Keep Your Linen Buttery Soft With 6 of the Best Eco-Friendly Detergents

Choosing the perfect environmentally-friendly bedding should be easy and you’ve come to the right place. But spreading a new sheet set atop your mattress is only half of the battle – laundry detergents are an entirely different beast with a host of separate considerations. Cost per wash, eco-friendliness, kindness to sensitive skin, baby safety and biodegradability, are all factors to keep at the forefront of your proverbial shopping trolley alongside everything else.

Kick intimidating ingredients to the curb by discovering six of the best eco-friendly detergents that will help to maximise your linen’s longevity.

1. Zero Co Laundry Liquid

Best for: those looking for a refill

With cute packaging and effective solutions, Australian company Zero Co has made a name for itself as a trusted source for eco-friendly cleaning products. Their 4L vegan and cruelty-free Laundry Liquid is phthalate and palm oil free and comes in a reusable refill pouch that you can send back to us (in their reply paid satchel) so they can clean it, refill it, and reuse it. Each of the forever bottles are made from ocean, beach, and landfill waste.

The unique scent of this laundry liquid is a combination of lemon myrtle and Australian grey gum and leaves your linen smelling perfectly fresh and clean.

2. La Clinica Organic For Home Fabric & Linen Laundry Wash Liquid Detergent

Best for: those on a budget

Founded originally to serve as a skincare solution, La Clinica is as good for your linen as it is for your face, so we’d keep this alternative in high rotation.

Each bottle lends itself to 64 washes – double that of many competitors – without compromising high-performing ingredients. The Fabric & Linen Laundry Wash Liquid Detergent is eco-friendly and non-toxic and will be kind to sensitive skin types and newborns thanks to its allergen-free and hypoallergenic formula. Instead of synthetic fragrances or perfumes, La Clinica is infused with plant-derived essential oils, rounding out an unassuming yet elegant scent of lavender, cedarwood and eucalyptus that won’t overwhelm your linen or get in the way of those elusive zzz’s.

Puracy Natural Laundry Detergent

3. Best for: sensitive skin

Expertly developed by doctors with allergy sufferers and sensitive skin types in mind, Puracy’s Natural Laundry Detergent is the clean, green laundry detergent par excellence to maintain a healthy household. The plant-based enzyme formula is gentle on all skin types but hard on stains and odours, working double-time to improve the softness of your linen with each wash.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find any nasties in here: there are no sulphates, petrochemicals or caustics. The formula is also entirely vegan, gluten-free, hypoallergenic and biodegradable, making it an optimal choice for those with children or pets.

4. Ecostore Laundry Liquid

Best for: those who prefer no fragrance

Born out of New Zealand – where the air is arguably cleaner and the views superior – Ecostore’s philosophy is plain and simple: eliminate exposure to toxic chemicals in the home. Enter their Laundry Liquid – a formula derived from plant-based ingredients that is free from optical brighteners, phosphates, and synthetic fragrances. Not only is it kind on sensitive skin and allergy sufferers, Ecostore’s offering is environment-safe too, meaning you can reuse any remaining product on flower gardens, trees and lawns.

The bottles are 100% recyclable and will deliver 28 washes per litre, making this alternative a no-brainer – except for the challenge of choosing between its attractive eucalyptus, geranium and orange or fragrance-free versions.

5. Simply Clean Lemon Myrtle Laundry Liquid

Best for: those looking for vegan/cruelty free

Proudly Australian-made, Simply Clean’s Lemon Myrtle Laundry Liquid was formulated with a family-first approach in mind, making it a serious contender for the top spot on this list.

Promising to deliver 40 washes per litre, Simply Clean’s solution is phosphate-free, enzyme-free, palm oil-free, toxin-free, and sensitiser-free, and uses no animal products or artificial fragrances. Simply put: Simply Clean is the heavyweight champion of laundry diets.

6. Clean Cult Wool Dryer Balls

Best for: those looking for something extra

If you’ve read our no-nonsense, no dry-clean guide to keeping your linen super soft – or even if you haven’t! – allow us this diversion from detergents to dryer balls should you want to go the extra mile on laundry day. Based out of Puerto Rico and New York, Clean Cult’s Wool Dryer Balls are ethically sourced and imported from New Zealand, boasting 100% premium wool from the sheep capital itself. These balls are hard on wrinkles and gentle on skin, making them an obvious addition to any laundry cycle that needs some extra help.

Clean Cult’s offering also promises to cut the drying time and improve the softness of your linen.