Trying to navigate the minefield of laundry detergents with a gluten intolerance is a tough job.
Most manufacturers don’t disclose their gluten-free status and even those that do can provide misleading claims that put you and your family at risk.
I’ve spent a week analyzing the top nine laundry detergents that are gluten free, eco-friendly, and sustainable. I have also factored in their contributions to the environment, carbon neutrality, cost, and cleaning efficiency.
Let’s dive in.
1. Earth Breeze Eco Sheets — 9.68/10 (The best gluten-free laundry detergent)
Earth Breeze is the no. 1 gluten-free laundry detergent because of its nontoxic, hypoallergenic, and sustainable ingredients. This mild formula is dermatologically tested to be safe on your skin. Moreover, they take part in earth conservation initiatives like no other brand.
Pros
Earth Breeze Eco Sheets are made of skin-safe and gluten-free ingredients, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium acetate trihydrate, alcohol ethoxylate, and starch obtained from corn. They are free of harmful chemicals like parabens, surfactants, dyes, and chlorine bleach.
Earth Breeze is quite transparent with its customers. On asking if any of their ingredients are subjected to gluten cross contamination, they confirmed that their formula is 100% free of such risk.
These sheets are exceptionally safe for all skin types because all the ingredients are certified hypoallergenic. They don’t offer a different variation for delicate clothes. You can use their regular sheets for babies’ clothes without worrying that it will agitate their sensitive skin.
These gluten-free sheets can wipe away all your stubborn grime in one wash cycle. Their mild yet effective detergent formula leaves no stain behind, making both white- and dark-colored clothes fresher than before. I noticed no fading or discoloration of the articles after drying.
One sheet will be more than enough for a heavily soiled load. The sheets easily dissolve in warm and cold water and produce adequate lather safe for septic tanks and local water sources.
Earth Breeze is Leaping Bunny certified, proving its formula to be cruelty free and vegan.
Being affordable yet effective is one of the most important qualities in a household laundry detergent. Earth Breeze costs only $0.33 per wash, which drops to $0.20 per wash with subscription. They also offer free shipping and a full money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
What sets Earth Breeze apart is its eagerness to help the environment. Besides its efforts in making the brand sustainable and eco-friendly, it participates in charities, ocean cleanups, and tree plantings. Earth Breeze is willing to donate 10 sheets to underprivileged communities of your choosing with every purchase.
Signing up means you will be impacting the lives of people who need your help.
In addition, as a part of 1% for the Planet and We Are Neutral, Earth Breeze offsets its carbon footprint significantly by participating in several earth-friendly activities and dedicating 1% of its annual revenue to such ventures. No other brand on this list actively contributes to making Earth a better place.
Cons
Earth Breeze is a new name in the market, so some customers hesitate to swap their traditional laundry detergents with them. To its credit, many people have left positive and encouraging reviews on Earth Breeze’s website and social media channels.
Overall
Earth Breeze offers a huge value for your money. It is 100% gluten free, sustainable, eco-friendly, cruelty free, and hypoallergenic. You can check out all its ingredients on its website since it has nothing to hide. Earth Breeze uses only plant-based and nontoxic ingredients that clean away even the toughest stains.
And lastly, at just $0.20/load, they’re easy on the budget!
If you’re ready to switch to a laundry detergent that won’t agitate your allergies but also gives back to those in need while being environmentally friendly, head to Earth Breeze now.
2. Tru Earth Laundry Detergent Eco-Strips — 8/10 (Gluten free but expensive!)
Tru Earth sheets are made up of gluten-free and eco-friendly ingredients that do an excellent job at cleaning. However, they are twice as costly as Earth Breeze.
Pros
Tru Earth rightfully deserves second place on my list because of its tremendous efforts toward sustainability. It uses zero-waste and lightweight packages and use little water in its manufacturing processes. Interestingly, Tru Earth’s team is constantly improving its production and shipping methods to achieve even greater sustainability.
Tru Earth’s formula is free of surfactants, parabens, dyes, and optical brighteners—all the harmful ingredients that can harm your skin and the environment.
These sheets dissolved easily in warm water and washed away all sorts of heavy stains for my denim, cotton, and silk test swatches. My clothes came out fresher and brighter than before.
Tru Earth contributes to helping the planet by donating 32 sheets to nonprofits with every subscription sale it makes. Moreover, they help many organizations raise funds for charitable causes.
Cons
Tru Earth claims to be vegan, cruelty free, and hypoallergenic but owns no certifications to prove its claims. Unlike Earth Breeze, which donates sheets to charity with EVERY sale, Tru Earth donates 32 sheets ONLY for first-time subscription sales.
