Posted By: Truly Free Home
|
Posted On: 11/10/2025
Product labels on conventional laundry detergent contain long lists of scientific-sounding ingredients that look straight out of a chemistry textbook. So if you’re having trouble figuring out what’s safe and what isn’t—even on “green” and “eco” labels—you’re not alone.
Luckily, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the non-profit that keeps big brands honest when it comes to health and safety, put together a Guide to Healthy Cleaning that allows you to look up specific ingredients that seem sketchy. And if you scroll through their section on laundry detergents—it’s eye-opening.
Hundreds of popular laundry detergents contain ingredients labeled as “high concern.” Two that show up way too often? Sodium borate and boric acid, both of which are linked to serious health risks.
If all that sounds a little technical, here’s what it really means.
When you see “developmental effects,” that means an ingredient may be especially harmful to children and teens whose bodies are still growing. “Reproductive effects” means it can impact fertility in both women and men. And “endocrine effects” refer to how these chemicals can disrupt our hormones, sometimes in ways scientists are still discovering.
Your endocrine system is basically your body’s control center for things like stress, growth, metabolism, reproduction, and even mood. It’s made up of glands like the thyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, and ovaries (or testes). So when chemicals in everyday products—like laundry detergent—interfere with those glands, they’re known as endocrine disruptors.
“Fragrance” might sound harmless, but it’s actually one of the most misleading terms on a product label. That single word can represent a blend of up to 3,500 different chemicals—and manufacturers aren’t legally required to disclose what they are.
So when you see something vague like “fragrance,” “aroma,” “parfum,” or “perfume,” it could be hiding any number of toxic ingredients that are known to cause allergic reactions, hormone disruption, or even more serious health issues.
According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (a program of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners), these undisclosed fragrance chemicals “are linked to serious health problems such as cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity, allergies and sensitivities.”
At Truly Free Home, we believe transparency isn’t optional. That’s why we’ll never hide behind the word “fragrance.” Every scent we use is clearly labeled and comes from pure essential oils or safe, plant-based fragrance oils—never toxic or mystery blends.
Do you really need your laundry detergent to be bright blue? Or have we all just been trained to think that blue = clean thanks to clever marketing tactics?
The truth is that bright color doesn’t make your clothes cleaner; it’s purely for appearance and comes from artificial dyes and optical brighteners. According to the EWG, blue dye earns a D rating on their safety scale due to concerns over nervous system effects, skin irritation, allergies, and even cancer risk.
At Truly Free Home, we believe what’s inside the bottle matters far more than how it looks. That’s why you’ll never find artificial or unnecessary dyes in any of our products—laundry wash included.
At Truly Free Home, we believe you deserve to know exactly what’s in the products you bring into your home. That’s why we’re transparent about every ingredient we use—no fine print, no mystery labels.
Because harsh chemicals aren’t necessary to get your laundry clean. Big-name brands simply use them because they’re cheaper.
But we know Mother Nature offers safer, more effective solutions. That’s the foundation of Truly Free Home Laundry Wash, a non-toxic, plant-powered formula that’s safe for everyone in your home, including babies, pregnant moms, and even your furry friends.
Want to know exactly what’s in our non-toxic laundry and cleaning formulas? Check out our ingredient index and see for yourself how we’re redefining clean, one ingredient at a time.
