EPA also notes that NP has been detected in human breast milk, blood, and urine and is associated with reproductive and developmental effects in rodents. (10) That is enough reason to keep NPEs out of the family laundry room.
10. Fragrance (Unspecified/ Parfum). Fragrance may be the biggest laundry offender because one word can hide a long list of chemicals. A study of fragranced consumer products found that common products emitted numerous VOCs, and virtually none of those VOCs were listed on product labels or safety data sheets. (11) FDA also explains that fragrance formulas can be complex mixtures of natural and synthetic ingredients and may be treated as trade secrets. (12) Another study of top-selling textile-care products found fragrance ingredients and essential oils were the top allergens in laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and stain removers; some products labeled “baby safe” and “free and gentle” still contained common allergens. (13) Adding fragrance to detergent gives a false impression of cleanliness without improving cleaning power. A “fresh laundry smell” can simply mean residue.
11. Dyes. Dyes add no cleaning power at all. They make a product look pretty, blue, green, or “fresh,” but they do not make your clothes cleaner. For families dealing with unexplained rashes, eczema, allergies, or chemical sensitivity, dyes are an easy ingredient to eliminate. A large analysis of household product ingredient data found endocrine-disrupting and asthma-associated chemicals across multiple household categories, including cleaning products, synthetic detergents, fabric softeners, air fresheners, and deodorants. (14) Read labels carefully and choose dye-free when possible.
12. Benzyl Acetate. Benzyl acetate is used as a fragrance ingredient and solvent. The International Chemical Safety Card for benzyl acetate lists inhalation symptoms such as burning sensation, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, labored breathing, and sore throat; it also notes that the vapor is irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract, may affect the central nervous system, and repeated exposure may affect the kidneys. (15) This is exactly why vague “fragrance” labeling is a problem. You may never know what fragrance chemicals your family is reacting to.
13. Dichlorobenzene (P-Dichlorobenzene/ Benzene). P-dichlorobenzene has been used in mothballs and deodorizing products, and it is not something you want hanging around closets, laundry rooms, or stored linens. The International Chemical Safety Card for 1,4-dichlorobenzene notes that it is very toxic to aquatic organisms, bioaccumulation may occur in fish, and occupational limits include an A3 designation as a confirmed animal carcinogen with unknown relevance to humans. (16) Avoid laundry, deodorizing, and closet products with dichlorobenzene, p-dichlorobenzene, or vague solvent/fragrance ingredients.

Natural Living Family Group Buy! Try Truly Free on us! Today, you can get 100 loads FREE of their non-toxic laundry detergent that works better than anything else we’ve ever tried. We know you’ll love the safe, healthy ingredients and to-your-door convenience as much as we do.

Safer Alternatives

Your laundry chore is not going away, so one popular option is to look for better modern detergents—detergents with safer and greener alternatives to the dangerous toxins. Always choose a detergent with plant-based surfactants that is free of phosphates, chlorine bleach, optical brighteners, synthetic fragrance, dyes, quats, and NPEs.

Since detergent manufacturers may not fully disclose every fragrance component, consult a trusted watchdog group or third-party certification before you buy. EPA’s Safer Choice program evaluates every intentionally added ingredient in certified products against human health and environmental criteria. (18) We also make some recommendations of healthy products our family trust and use here.

New and improved clean, green laundry detergent options:

• Refills from a company dedicated to truly safe products (think of the plastic you’re not wasting!). We love TrulyFree for our laundry product needs.
• Homemade soap/ milled laundry soap (Mama Z has an essential oil-based laundry detergent recipe as well as a natural stain removing DIY)
• The vinegar thing is REAL, but only if you wash daily and pre-treat stains (just vinegar, no soap or detergent required)
• Safer commercial detergents can be found if you carefully investigate
• Free and clear commercial detergents may be better than heavily scented products, but they are not automatically green cleaners. Always read the full ingredient list and look for transparent companies.

Note: Some of these soap-based laundry detergents may leave a residue on clothing if used incorrectly, but it is nothing like the residue from commercial toxic detergents. Any of these methods in combination, or alone will prevent or correct buildup: add washing soda, baking soda, or borax to the wash cycle and add vinegar or citric acid to the rinse cycle.

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Natural Bleach Alternatives

• Lemon juice + sun + time = natural bleach. I love adding lemon essential oil to my natural laundry detergent recipe for essential oil cleaning power.
• Diluted hydrogen peroxide works great, but unlike lemon, do not let it sit in the sun, as it may damage the fabric. Keep a squirt bottle handy to spot treat before washing rather than treating an entire load.
• Pre-soak stains in an oxy-boost or enzyme stain remover from TrulyFree prior to washing.

Safe Fabric Softeners Without Harmful Chemicals

• Baking soda in the wash and vinegar in the rinse is perfect for many clothes.
• Line dry for a fresh scent when the weather permits.
• If machine drying, try wool dryer balls or a couple of balls of foil with or without essential oils.
• Essential oils for scent—add some to a spray bottle with water and mist the clothes on the line. Do not saturate fabrics with essential oils before using heat in the dryer.
• If your water is hard, you may find that washing with rainwater or adding a water softener eliminates the need for fabric softener.
• Many people say that washing laundry with saponin plants requires no fabric softener.

