It feels good to buy “free and clear” laundry detergent, thinking they are free of fragrances or dyes.
While our intentions are for good health, the products we’re buying may not be.
Popular products labeled “free,” “fragrance free,” or “free and clear” can still be made of chemicals that may be causing health conditions such as cancer, allergies, asthma, and be toxic to the developmental and reproductive systems.
Wouldn’t unhealthy products be marketed as typical products?
Okay, so some products labeled “free and clear” may be deceiving, but wouldn’t you know by the product label if it was an unhealthy product?
You might expect unhealthy products to be marketed as typical products, without words such as green, clean, natural, pure, or gentle. But even products marketed to give us the impression of chemical-free can be deceiving.
That’s why it’s helpful to have credible organizations, with way more time and resources than you or I have, to help us understand what’s truly in our laundry detergent.
On a scale of “A” to “F” with “A” being healthy and “F” being not healthy, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has ranked over 2,000 cleaners (and counting). The list includes popular brands of laundry detergent commonly found in stores and online.
What is your laundry detergent ranked?
“Free and Clear” Products Rated “D” or “F”
Here are 15 products that indicate healthy on the label, but rated “D” or “F” in the EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning:
- Tide Pods, Free & Gentle – D
- Arm & Hammer Liquid Laundry Detergent, Free of Perfumes and Dyes – D
- Up & Up liquid laundry detergent 2x concentrated, free and clear – D
- method 4X Concentrated Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear – D
- J.R. Watkins Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent, Fragrance Free – D
- Shout Free Laundry Stain Remover, Fragrance Free – F
- Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Scent Free Laundry Detergent – F
- Ultra Purex Hypoallergenic Detergent, Free & Clear – F
- Woolite by Dry Cleaner’s Secret Dry Clean at Home, Fragrance Free – F
- Green Works Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear – F
- Puracy Natural Stain Remover, Free & Clear – F
- Cheer brightCLEAN HE Liquid Laundry Detergent, Free & Gentle – F
- Clorox 2 for Colors Color Safe Bleach Powder, Free & Clear – F
- Era 2x Ultra Liquid Detergent, Free – F
- All 2X Ultra Concentrated Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear – F
Next Article: What products have higher health ratings?
Want more info and tips on living life organic and chemical-free?
Sign up for the weekly newsletter here!
