Wondering which detergent to use for your cloth diapers and which detergent is safe for your baby?
Have you heard about cloth diaper safe detergents? We’re here to help!
At Fluff Love and CD Science, we can get behind almost any detergent without fabric softener.
A detergent is not recommended if it meets any of the following criteria:
- does not contain a sufficient concentration of surfactant to clean human waste from multi-layered cloth diapers when used at up to three times the manufacturer’s recommended use amount
- uses a formula that is known to cause burns to users
- Uses a formula that will cause damage to cloth diapers or impede their function (as by coating fibers to trap soil or cause repelling of liquids)
- Has been consistently shown to be ineffective among users in our Facebook troubleshooting group
Keep in mind that detergent recommendations will vary based on your specific washing conditions.
If you find our recommendations from this page are not working or you need specific help for a special circumstance, join the Fluff Love & CD Science Facebook page and we will be happy to help!
| Name | Liquid or Powder | Marketed as: | Recommended? | HE Safe? | Plant / F&C | Enzymes? | Cost | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Happy Green Life | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | A Happy Green Life Not recommended. Doesn’t contain any surfactant. The ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Percarbonate, Fragrance or Essential Oil (optional). That’s washing soda, baking soda, and oxiclean. |
| Ace (Ace Ultra, Ultra Ace, etc) | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | This is the name of Tide detergent in Spanish-speaking countries. It is made by P&G and is literally the exact same thing as Tide. |
| Ace (Ace Ultra, Ultra Ace, etc.) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | This is the name of Tide detergent in Spanish-speaking countries. It is made by P&G and is literally the exact same thing as Tide. |
| Ahold Complete Cleaning with Quad-Active Technology | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Recommended. Use line 1 prewash and a full cap in main wash, and don't hesitate to increase amounts if needed. Available at Stop & Shop. | ||
| Ajax Dual Action Clean | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Good lower cost detergent choice. Use a whole cap in main wash. |
| All | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Does not contain sodium cocoate. The powder version of this detergent does not contain the fiber-coating ingredient and is fine to use. Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. |
| All Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. |
| All Free Clear | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Does not contain sodium cocoate. The powder version of this detergent does not contain the fiber-coating ingredient and is fine to use. Use line 1 in prewash and a full scoop + line 2 in main wash. |
| All Free Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. Contains optical brighteners. |
| All Free Clear (Military Edition) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | No Enzymes | $ $ | Only available on/around military bases. Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. Does not contain optical brighteners. |
| All Free Clear Plus Oxi | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling or trap soil. Fine for clothing. |
| All Fresh and Sensitive | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. Contains optical brighteners. |
| All Mighty Pacs | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. Contains optical brighteners. |
| All Small and Mighty | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. Contains optical brighteners. |
| All Sport Wash | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Composed of coconut oil, made into a surfactant-like molecule through a proprietary process. In testing it seemed to weak to clean human feces from diapers, but is probably a good detergent for regular laundry. |
| All Stain Lifter | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. Contains optical brighteners. |
| All with Oxi | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Allen's Naturally | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Too weak to effectively clean, very expensive. Not HE safe, as it instructs users to use less in HE machines. |
| Amolin Sensitive Laundry Wash (AU) | Liquid | Detergent | ||||||
| Amway, Legacy of Clean SA8 | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Use 3 tbsp in prewash and 6 tbsp in main wash. Plant based, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. |
| Amway, Legacy of Clean SA8 | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Good green choice. use 1/2 cap in prewash and a full cap and a half in main wash. Wash on hot and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. |
| Amway, Legacy of Clean Tri-zyme Booster | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Good enzyme booster, very green company |
| Arctic Power | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Recommended, but weaker. Use 1/2 cap prewash and 1.5 caps main wash. | ||
| Ariel | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Use 1/2 cup in prewash and 1-2 cups in main wash. Like Foca but with a different scent. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Ariel (Europe) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | A European detergent made by P&G. Very similar to Tide. Good European choice. |
| Arm & Hammer | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Weak. Use half a cap in the prewash and 1.5 capfulls in the main wash. If you have the large club size jug, use line 4 prewash and a full cap in your main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Arm & Hammer | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Seems weaker, so we treat it as a free and clear – use half a scoop in the prewash and 1-2 full scoops in main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Arm & Hammer Bio Enzyme Power | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Plant based. Use 1/2 cap prewash and 1.5-2 caps main wash, main wash on hot, and add water softener if your water is even slightly hard. Update March 2018, it appears that this detergent has been discontinued. |
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| Arm & Hammer Clean Sensations | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Weak. Use half a cap in the prewash and 1.5 capfulls in the main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Arm & Hammer plus a Touch of Softener | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Not recommended. Contains fabric softener. | |||
| Arm & Hammer Plus Oxi Clean | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | Recommended. Use 1/2 scoop in the prewash and 1.5-2 scoops in the main wash. If you have an HE machine, make sure your box says it is safe for HE, as there are non-HE safe boxes. | ||
| Arm & Hammer Powerfully Clean | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Weak. Use half a cap in the prewash and 1.5 capfulls in the main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | No Enzymes | $ $ | Free and clear. Weak. Use half a cap in the prewash and 1.5 capfulls in the main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Arm & Hammer Ultra Power | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Weak. Use half a cap in the prewash and 1.5 capfulls in the main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Arm & Hammer with Oxi | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Only Arm and Hammer variety with an enzyme. Still seems weaker; use half to 1 cap in the prewash and 1.5-2 caps in the main. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Arm and Hammer Essentials | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ | Update 3/18/18 - after reviewing the latest ingredients list we can no longer recommend this detergent, as it contains coconut based surfactants which can build up in cloth diapers and cause stink, repelling, and rashes. | |
| Attitude | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Good plant based option. Use half a cap in prewash and a whole cap and a half in main wash. Wash on hot and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. |
| Attitude Little Ones | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Use half a cap in prewash and a whole cap and a half in main wash. Wash on hot and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. | ||
| Aura Performance | Liquid | Detergent | ||||||
| Ava Anderson | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Does not contain any surfactants, but does contain enzymes. Would make a good booster but is not sufficient for cleaning. Ingredients are sodium percarbonate (oxiclean), sodium carbonate (washing soda), an enzyme blend, and silica. |
| Azure Standard | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended, very weak. | ||||
| Azure Standard | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended due to coconut based ingredients that will build up in diapers. | ||||
| Babies R Us | ||||||||
