In observance of President's Day, we are closed on Monday, February 19, 2024.

ECOS Laundry Detergent Review Summary

Discover the green cleaning power of ECOS Laundry Detergent! Crafted from plant-based ingredients, this eco-conscious detergent is a creation of ECOS, a pioneer in sustainable living products. It’s vegan and cruelty-free, with a built-in fabric softener for that extra touch of luxury.

PROS

Eco-friendly and biodegradable.

Hypoallergenic formula suitable for sensitive skin.

Can be used for any type of clothes and temperature.

Vegan and cruelty-free.

Contains a built-in fabric softener.

Packaging is made from 100% recycled plastic and is recyclable.

CONS

Struggles against tough stains.

Requires more than the recommended amount for effectiveness.

Not very concentrated, leading to higher usage and cost.

Can make bath towels rough and bed sheets uncomfortable.

Relatively expensive compared to its effectiveness.

Supposedly a great eco-friendly detergent, we take a look at the pros and cons of ECOS laundry detergent. Is this laundry soap as gentle and earth-friendly as it claims?

When I was young and needed to wash clothes, I’d take whatever cheap detergent you could give me. However, as I’ve gotten older and become a much more eco-conscious individual, I’m willing to stretch my budget a little in the pursuit of earth-friendly products.

And yes, that includes eco-friendly laundry detergents.

After learning that many clothes detergents on the market were non-biodegradable and bad for sensitive skin (which I have), I decided to find an earth-friendly liquid laundry detergent that I can use at home.

I soon discovered the ECOS Laundry Detergent, so I tried it so I can see for myself if it’s really as eco-friendly as other reviews make it out to be. Here's my review.

What is the ECOS Liquid Laundry Detergent?

The ECOS Liquid Detergent is a plant-based earth-friendly laundry soap made by an eco-friendly company called ECOS that specializes in plant-derived products that are kind to the environment.

The business is a majority women-owned family-run business which has been around for 50+ years. They make all of their earth-friendly products in the USA at 4 facilities, all of which are carbon neutral and run on renewable energy.

One of their most popular earth friendly products, This ECOS detergent uses plant-derived surfactants to wash your garments in a more eco-friendly manner.

Ecos Laundry detergent

The Best ECOS Laundry Detergent Deals

They claim that the formula is regularly reviewed by chemists and is pH balanced so it won’t do any major damage to mother Earth.

According to ECOS, you can also use this detergent on all temperatures, and it’s suitable for both colors and whites. Supposedly, this detergent is suitable for your everyday washing needs.

ECOS Laundry Detergent Benefits

First of all, I have to be very careful with laundry detergents, as I can break out in rashes if I choose something too harsh. Fortunately, this one was perfect for my skin since its formula is very gentle.

It’s also vegan and cruelty-free (it has the leaping bunny logo) and doesn’t contain any parabens, phosphates, or phthalates.

I also liked that this product contains a built-in fabric softener, which made my clothes and my bed linen feel really nice after washing.

ECOS laundry detergent quality check

Because I wanted to get a second opinion for this review, I asked my uncle to try it out as well. He owns an RV, so he’s often washing his shirts out on the road. As such, he needs to be able to throw away the dirty water once he’s washed his clothes with it.

After he found out that this product is pH balanced and biodegradable, he said that he can now pour out his dirty water without feeling guilty.

Like him, I also don’t have to feel bad about polluting the local greywater facilities, which is great.

Pros

  • Earthy friendly and biodegradable
  • Formula is hypoallergenic
  • Can be used for all clothes and temperatures 
Ecos Laundry detergent

The Best ECOS Laundry Detergent Deals

ECOS Laundry Detergent Shortfalls

ECOS laundry detergent shortfalls

I personally also found out that you need to use more liquid than the amount they recommend on the bottle. Using the recommended amount just wasn't enough to clean the clothes and even left a bit of a musty smell.

Certain other products, like the Seventh Generation laundry detergent, are also much more concentrated than ECOS, making them more cost-effective for every wash.

Another thing that annoyed me about ECOS was how it washed my bath towels. This stuff is terrible for bath towels — it leaves them very rough and scratchy. Now that’s not what I want to feel after a nice lush bath.

I noticed a similar effect on my bed sheets — it wasn’t “rough” in the same way, but there was just something less comfortable than usual when I was trying to get to sleep. I sleep with nothing on, so it definitely was something to do with the sheets.

If you like saving money and don’t want rough/scratchy sheets and towels, consider giving ECOS a miss.

Cons

  • Not that good against tough stains
  • Need to use more than the recommended amount on the bottle
  • Not very concentrated
  • Creates rough bath towels
  • Makes bed sheets uncomfortable
  • Quite expensive

Things To Consider Before Buying An Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent

When you’re buying an eco-friendly detergent product, there are certain criteria you should look for in the brand:

Concentration

Most laundry soaps (even the “earth friendly” stuff) are super watered down. Truly eco-conscious detergents will be made at a high concentration, producing less waste and allowing you to get more bang for your buck.

The Puracy Natural Detergent is a good example of this — it’s 10 times concentrated, so a small amount goes a long way and saves you money.

Recyclable Packaging

Manufacturers should be practising what they preach, and this applies to their packaging too. Ideally, the product bottles should be made from recycled plastic and the bottles themselves should be recyclable.

ECOS bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic and they are also indeed recyclable.

Optical Brighteners

Some products contain chemicals called “stilbenes” which help to make garments look brighter. You’ll often find these in mainstream detergents, but the stilbenes are non-biodegradable and toxic to fish, so eco-friendly detergents like ECOS do not contain them.

ECOS Laundry Detergent: Should You Buy It?

ECOS is undoubtedly a good laundry detergent, but I don’t think it’s the best on the market. In my experience, the Puracy Natural Laundry Detergent is actually better in the long run.

Unlike ECOS and more conventional detergents, it's 10x concentrated, containing 766% more active cleaning ingredients than the leading brand.

You get way more bang for your buck with Puracy. 

Puracy Laundry detergent

The Best Puracy Detergent Deals

If your garments are really, really dirty, then you might have trouble getting them clean with ECOS. However, this laundry detergent from Puracy is so ridiculously concentrated that it’s easy to add a little extra into your machine and really smash the dirt outta those sheets.

It uses 4 plant-based enzymes to clean your clothing, and is totally free from nasty chemicals, sulfates, bleach and brighteners. It’s vegan, non-toxic, and cruelty-free.

It’s even made in the USA, so you can know you’re supporting US jobs when you buy it. So, if you’re looking for a good all-round laundry detergent that’s also eco-friendly, I’d say give the Puracy Natural Laundry Detergent a try for sure.

Joe is passionate about environmentalism and the effect it has on our planet. He’s been a vegetarian for 10 years and is very strict about recycling in his apartment. As well as writing, he likes to spend time singing, playing the guitar, and defending pineapple on pizza.

Subscribe to
our newsletter