The biggest disappointment is its price! One Tru Earth sheet pack will cost you $0.56 per load, which is almost double the price of Earth Breeze. Even after getting the subscription, you’ll pay $0.40 per load.
Overall
Tru Earth cleans well and contains no gluten ingredients that can cause rash and allergies. If you have a sensitive nose, you can always opt for the fragrance-free variety. Compared to Earth Breeze, Tru Earth does an average job giving back to the environment, but it deserves second place because of its sustainability and carbon neutrality.
If you have no trouble dishing out the money, Tru Earth is worth a try for people who want a gluten-free and eco-friendly detergent.
3. Blueland Laundry Starter Set — 7.67/10 (Gluten free but does not give back)
Blueland is another highly sustainable laundry detergent made of 100% gluten-free ingredients. However, it ranks third because it lags in cleaning performance and giving back to the planet.
Pros
Blueland is a cradle-to-cradle– and B. Corp-certified brand that uses only safe ingredients in its tablets. In order to go 100% plastic free, they have even excluded polyvinyl alcohol (PVA/PVOH) from their tablets. PVA/PVOH is a synthetic polymer that raises concern among some environmentalists. Blueland decided to eliminate all the ingredients that had even the slightest chance of harming the planet!
On your first purchase, you’ll get a “forever tin” for refilling with tablets that come in compostable paper bags. One tablet is enough for one load (as they claim), but you might need two to tackle stubborn and old stains. Plus, the tablet doesn’t dissolve so easily and can stick to your clothes in the washer.
All their ingredients are cruelty free as well as gluten, nut, and soy free. Their all-natural formula is safe for sensitive skin and allergy-prone people.
Blueland goes above and beyond to achieve carbon neutrality. They are Climate Neutral certified, meaning they offset all the carbon they create during manufacturing and shipping. In addition, they are USDA BioPreferred, EPA Safer Choice, and EWG certified!
Cons
First, Blueland is pricey compared to the other brands on this list. They will cost you $0.45 per wash and offer a subscription on only their Essential Kit. You will get free shipping only above the orders of $45.
Second, I was disappointed to find out that they don’t do much for the environment or helping the underprivileged.
Third, their tablets don’t dissolve in cold water and can stick to clothes. For these tablets to work, you need to ensure that they fully dissolve in water before tossing your clothes in the washer.
Overall
Blueland is a gluten-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and certified nontoxic detergent that’s safe for your skin and the environment. However, they don’t actively participate in Earth conservation ventures or aid vulnerable communities. Also, their cleaning performance is not on par with my #1, Earth Breeze.
But they’re worth a try!
4. Meliora Laundry Powder
Meliora sneaks into fourth place because I appreciate the transparency of their ingredients. They are 100% gluten free and hypoallergenic.
Meliora is made-safe and Leaping Bunny certified. On skimming through their formula list, I noticed that they only use organic scents in their detergents, obtained from vegan sources.
Other than Earth Breeze, Meliora is the only brand that gives away 1% of its annual revenue to eco-friendly causes through 1% for the Planet. It’s a big step toward the betterment of the planet, and not many brands have the guts to give away their money for such causes.
They are quite easy on the budget with their price of $0.28 per wash, but they don’t offer any refund policy. You can get free shipping only above the orders of $49.
I had to bump them down to fourth place because of their average cleaning performance. My test articles still had yellowish stain marks left on them.
If you’re unable to get your hands on the first three recommendations, Meliora is a decent alternative.
5. Dropps Stain & Odor Laundry Detergent Pods
Dropps is a sustainable, carbon-neutral, and gluten-free laundry detergent. You can read all about their ingredients here. They use a safe and nontoxic formula that is gentle on the skin and the environment.
Their unscented variation is 100% hypoallergenic, but you might need to be a little cautious while using their scented versions. The fragrances such as “citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil” and “abies sibirica (fir needle) oil” can agitate sensitive and allergy-prone skin.
Dropps will cost you $0.46/load, which is not very economical compared to Earth Breeze.
When it comes to washing off stubborn stains, Dropps just could not cut it. These pods tend to stick to your clothes and ruin the delicate fabrics. And unfortunately, I couldn’t find any participation in eco-friendly causes.
6. Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent Pods
Molly’s Suds deserves a spot on my list because their formula is gluten-free and safe for your skin. They also participate in charities and help vulnerable communities.
Molly’s Suds doesn’t use zero-waste packages, which belies their “sustainability” claim. Their detergent is priced at $0.22 per wash, which at first seems highly affordable. But they don’t offer free shipping unless your order is greater than $100.
Molly’s Suds does an average job cleaning heavily stained clothes, and you might need more detergent and at least two wash cycles to rinse away stubborn grime from white articles.