| Babies R Us Baby Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Recommended. Use 1/2 cap in the prewash and a full cap in the main wash. | ||
| Babyganics | Liquid | Detergent | not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | The latest ingredients list for this detergent states that it contains potassium cocoate, which acts like sodium cocoate and builds up in absorbent fabrics. We can no longer recommend this detergent. |
| Bac-Out | Liquid | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Excellent booster, especially for detergents that don't already contain enzymes. |
| Berkley Jensen Ultra | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Recommended. BJ's equivalent to Tide. Start with 1/2 cap prewash and a full cap main wash. | ||
| Better Life | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended due to coconut based ingredients that will build up in diapers. | |||
| Bio D Nappy Fresh Sanitiser and Stain Remover | Powder | Booster | This is a fine booster; HE safe and plant based. Add to your main wash according to the package instructions. | |||||
| Bio-Vert | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. Very weak. Plant based. |
| BioD | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Contains sodium metasilicate, the same dangerous ingredient as Charlie's Soap. Do not use. | ||||
| bioD Washing Powder | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Surfactants are the last ingredient on the list. This detergent will not be strong enough to clean human waste from diapers. |
| Biokleen | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | 1 scoop in prewash, 2-3 scoops in main. |
| Biokleen | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Good green choice. Use half the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load in prewash and 1.5-2x the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load in main wash. Add a water softener if your water is at all hard and wash on hot. Not HE safe, as it requires you to use less in an HE machine. |
| Biokleen Baby Laundry Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Recommended, plant based Not HE safe as it directs users to use less detergent in HE machines. Use 1 cap full in prewash and 2 caps in main wash, add softener if your water is at all hard, and use hot water in your main wash. | ||
| Biokleen Cold Water | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Not recommended - too weak. |
| Biz | Powder | Booster | Top Pick! | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Excellent enzyme booster. Use line 1 in your prewash (optional) and in your main wash. |
| Boardwalk Huracan40 | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | – | Contains sodium metasilicate, which without a buffer can cause serious burns in certain water conditions. Not recommended. Do not use. | |||
| Boardwalk Hurricane 40 | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Contains sodium metasilicate, which without a buffer can cause serious burns in certain water conditions. Not recommended. Do not use. | ||||
| Bold (European) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains synthetic fabric softener. |
| Borax | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral based | No Enzymes | $ | This is a water softener that can be used in your wash routine if you have hard water and as one of the three ingredients in our DIY stripping mix. |
| Boulder | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Plant based, use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1 1/2 caps in main. Very economical for a plant based detergent. Sold at Costco. If your cap has 5 lines, use line 2 in prewash and line 5 in main wash. |
| Branch Basics | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Do not use. Contains soap, which can coat fibers and trap soil or cause repelling. |
| bumGenius (new March 2015 formula) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | ? | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not recommended. Potassium cocoate functions similarly to sodium cocoate and can cause buildup in cloth diapers. |
| bumGenius (Old formula) | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Same as Country Save but with a smaller scoop. Would require 2 scoops in prewash and 8 scoops in main wash, costing $2.14 a load! |
| Buncha Farmers Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended. Soap. | ||||
| Calgon | Liquid | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not a detergent, but a water softener or booster. One of the three ingredients in our DIY stripping mix. See our page on Dealing with Hard Water and Cloth Diapers for more information. |
| Calgon | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | A water softener to be used in your wash routine if you have hard water and as one of our three DIY stripping mix ingredients. Especially helpful in calcium-rich water. |
| Celadon Road (all scents) | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains no surfactant, recommends very small amounts for cleaning, and contains essential oils for fragrance. Also very expensive. Ingredients are Sodium Borate (borax), Soda Ash (washing soda), coconut oil, clay powder, vinegar and essential oil. |
| Charlie Banana | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains coconut oil based surfactants, which might include sodium cocoate which can build up on fibers and trap soils or cause repelling. Too weak to really clean, like many "CD Safe" detergents. |
| Charlie's Soap | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Mineral based | No Enzymes | $ $ | NOT RECOMMENDED. Can cause chemical burns due to unbuffered sodium metasilicate. |
| Charlie's Soap | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Not recommended. See our page on Charlie’s for more information. |
| Cheer | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. |
| Cheer | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. |
| Cheer Free & Gentle | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free & clear | Recommended. Use line 4 in your prewash and 2x line 4 in your main wash. | ||
| Claudia's Choice | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ | NOT RECOMMENDED. Contains the same unbuffered ingredient as Charlie's Soap and can cause chemical burns. |
| Clorox 2 | Liquid | Booster | Recommended | He Safe | Synthetic | Does Not Contain enzymes | $ $ | Great stain fighting booster. Despite being made by Clorox, this "bleach" is similar to oxiclean and will not sanitize. |
| Coconut Rain | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Only cleaning agent is saponified coconut oil, which can build upon fibers and trap soils or cause repelling. Also contains essential oils. |
| Cold Power Sensitive | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended. Contains sodium cocoate, which can build up and cause repelling, stink and rashes. | ||||
| Colon (European) | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. May contain phosphates? Contains optical brighteners. |
| Common Good | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Not recommended. Contains no surfactants. | ||
| Country Save | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Mineral based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Not recommended. Too weak to effectively clean diapers. |
| Country Save | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ | Contains sodium metasilicate, which without a buffer can cause serious burns in certain water conditions. Not recommended. Do not use. |
| Crunchy Clean | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Does not contain any surfactant. Will not clean human waste from fabric. Ingredients are baking soda, washing soda, oxygen bleach and essential oils for fragrance. |
| Csepke Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Not recommended. Contains cocomidopropyl betane which is another name for sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. |
| Dapple | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Contains a coconut fatty acid that is likely sodium cocoate. Also seems rather weak. |
| Defunkify Active Wash | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Not recommended. Too weak to effectively clean diapers. | |||
| doTERRA On Guard | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains essential oils that have been shown to be unsafe around children under ten years, let alone around babies. Proably fine for adult clothes but we cannot recommend it to be used on any baby laundry. Also is not HE safe as it recommends less detergent be used in HE machines. |
| Down East Detergent (CA) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Very weak detergent, you would need quite a bit to get anything clean to the point that it would become too expensive to use. |
| Dreft | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Like Tide, but with 2 additional enzymes and a different scent. Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full scoop main wash. Contains optical brighteners. Works well in hard water. |
