The 4 Best Boutique Laundry Detergents You’ve Never Heard Of

Still buying laundry detergent from the grocery store? Try one of these four boutique options for a smaller batch, higher quality wash without the extra chemicals.

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We get asked for recommendations a lot! What’s our favorite laundry detergent?

Big box laundry detergents are easy to find and they’re relatively inexpensive. There is a reason these soaps are cheap. They’re mass-produced in large facilities using industrial, low-cost ingredients. These ingredients can include heavy fragrance, unhealthy parabens, synthetic dyes, and a host of other chemicals that aren’t great for your clothes or your skin.

With the world becoming more and more health-conscious, there has been a wave of boutique laundry detergents popping up online. With so many labels, certifications, and complicated ingredients, how do you narrow down the options?

As a laundry service, we know laundry. We know cleaning chemicals. And, we know detergents. Here’s a list of our favorites.

Best Boutique Laundry Detergents

1. Frey Detergent

Frey Detergent offers a variety of laundry products, not just detergents; they also manufacture dryer sheets, softener, and allow you to purchase laundry bundles of varying sizes. Their focus is on creating incredibly simple scents using just three ingredients – all while keeping your skin and your clothes healthy.

The company has three signature scents:

Jasmine/Rose/Cedar
Cedarwood/Oakmoss/Amber
Sandalwood/Bergamot/Clove.

The ingredients in these detergents are biodegradable and will break down to minimize waste. Frey’s detergent concentrate is free of harsh chemicals, parabens, dyes, and phosphates. Plus, it comes in smaller bottles, which results in 70% less plastic than most brands.

As an added bonus, for every purchase, one order is planted – and 10% of the company’s profits go to their Wash for Wash program.

Frey Boutique Laundry Detergent | The Folde Laundry Service | Best Boutique Laundry Detergent

Best Boutique Laundry Detergents

Frey Detergent

Frey Detergents are blended with biodegradable, natural ingredients and a concentrated formula to minimize waste. None of the Frey lines of boutique detergents include parabens, synthetic dyes, or animal testing

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Best Boutique Laundry Detergents

2. Charlie’s Laundry Liquid

Charlie’s Soap Natural Laundry Liquid Detergent only comes in one scent.

Its trademark scent is naturally sourced with cleaning agents that are gentle on the skin, and safer for the environment. Hypoallergenic, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and dye-free, our liquid laundry detergent formula is safer for sensitive skin than many of our competitors’ brands.

Most laundry detergents contain dyes and perfumes that mask odors and cover stains. When you use traditional detergents, the April-fresh smell is due to the additives that are lingering in the fabric. For people with sensitive skin, these additives can cause discomfort and rashes.

Charlie’s Soap Liquid Laundry Detergent is different. Charlie’s Soap contains none of these additives. With Charlie’s, each fiber is wholly rinsed, leaving you with laundry that doesn’t just smell clean — it actually is clean.

Clean rinse, clean products, and clean clothes every time your wash your clothes.

Best Boutique Laundry Detergents

Charlie’s Laundry Liquid

Charlie’s Liquid Laundry Soap is scientifically proven to be safer for the environment than traditional brands. Our formulas surpass thresholds for ultimate biodegradation, are proven to have a low environmental impact, and our Laundry Liquid Detergent has earned the EPA’s Safer Choice Certification.

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Best Boutique Laundry Detergents

3. Ingredients Matter Laundry Soap

Ingredients Matter is a company with a vibrant punch of marketing. Their laundry powder is packaged simply and sustainably in a bright, attractive box. Wait, a box?

The laundry soap, their detergent, is actually in powder form. The company has made the distinction because “detergents” are technically made with petroleum; even the plant-based ones. They’ve also cut out synthetics and heavy perfumes that could be damaging to your system.

Each package translates to roughly 72 loads. With no petroleum or plastic used to make the soap, it’s gentle on skin and clothing. Ingredients Matter has perhaps the simplest line of fragrances – lemongrass, lavender, and fragrance-free.

Ingredients Matter also has an expanded line of laundry and kitchen-based products, such as dryer balls and stain remover sticks.

Ingredients Matter Laundry Detergent | Boutique Laundry Detergent | The Folde

Best Boutique Laundry Detergents

Ingredients Matter Laundry Soap

Ingredients Matter laundry soap powder is powerfully good for clothes, you, and the earth—because it’s real soap made with coconut oil instead of hidden petroleum, synthetic ingredients, and needless plastic

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Best Boutique Laundry Detergents

4. Dropps Detergent

Dropps Laundry Detergent has one of the larger laundry lines available on this list. It’s also one of the more well-known brands.

Their products span a range of stain & odor removal, sensitive skin, and active wash. The latter is designed specifically for activewear and synthetic fabrics, finding a niche for those with extremely active lifestyles. Using this detergent ensures that your workout clothes won’t be left worn thin.

Their sensitive skin detergent is a great option for those with infants, pets, or young children. It cleans gently while still leaving laundry smelling great. And lastly, the stain & odor line is geared toward powerful cleaning and stubborn stains.

Across all three options, there is a wide variety of scents ranging from lavender eucalyptus to rose energy. For those who prefer their laundry detergent unscented, that is also an option.

Unfortunately, both sensitive skin and activewear detergents are available only in pods. Pods vs. powder vs. liquid is always a preference. We stay away from pods using front-loading washing machines. But, for those of your with top-loaders, pods might be preferred!

Dropps Laundry Detergent Pods Boutique Laundry Detergent

Best Boutique Laundry Detergents

Dropps Detergent

Each unique Dropps laundry detergent has a variety of scents. Each pod is cruelty-free and is manufactured to have a positive environmental impact. All Dropps laundry detergent pods come in recyclable cardboard boxes.

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Why Should You Try Small-Batch Detergent Brands?

Have you ever stopped to consider what goes into the products that are cleaning your clothing and then coming into contact with your skin? Not only can detergents be packed with artificial fragrances that are strong enough to bother your neighbors, but most are also filled with chemicals that can lead to skin irritation, trigger allergic reactions, and even harm the environment. That’s why it’s so important to find a laundry detergent that’s as safe as it is effective.

Liquid laundry detergent is produced using chemical raw materials. During the production of liquid laundry detergent, the following are required: a good formula and a mixing tank. Ingredients required include; bleach agents, phosphate, anionic surfactants, dye, preservatives, fragrance, phosphonate derivatives etc.

Avoid these harmful grocery store options by ordering organic! Many grocery store laundry detergent options are produced with hazardous ingredients. These gallons of toxic liquid laundry detergents can cause cancer, eye irritation, kidney, liver and respiratory problems. When you wash clothes using these toxic liquid laundry detergents, you inhale these toxins and in the process of laundry, these toxins become airborne.