Natural Living Family Group Buy! We’ve been using Truly Free laundry products since 2017 and we’re close with the owners. We’ve asked our friend Stephen to bless our Natural Living Family with a special ‘group buy’ deal and we have something great for you… Today, you can get 100 loads FREE of their non-toxic laundry detergent that works better than anything else we’ve ever tried. We know you’ll love the safe, healthy ingredients and to-your-door convenience as much as we do.

Other Non-Toxic Household Cleaners

Ever get a headache or sinus attack while walking down the cleaning aisle at the store? Yeah, me too…Sadly, many cleaning products are filled with toxic chemicals that contribute to indoor air pollution and have been linked to allergies, headaches/migraines, cancer, autoimmunity and more.

EPA notes that VOCs are emitted by many household products, including cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products, and that concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors than outdoors. (17) This is why non-toxic living is not just about what we eat. It is also about what we breathe, touch, wash with, clean with, and bring into our homes.

Truth be told, the best way to protect you and your family is to DIY, but I understand that you don’t always have the time to make your own. Neither do we.

That’s why I am thrilled that TrulyFree has released a whole new line of cleaning products with the same commitment to safety and attention to earth-friendliness that they put into their laundry care. Everything is truly clean – no fragrances, dyes, fillers, formaldehyde, triclosan, ammonia, chlorine, or other harmful chemicals.

We just tried them all and can proudly say that they are exactly what we were hoping for (and more). Everything about TrulyFree is #nextlevel and truly clean. Best part, they put together a sweet deal for us to fit anyone’s budget with the Natural Living Family. Try their new household cleaner line also:

1. Shop Stain & Odor Eliminator – By now you probably know how we feel about synthetic air fresheners and deodorizers. They can house some of the most toxic chemicals in your home cupboards with hidden VOCs and phthalates. This new product is perfect for gym bags, kids’ rooms, musty carpets and more.
2. Shop Heavy Duty Degreaser – Stoves and ovens can build up grime and grease, but that doesn’t mean you have to turn to toxic cleaners like standard oven cleaners. Make the switch and you’ll have the best of both worlds – highly effective and truly clean.
3. Shop Glass Cleaner – Most glass cleaners rely on ammonia and strong fumes that many people do not tolerate well. The new cleaner from TrulyFree is the perfect alternative. You get a glass bottle and small refill pouches so things ship as earth-friendly as possible.
4. Shop Everyday Cleaner – Countertops, wall smudges from kids playing, and more it seems every surface of the home needs a touch up at some point. This multi-purpose cleaner is so effective but has no solvents or toxic chemicals. More than that it’s sent in concentrated, eco-friendly packaging to save you money.

We have used TrulyFree products for years and are so excited that they’ve expanded into additional cleaning products. Make the switch now and make this the year you eliminate toxic chemicals from your home!

Note About Traditional Laundry Cleaners

Commercial detergent is a modern invention, ergo, there are very viable alternatives from world history. Dangerous chemicals in laundry detergent aren’t required to clean clothing.

As more informed consumers establish families and rethink the toxic burden in their homes, many are choosing to let history teach valuable lessons about safer, more natural cleaning methods. Obviously, this is not limited to one generation—previous generations have also gained life experience, and many people of all ages are no longer comfortable using harsh cleaners to clean house.

Historical options vary by culture and time period, and many are useful and viable today. So, if I don’t want to use dangerous chemicals in laundry detergent at my house, what are my choices? (Also known as, “I just know there will be a mutiny at my house if I stop buying Laundry Pods?)

• Homemade lye soap. Whose grandma didn’t wash with lye soap? Lye soap boasts generations of effectiveness and safety, and it is an excellent stain pretreat product for all other natural laundry methods.
• Sal soap. This is a homemade or commercial lye soap with baking soda or washing soda added during processing. It is a standby for effective cleaning as the added soda softens hard water and magnifies the power of the soap to equal or exceed the cleaning power of detergents.
• Baking soda. Simple, safe, and natural—you can’t beat baking soda for basic, gentle washing needs. It is perfect for baby clothes (but remember to pretreat stains as needed).
• Washing soda. This soda is more caustic and more powerful than baking soda, making it a great product for anyone who wants a safe, simple wash routine, but has doubts about baking soda’s effectiveness. It’s one of the ingredients in my natural laundry detergent recipe and it works very well against stains.
• Borax. Another naturally occurring soda, borax has been used for centuries alone or as a booster for other laundry products. It brings a lot of non-bleach whitening power to your wash day without harming colors or darks. Use borax to replace oxy-cleaners or on its own.
• Saponin plants, such as soapnuts, horse chestnuts/ conkers, and soapwort/ bouncing bet. Just soak fresh or dried raw material in water overnight (then strain) for an excellent, effective laundry liquid that will keep for up to a week. Many people gather their soap plants once a year when they’re in season and dehydrate them for use throughout the year.
• Vinegar / lemon water. Both will clean clothes effectively if used daily—the clothes can’t sit more than 24 hours before being washed with this method. However, it’s natural, so harmless that you can literally drink it, and so abundant that you can make it in your own kitchen out of scraps. Note: vinegar washing will not fade dark clothes, but lemon washing may.
• Boiling water. Kills pathogens. Very important for cloth diapers or if anyone in the house has been ill. Boiling also significantly softens clothes by breaking up and washing away residues.
• Fuller’s clay. Widely used to wash clothes and people in ancient Middle Eastern regions. Your children will love the idea of washing with “clean mud”. Great for hair, too. Rinse thoroughly.
• Water. Yes, even plain water all by itself will clean almost anything. Remember from science class that it is the universal solvent? Pretreat stains, especially with this method.
• Floral waters. Cleans as well as water, but with a lingering, light, natural fragrance.
• Airing, sunning, and brushing. Almost every pre-1950s culture practiced this method either between other washing methods or as the sole method.