| Dreft | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Like Tide, but with 2 additional enzymes and a different scent. Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash. Newer bottles of Dreft that have the cap with spouts, use line 3-4 in prewash, and line 5-full cap in main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Dropps Pods | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Weak overall. Would be very expensive to try to use enough to adequately clean. |
| Dynamo | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Less effective. Seems to have been recently reformulated and is now very watery. Use 1 whole cap in prewash and 2 caps in main, and consider adding a booster such as Biz. Contains optical brighteners |
| Dynamo Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | No Enzymes | $ | If it is weaker than the original Dynamo because it’s free and clear, you would have to use far too much to be reasonable to make this one work. |
| Earth Choice (AU) | Detergent | |||||||
| Earthwise | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Plant based. Use recommended amount for heavily soiled loads in the prewash and 1.5x recommended amount in the main wash. Wash on HOT. |
| Eco Egg | ||||||||
| Eco-Max | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Plant based and free and clear. Use half a cap in the prewash and 1.5 capfuls in the main wash, always wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is at all hard. Very weak. Not HE safe, and it directs HE users to use less detergent. |
| EcoMe | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended. This product is soap-base. | |||
| EcoNuts | Powder | Soap | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | DO NOT USE. This is a SOAP, not a detergent. It will not rinse cleanly and will lead to soap scum buildup on your diapers and in your washing machine. This will trap soil and bacteria. |
| EcoNuts Liquid | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains soap, which can build up on fibers and cause repelling or trap soil. Good for regular laundry. |
| Ecos | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. |
| Ecos Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Not recommended due to sodium cocoate. Also not safe for HE machines, because it instructs users to use less in HE machines. | ||
| Ecos Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based and Free and Clear | No Enzymes | $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can coat fibers and cause repelling issues. Great for clothing, as it reduces allergens, but not good for cloth diapers. |
| Ecos Plus Enzymes | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Update March 2018 - it appears that the Ecos + Enzymes detergent without fabric softener has been discontinued and all Ecos contains fabric softener. |
| Ecos Pro | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Not recommended for washing cloth diapers, due to coconut based ingredients that will build up and trap bacteria. Also, not HE safe, as it directs users to use less in HE machines. |
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| EcoSprout | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Does not contain sodium cocoate. Seems too weak to actually clean. |
| Ecostore | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant & Mineral based | Not Recommended. Too weak to clean laundry as heavily soiled as cloth diapers. | ||
| Ecostore | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Not recommended. Too weak to clean laundry as heavily soiled as cloth diapers. | ||
| Ecover | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Contains fabric softener, do not use. The fabric softener is plant based and technically OK for natural fibers (cotton and hemp) but not on any synthetics (polyester, microfiber, or bamboo). Contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate. The company also makes a woolwash that works very well when handwashing woolies. |
| Ecover Delicate Care | Liquid | Detergent | Not recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended - contains potassium cocoate. | |||
| Ecover Zero | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | The powder version of this detergent does not contain the fabric softener ingredient and is fine to use. Use half a scoop in the prewash and 3-4 full scoops in main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Seems to be very low sudsing for soft water. The company also makes a woolwash that works very well when handwashing woolies. Please note that Ecover Zero powder is discontinued for the U.S. market, but is still available in Europe. |
| Ecowise | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended. Contains sodium cocoate, which can cause repelling, and sodium metasilicate, the same dangerous ingredient as Charlies Soap. | ||||
| Era | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash. Made by P&G and likely similar to Tide. Contains borax, so if you have been sensitive to borax before this is not a detergent for you. |
| Era Free & Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Recommended. Free and clear. Use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1.5 caps main wash, add water softener if your water is at all hard. | ||
| Evolve | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended- contains too much sodium cocoate, which acts like fabric softener and coats fibers. | ||||
| Excelsior | Detergent | |||||||
| Excelsior Laundry Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | This detergent is also not safe for use in HE machines, as it states to use less detergent in HE. | |||
| Fab | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | May be slightly weaker. Start with the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load and add more if needed. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Fairy non bio (Europe) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Recommended. Begin with the amounts recommended on the package and increase as needed. | |||
| Filetti | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | German. Good European choice. |
| Fit Organic | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended - this is a soap, and is therefore not recommended for washing diapers in a washing machine. | ||||
| Foca | Powder | Detergent | Top Pick! | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | In hard water, use 1/2 cup in prewash and 1 1/2 cups in main wash. In soft water, use 1 – 1 1/2 cup in main wash only. Very sudsy. Contains optical brighteners. Good in hard water. |
| Foca | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Start with 1 cap prewash and 3 caps main wash, increase as needed. HE safe, unlike the powder, but much harder to find. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Forever New | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | A "delicate laundry" detergent that just doesn't have the cleaning power for human waste. |
| Fuzzibunz Prewash and Ultimate Wash | ||||||||
| Gain | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Gain (All other scents) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full scoop main wash. Contain optical brighteners. Please keep in mind that new formulations are labeled "For All Machines" but tend to cause major sudsing issues in HE machines. |
| Gain (Original and Island Fresh) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full scoop main wash. Contains optical brighteners. Please keep in mind that new formulations are labeled "For All Machines" but tend to cause major sudsing issues in HE machines. |
| Gain Botanicals | Liquid | Detergent | Currently being tested. | |||||
| Gain Botanicals | Liquid | Detergent | HE Safe | Plant Based | Currently being tested. | |||
| Gain Flings | Liquid | Detergent | Not recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not recommended for households with young children due to the risk of accidental ingestion of pods. Requires up to 2 pods in prewash and 4 in main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Gain with Febreeze | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Gain with Oxiboost | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full scoop main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Grab Green Pods | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | The ingredients list of this detergent places surfactants very low and there are no enzymes to boost cleaning power. Additionally, the pods would become very expensive to try and use enough to make them clean. This would be an excellent booster used in addition to a strong detergent. |
| Granny's All Temperature Ultra | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | Recommended. Use 1 capful in prewash and 2 capfuls in main wash. Add a water softener if water is at all hard. Prewash water temperature is your choice, but main wash must be hot. | |
| Great Value High Efficiency | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. Good in soft water. |
| Great Value Natural Laundry Detergent (Walmart) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ | Just too weak to clean human waste. Fine for regular clothing. |
| Green Earth Naturals | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Basically homemade laundry detergent. Contains soap, which can coat fibers and cause repelling or trap soil. Is also very expensive considering what it is. Not strong enough to clean. |
