The Leading Gluten-Free Laundry Detergents: Reviewed and Compared

People with a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease have to carefully consider what products they consume and use, even household cleaning products like laundry detergent and fabric softener. Even though you usually need to eat gluten to have a reaction, skin reactions are not unheard of. 

Surprisingly, manufacturers aren’t required to state whether or not a detergent contains gluten, so identifying gluten-free cleaners isn’t always easy.

To make it easier for you to avoid wheat in laundry products, I’ve spent time looking for the best gluten-free laundry detergent on the market. In addition to a verifiable absence of gluten, I also evaluated each brand’s eco-friendly ingredients, sustainable packaging, and cleaning performance. 

Let’s have a look at which gluten-free laundry detergents are worth your time.

Earth Breeze ranks as the best gluten-free laundry detergent thanks to its hypoallergenic ingredients, exceptional cleaning power, and dedication to giving back to communities and the environment.

Earth Breeze Eco Sheets are free from harmful chemicals that irritate sensitive skin and harm the environment. The brand is also transparent about the detergent’s plant-based ingredients and happily provides a full list on its website.

Certified hypoallergenic, Eco Sheets are safe to use on all skin types, no matter what sensitivities or allergies you have. Its cleaning performance is also exceptional—one sheet had no problem taking care of my testing batch.

The sheets dissolve quickly in warm and cold water, so cleaning performance isn’t affected by what type of cycle you put on. Earth Breeze is a budget-friendly laundry detergent, with a once-off purchase ending up costing $0.33 per load. This drops to $0.20 per load if you have a subscription.

What really sets the brand apart is how much it gives back to charity and offsetting its environmental footprint. It donates 1% of its revenue to carbon neutral and sustainability initiatives and donates 10 laundry sheets to underprivileged communities with each purchase.

Earth Breeze is one of the newest laundry detergents on the market, so consumers could believe it’s an unproven quantity. But encouraging reviews across a variety of platforms indicate the company’s potential.

Earth Breeze is sustainable, hypoallergenic, cruelty free, and 100% gluten free, all while offering a lot of value for your money. The brand is transparent and honest, showing off all of its ingredients on its website. And at just $0.20 per load, it’s the most budget-friendly option.

If you want a completely gluten-free detergent that boasts a lot of cleaning power and doesn’t break the bank, Earth Breeze is the option for you.

Made from eco-friendly and gluten-free ingredients, Tru Earth won’t set off a gluten allergy or irritate your skin. Its effective formula is surfactant free, dye free, optical brightener free, and paraben free. 

In addition to a gentle and safe formula, Tru Earth Eco-Strips do a great job cleaning clothes. The sheets effectively removed stains and odors from my test batches and my fabrics came out clean, fresh, and bright.

One thing that stands out about Tru Earth is its commitment to sustainability and use of lightweight and zero-waste packaging. The company also continues to look for ways to improve its manufacturing and shipping to make itself even more sustainable. Tru Earth even contributes 32 detergent sheets to nonprofits with an initial subscription sale.

Tru Earth makes a lot of claims, including being cruelty free, vegan, and hypoallergenic, but I couldn’t find any accreditation to back this up. Unlike Earth Breeze, it only donates sheets to charity with first-time subscriptions, which is nice, but not as impressive as it could be.

The largest con, though, is the price, with each load costing $0.56. Even if you go with a subscription, the price per load comes in at $0.40. That’s twice as much as Earth Breeze!.

Tru Earth offers a decent cleaning performance and doesn’t have any ingredients that’ll cause allergic reactions. The fragrance-free variety is a good option for anyone with sensitive skin, and the brand gives back to the environment better than other brands.

If you’ve no problem spending a little extra money, Tru Earth is worth trying if you can’t get Earth Breeze.

Other laundry sheets I tested

Some brands I tested used to be popular a decade or so ago, making them worth considering. Times have naturally changed since then, with the newer options above taking advantage of advancements in gluten-free cleaning technology. These improvements have forced the formerly popular brands down the ranking list.

Team close-but-not-enough

The following laundry detergents may be gluten free, but they fell short of the top two in various ways.

Blueland Laundry Starter Set

A 100% gluten-free detergent, Blueland doesn’t take either of the top spots because it lacks the cleaning performance of the others and isn’t as engaged in charitable efforts.

Blueland is one of the few laundry detergents to be certified safe by both B. Corp and Cradle-to-Cradle. It’s gone completely plastic free and is committed to removing any other ingredients that harm the environment. Its all-natural formula is completely soy free, nut free, and gluten free, and completely safe for sensitive skin.

After your first purchase, you get what Blueland calls a “forever tin” where you can place your refill tablets. One tablet, which comes in compostable bags, is enough for most stains, but you might need a second one for anything stubborn.

As you can see from the forever tin, Blueland goes above and beyond to be carbon neutral, and is certified as such by the Environmental Working Group.

Unfortunately, at $0.45 per load, Blueland is one of the pricier gluten-free laundry detergents. It does offer bundles to mitigate this, but you’ll only get free shipping if you pay more than $45.

