The Laundress recalls its popular laundry detergent—5 eco-friendly alternatives to try instead
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The Laundress recently recalled more than 8 million units of its household cleaning supplies, leaving many customers scrambling to find clean alternatives. Among its most popular products impacted by the recall is The Laundress Laundry Detergent. If you’re one of the thousands in search of other similar options to try, you’ve come to the right place.
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Here at Reviewed, we’ve been testing eco-friendly laundry detergents for years, looking hard at ingredient lists and performing hands-on testing at our labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These are our findings.
What you need to know about The Laundress recall
The Laundress said millions of units of its products may be tainted with bacteria strains including Burkholderia cepacia complex, Klebsiella aerogenes and multiple different species of Pseudomonas.
These bacterial strains can cause serious infections in individuals with weakened immune systems, external medical devices or underlying lung conditions when inhaled, entering the body through an open wound, or entering through the eyes. At least 11 people reported feeling unwell after using the products.
Check to see if your cleaning supplies are impacted by The Laundress recall. If so, tightly close the bottles and discard them in the trash and follow the steps on the website to obtain a refund.
While we grieve the loss of Laundress laundry detergent, here are 5 of the best eco-friendly laundry detergents you can try instead.
5 eco–friendly laundry detergent options to try instead of The Laundress
1. Method Liquid Laundry Detergent
Cruelty-, paraben- and phthalate-free, Method Liquid Laundry Detergents are plant based and offer a variety of invigorating fragrances. Utilizing a formula that protects and brightens fabric colors while keeping whites white, Method detergent won’t fade your clothes like some eco-friendly detergents can.
Part of the Method family of household cleaners, Method has been a staple in households for decades.
2. Tide Purclean
Backed by the Tide name, Tide Purclean is the clean version of the well-established Tide family of detergents. Created using 75 percent plant-based ingredients, the bottle uses 50 percent percent less plastic than other Tide detergents, and is produced using 100 percent wind power.
Ranking No. 1 overall in our testing for the best eco-friendly detergents, testers found no difference in performance when compared to non-eco-friendly Tide products.
3. Earth Breeze Liquid-less Laundry Sheets
An Amazon reviewer favorite, Earth Breeze Laundry Sheets are a staple in my own household and make doing laundry easy with their grab-and-toss laundry sheets. Carbon-neutral and completely eco-friendly from packaging to product, every Earth Breeze sale gives back to fund ocean cleaning missions and tree planting projects.
Robust in stain-fighting power, these laundry sheets are not only perfect for your daily load of laundry, but also for travel since they are waterless and totally flat, making them easy to pack in a suitcase or backpack.
4. Tru Earth Laundry Strips
A laundry strip product that offers an alternative to laundry pods, Tru Earth Laundry Strips are vegan, paraben- and phosphate-free and arrive in zero-waste compostable packaging. Able to be used in any type of washing machine, and on both cold or hot water settings, Tru Earth offers a 30-day money back guarantee if you aren’t 100 percent satisfied with their product.
With four fragrant scent options and one fragrance free option, over 20,000 Amazon reviewers have given the product 4.5 out of 5 stars for performance.
5. Seventh Generation Concentrated Free and Clear Fragrance-Free Laundry Detergent
The Seventh Generation Concentrated Free and Clear Fragrance-Free Laundry Detergent is one of the best eco-friendly laundry detergents we've tested. Top-notch in removing stains by utilizing a triple-enzyme stain fighting formula, this hypoallergenic detergent is EPA Safer Choice certified and USDA Certified to contain 96 percent bio- and plant-based ingredients—meaning that it’s not only good for sensitive skin, but also protective of the environment.
Seventh Generation laundry detergent is part of an entire line of highly-rated eco-friendly housecleaning supplies, offering a one-stop shop for all The Laundress products you need to replace.
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