| Greenshield Organic | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Plant based. Contains coconut and soap nuts as 2nd and 3rd ingredients. |
| Greenworks | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Plant based. Use 1 capful in prewash and 2 capfuls in main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. |
| HEB Bravo Plus | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Recommended. Use 1/2 cap in prewash and a full cap in main wash. | ||
| Hero Clean Ultra Laundry Liquid | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Has Enzymes | Use 1 full cap in your prewash and 1.5-2 full caps in your main wash; main wash must be with hot water; add softener if you water is even mildly hard. | |
| HEX Performance Power + | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended - the amount needed to actually clean diapers would be cost-prohibitive. | ||||
| HomeSolv by Citra Solv | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Plant based, not HE safe. Start with line 2 in your prewash and a full cap in your main wash, main wash in hot water, and add water softener if your water is even moderately hard. Not HE safe as it recommends less detergent be used in HE machines. |
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| Honest Co. 4-in-1 Laundry Packs | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mienral Based | Does Contain enxymes | $ $ $ | Would be too expensive to use on diapers because you would need 2 packs in prewash and 4-6 in main, but it would be a good option for regular, lightly soiled laundry |
| Honest Company | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Plant based. Contains sodium cocoate, which can build up in diapers, trapping bacteria and causing repelling. Also very weak. |
| Honest Company Multi-Enzyme Stain Fighting Liquid | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | Plant based. Use 1/2-1 cap in your prewash and 1.5-2 caps in your main wash. Use hot water for the main wash and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. Not HE safe, as it directs HE machine users to use less detergent. Recommendations apply to both scented and free and clear versions. |
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| If You Care | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Note - this product has been discontinued. Recommended. Use 1 capful in prewash and 1.5-2 caps main wash, use hot water for the main wash. Use a water softener if your water is at all hard. | ||
| Ivory Snow (Canada) | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Full strength detergent, comparable to Dreft. Available in Canada; different from the US version. | ||
| Ivory Snow (US) | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Weaker, “gentle” detergent, so we treat it as a free and clear. Use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| J.R. Watkins | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Not recommended; too weak to effectively clean cloth diapers. | ||
| Kind (Motherease) | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Excellent "green" or CD Safe choice. Use 1/2 the recommended amount in the prewash and 1.5x the recommended amount in main wash, wash on hot and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. |
| Kirkland Environmentally Friendly | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Actually better than Kirkland Free and Clear. Plant based;use half a scoop in the prewash and 1-2 full scoops in main wash add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Kirkland Environmentally Friendly / Responsible | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Actually better than Kirkland Free and Clear. Plant based. Use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains no optical brighteners. **Appears to be discontinued. |
| Kirkland Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | No Enzymes | $ | Contains sodium cocoate, which can build up on fibers, trapping soil and bacteria. Made by the same company that makes All Free and Clear. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Kirkland Super Concentrate | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Requires two full scoops. Contains optical brighteners. Does not contain enzymes, so an enzyme booster such as biz will be very helpful, but is not necessarily required. |
| Kirkland Super Concentrate | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Requires two full caps, and when enough to clean was used, the HE washer we were testing with threw a suds error. Can be used effectively in a standard top-loader. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Kirkland Ultra | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | No longer available. “As good as Tide.” Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. |
| Kirkland Ultra | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Recommended. Use 1/2 cap prewash and a full cap main wash. Considered to be similar to Tide. |
| Kirkland Ultra Clean Lavender Scent | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | This is the green bottle lavender scent that appears to have replaced Kirkland environmentally responsible. Contains the same coconut fatty acid as ALL brand free & clear detergent, which can build up in diapers and cause stink, rashes, and repelling. Do not use for diapers. | ||
| Kirkland Ultra Detergent Pods | Pods | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | We do not recommend any detergent pods, for reasons of cost-effectiveness and safety. | ||
| Kirkland Ultra Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | This is a new version of the Kirkland Free and Clear and is much better than the old one. Start with half cap prewash and 1.5 caps main wash |
| Kirkland Ultra with Bleach Alternative | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Good economical choice. |
| La Parisienne | ||||||||
| La Parisienne Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Canadian brand. Probably weaker, so treat as a free and clear and use a full recommended amount for a heavily soiled load in prewash and 2x that amount in main. |
| LA's Totally Awesome | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ | Excellent budget brand. Plant based. Use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1 1/2 caps in main wash, wash on hot, and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. Make sure to avoid the 2-in-1 varieties, as they contain fabric softener. |
| Laundry Tarts | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ | Does not contain any surfactant, except possibly soap, which can build up and cause repelling or trap bacteria. Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Rosemary Extract, Saponified Canola and Coconut oil, Sorbitol, Phthalate Free fragrances, Essential Oils, Plant extracts and Absolutes. |
| Lemi Shine Laundry Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Recommended, plant based and HE safe. Use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1.5-2 caps in main wash, add softener if your water is at all hard, and use hot water in your main wash. | ||
| Little Journey Baby Laundry Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Recommended. Use line 2 in prewash and line 2 x2 in main wash. Use a water softener if your water is at all hard. | ||
| LuLu’s In the Fluff / Lulu’s Glamour Wash | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ | Does not contain any surfactant. Ingredients are: Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Carbonate, Oxygen Cleaner, Fragrance (if added). *Can* be used as a booster. |
| MelaPower 6x (Melaleuca) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | ? | $ $ | The company recently released a more detailed list of ingredients. It contains enough information for us to determine that this detergent is not recommended for cloth diapers, as it appears to contain coconut-based ingredients that will build up in absorbent fabrics. |
| Meliora K | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains sodium cocoate as the only cleaning agent, which can build up on fibers, trapping soil and causing repelling. |
| Member's Mark Ultimate Clean | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Requires so much to actually clean that HE washers often throw a suds error. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Member's Mark Ultimate Clean | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | In order for it to actually clean, it requires so much that machines throw a suds error. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Method | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ $ | 6 pumps prewash, 12 pumps main wash. Plant based. Wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. |
| Method 4x Concentrated | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | 1 cap in prewash, 3 caps in main wash. |
| Method 8x Concentrated | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | 1 cap in prewash, 3 caps in main wash. |
| Mighty Bubbles | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not sufficient for stripping or washing diapers using package directions. Booster only. At manufacturer's request, we can no longer recommend using this product differently than their instructions. |
