Tru Earth is a laundry brand that's marketed as a healthier and more environmentally-friendly detergent than the competition. The company describes their product as "as sensitive on your skin as it is to the environment."

But what's actually in Tru Earth? Is it healthier than traditional detergent like Purex? What was our honest experience trying it for a month? And is Tru Earth better or worse than popular "green" detergents like Blueland?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Tru Earth detergent strips to give our take on whether or not the brand is a healthy option.

We'll compare the healthiness of Tru Earth to Purex (a traditional detergent brand), share our experience purchasing and trying Tru Earth laundry strips, and compare the brand to other popular "green" laundry detergents to pick our winners (and losers).

Key takeaways:

• Fragranced versions are unhealthy in our view
• Fragrance-free version (Tru Earth Baby) is healthy
• We currently recommend Tru Earth Baby

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in the Fragrance Free version of Tru Earth (which is also branded as Tru Earth Baby) are shown below:

We always recommend fragrance-free versions of detergent over fragranced versions, because fragrance compounds can be allergenic according to a 2018 medical review.

Tru Earth Fragrance Free contains active ingredients that are clinically shown to be non-toxic and effective. 

Corn starch is clinically shown to be a safe and effective natural cleansing ingredient, as we documented in our Earth Breeze reviews article.

Glycerin can naturally improve scent, as shown in a medical review published in the International Journal of Toxicology.

We cannot identify any other research-backed active ingredients in this formulation, but the main benefit of the Fragrance Free version of Tru Earth Laundry Strips is that it's entirely free of unhealthy additives.

To provide a comparative example to show how much healthier Tru Earth is, consider the ingredients in a commercial detergent called Purex, shown below:

Colorants fails to describe whether these colorants are natural or synthetic.

Fragrances are unhealthy in our opinion for reasons cited above.

Methylisothiazolinone is a synthetic preservative and its use is strictly controlled by Health Canada due to "potential safety issues," as we documented in our review of Clean People Laundry Detergent.

Overall, we consider Tru Earth to be significantly healthier than commercial detergent, and we currently recommend the Fragrance Free version.

We Tested Tru Earth Laundry Strips

As the author of this article, I wanted to try Tru Earth Laundry Strips myself to share my thoughts on its effects and the overall product experience:

I found a pack of the fragrance-free strips at my local Stop & Shop.

My towels and washcloths came out of the washer/dryer smelling clean and fresh without any artificial scent.

I typically use a fragrance-free powder detergent, and I couldn't notice any difference in the softness or smell of my clean load.

My main complaint is the cost.

My typical detergent covers 100+ loads for under $20, and since I don't notice any added benefits from this product, I wouldn't pay a significant per-use premium for it.

I do think Tru Earth is a better option than commercial detergent for health reasons, and if I were traveling or out of my typical detergent and needed something in a bind, I'd consider purchasing this.

Overall, I'd rate Tru Earth Fragrance-Free Laundry Strips 6/10.

Tru Earth vs. Popular "Green" Detergents

Here's how Tru Earth compares to other popular "green" detergent brands in terms of healthiness, in our opinion:

Earth Breeze

Contains naturally-derived active ingredients like primary alcohol ethoxylate, which is clinically shown to be a safe and non-toxic cleaning ingredient.

Earth Breeze's formulation is simpler and contains one more active ingredient we can find research backing for, so we give the brand the (slight) edge in regard to potential efficacy.

Winner: Earth Breeze

ECOS

ECOS Laundry Detergent is relatively healthy, but contains a synthetic preservative we recommend avoiding.

It's worth noting that the brand was sued over allegations of false advertising, given their "non-toxic" marketing claim.

Winner: Tru Earth Laundry Strips

Blueland

This brand sells a fragrance-free laundry detergent in tablet form.

Blueland Laundry Detergent is entirely free of plastic or plastic-derived ingredients, and contains more active ingredients we can find research backing for.

From a potential effectiveness standpoint, Blueland has the advantage.

Winner: Blueland

Tru Earth Laundry Strips Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Healthier than commercial detergent
• Convenient
• Contains research-backed active ingredients
• Fragrance Free version has no unhealthy additives
• We tested it and liked the scent & product experience
• Environmentally-friendly

Cons:

• Scented versions contain fragrance
• Slightly worse formulation than some competitors

Conclusion

Tru Earth Laundry Strips are a high-quality product, and we currently recommend the Fragrance-Free version.

This brand uses naturally-derived ingredients like corn starch and glycerin to clean clothing, and is a much healthier alternative to commercial detergent in our opinion.

Tru Earth is also environmentally-friendly, as it's packaged in paper and is plastic-free.

We tried Tru Earth Laundry strips and enjoyed both the scent and product experience/convenience.

The cost is the only downside: I purchase an unscented, powdered laundry detergent from Whole Foods with a dramatically lower price-per-use.

We consider Tru Earth Laundry Strips to be a healthier option than ECOS Laundry Detergent, but a slightly worse option than Earth Breeze or Blueland.