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Here's a secret: Using one of the best luxury laundry detergents is a low-effort, high-reward indulgence that makes your whole life (and laundry room) feel a little more like a Pinterest board. Yes, the basic stuff works—the same way scrubbing down with a boring bar soap will get the dirt off your skin—but life is short, so why not elevate your routine? Luxury laundry detergents have all the functionality of the jugs you're used to lugging home from the drugstore, but these smell way better and are formulated more thoughtfully. And, if you're not about that fragrance life, many come in scentless versions, which are friendlier on sensitive skin. So, if you let it, washing clothes is about more than getting out the grass stains. It's about taking out a warm load of clean clothes from the dryer, burrowing your face in your favorite T-shirt, taking a dramatic, commercial-level inhale, and feeling good about dropping a few extra bucks on that bougie bottle. Can you picture it? We can picture it.
Our Top Luxury Laundry Detergents
- Best Overall: The Laundress Signature Detergent, $26
- Best Fragrance: Dedcool Dedtergent Milk, $35
- Most Concentrated: Homecourt Cece Laundry Detergent, $48
- Best Fragrance-Free: Dr. Barbara Sturm Laundry Detergent, $60
- Best Tablets: Blueland Laundry Detergent Starter Set, $30
- Best Duo: Snif Laundry Starter Pack, $42
- Best Steal: Bath & Body Works Moonlit Goddess Laundry Detergent, $20
Get the most out of each wash with these high-quality, concentrated, splurge-worthy detergents, and brace yourself for all the "you-smell-amazing" headed your way. Our editors shared the detergents that passed their sniff tests, and we chatted with experts for some insight on the implications of using a fragranced option.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is fragranced laundry detergent bad for your skin?
- How should I choose a luxury laundry detergent?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: The Laundress Signature Detergent
Why it's worth it: Plain and simple, The Laundress' 2024 Best of Beauty-winning Signature Detergent is giving "rich." This all-purpose detergent is decadently (but not overwhelmingly) scented with notes of lily of the valley, musk, and sandalwood for a bright, crisp scent, skillfully targeting dirt stains and grime every wash. You can use it on anything in your laundry basket, but it works best on whites and colors. It also comes with a little measuring cup, ensuring you're not adding more detergent than you need per wash, thus helping you get the most life out of the bottle possible. It's pretty concentrated, so a little goes a long way.
The Laundress makes a ton of other luxury laundry products, like a stain remover pretreatment, wool and cashmere spray, and a static-reducing fabric softener.
Tester feedback from content director Kara McGrath: "I love all of The Laundress detergents: They leave your laundry soft and clean, with none of the weird residue that sometimes lingers with other detergents, especially heavily scented ones. But the Beauty Sleep scent? Above and beyond. With notes of sandalwood and jasmine, it feels more like a fancy perfume than your typical pillow spray. It's definitely pricey, but I save it just for washing my sheets, so a bottle lasts several months. I have pretty sensitive skin that doesn't always tolerate scented products, but I've never had an issue with this stuff."
Size: 32 oz. (31 washes) | Fragrance notes: lime, bergamot, lily of the valley, musk
Best Fragrance: Dedcool Dedtergent Milk
Why it's worth it: As diehard fans of Dedcool's Milk Eau de Parfum, we were completely tickled when the brand dropped its Milk Dedtergent. This detergent brings that addictive skin scent you already wear every day to your latest load of laundry (amber, bergamot, and white musk are at the helm). The bang-to-buck ratio smells pretty good, too. In 32 ounces of product, you'll get 60 washes, which are friendly to lights, darks, and intimates alike. The scent isn't super strong, which is a vibe for some and disappointing for others, depending on preference. If you want to do a sniff test, you can grab this detergent in a two-ounce bottle. Or, if you fall in love, spring for a $60, 64-ounce refill pouch. While you're at it, grab the dryer sheets for an extra hit of fragrance.
Tester feedback from associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen: "You wouldn't think laundry detergent housed in a tin jug would be much of an appeal, but you've never tried Dedcool's Dedtergent—and it shows. The Los Angeles-based fragrance brand, home of the Best of Beauty-winning Xtra Milk scent, also does detergent in some of its most popular scents. The creamy formula washes clothes, just traditional clothes cleanser, but leaves behind a soft, subtle touch of fragrance."
Size: 32 oz. (60 washes) | Fragrance notes: amber, bergamot, white musk
Most Concentrated: Homecourt Cece Laundry Concentrate
Why it's worth it: Homecourt's Laundry Concentrate stands out for its ultra-concentrated formula, meaning a little goes a long way. It's housed in a sleek pump bottle (bless), which keeps things mess-free and makes it easy to get your dosage right. Just three to five pumps (depending on load size) and you're good to go, with up to 70 washes per bottle. It's safe for both lights and darks and comes in a handful of elevated scents, but we're partial to Cece—a spicy cedarwood blend with cardamom, cinnamon, and white leather. Because we love it when our clothes smell a little sexy.
Tester feedback from senior editor Jesa Marie Calaor: "I love Homecourt's Cece Laundry Concentrate for how it's compact and not-at-all daunting to move from my car to my laundry room. I use four pumps per medium load, and my clothes come out looking and feeling so clean."