| Mini Kiwi | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Australia / New Zealand. Weak, may contain sodikum cocoate, which can build up on fibers and trap soil or cause repelling. |
| MioCare Natural Washing Powder | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended: too weak and contains to much soap. | ||||
| Miofresh Nappy Cleanser | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant & Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ | Recommended. Follow package instructions and add with recommended detergent. |
| Modere | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended. Contains coconut based ingredients that will build up in cloth diapers, trap bacteria, and cause repelling and rashes. | ||||
| Modere | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Great for clothes but just not strong enough for diapers. In our tests it seemed to work at first but issues arose quickl, even when we used it at 5x the manufacturer's recommended amount. |
| Molly's Suds | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Does not contain any surfactants. Ingredients are sodium carbonate sourced from the Green River Basin in Wyoming, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium sulfate (heptahydrate), unrefined sea salt, and organic peppermint (mentha piperita) oil (optional). |
| Molly's Suds Cloth Diaper Detergent | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Does not contain surfactants. Ingredients are sodium carbonate sourced from the Green River Basin in Wyoming, sodium percarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, unrefined sea salt. |
| Mother's Little Helper Soap Nut Laundry Pills (Shecology) | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains soap, which can build up on fibers and trap soils or cause repelling. Also contains no water softener whatsoever, so if you use it on clothing be sure to add a water softener if your water is even slightly hard. |
| Mountain Green Free and Clear Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Seems too weak to actually clean, may cause damage to diapers if used in sufficient quantity to clean (according to their website) |
| Mrs. Meyer's | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Possibly contains sodium cocoate (has an unnamed “coconut fatty acid” as an ingredient). Recommendations are so small, it becomes hugely expensive to use enough to clean. |
| My Green Fills | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | This product is a soap, and not recommended for washing cloth diapers. | |||
| Natural Visions Laundry Soap | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | As the name indicates, this product is a soap. It could be used hand washing with a washboard, but is not recommended in a washing machine. | ||||
| Nature Clean | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Does not contain an enzyme and its surfactants are very mild and weak. |
| Nature Clean | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not super strong. Use 1 cap in prewash and 2 caps in main. Add a water softener if your water is at all hard. Wash on hot. Not safe for HE machines, and it directs users to use less detergent. |
| Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor Remover | Liquid | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Good booster/pre-treatment for stains or very soiled diapers. Often found in the pet section of stores, even though it is a regular laundry additive. |
| NaturOil | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Do not use. Contains soap, which can coat fibers and trap soil or cause repelling. |
| Nellie's All-Natural Laundry Nuggets | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Does not contain a strong enough concentration of surfactants to clean human waste from multi-layered cloth diapers. Probably fine on regular, lightly soiled laundry. |
| Nellie's Washing Soda | Powder | Detergent ("Laundry Soda") | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | As the name implies, this is mostly washing soda, which itself is not a particularly effective water softener. It does not have enough cleaning power to deal with human waste and is not generally effective. It is also very expensive and using enough to even try to clean would be cost prohibitive. |
| Nice! Advanced Clean (Walgreens) | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Claims to be like Tide, seems to be a good store brand option. Use line 1 in prewash and a whole cap in main. |
| Norwex Liquid Laundry Detergent (2017/2018) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant ased | Does Contain Enzymes | Not recommended; the manufacturer's recommended use amount is very small and will not be sufficient to clean regular laundry, let alone human waste. You would need so much to get your diapers clean that it would become cost prohibitive. Also, is not HE safe because it recommends less detergent be used in HE machines. | |
| Norwex Ultra Power Plus (2014 and older formula) | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains the same dangerous chemical as Charlie’s soap, and can cause chemical burns. See our page on Charlie’s for more information. We are currently trying to get in touch with the company to see if there is any kind of buffering at all in their detergent, which would make it safe. However, Norwex is very protective of their ingredient lists. Until we can know for certain that this will not cause the same chemical burns as Charlie’s Soap, this is a big fat DO NOT USE! |
| Norwex Ultra Power Plus (2015 and newer formula) | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not recommended; the manufacturer's recommended use amount is very small and will not be sufficient to clean regular laundry, let alone human waste. You would need so much to get your diapers clean that it would become cost prohibitive. Also, is not HE safe because it recommends less detergent be used in HE machines. |
| Odoban | Liquid | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Good enzyme pre-treatment booster. |
| Old Dutch | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | We need to confirm whether this is HE safe, but based on the ingredients it is recommended. Use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1.5 caps in your main wash. | ||||
| Ology | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ | Good budget plant based option. Use half a cap in prewash and 2 caps in main wash, wash on hot, and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. |
| Omo (Australia) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Recommended. Per box, use 1/2 scoop in prewash and 1.5 scoops main wash. | |||
| Omo (Brazil) | Detergent | |||||||
| Oxiclean | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Great booster if you're concerned about your diaper lining staying white. |
| Oxiclean (Fresh Scent) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. |
| Oxiclean Baby | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | A good stain remover for diapers and baby clothes alike. It does contain enzymes, but not as much as a booster like Biz or Nature's Miracle. |
| Oxiclean Laundry Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Use a whole cap in main wash. |
| Oxydol with Biz | Liquid | Detergent | Top Pick! | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Oxydol with Biz | Powder | Detergent | Top Pick! | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Persil (Bio) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Good European/Canadian choice. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Persil (Non-Bio) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Good European/Canadian choice. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Persil Proclean | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | New to the American market. Seems to be an excellent detergent. Use 1/2 cap in the prewash and a full cap in the main wash. Please note that this is a different formulation that the European Persil, but both products seem to work very well. Please note that the powder comes in a jug with a cap, not a box with a scoop like most other powders. |
| Persil Proclean | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | New to the American market. Seems to be an excellent detergent. Use 1/2 cap in the prewash and a full cap in the main wash. With the oversized "club" cap use line 2 in the prewash and line 5 in the main wash. Please note that this is a different formulation that the European Persil, but both products seem to work very well. |
| Persil Sensitive | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Now a true free and clear formula. Use 1/2 cap in your prewash and 1.5-2 caps in your main wash, and add a water softener if your water is even moderately hard. | ||
| Pink Solution | Liquid | All-Purpose Cleaner | Not Recommended | Not recommended- this is not a detergent and is not recommended to be used as one. | ||||
| Planet | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Not generally effective. Use 1 scoop in the prewash and 2.5 scoops in the main wash. Makes a good booster. |
