EBENEZERWorld
Our writer spent weeks putting capsules, sheets and liquid detergent through their paces to find the best for your clothes and the planet
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The Filter — Jane Hoskyn
Nothing makes falling into bed more enjoyable than freshly laundered sheets, especially if they’ve just been dried in the sunshine. It’s a definite bonus, though, to know your clean bedding won’t bring you out in a rash or pollute your local river.
Laundry detergent can be a troublesome product. A few years ago, I suffered a full-body rash after using pound-shop detergent on my sheets. I switched to a big-brand product and never had a reaction again, but there’s still the question of whether its ingredients may be causing environmental harm after they’ve gone down the drain.
The sulphates, phosphonates and bleaches that many detergents use to remove stains and brighten fabric can cause lasting environmental damage , especially to aquatic life. I’m lucky enough to live next to the sea, and the output of my washing machine is unlikely to be doing it much good.
Brands such as Smol, Ecover and Bio-D claim to be eco-friendly alternatives, but can they tackle dirty laundry as well as standard detergents – and are they as green as they say? To find out, I challenged 11 of them to clean my clothes, soften my sheets and remove stains, including makeup, raspberry juice and ground-in mud. Here are the ones that rose to the challenge, and those that were no more effective than using nice-smelling water.
I’ve spent decades writing about products, from smartphones to hay fever remedies , so I’m professionally sceptical of manufacturers’ claims to magically improve our lives by buying their stuff. Given how long I’ve been testing duvets , blankets , mattresses and their toppers and other washable homewares for the Filter, it’s about time I found the best way to launder them.
Inevitably, there was a lot of washing. To fairly compare all these detergents on key variables, including stain removal, fabric softness and lasting fragrance, I spent three weeks running my washing machine twice a day. At about 5kg per load and 22 loads, that’s more than 100kg of soggy laundry in the name of Filter research.
Before any socks could get washed, though, I had to choose and source my test detergents. I scoured ingredients lists and company information for evidence of ethical and environmental kudos, including certifications from bodies such as B Corp , Allergy UK and the Vegan Society . I also looked for sustainable packaging, innovative ways to reduce weight and waste, and bottles that could be refilled without buying more plastic.
My house is no science lab, but I did what I could to ensure that my testing was fair and thorough. I devoted one day each to 11 detergents across three weeks. Each time, I used the detergent to wash two sets of laundry in my standard front-loading Beko washing machine. One load was 2kg of clothes that included sweaty running kit, underwear and coloured T-shirts, washed at 20C. The larger 4kg load was washed at 40C and contained white items, including a duvet cover and a large white towel that was my stain-test guinea pig.
Each morning, I daubed the poor towel with mucky substances, including liquid foundation , tomato ketchup, cat food, garden mud and a juicy squashed raspberry. I photographed the blotches before and after washing, then used them to compare how the detergents removed dirt.
Other factors were more subjective. I’m not a perfume-wearer, but I love a gently fresh fragrance from my laundry, as long as its source doesn’t bother my skin. I buried my nose in every load of laundry when it was fresh from the machine, and then again when it was dry. I put a couple of freshly laundered socks aside each time, then sniffed them again after a few days to see how well the scent had lingered.
Price was important, too. Laundry detergent can get expensive, especially for families. I calculated the price per wash for a small (2kg) load, but also awarded value-for-money kudos to detergents that never needed a double dose.
I was left with a little spare after testing, so I was able to donate the detergents to Yellow Door , my local domestic abuse refuge.
How can I tell if a laundry detergent is sustainable?
Limit your sustainability expectations if you want clean laundry. “I don’t think any detergent can ever be completely sustainable, because there will always be an environmental impact somewhere along the line,” says Ross Osborne, sustainability director at cleaning supplies company Jangro . “The more honest question is whether one detergent is more sustainable than another.
“You have to look at the whole picture. That includes the ingredients, how biodegradable they are, their potential effect on aquatic life, how much product is needed, the packaging, where it has been manufactured, how far it has travelled and whether it actually works.”
In my testing, I was impressed to discover how well many of the detergents cleaned my laundry using non-synthetic and biodegradable cleaning agents. These include naturally derived surfactants (as used by Bio-D, Miniml and others) and the mineral tourmaline (as used by Ecoegg), plus essential oils for fragrance (as used by Smol).
A vital factor is a detergent’s ability to clean at cool settings, says Lauren Hill, product manager at appliance manufacturer Haier . “Detergents designed for lower temperatures reduce the energy used during the washing cycle. Also consider concentrated formulas that contain less water and require smaller packaging, which reduces transport emissions.”
Other steps in the right direction include plastic-free and refillable containers, recycled bottles (not just “recyclable”), and innovations such as lightweight laundry sheets, which can help reduce transport emissions. One of the most original sustainability measures I encountered during this test was Eat Dirt ’s decision to often deliver its products in used boxes, eBay-style. That shows an imagination and lack of brand vanity I wish others would follow.
Bio (biological) detergents may sound more environmentally treacherous than non-bio, but that’s not necessarily the case. It just means they contain enzymes (usually protease, amylase and lipase) that help break down common stains such as food, sweat and blood. Enzyme-based products can be an effective bleach-free way to clean around the house. As a cat owner, I swear by the Naturally Gone enzyme spray for getting rid of the dreaded “cat wee” whiffs.
“Enzymes are a good example of a biodegradable cleaning agent that actually works,” says Osborne. “Different enzymes deal with different types of soiling. Proteases help break down protein-based stains, amylases work on starch and lipases tackle fats and oils. This helps a detergent clean effectively at a lower temperature rather than relying on hotter water or larger quantities of conventional chemistry.”
Repeated studies have found that enzymes can trigger reactions in people with eczema or sensitive skin, though, so if that applies to you or your kids, you may be better off sticking with non-bio detergents. Non-bio formulas can still rely on potentially hazardous surfactants such as sodium laureth sulphate, so look for naturally derived surfactants – such as the coconut-based ingredients cocamidopropyl betaine, lauramine oxide and cocos nucifera oil in Miniml – if your skin can’t tolerate bio formulas and you’re trying to shop sustainably.
For more, read our easy plastic-free kitchen swaps and the best refillable beauty products
Jane Hoskyn is a features journalist with three decades of experience rearranging bookshelves and “testing” gadgets while deadlines loom. She would always rather be running in the woods, which is probably why she needs to wash her clothes so often
Laundry detergent can be a troublesome product. A few years ago, I suffered a full-body rash after using pound-shop detergent on my sheets. I switched to a big-brand product and never had a reaction again, but there’s still the question of whether its ingredients may be causing environmental harm after they’ve gone down the drain.
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Jane Hoskyn. Published 24 Aug 2026, 02:00 pm.
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