"Non-toxic" is one of the most searched words in laundry. It's also one of the fuzziest. There's no official rule for what it means on a detergent box.^†

Quick answer: skip the buzzword and check five things instead: ingredient count, full disclosure, fragrance, the film and third-party marks. Those tell you far more.

Why the term is fuzzy

Everything is toxic at some dose. Even water, if you're very committed. So "non-toxic" on its own doesn't tell you much. What you really want to know is what's in the product.

Five checks

1. Count the ingredients. Shorter is easier to understand.
2. Look for full disclosure, every ingredient by name.
3. Check for fragrance and masking agents (read it).
4. Find the film and what it's made from (read it).
5. Look for third-party marks like EPA Safer Choice (read it).

Red flags

• Vague words with no ingredient list
• "Chemical-free" (everything is a chemical)
• A full list you can only get by emailing
• A badge you can't find on any program's website

How we use these checks

We built Just 7 to pass all five we control: seven ingredients, all listed, no fragrance and a pullulan film made from fermented starch. We're working on third-party marks.^†

FAQ

What does non-toxic mean on laundry detergent? There's no official definition. Check the ingredients instead.

Are laundry sheets non-toxic? It depends on the formula. Read the full ingredient list.

What's a good sign on a detergent label? Full ingredient disclosure and independent marks.

Is "chemical-free" detergent real? No. Every ingredient, water included, is a chemical.