| Planet 2x Ultra | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | 1 cap in prewash and 2 in main. Sulfate-free. |
| Power X | Liquid | Detergent | $ | |||||
| President's Choice Coldwater | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Not recommended - too weak. | |||
| President's Choice Extra Gentle Care Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Not recommended - too weak. | |||
| Presto! | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Plant Based | Recommended. Use 1/2 cap in the prewash and 1.5-2 caps main wash, and add water softener if your water is even moderately hard. Use hot water. | |||
| Puracy | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant based | Plant based, recommended, but not safe for HE machines. Use 1/2 the recommended amount in the prewash and 1.5-2x the recommended amount in the main wash, use hot water for the main wash, and add water softener if your water is even moderately hard. |
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| Pure Haven Essentials | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended. Too weak to effectively clean cloth diapers. | |||
| Purewash System | Neither | Neither | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Neither | No Enzymes | $ $ $ $ | This is a laundry treatment system that can be installed in your home. It does not use any detergent whatsoever and does not clean any moreso than water in any way that we can discern. |
| Purex | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Use 1/2 cap prewash and 1 cap main wash. Contains optical brighteners. May be sudsy in soft water. If you have the large club size jug, use line 2 in the prewash and just over line 5 in the main wash. |
| Purex | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | If the box does not come with a scoop, follow the package instructions for a large heavily soiled load, measuring with a kitchen measuring cup. Use the small load amounts for prewash and large load amounts for main wash. If the box comes with a scoop, use 1/2 scoop in the prewash and 1.5 scoops in the main wash. |
| Purex Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Treat as a free and clear - use half a cap in prewash and a cap and a half in main. Good choice for sensitive skin. May be sudsy in soft water |
| Purex Complete with Zout | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | The only Purex we know of with enzymes. Use 1/2 cap prewash and 1 cap main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Purex Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | No Enzymes | $ | Free and clear. Use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains optical brighteners. May be sudsy in soft water. |
| Purex Natural Elements | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Plant based. Use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Purex PowerShot | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $$ | Prewash 1 "shot", Main wash 3 "shots". Increase as needed. |
| Purex Ultra Pacs | Liquid | Detergent | Not recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not recommended for households with young children due to the risk of accidental ingestion of pods. Requires up to 2 pods in prewash and 4 in main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Radiantly You All Natural Laundry Soap | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Soap based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Ingredients: Water, Handcrafted Castile Soap, Super Washing Soda, Borax. This is basically homemade laundry "detergent" sold for a much higher price. Soap will build up in washing machines, dryers, and on fabrics. Also, this is most likely not strong enough to properly clean (and the more soap it contains, the more soap buildup is a problem.) |
| Raindrops | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ | Good water softener, very similar to Calgon |
| Rebel Green | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | This is soap, not detergent, and therefore is not recommended for use in a washing machine. It *might* be possible to use this product if washing with a washboard. This applies to both the scented and free & clear formulas. |
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| RLR | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not a detergent, but a stripping treatment or booster. See our page on How to STRIP Your Cloth Diapers for more information. |
| Rockin' Green (all versions) | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Too weak to clean heavily soiled laundry such as diapers. Using enough to actually clean would cost $1.99 a load. Old formulations were linked to serious injuries to genitalia, but that has been resolved and is no longer an issue. |
| Roma | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Use 1/2 cup in prewash and 1-2 cups in main wash. Like Foca but with a different scent. Does not contain an enzyme so is less effective. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Royal Brite Plus Powder Enzyme Detergent | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Not recommended. Is mostly water softener, and contains sodium metasilicate, the same dangerous ingredient in Charlie's Soap. | |||
| Ruby Moon | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended. This product is not really a detergent, rather is mainly water softeners and salt. Does not contain surfactants to actually clean. | ||||
| Ruby Moon | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended: contains no surfactant. | ||||
| S20 Laundry Detergent Sheets | Neither | Detergent | ||||||
| Safeway Home Advanced Cleaning (CA) | Detergent | |||||||
| Sal's Suds (Dr. Bronner's) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | generally not effective. This is a “liquid cleaner” that is labeled for many uses including dishes. We do not recommend dish soap in the washing machine. That said, Dr. Bonner’s discloses all their ingredients and we can’t find anything that is actually dangerous for the washing machine. If you must use it, add an enzyme booster such as Biz, add plenty of a good water softener, use the full recommended amount for a heavily soiled load in the prewash, double that amount in the main wash, and make sure you wash on HOT. |
| Sapadilla | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended. This product is a soap. Contains essential oils. | |||
| Scentsy | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Very expensive, but works well. Use 4 pumps in prewash and 7 in main. Scent does not seem to linger on diapers as well as you would hope, considering the price. |
| Seventh Generation | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Good “green” powder choice. Plant based; use half a scoop in the prewash and 1-2 full scoops in main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. |
| Seventh Generation (regular) | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | One of the more successful natural detergents. Plant based. Use 1 capful in the prewash and 2 capfuls in the main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. |
| Seventh Generation Baby 4x Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Use 1 capful in prewash and 2 capfuls in main. Wash on hot; add a water softener if your water is at all hard. Contains essential oils. |
| Seventh Generation Free & Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended - too weak to clean diapers. | |||
| Seventh Generation Free & Clear | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended - too weak to clean diapers. | |||
| Seventh Generation Free and Clear 4x Concentrated | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Use 1 capful in prewash and 2 capfuls in main wash. Very weak but can be used with success. Wash on hot and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. |
| Seventh Generation Free and Clear (regular) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No enzymes | $ $ | For the amount required to actually clean, this detergent tends to cause over-sudsing issues. |
| Seventh Generation Natural 4X Concentrated Laundry Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Use half a cap in prewash and 1.5 caps in main wash. Wash on hot and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. |
| Seventh Generation Ultra Power Plus | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Excellent natural choice. This detergent seems particularly effective in the plant based realm. Use 1/2 the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load in prewash and 1.5x the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load in main wash, wash on hot, and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. |
| Shaklee | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains the same dangerous ingredient as Charlie’s Soap Powder, may be unbuffered, but quantities are small enough that it most likely rinses away without problems. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Shaklee | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not generally effective. Plant based. |
| Shaklee Nature Bright | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Similar Oxiclean or Biz. Good booster, but expensive. |
