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Products · Cleaning & laundry · Charlie’s Soap

Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder, Fragrance Free, 100 loads (2.64 lb)

Reader ratings
Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder, Fragrance Free, 100 loads (2.64 lb)

A five-ingredient, fragrance-free laundry powder listed by EPA as Safer Choice, about 21 cents a load. Two of its three active ingredients are ethoxylated surfactants, and we found no independent cleaning test of it.

Best for Someone who wants a simple, scent-free powder for HE or standard washers, and accepts that nobody independent has tested how well it cleans.

Our rating
Good (3.5 of 5)
Price range
Mid-range
Verified marks
Listed by EPA as Safer Choice and fragrance-free (Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder, Sutherland Products; the 100-load UPC 757072417013 is in EPA’s record)
Size
2.64 lb box (100 loads); the maker also sells 1.3 lb (50 loads, $14.99), 4 lb (150 loads, $29.99) and 8 lb (300 loads, $54.99)

approx. $21 for 100 loads

See it on Charlie’s Soap’s site → (opens in a new tab)

We are not affiliated with Charlie’s Soap. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.

Also sold at Amazon ($39 for two boxes), Walmart ($23), Thrive Market ($20) , and 1 more.

Reader ratings & reviews

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    Reviews are personal experiences, not research, and they never change our quality ratings. Every review is read by our team before it appears.

    How we evaluated it

    How it scores Our rating, metric by metric Good, 3.5 of 5
    1. Ingredients 35% of the rating 4 of 5

      Five named ingredients with no fragrance, dye, brightener, enzyme or preservative, but two of the three active ones are ethoxylated surfactants that can carry 1,4-dioxane and that EWG scores C.

    2. Cleans well 20% of the rating 2 of 5

      We found no independent cleaning test of it, Consumer Reports rated one plain powder, Molly’s Suds, the worst powder it tested in 2026, and CR’s full ratings are behind a paywall.

    3. Independent testing 15% of the rating 3 of 5

      EPA lists the powder as Safer Choice and fragrance-free, a certification the maker applies for, and EWG grades the sister liquid A, but we found no lab test of the finished powder.

    4. Trust 10% of the rating 4 of 5

      It prints every ingredient with its CAS number and we found no recall, Prop 65 notice or lawsuit, though a few claims, such as cleaning city drainage pipes, have no source.

    5. Value 20% of the rating 4 of 5

      About 21 cents a load ($20.99 for 100 loads) and 18 cents for the 8 lb box, close to Seventh Generation’s 18 to 23 cents and above Meliora’s 13 to 16 cents.

    The rating, 3.5 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank cleaning & laundry and our standard.

    Where to buy Stores and the prices we saw 4 stores
    • Amazon (opens in a new tab) approx. $39 for two boxes. A pack of two 2.64 lb boxes, $38.99 ($0.19 a load) on 2026-11-03. Ships from Amazon and is sold by Charlie’s Soap (Sutherland), the maker. A single box (B0018B15FE) is sold by third parties from $26.13.
    • Walmart (opens in a new tab) approx. $23. One 2.6 lb box of 100 loads, $22.99 on 2026-11-03, sold by Sutherland Products Inc. DBA Charlie’s Soap, the maker, and fulfilled by Walmart. A second seller, Life’s Organics, Inc., starts at $23.99.
    • Thrive Market (opens in a new tab) approx. $20. 100 loads, $19.89 (shown against $20.99) on 2026-11-03 and marked Running Low. Thrive is a membership store, and the page does not give the box weight.
    • Grove Collaborative (opens in a new tab) approx. $23. One 2.64 lb box, $22.99 on 2026-11-03 and in stock. The listing carries the 100-load UPC (757072417013) and the same five ingredients as the maker's page.

    Prices as we saw them on November 3, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

    What’s in it Every ingredient, in label order 5 ingredients
    1. Sodium carbonate (washing soda)
    2. C12-16 pareth-9 (surfactant)
    3. C10-14 alcohol ethoxylate (surfactant)
    4. Sodium metasilicate
    5. Water
    Who tested it What each test found, and who paid for it 3 tests
    • Paid certification EPA Safer Choice (certification; the maker applies) November 2026

      EPA’s Safer Choice products table lists Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder from Sutherland Products (partner since 2019) with the fragrance-free flag. Safer Choice reviews each ingredient against EPA criteria; it does not test how well the product cleans. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Independent EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning (nonprofit; no lab test; the sister liquid, not this powder) June 2026

      Grades Charlie’s Soap Laundry Liquid, Fragrance Free & Hypoallergenic A: water A, sodium carbonate A, and each of the two alcohol ethoxylates C (data updated 2026-06-05). We found no grade for this fragrance-free powder; a 2017 page for an older Charlie’s Soap powder could not be opened. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Maker’s own test Charlie’s Soap (maker)

      Says the powder is residue-free, rinses completely, works on all cycles and temperatures and cleans the washer as it goes. It publishes no test report for these claims. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    Who paid, and why it matters
    • Independent The tester took no money from the maker for it: a consumer group, a journalist, a university or a regulator.
    • Paid certification An outside lab or certifier tested or listed it, and the maker paid for that.
    • Maker’s own test A lab report or certificate of analysis the maker commissioned and published.