At that price you’d expect them to work well, but Blueland’s tablets don’t dissolve thoroughly in cold water, so you need to use warm or hot water to see any cleaning power, which raises some environmental concerns, as well as not being ideal for every garment.

I was also disappointed that Blueland doesn’t give back to communities or the environment in the same way some of its counterparts do.

Vegan, cruelty free, gluten free, soy free, and certified nontoxic, Blueland ticks all of the boxes for being safe for you and the environment, but it doesn’t give back as much as the others and its cleaning performance isn’t on par with Earth Breeze.

Meliora Laundry Powder

Completely hypoallergenic and 100% gluten free, Meliora laundry powder takes fourth place thanks to the transparency in its ingredient list.

When I was looking through these ingredients, I noticed they’re all organic and obtained from vegan, natural sources, even the fragrances—synthetic in most alternatives.

Like Earth Breeze, Melioea donates 1% of its annual revenue to environmental causes through 1% for the Planet. Few brands join them.

Meliora is also one of the more budget-friendly laundry detergents, costing only $0.28, but offers no refund policy and free shipping is only available for orders above $49.

Dropps Stain & Odor Detergent Pods

While Dropps is an eco-friendly, nontoxic, and gluten-free detergent, and the unscented option is completely hypoallergenic, the dyes and fragrances in the scented variety might irritate sensitive skin. The fragrances—abies sibirica (fir needle) oil and citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil—cause skin irritation, especially if you have any additional relevant allergies.

Dropps costs $0.46 per load, over double the price of Earth Breeze. It also doesn’t have the same cleaning power, making it the less cost-effective option by far.

Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent Pods

Molly’s Suds deserves a spot here because it’s completely gluten free and doesn’t irritate sensitive skin. The brand also takes part in charitable work and supports vulnerable communities.

Its use of plastic packaging undermines many of the brand’s sustainability claims. The low cost per load, which comes in at a seemingly affordable $0.22, becomes more expensive when you consider you need to spend over $100 to get free shipping.

Earth Breeze offers a better cleaning performance at two cents less per load.

Grab Green Laundry Detergent

As safe as it is, Grab Green laundry detergent has a few issues that keep it from earning a better review. The pods don’t always dissolve properly, leading to clumps in the wash and a reduced cleaning performance. The scent after the wash is also a little overwhelming, but there is a fragrance-free option if you want to avoid this.

Grab Green costs a staggering $0.50 per load, making it over twice the price of Earth Breeze for a poorer cleaning performance.

Puracy Natural Laundry Detergent

Puracy ranks low on my list thanks to the inclusion of benzisothiazolinone and borax. These controversial ingredients are safe unless consumed, but it can be a risk if you have kids.

It also comes in plastic bottles, unlike Earth Breeze’s biodegradable alternative. Puracy claims it costs $0.22 per load, but I had to use twice the recommended cleaning amount to see a decent performance.

Tide Purclean Laundry Detergent

A household name, Tide got away with including toxic ingredients in its laundry detergent for decades thanks to a lack of awareness. Tide claims to use natural, nontoxic ingredients, but it includes sodium borate and sodium lauryl sulfate. These are harsh on sensitive skin and can harm the environment. Also, Tide still uses plastic packaging, despite industry leaders switching to more environmentally friendly options.

Purclean’s cleaning performance is average, and I needed to use more soap to get rid of tough stains. Earth Breeze is more environmentally friendly, has a better performance, and has a lower cost per load.

Team ineffective

As close as the above laundry products are to performing well, each of the next picks couldn’t even get that right.

Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation is gluten free but doesn’t perform well in the wash and comes in a plastic jug, which isn’t sustainable. Seventh Generation would rank higher if it worked on its formula more.

Purex Free and Clear Laundry detergent

Purex Free and Clear is gluten free and offers an average cleaning performance. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t something to rave about, either. The only big issue with this are some of the ingredients, which include methylisothiazolinone and surfactants. Both of these harm the environment, and methylisothiazolinone can cause serious skin reactions. Give Purex Free a pass.

Arm & Hammer Free & Clear

A popular brand for being gluten free, Arm & Hammer just isn’t up to scratch in the cleaning department. It takes several rinse cycles for the soap residue to come off your clothes. Arm & Hammer also includes sodium lauryl sulfate, an environmentally harmful product.

Nellie’s Vegan Laundry Detergent Soda

Not all gluten-free and vegan products perform well, as proved by Nellie’s vegan laundry detergent, which faded fabrics in my test. The manufacturer clearly uses harsh chemicals in this laundry soap.

My Process

To avoid you making a mistake with your laundry detergent, which could lead to a rash, upset stomach, or worse for anyone with gluten intolerance, I did the dirty work for you and thoroughly researched each so-called gluten-free laundry detergent to find out what the best option is.

Here’s how I did so.

My research

The first step is the easiest and involves finding the best gluten-free detergents at online stores. To whittle these down, I chose the options with the most sales, reviews, and availability. By the end of this, I had 13 options to test.

