EWG Laundry Detergent Ratings | What The Grades Mean

That distinction matters more than most shoppers realize. EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning grades household cleaning products sold in the U.S., and laundry detergent is one of its cleaner subcategories. A strong grade means fewer ingredient red flags and fuller disclosure. It does not mean the bottle beats a C-rated competitor on stains. Here’s what EWG laundry detergent ratings actually tell you — and what they don’t.

If sensitive skin is the reason you’re here, the grade is a useful screening tool. If stain removal is the priority, it’s the wrong yardstick — start with wash tests, not letters.

What EWG Laundry Detergent Ratings Actually Measure

EWG’s cleaning grades run from A to F and are built on three inputs: ingredient hazard, ingredient disclosure, and manufacturing transparency. This is a separate system from EWG’s 1–10 Skin Deep scale for personal-care products, so a “C” in the cleaners guide and a “4” in Skin Deep are not comparable.

The guide covers cleaning products sold in the U.S. and now lists more than 2,500 items. Liquid and powder detergents sit under EWG’s laundry detergent category page, while pods and pouches have their own category. The guide tracks each formula by exact SKU: Safely Everyday Laundry Detergent, Spring and ATTITUDE Nature + Laundry Detergent, Unscented each have their own product page, and a single brand can span multiple grades across its lineup. General-purpose liquids, powders, and pods are scored on the same letter scale, even though their formulas differ.

Some detergents hold the EWG VERIFIED® designation, the highest status in the cleaning database. It requires complete ingredient disclosure and a review against EWG’s criteria, which makes it a stronger signal than a letter grade alone. Few products in the guide earn it, so seeing the seal on a detergent is meaningful.

Disclosure cuts both ways. If a company withholds part of a formula, the disclosure input drags the score down — a product can be penalized for what’s missing as much as for what’s in the bottle.

What Does A High EWG Grade Actually Tell You?

A high EWG grade tells you about ingredient concern and transparency, not how well the detergent gets clothes clean. EWG doesn’t run washer tests, and manufacturers don’t submit performance data for these ratings. Two detergents with the same letter can behave very differently on grass stains, greasy collars, and cold-water loads.

A high grade is best read as a starting point rather than a full safety review: it reflects what EWG can see in the formula and the documentation, not every exposure pathway.

EWG is a consumer advocacy database, not a regulator. An F grade signals higher ingredient concern under EWG’s methodology — it does not mean the product is illegal or banned. Legal safety limits come from agencies such as the EPA and FDA.

Marketing labels don’t predict grades. Products described as “free and clear” or “natural” can still contain fragrance, dyes, or brighteners, and a low score can simply reflect missing disclosure.

How To Check A Detergent’s Rating

Go to the EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning, search the exact product name, and read the grade on that product’s own page. The process takes about a minute:

1. Open EWG’s cleaners portal and search by product name or brand.
2. Browse the general-purpose laundry detergent category — or the pods and pouches category for pod formulas — to see the full list.
3. Open the product page for the exact SKU to see its grade and ingredient concerns.

The product page also lists the ingredient concerns behind the grade, which is more useful than the letter alone. If the bottle you’re holding doesn’t show up right away, search the brand and check every listing; scent variants and package sizes are often separate entries. Because one grade never covers a whole brand, our tested lineup of the best EWG-rated detergents can save you the sorting.

Read any EWG laundry detergent rating as an ingredient-concern and disclosure signal. Check the exact product you plan to buy, and treat “low hazard” and “cleans well” as two separate questions.