The Hidden Chemicals In Your Laundry Routine -Plus Safe Alternatives!

Learn what chemicals are hiding in your laundry detergent and dryer sheets, how they can effect you, and natural alternatives to switch to!

*Disclosure: All opinions expressed are my own and I would never recommend products that I don’t use or stand behind. This post may contain affiliate links from which I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, view the Privacy Policy and Disclaimer pages.

When I was pregnant with T.J., I began researching  for my baby registry like most new moms. I didn’t put anything on my registry that I hadn’t thoroughly reviewed first.  Eventually, my pile of brand new onesies became a mountain and I knew it was time to decide on laundry detergent.  I knew I definitely didn’t want to use the ever-so-popular “Dreft” so I decided on Seventh Generation Free & Clear (as a side note, the bottle that is marketed for babies is the same formula as the regular ol’ “Free & Clear” but is of course more expensive). And honestly, I decided on it because it was readily available at Target and seemed like the only “natural” option at the time. 

Fast forward to 2020, the year of quarantine. I spent the majority of the year pregnant with my second son, Nathan and at home with T.J. because of furlough. I barely researched anything and created my baby registry about 6 months into the pregnancy. I didn’t even think twice about my laundry options, since I figured I’d just use what worked for my first. Nathan, however, was born with very fair, sensitive skin. After the first couple of weeks wearing his freshly washed onesies, I noticed he began breaking out on his back and chest.

After changing his bath soap (which was already minimal and fragrance-free) I began looking at my own diet since he was breastfed. I eliminated caffeine and dairy immediately and although that helped his gassiness, had no effect on the rash. That’s when I grabbed the bottle of detergent and began reading the label.

What’s Really In Laundry Detergent?

Seventh Generation, marketed as making healthy, plant-based products, received a “C” from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for it’s Free & Clear formula. Although I applaud them for their transparency in listing the ingredients right on the bottle, there are a couple questionable ingredients in the list:

• Laureth-6: This chemical has the potential of being contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane which are known endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.
• Methylisothiazolinone: A preservative that has also been found to be a skin toxicant.

And that’s just the “natural” free and clear brand. Here are the questionable ingredients in the more affordable  Tide Free & Gentle, who scored a disappointing (but not surprising) “F” by the EWG:

• Anionic Surfactants: Vague term of whose side effects range from irritation to systemic effects.
• 2-Aminoethanol: Skin, immune system, and respiratory allergen
• Benzene Sulfonic Acid: Eye irritant and allergen
• Alcohol Ethoxylate, Sodium Salt, Alcohol Ethoxysulfate, and Alcohol Sulfates: Could be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane (a known carcinogen).
• Benzene Sulfonic Acid: Skin allergen

Imagine what’s in the regular formula if this is supposed to be for sensitive skin. 

Dryer Sheets: The Serial Killer of Laundry 

Okay, maybe it’s a bit dramatic to call them serial killers but these bad boys are stealthy. Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly washed laundry, mostly made possible by a couple simple see-through sheets? It seems simple enough on the outside, but these little sheets are actually a pretty complex mixture of toxic chemicals.

Although I didn’t use laundry sheets for my son’s clothes until he was a year old, I used it on all of my clothes, my husband’s clothes, and our sheets. So although I thought I was preventing his direct contact with chemicals, I was still exposing him to toxins indirectly. After I introduced dryer sheets to his laundry, I noticed a mild skin reaction on his chest and back. Once again, I had to go searching for the ingredients on the internet, since the box had nothing listed.

We used Kirkland (the Costco brand) of dryer sheets who embarrassingly also scored an “F” by EWG’s standard. The only listed ingredients were:

• Fragrance: A misleading concoction of chemicals that could contain phthalates and synthetic scents. These have been known to cause endocrine disruption and allergic reactions (Lim et al, 2018).
• Cationic Fabric Softeners: Also known as quaternary ammonium cationic softeners or “quats”. These chemicals are linked with allergic reactions and possible reproductive harm (Melin et al 2014).

If this prompts you to grab your dryer sheets and check the label, then my job is done. But be advised that quats also go by other names, so do your part and look up each ingredient. In my research, even the “natural” dryer sheets contain a slew of questionable ingredients.

Safe Alternatives

After some trial and error, I have finally found the perfect combination for my family’s laundry! I hope you give it a try and love it too. For washing, I use Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds concentrate and Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. For drying, I use 100% wool balls scented with essential oils. My go-to scents are lavender, lemon, and eucalyptus, which I cycle through depending on my mood. I’ve talked about my affinity for Plant Therapy essential oils before because of their quality and variety. And rest assured, I am in no way affiliated with them so you have my completely unbiased opinion. 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

I’m a big fan of the brand Dr. Bronner’s and use their castile soap all around my house and in my personal care products. I found their Sal Suds concentrate and love the ingredients. One of the ingredients, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) has become notorious over the years as potentially toxic. However, research shows that SLS is only irritating if not properly formulated (Bondi et al, 2015). In order to produce a gentle cleansing product, it must be combined with co-surfactants, in this case coco-betaine and decyl glucoside (Bondi et al, 2015).   

Recommended Routine

Because I have an HE washing machine, I am able to make the most of these products. I do a small load of laundry every day so it doesn’t pile up on me. For a typical load, I use about 2 tablespoons of Sal Suds in the drawer and 1/4-1/2 cup of Super Washing Soda right in the drum, depending on how “funky” it smells and how large the load is. This combination usually lasts me up to 64 loads, or about 2 months. To dry my clothes, I throw in 3 dryer balls and add 4-5 drops of essential oils to one ball. 

Tip: Dryer balls cut your dry time down because they tumble around and open up your clothes. If your clothes comes out staticky, chances are you are over-drying them! Run your clothes on delicate or only put it on once for automatic dry cycles.  

Final Thoughts

The chemicals in laundry detergent and dryer sheets can linger in our fabrics and create prolonged exposure to irritants, allergens, and carcinogens. This can prove to be harmful to not only us as adults, but our tiniest and most vulnerable family members–our kids. Just because something says “natural” or “made from plants” on the label, doesn’t necessarily make better for you. We have to be advocates for our own health and make small changes in the home over time to reduce our toxic load. As always, read your labels and know the ingredients!