Laundry Sauce is a brand that describes itself as “the world’s best smelling laundry detergent.” The brand sells single-use pods that they suggest can help users “smell good, look good, feel good.”
But what’s actually in Laundry Sauce? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Is it healthier than traditional detergent like Tide, or "clean" detergent like ECOS? And is it dangerous for homes with young children?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Laundry Sauce to give our take on whether or not the brand is unhealthy.
We'll also explain if this brand is dangerous for homes with young children due to laundry pod poisoning, and compare Laundry Sauce to Tide, and to "healthy" laundry brands like ECOS to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Healthier than average detergent brand in our opinion
- Still contains some ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Laundry Sauce
Ingredient Analysis
Part of the full Laundry Sauce ingredient list is shown below:
image source: https://laundrysauce.com/
Butylphenyl methylpropional, commonly referred to as lysmeral, is a fragrance ingredient analyzed in a 2021 medical review, and the researchers concluded the following:
“the data still calls for efforts to reduce the exposure towards lysmeral since metabolites of lysmeral were detected in nearly all samples and adverse effects cannot be excluded.”
Fragrance is an additive ingredient that’s questionable from a health perspective. A medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal concluded the following:
“Results of this study provide compelling evidence that everyday fragranced products can impose serious risks to human health, environmental quality, businesses, and society.”
This suggests that fragrance-free detergent may be a healthier option.
Amylase and other enzymes are used as active ingredients and these are clinically shown to be non-toxic and effective, as we documented in our Blueland reviews article.
Overall, we consider Laundry Sauce likely to be effective for cleaning clothing and for odor control, but we don't currently recommend this brand due to the use of fragrance and lysmeral.
Laundry Sauce vs. Commercial Detergent
Tide is arguably the most popular detergent brand in the US.
The ingredients in Tide Fresh Coral Blast laundry detergent are shown below:
image source: https://tide.com/
Fragrance ls included, like in Laundry Sauce.
Ethanolamine is a pH adjuster that was described as "corrosive" in the New Jersey Department of Health’s Hazardous Substances Fact Sheet.
Overall, we consider Laundry Sauce to be a healthier option than Tide Fresh Coral Blast due to the lack of ethanolamine.
Children and Detergent Pod Risks
A medical review published in the Pediatrics journal analyzed data on children and laundry detergent pods and concluded that “Laundry detergent pods pose a serious poisoning risk to young children.”
Children under the age of three years old accounted for 73.5% of cases, and 7.5% of those exposed experienced a “moderate or major medical outcome.”
A 2021 medical review claims that most cases of accidental ingestion occur in children under 5 years old, and that ingestion “may lead to some severe consequences.”
We haven’t come across comparative studies on the child safety risks with detergent pods versus standard liquid detergent, so we’re not necessarily suggesting that detergent pods are uniquely dangerous.
Based on the available research, we would recommend that parents of young children choose non-toxic detergent options over fragranced detergent pods.
Laundry Sauce vs. "Clean" Detergents
Here's how Laundry Sauce compares to detergents which are marketed as healthier alternatives, in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness:
Blueland
Blueland Laundry Tablets contain research-backed active ingredients like subtilisin, which is clinically shown to effectively remove stains from clothing.
These tablets contain no unhealthy ingredients, and are also plastic-free and much better for the environment than Laundry Sauce.
Winner: Blueland
ECOS Laundry Detergent
Contains naturally-derived cleansing agents like Laundry Sauce.
However, ECOS is fragrance-free, and we consider its inactive ingredient profile to be much healthier, as we documented in our ECOS Laundry Detergent reviews article.
Winner: ECOS Laundry Detergent
Tru Earth Laundry Strips
Similar potential efficacy based on active ingredients.
Healthier inactive ingredient profile.
Tru Earth wins from a health and safety standpoint.
Winner: Tru Earth Laundry Strips
Laundry Sauce Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Contains non-toxic active ingredients
- Should effectively clean clothing
- Should effectively block odor
- Healthier than Tide
Cons:
- Contains fragrance
- Contains butylphenyl methylpropional
- Detergent pods may pose safety risks to young children
- Single-use pods are not environmentally friendly
- Less healthy than some competitors