| Shoosha | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Contains chamomile soap nut juice tea, which is a saponin and can build up on fibers, trapping soils and causing repelling. |
| Simple Green | Liquid | Booster | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Good spray treatment for greased-based stains, such as those from petroleum-based rash cream. |
| Simple Truth Organic | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | This product is a soap, and is therefore not recommended for washing diapers in a washing machine. | ||||
| Sisel Vibrant Laundry Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Use 1/2 the recommended amount in the prewash, and 1.5-2 times that amount in the main wash. Wash on hot for your main wash, and add water softener if your water is at all hard. Not HE safe. | ||
| Soak Wash | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended. Contains coconut based ingredients that will build up in cloth diapers, trap bacteria, and cause repelling and rashes. | |||
| SoapNuts | Powder | Soap | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Do not use. This is a soap, not a detergent. It will not rinse cleanly, will cause soap scum to build up on fabrics, and trap soil and bacteria. |
| Spring Time Biodegradable | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Plant Based | Not recommended- very weak. | |||
| Springtime | Liquid | Detergent | ||||||
| Sprouts (Sprouts Farmer's Market house brand) | Detergent | |||||||
| Stink Pot | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Ingredients are sodium carbonate (washing soda), sodium percarbonate (oxiclean), sodium borate (borax), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), a natural chelating agent (water softener that specifically targets metals), and essential oils (optional). Except for the chelating agent, this is something you could make at home. It contains no surfactant and will not clean human waste. Probably makes an excellent booster, as it is entirely made of water softeners and oxygen bleach. |
| Stink Pot Cloth Diaper Detergent | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Does not contain any surfactant. Ingredients are sodium carbonate (washing soda), sodium percarbonate (oxiclean), sodium borate (a water softener), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), natural chelating agent (a water softener that specifically targets metals), and essential oils for fragrance. |
| Sun | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Plant based. Use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Sun | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Plant based; use half a scoop in the prewash and 1-2 full scoops in main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. |
| Sun and Earth | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Good "green" choice. Does contain SLES. Use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1 1/2 caps in main Wash on hot and add a water softener if your water is at all hard. Some fragrances may contain essential oils that are not safe for use around babies, so check the labels and do your research! |
| Sun Free and Clear | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Good plant based choice. The free and clear variety does not contain synthetic fragrances. You will need 1/2 scoop in prewash and 1 1/2 scoops in main wash |
| Sun Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Good plant based choice. The free and clear variety does not contain synthetic fragrances. You will need 1 cap in prewash and 1.5-2 full caps in main wash |
| Sun with Oxi | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | No Enzymes | $ | Plant based. Use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash, wash on hot, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Sunlight | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Canadian. Good choice. Use a half scoop in prewash and a whole scoop in main wash. |
| Sunlight | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Canadian. Good alternative to Sun, which is not available in Canada, but it is synthetic instead of plant based. Use 1/2 cap prewash and a 1.5 caps main wash. |
| Sunlight Deep Clean | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | A more concentrated version of regular sunlight. This is a good value choice. Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load of laundry. |
| Sunlight Green Clean | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended, contains sodium cocoate which can build up and cause stink, rashes, and repelling. | ||||
| Sunlight Sensitive Skin | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Good budget friendly choice. Use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1 1/2 caps in main wash. |
| Super Iron Out | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Used to prevent and treat rust stains that come with iron hard water. Do not use use with bleach. |
| Surf | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Made by Sun. Good mainstream detergent. Use line 1 in prewash and a full scoop in main. |
| Tandil Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Fine, but weak. Use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1 1/2 caps in main, add a water softener if your water is at all hard |
| Tandil HE 2x (Aldi) | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Seems to be a very good detergent for the price. Reported to be "Tide in a generic bottle" but we cannot confirm that, and it does not contain enzymes. Use line 1-2 in your prewash and line 4-5+ in your main wash. |
| Tandil's Naturals Concentrated Laundry Soap | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | As the name indicates, this product is a soap, not a detergent. Could be used for handwashing with a washboard, but not in a washing machine. Also, not safe for HE machines because it indicates less be used in HE. |
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| Tandil's Naturals Laundry Soap | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Not recommended. As the name suggests, this is a soap-based product, which will not successfully clean cloth diapers in a washing machine. Soap based products *may* work with a washboard. | |||
| Thieves Laundry Soap | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | As the name indicates, this is a soap not a detergent. Not recommended for cleaning diapers in a washing machine. Also, contains essential oils whose safety of use with young children is uncommfirmed. |
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| Tide (All Scents except Tide with Downy) | Powder | Detergent | Top Pick! | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full scoop main wash. Very good at softening water, often considered better in hard water. Tide HE Turbo Powder is an excellentchoice for soft water as it is very low sudsing. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide (All Scents except Tide with Downy) | Liquid | Detergent | Top Pick! | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash. Newer bottles of Tide that have the cap with spouts, use line 3-4 in prewash, and line 5-full cap in main wash. Tide detergents tend to perform well in hard water. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide Cold Water | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Not recommended due to negative feedback from members. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide Free and Gentle | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Free and Clear; use half a scoop in the prewash and full heaping scoop in main wash. This corresponds to line 4 in the prewash and 2x line 4 in the main wash. Add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide Free and Gentle | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Free and clear. Line 5 in the prewash and 2x line 5 in the main wash, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains optical brighteners. OLD CAP: If your cap only goes to line 3, use line 2 in prewash and 1 1/2 full caps in main. |
| Tide Free and Gentle Ultra Stain Release | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Free and Clear | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Free and clear. Use 1/2 cap in the prewash and line 4 + line 4 in the main wash, add a water softener if your water is even mildly hard. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide Oxi Stain Remover | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | A good stain fighting booster, similar to Oxiclean. |
| Tide Plus Bleach | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full scoop main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide Plus Bleach Alternative | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Great mainstream choice. Look for an HE symbol to make sure you get the HE variety. |
| Tide Plus Downy | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Not recommended. Contains fabric softener. |
| Tide Pods | Liquid | Detergent | Not recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not recommended for households with young children due to the risk of accidental ingestion of pods. Requires up to 2 pods in prewash and 4 in main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide Professional | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Synthetic | Use the amount recommended on the box for a heavily soiled load. If you have a HE machine, make sure your box says HE on the front. We have only seen non HE boxes of this. |