    A certification is a floor, not a verdict: it checks what its program checks and nothing else. We weigh tests by someone with no stake in the result most.

    What people ask Worries raised online and elsewhere, and what we found 7 questions
    Do the ethoxylated surfactants carry 1,4-dioxane?
    They can. 1,4-Dioxane is a contaminant of ethoxylation, as Mamavation explains (opens in a new tab) and our laundry guide notes. The powder has two alcohol ethoxylates, and EWG scores each C. EPA lists the powder as Safer Choice, but we found no test of the powder for 1,4-dioxane.
    Does a plain powder clean well?
    We could not find out. Consumer Reports’ 2026 test (opens in a new tab) found powders overall cleaned less well than the top liquids and pods, though they were excellent on blood, and it rated Molly’s Suds Original Unscented the worst powder. We found no result for Charlie’s. Amazon shows 4.7 stars from about 11,300 ratings across the powder listings, which is owner opinion and not a test.
    Does it leave residue in hard water?
    Charlie’s says the powder is formulated to be residue-free and sells a hard-water booster (opens in a new tab) for the worst cases. We found no independent residue test, in hard water or otherwise.
    Is it really fragrance-free?
    EPA’s Safer Choice table marks it fragrance-free, a flag EPA says it verified against its fragrance-free criteria. The ingredient list names no fragrance or essential oil, and the maker lists dyes, brighteners, enzymes and preservatives among what it leaves out.
    Does it clean washers and city pipes, as the page says?
    The page says the powder cleans your washer and that Charlie’s is “the only detergent that actually cleans these residues from your city’s drainage pipes”. We found no study behind either claim and did not count them.
    Any recall, Prop 65 notice or lawsuit?
    None found. The California AG’s notice search (opens in a new tab) returned no notice naming Sutherland Products or Charlie’s Soap on 2026-11-03, CPSC’s recall search has no record, and a web search for lawsuits found none.
    Does it contain PFAS?
    No fluorinated ingredient is on the label. We found no independent PFAS test of this powder or any Charlie’s Soap product.
    Why we chose it What put it on our list 5 points
    • Five ingredients, all printed with CAS numbers on the maker’s page: sodium carbonate, two alcohol-based surfactants, sodium metasilicate and water. No fragrance, dye, brightener, enzyme, bleach or preservative.
    • EPA’s Safer Choice products table lists Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder (Sutherland Products, partner since 2019) with the fragrance-free flag, and its UPC list includes this 100-load box.
    • EWG’s cleaning guide grades the maker’s fragrance-free liquid A, and that liquid shares this powder’s two surfactants and its sodium carbonate.
    • It is concentrated: one tablespoon per large load, which the maker says suits front-load, top-load and HE washers. At $20.99 for 100 loads it is about 21 cents a load, 18 cents in the 8 lb box.
    • We found no recall, Prop 65 notice, lawsuit or warning letter naming Charlie’s Soap or Sutherland Products.
    Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy 5 points
    • Two of the three active ingredients, C12-16 pareth-9 and a C10-14 alcohol ethoxylate, are ethoxylated surfactants. Ethoxylation can leave traces of 1,4-dioxane, EWG scores each ingredient C, and Mamavation puts both Charlie’s detergents in its “better” tier rather than its “best”.
    • We found no independent cleaning test. Consumer Reports found powders clean less well than the best liquids and pods, and rated one plain powder, Molly’s Suds Original Unscented, the worst powder in its 2026 ratings; its full ratings of more than 90 products, which may include Charlie’s, are members-only.
    • We found no EWG grade for this fragrance-free powder, so the A grade we cite is for the liquid. EWG also has a 2017 page for an older Charlie’s Soap powder that we could not open, so we do not count it.
    • Some page claims have no study behind them, such as that it is “the only detergent” that cleans residue from city drainage pipes. The page also calls the formula “all-natural” although two of its three actives are ethoxylated alcohols.
    • Charlie’s sells a separate hard-water booster for very hard water and says the powder itself is residue-free. We found no independent residue test.
    What to know Details worth knowing first

    Our guide to laundry products says to choose a fragrance-free detergent without optical brighteners, and to use less of it. Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder does both with five ingredients: washing soda, a silicate, water and two alcohol-based surfactants. EPA’s Safer Choice table lists it as fragrance-free.

