When washing your delicates, pay attention to the details of the detergent you’re using. Pretty packaging or convenient placement on the grocery store aisles doesn’t mean the ingredients of your laundry detergent are safe for delicate laundry. Most generic laundry detergents may be too harsh for certain delicate laundry fabrics, causing them to tear, fade, or shrink.

The best detergent for delicate laundry typically includes gentle ingredients and a pH that is close to neutral, in order to clean without damaging your delicate laundry.

Detergents that are designed for delicate laundry are also good all-purpose detergents designed to be extra-gentle. You’ll want to find a detergent that does not include any harsh synthetic chemicals like sulfates, bleaches, and brighteners.

You’ll also want to choose whether to hand-wash or use the delicate cycle on your washing machine for your delicates. Whatever you choose, we’ve compiled some of the types of laundry detergents to use on your delicates!

Now you know what to look for as a sign of a good delicate laundry detergent. But, what are the signs you should look to avoid?

Some of the most commonly used chemicals to avoid when shopping for laundry detergent include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), optical brighteners, formaldehyde, polyethylene glycol (PEG), synthetic fragrances, petroleum-based cleaning agents, phthalates and chlorine-based bleaches.

That is a lot, right? It shows how nasty mainstream detergents can be. We recommend avoiding the mainstream options at the grocery store when shopping for delicate laundry detergent because, well, most grocery store detergents contain chemicals like these…

These chemicals that are commonly found in most mainstream laundry detergents can have negative effects on your health, your garments, your laundry machines, and your environment. Always read laundry detergent labels carefully.

If there are a bunch of long, scary-sounding words that you do not understand, it’s safe to say that it is not a good laundry detergent…

Laundry detergents are regulated. However, it is a lot for the regulators to keep up with.

In the United States, laundry detergents fall under the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s scope. This is because some mainstream, grocery store laundry detergents are known to have hazardous chemicals like chlorine and phosphates.

Determining ingredient safety and regulating proper packaging and disclosure requirements is handled by the Environmental Protection Agency.

These regulations keep everyone safe! But, even with all the rules around laundry detergents, some bad actors can always take shortcuts. The best way to make sure your detergents are A+ delicate laundry detergents is to check the ingredient list yourself.