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| Tide Purclean Honey Lavender | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant based | Testing produced mixed results. Use Line 4 in prewash and 2x Line 4 in the main wash, use hot water in your main wash, and a water softener if your water is even moderately hard. This detergent seems sudsy, so it may not be a great choice for those with suds-sensitive washers. |
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| Tide PurClean unscented | Liquid | Detergent | Plant Based | Currently being tested. | ||||
| Tide Simply Clean and Fresh | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Not recommended due to negative feedback from members. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide Sport | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide Ultra Stain Release | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide with a Touch of Downey | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Contains fabric softener. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide with Acti-Lift | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash |
| Tide with Bleach | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tide with Febreeze | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Line 1-2 prewash and line 4-full cap main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tiny Bubbles | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Not recommended; very weak. |
| TotsBots Potion | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ $ | Ok European choice, but very weak, will require at least 1 scoop in prewash and 2 scoops in main, possibly more. |
| Trader Joe's | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Recommended, but since it says to use less in HE machines it is not truly HE safe. Use 1/2 scoop in prewash and 1.5 scoops in main wash, wash on hot in your main wash, and use a water softener if your water is even moderately hard. The liquid of this detergent is not recommended but the powder is OK. |
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| Trader Joe's | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ | Contains fabric softener and possibly sodium cocoate, both of which can buildup and cause repelling or trap soils. |
| Trend | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Seems weaker, does not contain an enzyme. Use 1.5x in the main wash and add more if needed. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Trend | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Use 1.5x in the main wash and add more if needed. Contains optical brighteners. Good in soft water. |
| Trend with Bleach Alternative | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Seems weaker, does not contain an enzyme. Use 1.5x in the main wash and add more if needed. |
| Trend with Bleach Alternative | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Use 1.5x in the main wash and add more if needed. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Tru Earth | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Not recommended. Sodium cocoate can buildup in fibers, trapping bacteria, and cause repelling. |
| Ultra Plus (Sears) | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Good economical choice. Use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load. Only available at Sears. Very highly rated with consumer reports. |
| Unicorn Power Scour Plus | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE | Synthetic | $$$ | NOT recommended due to cost. Start with 1/4 cup in the prewash and 1/2 cup in the main wash. | |
| Up & Up Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | Recommended. Start with 1/2 cap prewash and 1.5 caps main wash, and increase as needed. | |
| Up and Up | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Seems a bit weaker. Use line 1 in prewash and a full heaping scoop in main. |
| Up and Up | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Seems weaker so we treat it as a free and clear. Use line 1 in the prewash and 1 1/2 caps in main wash. |
| Up and Up Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Appears to be a generic version of ALL free & clear. Is not recommended, due to sodium cocoate, which acts like fabric softener and coats the fibers. |
| Vapor Fresh | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended due to unbuffered sodium metasilicate. | ||||
| Vaska | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Seems rather weak. Use a cap in prewash and 1 1/2 caps in main wash. Please note that the lavender scent does contain lavender essential oil, which has been shown to cause hormone disruptions in baby boys. |
| VIP Scent Free | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended. Contains sodium metasilicate. Do not use. | ||||
| Washing Revolution by ENJO | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | Not recommended. Too weak to effectively clean laundry soiled with human waste. Also, not HE safe as it directs you to use less detergent in HE machines. | ||
| Washing Soda | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ | Not a detergent, but a water softener or booster. See our page on Dealing with Hard Water and Cloth Diapers for more information. |
| Wee Clean Aromatherapy Laundry Soap | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | As the name suggests, this product is a soap and is not recommended for washing in a washing machine. | ||||
| Wegman's Advance 2x Free and Clear | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Recommended. Use 1/2 cap in your prewash and 1.5 caps in your main wash. | ||
| Wegman's Plant Based Laundry Detergent | Liquid | Detergent | ||||||
| White Brite | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Made by the same company that makes Super Iron Out, this is a good booster in areas with water rich in metals. It will help remove yellowing and rest stans. Do NOT use with bleach. |
| White King | Powder | Booster | Recommended | HE Safe | Mineral Based | No Enzymes | $ | OK water softener, very similar to washing soda |
| Whole Foods 365 | Powder | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not recommended due to unbuffered sdium metasilicate. | ||||
| WindFresh | Powder | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ | Use half a scoop in prewash and a scoop and a half in main. Add a water softener if your water is at all hard and wash on hot. Probably very similar to Sun, as they are made by the same company and both are plant based. |
| Wisk | Liquid | Detergent | Top Pick! | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Note - discontinued in 2016. A very good alternative to Tide. Made by the same company as All and Sun. Has proven very successful in our testing! Use line 1 in prewash and a full cap in main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Wisk Ultra Free and Pure | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ $ | Note - discontinued in 2016. Use line 1 in prewash and a full cap and a half in main wash. Good free and clear choice. |
| Wisk with Oxi | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | Does Contain Enzymes | $ | Note - discontinued in 2016. Made by the same company as All and Sun. Has proven very successful in our testing! Use line 1 in prewash and a full cap in main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Woolite Baby | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Pretty weak, so use 1/2 cap in prewash and 1 to 1 1/2 caps in main wash |
| Woolite Everyday | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ $ | Weaker in nature, so we treat like a free and clear. Use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash. Despite the name, this is not suitable for washing your wool, as it will strip it completely of the lanolin and can cause leaks. |
| Woolworths | ||||||||
| Xtra | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Made by Arm and Hammer, reacts very similarly. Seems weaker so we treat it as a free and clear, use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Xtra with Oxi | Liquid | Detergent | Recommended | HE Safe | Synthetic | No Enzymes | $ | Made by Arm and Hammer, reacts very similarly. Seems weaker so we treat it as a free and clear, use 1 capful in the prewash and 1.5-2 capfuls in the main wash. Contains optical brighteners. |
| Zum Clean Laundry Soap (Indigo Wild) | Liquid | Detergent | Not Recommended | Not HE Safe | Plant Based | No Enzymes | $ $ | Do not use. Entirely made of sodium cocoate, which can build up on fibers and trap soil and bacteria or cause repelling. Also contains essential oils, which, as always, should be researched before use around children. Recommends less for HE machines, making it not truly HE safe. |
Fluff Love University detergent recommendations are the opinions of the creators of this site. We base all our recommendations on empirically valid and scientifically derived evidence. We encourage parents to research any product which they intend to use around their children.