Updated on March 25, 2023

Best Cruelty-Free & Vegan Laundry Detergent & Products

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Cruelty-Free & Vegan Laundry Detergents and other laundry products

Looking for cruelty-free and vegan laundry detergent products but not sure where to start?

Most people are surprised to learn that not all laundry cleaning products are vegan and most of the household cleaning brands we buy at the grocery store are still testing on animals.

In this guide of cruelty-free and vegan laundry products, we explain what’s not vegan or cruelty-free in conventional laundry detergent and cleaning products, as well as, sharing some of the best vegan alternatives to fight tough stains, brighten whites, and remove dirt and grime from clothes.

Why Isn’t Laundry Detergent Vegan?

Let’s begin by asking what animal ingredients are commonly found in laundry detergents and laundry products?

Processed animal fats are commonly used as a surfactant in laundry products. According to Veganissimo A to Z, some laundry detergents may also contain enzymes obtained from organs of killed animals. For example, lipase derived from the pancreas of animals (usually pigs) is added to many laundry detergents in order to improve the cleansing effect in soap production.

Unless it’s clearly stated the surfactants and solvents are plant-based or plant-derived, we can’t be sure whether it’s vegan or not. 

In addition, most mainstream laundry detergent brands continue to test their products or ingredients on animals. 

Laundry Products from brands that DO test on animals and to avoid include: Tide, Gain, Arm & Hammer, Bounce, Clorox, Downy.

Note: Tide recently came out with their purclean™ plant-based laundry detergent but Tide is not cruelty-free as their products or ingredients are tested on animals when required by law.

On Tide’s website, notice how they claim the final formula of their purclean products are not tested on animals,

“This final formula has not been tested on animals and we do not test on animals unless required by law.” – Tide

But they fail to mention whether their ingredients are tested on animals and they also admit to allowing their products and ingredients to be tested on animals when required by law. Again, Tide is not cruelty-free.

What is Vegan Laundry Detergent?

We consider vegan laundry detergent as one that was manufactured from a brand that does not conduct, commission, or condone animal testing on its ingredients, formulations, or finished products, anywhere in the world. As well as, the laundry product itself must not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products. 

The following cruelty-free laundry detergent brands do not test on animals and meet all of the criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist. And the laundry detergents mentioned down below are 100% vegan and do not contain any animal ingredients.

Best Vegan & Cruelty-Free Laundry Detergents

In this vegan and cruelty-free laundry product guide, I’m sharing some of the best and most-recommended liquid and powder laundry detergents, as well as, options for vegan laundry pods, stain removers, and fabric softeners.

Cruelty-Free Liquid Laundry Detergent

If you’re shopping at big box stores like Walmart or Target, I recommend ECOS laundry detergents. ECOS is the most popular and most recommended vegan and cruelty-free laundry detergent available. You can find their laundry products at most retailers, including on Amazon.

And if you support cruelty-free brands that are owned by a non-cruelty-free parent corporation, then you can easily find cruelty-free laundry detergent from Method*, Seventh Generation*, and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day* at most stores.

Live in the UK? I recommend checking out Ecover’s* plant-based hypoallergenic laundry detergents.

Note: Seventh Generation, Method, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, and Ecover are all cruelty-free but they’re owned by a parent corporation that does test on animals. 

In addition, you can find *Biokleen laundry products on Amazon, they’re made with plant-based ingredients and no harsh chemicals. 

Update 2022! Better Life no longer advertises its products as being vegan. So, I am unable to classify the company or its products as being vegan-friendly.

Live in Canada? and looking for vegan & cruelty-free laundry products? I suggest checking out ATTITUDE, Nature Clean, and AspenClean vegan laundry detergents!

For non-toxic and organic, vegan laundry detergent, we can’t get enough of Puracy’s Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent, and of course, Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap, which is a must-have in every home as a multipurpose cleaning product! 


Cruelty-Free Powder Laundry Detergent

It may be time to part way with your beloved Tide powder laundry detergent as the brand is not cruelty-free and time to try one of these cruelty-free & vegan powder detergents instead!

cruelty-free vegan powder laundry detergent

Nellie’s Vegan Laundry Detergent Soda – I love this stuff! It’s made up of only four ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Metasilicate. Leave clothes feeling soft, fresh, and clean without any residue or harsh chemical.

Free from: SLS, SLES, gluten, phosphates, chlorine, fragrance, optical brighteners, and solid synthetics.

*Biokleen’s Laundry Detergent Powder – Made in the US, Biokleen’s laundry powder whitens and brightens whites and colors with the stain-fighting power of Oxygen Bleach.