You can get better cleaning performance and more value for your money if you sign up for Earth Breeze.
7. Grab Green Laundry Detergent
Grab Green laundry detergent has safe ingredients, but there are a few qualities that make it less desirable than the products above. Grab Green pods sometimes don’t dissolve properly and instead form clumps that affect cleaning performance, making them less compatible with HE (high efficiency) machines.
The intense post-wash fragrance also surprised me. However, you can opt for the fragrance-free variety, which is much milder.
Grab Green is quite expensive at $0.50 per load! Brands like Earth Breeze offer more value for half this price.
I also couldn’t find any involvement in eco-friendly causes or charitable donations. This brand should focus more on green policies and sustainability.
8. Puracy Natural Laundry Detergent
Puracy’s laundry detergent is second to last on my list because it has some controversial ingredients, such as borax and benzisothiazolinone. They are safe unless ingested, but it’s still a risk if you have little kids.
Puracy comes in recyclable plastics, unlike Earth Breeze, which uses biodegradable packaging. It’ll cost you $0.22 per load, but I am skeptical about this claim because I had to use twice the recommended amount for proper cleaning.
9. Tide Purclean Laundry Detergent
Tide has remained a household name for generations, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe or sustainable. Due to a lack of awareness, Tide got away with harsh and toxic chemicals in its products for decades. The new Tide purclean cleaning products claim to have nontoxic ingredients, but it contains sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium borate. Both of these ingredients are harsh on sensitive skin.
While more and more brands are focusing on shifting to zero-waste packaging, Tide is still using traditional plastic jugs.
Tide’s cleaning performance was average at best, and I had to use an extra amount to clear the tough stains. It’s priced at $0.25 per load, but there’s no free delivery.
Use your money wisely and spend it on Earth Breeze, which is both eco-friendly and an efficient cleaner.
Other Laundry Detergents I Tested
I tested four other laundry detergents, but they scored much lower than the rest of my list. Some of these brands used to be popular options a decade ago, but times have changed, and newer, more advanced household cleaners now dominate the gluten-free market.
10. Seventh Generation
Seventh generation liquid generation lacks cleaning performance. It comes in a big plastic jug, which is absolutely not sustainable. However, I think Seventh Generation could claim a spot on my gluten-free detergent list if they work on their formula.
11. Purex Free and Clear Laundry detergent
Purex Free & Clear is indeed gluten free and gives average performance when it comes to cleaning. My only problem with it is that it has some harmful ingredients, such as surfactants and methylisothiazolinone.
12. Arm & Hammer
Another big name and popular gluten-free choice but with subpar cleaning power, Arm & Hammer takes multiple rinse cycles to wash off the residue. Arm & Hammer also contains sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which is quite harmful.
13. Nellie’s Vegan Laundry Detergent Soda
This detergent soda didn’t perform well in an HE machine. Plus, its harsh formula actually faded my test samples. Clearly, this soda has harmful toxins that affect both the fabric and sensitive skin.
The Bottom Line
Earth Breeze scored the first position after my thorough research and extensive trials of 13 laundry detergents. Furthermore, Earth Breeze Eco Sheets tick all the boxes for a 100% gluten-free laundry detergent.
Starting with the ingredients, they are all-natural, nontoxic, gluten-free, and vegan. These sheets are also free from harsh fragrances and dyes. It wasn’t rough on clothes and cleaned both whites and blacks to perfection.
The cleaning formula is highly concentrated, and surprisingly it took only one sheet per load to clean the heavily soiled bunch. Moreover, it’s an economical option.
Earth Breeze comes in compact, plastic-free packaging and its supply chain is carbon neutral. I got my deliveries on time with free shipping. The brand also donates 10 laundry sheets to charity with every purchase you make.
I like that they pledge to give 1% of their annual revenue to eco-friendly initiatives as a part 1% for the Planet.
Earth Breeze is relatively new to the market, but thousands of people have already tried it and left positive reviews. Overall, these laundry detergent sheets offer the best bang for your buck.
Methodology
In today’s market, it’s hard to avoid gluten, which seems to be present in almost every other product and even nonfood items. To save you the trouble, I thoroughly researched the safest laundry products for people with celiac disease (gluten or wheat allergy).
Here is the eight-step methodology I used to rank the best gluten-free detergents that are available on the market.
Step 1: Listing famous hypoallergenic laundry detergents
Starting with the basics, I listed all the popular gluten-free laundry detergents readily available at online stores.
To keep a shortlist, I only chose ones with the most sales, online reviews, and availability on the market.
By the end of this initial step, I had a list of 13 gluten-free cleaners.
Step 2: Checking the ingredients
Before moving to the second step, I researched more about gluten sensitivity, what causes it, and how one should avoid it. I reviewed medical journals, blogs, and doctors’ opinions on this.