Note: Many people are returning to use of soapnuts, horse chestnuts, bouncing bet/soapwort, and other saponin-producing plant methods out of concern for the environment and their health to minimize harmful chemicals in laundry detergent. However, please use a product that is relatively native to your area, as the sudden popularity and mass export of soapnuts to the US and other Western countries has made them prohibitively expensive in their native growing areas—an unintended social injustice.

Why We Choose Truly Free Laundry Products

One way to minimize the dangers of traditional laundry products is with some laundry room DIY magic.

• Natural Laundry Soap – This natural laundry detergent recipe uses safe soaps and essential oils to make a healthier laundry cleaner. You’ll notice too that it makes a lot of laundry soap in one batch!
• DIY Laundry Stain Remover – This homemade stain remover is lovely for spot-treating kids clothes or tackling other stains before tossing them into the laundry.
• Wool Dryer Balls – Homemade wool dryer balls can take the place of fabric softener sheets to eliminate harmful fragrances and chemicals, while still minimizing static cling.

But the truth is, as a family of six sometimes we just don’t have the time to DIY everything. That’s why we’re sharing our TrulyFree Review because I love it’s convenience, the ingredients that we can count on, and the compact earth-friendly size of the containers. Our friends at TrulyFree are people we know and trust.

Back in 2018 Mama Z recorded her Toxic-Free Healthy Home Makeover Tour where she explains why we LOVE TrulyFree Laundry Products
We’ve been using Truly Free (previously known as MyGreenFills, since 2017!)

Natural products can be so pricey but we find TrulyFree extremely cost-effective. I’m not paying for plastic that crowds landfills, chemicals that hurt my family, or water I can get right from my filter. It’s a total win/win!

TrulyFree is my go-to company for non-toxic laundry products for so many reasons. That’s why we shared this TrulyFree Review. They are –

• Mission-Oriented – supporting a deaf community in Jamaica.
• Sustainable – reduce landfill waste – “The last jug you’ll ever own.”
• Safe – it does not contain any of the dirty dozen ingredients.
• Effective – this stuff works! Just ask Mama Z and the 15 loads of laundry she does every week.
• Convenient – have your laundry products shipped to you in the mail every month.
• Options – you can get essential oil powered scented or unscented. Your preference!

TrulyFree will be the last jug of laundry soap you ever buy. You get the refills in the mail, tear it open, pour it in your jug and add water. Shake it up and it’s ready to go!

Natural Living Family Group Buy! We’ve been using Truly Free laundry products since 2017 and we’re close with the owners. We’ve asked our friend Stephen to bless our Natural Living Family with a special ‘group buy’ deal and we have something great for you… Today, you can get 100 loads FREE of their non-toxic laundry detergent that works better than anything else we’ve ever tried. We know you’ll love the safe, healthy ingredients and to-your-door convenience as much as we do.

What Are Others Saying

“Ok I’m really impressed. I had some clothes that didn’t smell good at all that I’ve done everything too, including soaking in vinegar. I can now wear a them!!! They smell delightful!”

~ Kimberley K.

A Mission Worth Supporting – The Heart Behind our TrulyFree Review

Mama Z especially loves the Dryer Angel – it’s one of her favorites also. If you aren’t interested in making your own set of Wool Dryer Balls, you can pick up a Dryer Angel! No more harsh fabric softener chemicals – just add a drop or two of your favorite essential oils to your Dryer Angel for natural static control and fresh scent addition. Plus you’ll be helping women in a deaf community in Jamaica provide education, housing, and employment. Their work making the Dryer Angels means they get fair wages, job training, and help build a supportive system that can bless others around them. Win/Win!

Our friends at TrulyFree have worked hard to create products that are healthy both for you, and for the earth.

NLF “Group Buy” (Get 100 free loads TODAY)!

Save money, minimize waste, and eliminate toxic chemicals with your Natural Living Family special from TrulyFree today!

Today, you can get 100 loads FREE of their non-toxic laundry detergent that works better than anything else we’ve ever tried. We know you’ll love the safe, healthy ingredients and to-your-door convenience as much as we do.

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