As part of this step, I looked more into gluten intolerance and what can be done to avoid an allergic reaction. Doctors’ opinions, medical journals, and community blogs laid the foundation for this research.

Next is checking the ingredients listed on the detergent’s packaging to see if it’s gluten free. A brand’s website should also list these. Brands can circumvent regulations in legal ways to hide many of the ingredients in their products. 

The ingredients you’ll need to keep an eye out for if you have a gluten sensitivity are tocopherols, wheat germ oil, and certain grain extracts, to name a few. You can find a full list of common wheat-based ingredients here.

The ingredient list isn’t enough to verify whether a laundry detergent is gluten free. Some need DIY testing. Affordable home testing kits are easy to find. The kits test for gluten, but also make sure cleaning agents are soy free, wheat free, barley free, and rye free.

This step proved to be vital. Despite being labeled “gluten free” by the manufacturer, some laundry soaps showed various amounts of gluten.

Knowing what other people think before buying a product is always helpful, and online reviews are an obvious and easy way to learn about many products, including laundry detergent. Reviewers across a variety of websites claimed allergic reactions to the residue left on the clothes, but others had their allergy triggered simply by breathing in the dust particles in the air after using the soap. 

Most of these reviews were helpful, but there were issues that made me skeptical of some claims. Fake online reviews are a common—but unwelcome—sales tactic used in multiple industries. To work around any manufacturer-approved review, I spoke with people who have used these products. I limited myself to people with gluten intolerance, a wheat allergy, and other food allergies, as well as sensitive skin.

They told me about their first-hand accounts with these gluten-free laundry detergents, about how effective many of these options are. Some highlighted how product descriptions didn’t always match up with real life, while others complained about the high cost per load of some detergents. This information helped me better sort the laundry detergents.

Manufacturers don’t list all the ingredients in laundry detergent and it’s not uncommon to see ingredients change from one country to another. To get accurate information, I contacted each manufacturer directly about its ingredients.

Some replied with positive statements and fully disclosed their ingredient lists. Earth Breeze went the extra mile, outlining its manufacturing process and how it keeps its household cleaners and laundry detergents safe for people with gluten sensitivities.

Some self-claimed gluten-free laundry detergent manufacturers even admitted to not being entirely gluten free, and other brands failed to respond.

My tests

Now it’s time to test the laundry detergents. How well do they stand up against stains in a standard HE washing machine? To keep things fair, I used the same fabrics for each laundry detergent—silk, denim, linen, and cotton—and soiled them as identically as possible. Trying to replicate real life, I included stains from food, grass, and grease.

I tested my identical batches in both warm and cold water to see how the soaps broke down and affected cleaning efficiency.

Once cleaned and dried, I analyzed each fabric under UV light to observe any differences in color, brightness, and smell. My top three options excelled in cleaning performance, but the rest fell short in various ways.

My criteria

Now that I’ve got all the information I need, it’s time to start analyzing and scoring based on several factors:

• Gluten-free testing
• Eco-friendly, safe ingredients
• Cleaning power
• Sustainable packaging
• Cost per wash
• Delivery charges, refund policies, and discounts
• Environmental and social contributions

Each factor let me rank each gluten-free laundry detergent to make sure it’s appropriate for anyone with gluten intolerance. Criteria such as this are essential to knowing the truth about a laundry detergent. To always make the right choice about laundry products, read my guide to ethical laundry detergents.

My findings: The best gluten-free laundry detergent that packs a punch

Gluten-free laundry detergents are becoming increasingly commonplace, but telling them apart from their counterparts is difficult. My eight-step methodology makes it easier to find the right one for you.

Earth Breeze Eco Sheets shine compared to other “green” cleaning products, thanks to their amazing cleaning power and environmental and social contributions. Here’s a recap of Earth Breeze’s best features:

• No traces of gluten
• Gentle but effective cleaning power
• Affordable at $0.20 per load
• Donates 10 laundry sheets donated to charity with every sale
• Zero-waste packaging
• Money-back guarantee

Earth Breeze has been warmly welcomed by environmentally conscious consumers looking for eco-friendly household products. While you need to subscribe to see extra savings, the subscriptions are flexible enough to suit your needs and make the laundry detergent quite affordable per load. For more information about laundry detergent sheets in general, read my guide to the eight best laundry detergent sheets.

If you want a gluten-free laundry detergent that doesn’t cost a lot, provides a powerful clean, and is environmentally friendly, get Earth Breeze today.

Wrapping it up

Even if people with celiac disease need to actually eat gluten in food products for it to be dangerous, some people with gluten intolerance have skin reactions from household cleaners that aren’t gluten free. 

Earth Breeze Eco Sheets score the highest among each of the gluten-free laundry detergents I tested, as they’re completely gluten free and good for the environment. You’ll not only avoid gluten, but also animal products, toxic chemicals, and artificial dyes or fragrances, so it won’t irritate sensitive skin.

While Earth Breeze is a relatively young brand, it’s growing quickly thanks to its affordable cost, ease of use, and carbon neutrality. If you need the best gluten-free laundry detergent on the market today, try Earth Breeze.