According to experts, it’s only hazardous when you eat gluten. Avoid wheat, barley, and rye in your regular diet, and to be extra safe make sure it doesn’t sneak in through household products.
The next step was to read the ingredients tables on the packaging and also go online to see the ingredient list on their website.
This is a bit tricky because companies often circumvent FDA rules and legally hide some of the controversial ingredients. Furthermore, the risk of cross contamination can sneak harmful ingredients into the product.
The chemicals that could cause allergic reactions are gluten protein, synthetic dyes, fragrances, surfactants, and preservatives.
Step 3: Testing for gluten
Going through the ingredient list was not enough, so I performed DIY gluten testing on all the laundry soaps and detergents. Fortunately, testing kits are available to help you detect gluten protein (wheat, barley, rye) in any household and food products.
This step turned out to be the most crucial because I detected gluten protein in some of the laundry products even though they were labeled otherwise. I’ve included this in my ranking system.
Step 4: Reading online reviews
Knowing what people think about a certain laundry product is important. So, I read hundreds of online reviews on the brands’ websites, as well as Amazon and other forums. Reviews by the people on the “celiac.com” forum really gave me the insight I needed to rank the laundry soaps.
Many people suffer an allergic reaction because of the residue left on the clothes after washing. Some broke out into hives just by coming in contact with detergent, while others reacted to the particles in the air.
Although the majority of the reviews on all of the brand’s websites were positive, I was still skeptical.
Step 5: Interviewing real customers
Companies putting up fake online reviews to get sales is nothing new. So to counter this, I interviewed real customers with gluten sensitivities and other food allergies.
I got to experience the first-person journey of customers. They told me how efficiently gluten-free detergent actually cleaned the laundry. Some customers complained about the price per load of the product and how the descriptions differed from real scenarios. All this info helped me sort the detergents better.
Step 6: Interviewing gluten-free laundry detergent brands
To keep things fair, I approached the detergent companies and asked about their ingredient list, certifications, and risk of wheat, barley, or rye cross contact.
Some companies sent positive responses and replied to my email with full disclosure. Earth Breeze’s customer service sent the details of their manufacturing process and how they make the detergent safe.
Other brands were unresponsive, and some even admitted to being not entirely gluten free.
Step 7: Test driving
Next, I investigated the cleaning efficiency of all the laundry detergents under various conditions in HE washing machines. I used the four most common types of fabrics present in any household, such as cotton, silk, linen, and denim, and soiled them with food stains, grass stains, and oil to simulate real-life conditions.
Keeping it fair, I made identical batches for all my thirteen competitors. I even tested the dissolving power of all the soaps in warm and cold water.
Once the test swatches got cleaned and naturally dried, I observed them first in natural daylight and then under UV light to check how deep the cleaning goes. I noted color fading, brightness, and post-wash smell.
The top three on the list had exceptional cleaning performance. The rest lacked in one way or another.
Step 8: Gluten-free detergent analysis
Now that I had all the data needed, I used the following factors to score each of the cleaning agents.
- Eco-friendly ingredients
- Gluten testing
- Cleaning performance
- Cost per load
- Delivery charges, subscription discounts, and refund policies
- Sustainable packaging
- Environmental and societal contributions
Each factor helped me rank the nine best gluten-free laundry detergents in the market. The last four couldn’t make the cut.
If you’d like to know about ethical cleaning options, check out my guide on sustainable cleaning agents here.
The Best Gluten-Free Laundry Detergent That Actually Cleans!
With growing awareness, it’s getting easier to find sustainable products, but on the flip side, many companies falsely claim that their product is gluten-free. I devised an eight-step methodology to sort out the best gluten-free detergent available and make it easier for you to choose.
If you’re tired of using liquid and powdered detergents that come in big plastic packages, have a look at my thoroughly researched article on the top 8 eco-friendly laundry detergent sheets.
Keeping in mind the gluten test, cleaning performance, cost, and sustainable initiatives, Earth Breeze Eco Sheets stood at the top. They:
- Don’t contain gluten protein, and I found no traces of it during my own testing.
- Cleaned my test samples efficiently and removed tough stains without damaging the fabric.
- Are economical, and they cost $0.20 per load on a subscription.
- Donate 10 laundry sheets to underprivileged communities with every sale they make.
- Come in zero-waste packaging.
- Care for the environment and donates 1% of its revenue to green causes.
Since its inception in 2019, Earth Breeze has been received well among caring customers. More and more people are starting to notice this amazing eco-friendly detergent option.
If you want a gluten-free laundry detergent that is 100% safe for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, cleans exceptionally well, and is eco-friendly, try out Earth Breeze today.