When most people think of going vegan, they usually visualize swapping out all of the meat and dairy products in their kitchen for fresh greens, beans, fruits, and plant-based proteins.
This is the first and most important step towards starting your new plant-based, planet-friendly, diet.
However, veganism is more than just a diet; it’s a lifestyle.
Going vegan means more than just changing what you eat. It’s a commitment to making eco-friendly and animal-friendly decisions about everything that you consume, including your laundry detergent!
If you’ve never heard about vegan laundry detergent before, then don’t worry. Below I’ll explain what makes vegan detergent different from mainstream brands and show you some of the best vegan laundry detergent brands on the market.
It’s laundry day!
- Vegan Laundry Detergent Sheets
- Vegan Laundry Detergent Powder
Is Laundry Detergent Vegan?
Most people never give a second thought to what’s in their laundry detergent. They might look for product labels that say “natural” or “made for sensitive skin.”
Most people never actually turn the bottle around to read all of the chemical ingredients that they’re washing their clothes in, though.
Many of the mainstream brands of laundry detergent are not vegan. Even though few contain animal-derived ingredients, most of these brands test their products on animals.
Animal cruelty is one thing that all vegans stand against. It’s not enough to not eat animals. We want a world where captive animals aren’t tortured and experimented on to make cosmetics or cleaning products.
This is why cruelty-free makeup and vegan clothing brands have become so popular!
Have you ever used a particular laundry detergent that makes your skin itchy or irritated? This is likely because your skin didn’t agree with one of the synthetic chemicals in the detergent.
Now, just imagine being the animal that the chemicals are tested on.
Imagine waking up every day knowing that you’re going to get doused in acids, detergents, and skin irritants until one day you just don’t wake up. That’s the reality for captive test animals, and that’s why I made the switch to vegan laundry detergent.
Is There Animal Fat In Laundry Detergent?
Before the modern manufacturing era, animal fat (tallow) was one of the main ingredients used in soap and detergents. Thankfully, this practice is very uncommon today. Most soap products you’ll find on the market today are made with synthetic or plant-based ingredients.
However, some laundry detergents may contain animal-derived enzymes, which are added to help break down heavy oils and stains.
These animal-derived enzymes are typically taken from the guts of slaughtered cattle and pigs. It’s often hard to tell whether or not a certain brand of detergent uses animal enzymes, which is why I prefer to use certified vegan laundry detergent.
What Makes Vegan Laundry Detergent Different?
Curious about what makes vegan laundry detergent different from non-vegan detergent? Here’s a quick visual outlining some of the key differences between the two:
| Vegan Laundry Detergent | Non-Vegan Laundry Detergent |
| Never contains any animal by-products. | May contain animal-derived enzymes for added stain-fighting power. |
| Always cruelty-free and never tested on animals. | Usually tested on animals to ensure that human skin isn’t damaged from harsh synthetic chemicals. |
| More environmentally friendly. Fewer harsh chemicals are used, which leads to less chemical pollution in our waterways and landfills. | Typically made with harsh synthetic chemicals. These can render waterways and soil toxic when they’re washed away by rainwater. |
| Often made with eco-friendly packaging. | Typically sold in extra-large plastic jugs that are only half-filled. This results in huge amounts of plastic waste. |
Is Tide Vegan?
Tide is one of the most popular brands of laundry detergent in the US. Unfortunately, Tide tests all of its detergents on animals before releasing them to the public.
If you don’t want to contribute to animal cruelty, then I would caution you to avoid Tide detergent and stick with a more natural, cruelty-free vegan laundry detergent instead.
The 4 Best Vegan Laundry Detergent Brands: Stay Fresh & Clean
By now, you should have a better idea of what to expect from a vegan laundry detergent brand. Owning this blog has given me the opportunity to test out several different brands and see which ones I like the best.
Below, I’ll show you some of the best vegan laundry detergent brands that stood out to me during my tests.
- Type of Laundry Detergent: Vegan Laundry Detergent Sheets
Earth Breeze is a relatively new company that has revolutionized laundry detergent for the better. As I mentioned above, one of the biggest problems with mainstream laundry detergents is how wasteful they are.
Every year, Americans waste over 35 million tons of plastic. If you walk down the laundry aisle at your local grocery store, you’ll realize that most of the extra-large jugs of detergent are half-empty.
Companies like to use larger jugs as a form of advertisement because they stand out more on the shelf. It also makes consumers feel like they’re getting “more,” even though they’re not. Water actually makes up for over 90% of the detergent anyways!
Earth Breeze Laundry Detergent Sheets look just like the little fabric softening sheets that you use in your dryer. They’re small sheets that you just throw into the main clothes compartment of your washer.
The sheets are packed full of highly-concentrated, eco-friendly detergent that breaks down in the water, giving your clothes a deep clean.
The sheets are also packaged in recycled cardboard, which means that they don’t produce any waste.
