Why Your Natural Laundry Detergent Isn't Working

You switched to a natural detergent and now your laundry smells. But what if that “fresh” scent you miss was often synthetic fragrance masking a buildup problem? When you go clean, you finally smell the truth: residue, hard-water minerals, body oils, dirt and a grimy machine. Good news—this is fixable.

Why Choose Natural Detergent Anyway?

Ingredients matter. Mainstream detergents lean on optical brighteners, heavy synthetic fragrance, and harsh builders that can irritate skin, pollute waterways, and leave a film that only smells clean (but isn't really). A true natural detergent uses biodegradable surfactants and skips the perfume cloud, so your laundry reflects reality, not just masking a scent. 

That’s exactly why I recommend Root & Splendor. It’s concentrated, low-residue, and synthetic fragrance-free. Once you clear old buildup, it cleans beautifully without leaving anything behind. Finding this detergent was not easy. During my efficacy tests, I ran into too many "natural" options with much of the same ingredients: baking soda, soaps, etc.

Root & Splendor, on the other hand, uses real safe surfactants (not soap) and five powerful enzymes (not baking soda) to truly dissolve dirt and grime. No other natural detergent compares. Their stain remover has also saved many plushies in our family!

Laundry Soap vs. Laundry Detergent

The primary reason we love Root & Splendor is because of its formula. Most natural detergents rely on DIY baking soda recipes or soap.

• Laundry soap is literally soap: sodium/potassium salts of fatty acids made by saponifying oils with lye. 
• Laundry detergent is a blend of surfactants (plant- or petro-derived) plus helpers: water softeners, enzymes, etc. It’s engineered for machines.

Soaps, like Castile Soap, are usually problematic for homes with hard water. Soap reacts with calcium/magnesium and forms “soap scum.” That film sticks to fabric and your washer. Soap can work, but it will do better in very hot water and with handwashing. In a machine, it will be a pain. We do not recommend. 

Why Your Natural Detergent Might Not Be Working

When you drop the perfume, you finally notice what’s been there all along: detergent/softener residue, hard-water minerals, and body oils embedded in fibers—and sometimes a dirty machine re-depositing grime.

Tide didn’t “work better”; it covered the problem. The fix is to reset your fabrics (laundry stripping) and reset your machine. After that, a good natural detergent shines.

How To Strip Laundry (the right way)

You'll need a bathtub or very large container. Place all your sturdy cottons, towels, sheets, and athletic wear in your bathtub. Fill a tub or bin with HOT water, dissolve your solution (see below), submerge clean-but-dingy items, and soak 4–6 hours, stirring now and then. Drain the tub and rinse well. To finish, run a normal wash with your natural detergent in your laundry machine.

We do not recommend stripping delicate fabrics. Don’t strip wool, silk, cashmere, or anything labeled dry-clean-only; test darks for colorfastness; and ventilate the space. Stripping is a reset, not a weekly habit. At most you can do this every few months or when stink and heaviness creep back.

Sometimes I will hear people say their detergent "stopped working." It probably just needs a good stripping!

Laundry Stripping Recipes

Borax Formula (Classic)

• ¼–½ cup washing soda
• ¼–½ cup borax
• ¼–½ cup of your detergent

Borax-Free Formula

Some people prefer not to use borax. If that's you, here's an alternative:

• ¼–½ cup washing soda
• ¼–½ cup baking soda
• ¼–½ cup sodium percarbonate
• ¼–½ cup detergent.

Never combine these solutions with chlorine bleach.

No-Tub Option

For a no-tub option, run your longest hot cycle with 1 cup white vinegar (no detergent), follow with a second hot cycle using ½ cup baking soda, then a final cycle with your detergent. That three-step “machine strip” won’t pull quite as much as a soak but it’s effective and easy.

Clean Your Washing Machine

Another popular culprit for stinky laundry is a stinky machine. No detergent can outrun a dirty washer. For this, I am going to recommend you refer to your specific machine's manufacturer recommendations. 

However, in general, vinegar is a popular and usually safe cleaner. Run an empty hot cycle with white vinegar, scrub the detergent drawer, wipe all parts, and leave the door open to dry. 

More Laundry Cleaning Tips

Here are some additional best practice tips for getting your clothes clean:

• Give clothes room to move, don't overfill your load.
• Pre-treat sweat or soiled zones (Root & Splendor Stain Remover is fantastic for this).
• Generally, I prefer to use my cold wash, but sometimes you need that hot water, especially for towels and sheets when odor builds.
• If you have hard water, adding a little washing soda can work as a booster (just put it directly in your detergent drawer).
• For whiter whites, add an Oxygen Boost. I previously sold Branch Basics Oxygen Boost in our shop, but it's actually really easy to make your own with 70% Sodium Percarbonate and 30% Sodium Bicarbonate.
• Keep your dryer vent and lint paths clean and clear.

Clean Laundry Smells Like Nothing

Your natural detergent didn’t fail; it stopped hiding buildup. Strip your laundry, clean the machine, and switch to a non-toxic routine. If you want a detergent that actually works in that setup, Root & Splendor is my pick—concentrated, clean, and made to keep fabrics fresh without the perfume fog.

Now your laundry can smell like nothing—and that’s what truly clean smells like.