Updated 09/25/2025
I swear, laundry is my frenemy. On one hand, nothing feels better than crawling into crisp sheets. On the other hand, the laundry pile in our bedroom looks like it’s multiplying faster than Max can roll his eyes at me for “forgetting” a load in the washer.
So let’s talk detergent. Most of the store-bought ones smell like they were cooked up in a chemistry lab. You know that fake lavender scent? It’s like being slapped in the face by a purple candle aisle. I decided a while back I wanted to keep my clothes clean without marinating them in chemicals that sound like a spelling bee challenge.
I tested a few clean brands, and I’ll be honest—some of them left my towels smelling… like wet dog. Not exactly the spa vibe I was going for. But after some trial and error (and Max pointing out that I may have ruined exactly one of his favorite shirts—oops), I found a few winners that don’t leave mystery residues or that “gym socks in denial” smell.
Here’s what’s worked for me: simple, non-toxic powders or liquids, unscented if you’re sensitive, or with light natural scents if you still want a little something. I throw in wool dryer balls with a drop of essential oil sometimes—orange is my happy laundry day smell. Bonus: no clingy dryer sheets floating around the house like ghost tissues.
And I can’t not mention my biggest mistake: buying some random “eco” detergent online because the packaging was cute. Big mistake. Huge. It left this weird film on our sheets, and Max literally asked if I’d washed them in glue. Lesson learned: cute fonts don’t equal clean clothes.
So here I am, a girl with a laundry mountain, trying to do it without the sketchy chemicals. And you know what? The clothes still get clean, I don’t feel like I’m breathing in a fragrance factory, and Max finally stopped calling our bed “Eau de science project.” Progress.