    The weak spot is the surfactants. Both are ethoxylated, the process behind the 1,4-dioxane that our laundry guide describes as a contaminant of some detergents. EWG scores each of them C, and Mamavation ranks the brand in its “better” tier. EWG grades the maker’s fragrance-free liquid A. The liquid shares both surfactants, but we found no EWG grade for the powder.

    The other gap is performance. We found no independent cleaning test, and Consumer Reports found that powders overall clean less well than the best liquids and pods. Charlie’s says the powder works best in warm or hot water on a heavy cycle, though it also works cold. At about 21 cents a load it is cheap enough to try in the 50-load box ($14.99) before you commit to the 8 lb size.

    What we checked Each claim, and how sure we are of it 7 checks
    How Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder, Fragrance Free, 100 loads (2.64 lb) measures up against our cleaning & laundry criteria
    What we checked What we found
    Full ingredient disclosure Maker’s claim Five ingredients on the product page, each with its CAS number: sodium carbonate, C12-16 pareth-9, C10-14 alcohol ethoxylate, sodium metasilicate and water.
    Independent mark: EPA Safer Choice Verified EPA’s Safer Choice products table lists “Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder” (Sutherland Products, Inc., since 2019, fragrance-free: yes) with UPCs 757072412018, 757072414012 and 757072417013 (queried 2026-11-03).
    Independent mark: EWG Not verified EWG grades the maker’s fragrance-free liquid A. We found no grade for this powder; a 2017 page for an older Charlie’s Soap powder could not be opened.
    Fragrance-free Verified EPA’s table flags it fragrance-free, which EPA says it verified against its criteria, and the label names no fragrance.
    Concentrates and refills Maker’s claim One tablespoon per large load, per the maker; sold in cardboard boxes of 1.3 to 8 lb. No refill system.
    Honest germ claims Maker’s claim No germ-killing claim; it is sold as a detergent.
    Independent cleaning test Not verified None found.
    What the labels mean
    • Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
    • Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
    • Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
    Sources Where our facts come from 12 sources
    1. Charlie’s Soap Natural Laundry Powder Detergent product page. Maker’s page. Ingredients, sizes, prices and claims as seen 2026-11-03: 50 loads $14.99, 100 loads $20.99, 150 loads $29.99, 300 loads $54.99. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    2. Charlie’s Soap Natural Laundry Liquid Detergent product page. Maker’s page. Four ingredients and prices: 50 loads $15.99, 100 loads $22.99, 160 loads $32.99. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    3. EPA Safer Choice products table. Certifier or regulator listing. A searchable table; the data loads with the page. Charlie’s Soap rows: Laundry Powder, Laundry Liquid, Laundry Pre-Spray and Kitchen & Bath Household Cleaner, all fragrance-free. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    4. EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning: Charlie’s Soap Laundry Liquid Fragrance Free & Hypoallergenic. Certifier or regulator listing. Grade A, data updated 2026-06-05. Read in a browser on 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    5. Consumer Reports: Best and worst laundry detergents of 2026. Test report. Rated Molly’s Suds Original Unscented the worst powder; does not name Charlie’s Soap. The ratings of more than 90 detergents are members-only. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    6. Mamavation: safest green laundry detergents for sensitive skin. Test report. An ingredient review dated 2024-09-25, not a lab test, that places Charlie’s Soap’s powder and liquid in its “Better” tier. The site earns affiliate income. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    7. Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder, 100 loads, 2 pack, on Amazon. Independent source. $38.99 on 2026-11-03, ships from Amazon, sold by Charlie’s Soap (Sutherland); the powder listings show 4.7 stars from about 11,300 ratings. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    8. Charlie’s Soap Laundry Detergent Powder, 100 loads, on Walmart. Independent source. $22.99 on 2026-11-03, sold by Sutherland Products Inc. DBA Charlie’s Soap, fulfilled by Walmart. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    9. Charlie’s Soap Powder Laundry Detergent, 2.64 lb, on Grove Collaborative. Independent source. $22.99 on 2026-11-03, in stock, UPC 757072417013. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    10. Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder, Fragrance Free, 100 loads, on Thrive Market. Independent source. $19.89 against $20.99 on 2026-11-03, 100 loads, marked Running Low. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    11. California AG Prop 65 notice search: Sutherland. Certifier or regulator listing. No notice naming Sutherland Products or Charlie’s Soap on 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    12. CPSC recall search: Charlie’s Soap. Certifier or regulator listing. No records on 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
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