Size: 16 oz. (up to 70 washes) | Fragrance notes: cedarwood, cardamom, cinnamon, white leather
Best Tablets: Blueland Laundry Detergent Starter Set
Why it's worth it: The plasticy-residue free, eco-friendly, cool older sister to the laundry pod, Blueland's Laundry Detergent Starter Set comes to us via dry-form, powder detergent tablets. Preportioned, tough on stains, and available in a fresh Spring Bloom scent as well as an unscented formulation, the 60 tablets in the Starter Set are nicely concentrated, gentle on sensitive skin, and won't leave any of that gunk in the barrel of your washing machine. You can opt into Blueland's subscription service to make sure you never run out of detergent and save 20% in the process. Keep in mind that the tablets aren't suitable for washing silk, wool, satin, and cashmere.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han: "As someone who's lived the NYC apartment life for 9+ years—during which I've never had in-unit laundry or, sometimes, even in-building—the last thing I want to lug around is a hefty detergent bottle, along with my probably-overdue, extra-large load of laundry. Blueland's tablets are extra small (though the metal tin houses 60 of 'em!), easy to tote, and even easier to toss into the washing machine. My clothes are as fresh and clean as they are when I used Tide—maybe even fresher, thanks to the pleasant Spring Blooms scent they're infused with. It's like built-in perfume. Love."
Size: 60 tablets (30 to 60 washes) | Fragrance notes: Spring Bloom; floral-citrus
Best Fragrance-Free: Dr. Barbara Sturm Laundry Detergent
Why it’s worth it: Luxury detergent doesn't have to mean "perfume." Case in point: Dr. Barbara Sturm's Laundry Detergent. The skin-care brand known for its science-backed, sensitive-skin-friendly formulas brings the same thoughtful approach to your laundry. This fragrance-free, plant-based detergent is enriched with aloe vera and panthenol and skips the preservatives, enzymes, microplastics, dyes, and brighteners. Translation: the formula is gentle across the board. Bonus: It's safe for delicates like wool, silk, and cashmere, so go ahead and treat your favorite pieces to a little TLC.
Size: 33.8 oz | Fragrance notes: fragrance-free
Best Duo: Snif Laundry Starter Pack
Why it's worth it: Snif's Laundry Starter Pack doesn't hold back on scent. It's available in five fragrances, but we especially love Sweet Ash, a mélange of juniper, fir balsam, golden cedar, creamy tonka, vanilla bean, and white moss. Each set comes with the brand's Everything Wash Detergent (good for about 32 loads) to get everything clean and a Scent Booster (for about 25 loads) to kick the fragrance up a notch. You don't need to use the booster every time (and if you do, you'll likely run out of it before the detergent), but it's a welcome, fragrant cherry on top. For small loads, one cap of detergent will do—just scale up from there, depending on how much you're working with.
Size: 16-oz. detergent, 8.5-oz. scent booster | Fragrance notes: juniper, fir balsam, golden cedar, creamy tonka, vanilla bean, white moss
Best Steal: Bath & Body Works Moonlit Goddess Laundry Detergent
Why it's worth it: We've all walked into a Bath and Body Works only to be confronted with what feels like every fragrance imaginable, but among those imaginables is a decidedly lovely, subtle-enough Moonlit Goddess Laundry Detergent. Subtle yet swoon-worthy, it's a soft blend of lavender, pear blossom, and vanilla that smells like clean laundry plus a little something-something. The concentrated formula delivers serious value: 32 ounces gets you 64 small loads or 32 big ones. The only minor downside? A slightly stubborn cap. But honestly, once you get a whiff, you'll find forgiveness.
Size: 32 oz. (32 to 64 washes) | Fragrance notes: lavender, pear blossom, vanilla
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fragranced laundry detergent bad for your skin?
No, fragranced laundry detergent isn't inherently bad for your skin. However, if you know your skin to be reactive, it's wise to opt for detergent made specially for sensitive skin. These can include luxury picks, but make sure to grab the fragrance-free versions. "Laundry detergents can cause both irritant dermatitis from harsh chemicals like surfactants—such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)—that dry out the skin, and contact dermatitis from known allergens like fragrances and preservatives," says Jessie Cheung, MD, board-certified dermatologist based in Chicago and NYC. New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Howard Sobel, MD, elaborates: "Contact dermatitis can occur when your skin has an allergic reaction to something you've applied topically, even if you are unaware of an allergy." In short, "Hypoallergenic, fragrance- and oil-free formulas won't irritate sensitive skin," Dr. Sobel says.
The good news is that detergents at high price points, like the ones on this list, usually opt for low-chemical formulas, cutting back on the harsh stuff in favor of plant-based ingredients. Even if you don't have sensitive skin, dosing detergent incorrectly can be irritating. "Using too much liquid detergent can leave behind residue, increasing the risk of irritation—even with a gentle formula," says Dr. Cheung. "Follow the correct detergent dosage and add an extra rinse cycle for extra precautions," she says.
How should I choose a luxury laundry detergent?
Your choice of a luxury laundry detergent largely comes down to preference, as it so often does. What kind of scent are you after? What’s your splurge threshold? What kind of fabrics do you wash most often? There may be some trial and error before you find your perfect match, but sticking to fragrance profiles you know and love is always a safe bet.
Meet the experts
- Jessie Cheung, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Chicago and NYC
- Howard Sobel, MD, board-certified dermatologist based in NYC
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best luxury laundry detergents, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
More small ways to upgrade your day-to-day:
- These Candle Alternatives Are Instant Vibe-Boosters
- Your Home Deserves a Signature Fragrance, Too
- 9 Best Comforters for Hot Sleepers That'll Provide Much-Needed Relief
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