Note: Biokleen is cruelty-free, but Biokleen is owned by Weiman, a parent company that tests on animals as required by law.

Free from: Phosphate, chlorine, ammonia, petroleum solvents, butyl, glycol ether, brighteners, SLS or SLES, EDTA or DEA priority pollutants. No materials listed by the ACGIH as hazardous.

Nature Clean’s Laundry Powder – An unscented, hypoallergenic, low foaming powder laundry detergent with a vegetable-based formula derived from corn and palm kernel oil. Claims to be safe for infant clothing and for high-efficiency machines. 

Free from: Phosphates, potentially dangerous sulfates (SLES), chlorine, optical brighteners, enzymes, perfumes, and dyes. Claims to be safe for infant clothing and for high-efficiency washing machines. 


vegan and cruelty-free laundry pods

Cruelty-Free Laundry Detergent Pods

If you use Tide, Gain, or Arm & Hammer laundry detergent pacs and are looking for a cruelty-free alternative, we suggest switching to Method* and Seventh Generation’s* vegan & cruelty-free laundry detergent pods.

Note: Method and Seventh Generation are both cruelty-free, however, they’re owned by parent corporations that do test on animals when required by law. 


Cruelty-Free Laundry Stain Removers

Replace your OxiClean, Shout, Tide-To-Go, Zout, or Clorox stain removers with these cruelty-free laundry stain removers alternatives that are better for the animals, the planet, and our health!

Puracy’s Natural Stain Remover has rave reviews of gently and effectively removing stains from clothes. And I love Ecover’s Stain Remover which comes with a built-in brush to remove stains on clothing effortlessly.

Update 2022! Better Life no longer advertises its products as being vegan. So, I am unable to classify the company or its products as being vegan-friendly.


When choosing cruelty-free fabric softener, you’ll want to avoid brands like Downy and Snuggle, as they are not cruelty-free. Instead, try vegan fabric softener from Seventh Generation*, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day*, and ATTITUDE.

Note: Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day are both cruelty-free but owned by a parent corporation that does test on animals.


I hope this list of vegan laundry products helped you find one that works best for you and that maybe you discovered more cruelty-free brands to support because together, we can help end animal testing once and for all!

Have you tried any of these vegan laundry products before? Leave a comment below and tell us your experience! 

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What do you think

41 thoughts on “Best Cruelty-Free & Vegan Laundry Detergent & Products”

  1. I have tried many times to order Earth Breeze but when I get to the payment section I cannot put in my credit card number. Would love to try Earth Breeze but until I find out why I can’t put in my payment information, guess I won’t get to buy it!!

    1. Claudia Sergejev

      Laurel Rabon: Did you ever receive a reply to your comment? I’d like to know whether you were given the courtesy of an explanation before I place an order!

  2. P&G – Proctor & Gamble has always test their products on animals. I stopped using their products over 30 years ago. When someone told me about that I went through my home and I couldn’t believe how many products I bought w/their label. It can be hard to change all of those products, but that was 30 years ago, there are so many more products on the market today. And yes, even 1 person can make a difference, there are way too many people who could care less about their environment and animals, so every person who does makes this world a better place! And if that isn’t enough to change google what happens to these animals that get tested on, and if that isn’t enough to get you to change nothing will. That is what is wrong with our government today… they could care less and they let animal testing continue. I support Animal Legal Defense Fund… they make the changes by changing laws, which is what is so desperately needed!

  3. Claudia Sergejev

    Jen: Thank you for mentioning the Animal Legal Defense Fund; I’m going to look into that organization with the intent to donate.

  4. Amory Neuschwanger

    I have a question regarding the cruelty free detergents. In this article it stated, and used Tide as an example of a company that had their one specific form of detergent that wasn’t tested on animals unless required by law. If a company is required by law to do something and they don’t, they face a chance of being fined, receiving citations, and in some cases court dates etc…. Are not all detergent companies required by law to test their products on animals, and if not, why are some required too but not others? Also, if all detergent companies are required to, are the “vegan” detergent companies disobeying the laws required? If so, how are they getting away with breaking the law? Plus, the term “vegan” was described to me as someone that doesn’t make use of anything that was once a living organism including plants. That’s why there are foods such as tofu. So how can a detergent company claim to be “vegan” when all of their products are plant based? That’s not being “vegan” at all. That is being a vegetarian. There is a difference.

    1. Hi,
      It’s not including plants, otherwise we would be unable to eat. Most of the “where required by law” stuff has to do with selling in mainland China, and the companies that refuse to do any animal testing, just don’t sell their products there. At least that’s my understanding, and I’m sure someone will correct me if I’ve misunderstood.

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