Each pack contains thirty sheets, which is enough for thirty large loads or sixty small loads. All of this comes in a small cardboard box that you can fit in your pocket. When was the last time you tried to fit a gallon-sized jug of regular detergent in your pocket?
Pros:
- 100% eco-friendly and sustainable
- Thirty washes in a pocket-sized cardboard box
- Doesn’t take up space
- Never tested on animals
- Good for sensitive skin
- Compatible with HE machines
Cons:
- There are some reports of sheets not dissolving properly
- Type of Laundry Detergent: Vegan Laundry Detergent Powder
Remember back in the old days, when all laundry detergents were powder-based? Well, Molly’s Suds Original Laundry Detergent Powder is taking us all back to a simple time.
This eco-friendly detergent is made with natural ingredients, contains no phosphates or parabens, and doesn’t have any artificial dyes or brightening agents. These chemicals can often pollute waterways and are harsh on the skin. We’re better off without them!
The main active ingredients are sodium carbonate (similar to baking soda), sodium bicarbonate (which is baking soda), magnesium sulfate, sea salt, and organic peppermint oil. All of these ingredients are naturally found in the soil and are powerful cleaning ingredients.
The peppermint oil scent isn’t overpowering either. It gives the laundry a refreshing, light, herbal scent, though, which I really appreciate.
The brand also offers several other scents, including Lotus & Peony, Citrus Grove, and Baby Shea. They also offer an unscented detergent for those with a more sensitive sense of smell.
Best of all, this vegan laundry detergent is never tested on animals. Since it’s made with all-natural, time-tested cleaning ingredients, there aren’t any safety concerns. It’s safe for all skin, 100% natural, and environmentally friendly.
I also like how the product is packaged in a space-efficient bag instead of a wasteful plastic jug.
Pros:
- Made with simple, all-natural cleaning compounds
- The light scent of peppermint oil
- The company offers an unscented variety as well
- Eco-friendly packaging
- Safe for sensitive skin
Cons:
- It’s on the more expensive side
- Type of Laundry Detergent: Vegan Liquid Laundry Detergent
If you’re looking for a more traditional detergent, then Attitude’s Liquid Laundry Detergent is another great choice.
The only drawback of this product is that it is sold in large plastic jugs, which aren’t as eco-friendly as the cardboard boxes or foil packaging used by other non-liquid vegan laundry detergents.
That being said, this brand does fill its containers up more than most mainstream detergent brands, making them a less wasteful alternative.
All of the main cleaning ingredients in Attitude’s Liquid Laundry Detergent are naturally derived. The cleaning agents are surfactants that are derived from both corn and coconut.
Other active ingredients include sodium citrate (a concentrated salt of citric acid), which acts as a brightening agent, sodium gluconate (which acts as soil remover), and added natural fragrance.
The formula is safe for sensitive skin, so you don’t have to worry about it causing any topical skin irritation. It’s also designed for use with high-efficiency (HE) machines, so you can use it the same as you would with Tide, Arm & Hammer, or other mainstream brands.
Last but not least, this brand is 100% cruelty-free, PETA-approved, and certified vegan!
Pros:
- PETA-approved
- Cruelty-free
- Made with mostly-natural ingredients
- Safe for sensitive skin
- Designed for HE machines
Cons:
- Liquid detergent is packaged in a plastic jug
- Type of Laundry Detergent: Vegan Liquid Laundry Detergent
Botanical Origin’s Plant-Based Laundry Detergent is similar to the Attitude Detergent that I just mentioned above. The main difference is that this brand has a stronger scent, which some people may prefer.
It’s made with plant-derived cleaning agents, including sodium Laureth sulfate, ethoxylated fatty alcohol, and plant-based glycerine. It’s also made with several plant-derived enzymes, which help to break down stains and oils in your laundry.
It’s free from chlorine, dyes, brighteners, and phosphates, all of which can be irritating to the skin.
As far as the scent goes, Botanical Origin’s Plant-Based Detergent has a strong botanical scent from jasmine and lavender. I do enjoy how this makes my laundry smell, compared to some of the other scent-free or low-scent vegan detergents.
Pros:
- Affordable vegan laundry detergent
- The nice scent of lavender or jasmine
- Made with plant-based cleaning agents
- No harsh chemicals or chlorine
- No dyes or brighteners
- Cruelty-free
Cons:
- It’s a liquid detergent packaged in an unsustainable package
Conclusion – What’s The Best Vegan Laundry Detergent?
In my opinion, the best vegan laundry detergent is Earth Breeze’s Disposable Laundry Sheet. I love how eco-friendly the packaging is and how thoughtful the company is, as a whole.
They’re the first brand I’ve ever seen that’s completely revolutionized the way that I think about laundry detergent. Plus, they save a ton of space!
If you’re looking for more great vegan cleaning products, be sure to check out my list of the best vegan soap brands next!
