Where Is Your Laundry Detergent Made? (Specifics, Please!)
No matter the brand, it’s important to know where day-to-day products like laundry detergent actually come from. You may just be surprised by the similarities between your household’s laundry detergent and the average supermarket formula!
While manufacturing location isn’t the end-all-be-all of quality or sustainability, it can reveal a lot about a company.
Keep reading to learn exactly where your chosen laundry detergent is made, and why it could mean good or bad things for the brand’s other practices.
Tide
Tide laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Tide laundry detergent, owned by Procter & Gamble, was first manufactured in a Lima, Ohio factory. Many Tide laundry detergent products are still made in this factory today. Procter & Gamble’s US headquarters are based nearby in Cincinnati.
Worldwide, Procter & Gamble currently maintains around 35 factories. Nearly all of these factories are located in the US and Canada. However, it’s possible that select Tide products are manufactured in international factories.
There are some rumors that Tide laundry detergent is manufactured in China. While we couldn’t find any evidence to support this claim, it is very true that Procter & Gamble sources some chemicals and other materials from Chinese suppliers.
Gain
Gain laundry detergents are made in the United States.
As another Procter & Gamble brand, it should be no surprise that Gain products are also manufactured primarily in the US. Since Procter & Gamble factories specialize in certain product types, there’s a very good chance that Tide and Gain detergents are manufactured side by side.
Again, a small percentage of Gain detergents are made outside of the US in Procter & Gamble’s international factories.
Persil
Persil laundry detergents are made in the United States, Germany, and several other international locations.
The source of your Persil laundry detergent largely depends on your own location. In the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Latin America, the Persil brand is distributed by Unilever. Everywhere else, it is distributed by Henkel.
With hundreds of factory locations around the world, Persil laundry detergent sold by Unilever can come from practically anywhere.
All Persil products sold in the US market are made in a St. Louis, Missouri factory. Persil laundry detergent sold throughout the rest of Henkel’s distribution area may come from any of the company’s approximately 30 Laundry and Home Care production sites.
All
All laundry detergents are made in the United States.
The All brand is another detergent owned and manufactured by Henkel. Most, if not all, All products are made in the company’s St. Louis factory.
Purex
Purex laundry detergents are made in the United States.
As yet another Henkel-owned brand, Purex products are almost exclusively manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri.
Arm & Hammer
Arm & Hammer laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Since 2011, the majority of Arm & Hammer laundry care products have been manufactured in the company’s York, Pennsylvania plant. However, there are several other Arm & Hammer factories scattered around the US as well.
Xtra
Xtra laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Xtra is another brand owned and manufactured by Church & Dwight Co, the same company responsible for Arm & Hammer. All Xtra laundry products are made in US factories based in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Missouri, and California.
Earth Breeze
Earth Breeze laundry detergents are made in China.
While the company itself is headquartered in the US, its products are currently Earth Breeze is manufactured in China. According to Earth Breeze, it utilizes ethically sourced ingredients and labor practices.
Earth Breeze has plans to develop factories in several other countries in the future. However, we don’t know when (or if) those changes will come to fruition.
Tru Earth
Tru Earth laundry detergents are made in Canada.
Currently, all Tru Earth Eco-Strips are Canada manufactured. The company headquarters and main warehouse are located in British Columbia, Canada.
Dropps
Dropps laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Though Dropps is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, company, its factory (where all Dropps laundry detergent is made) is located in Chicago, Illinois.
I’m sorry but I can’t NOT share this hilarious commercial they came up with—it’s awkwardly funny but informative that you can’t stop watching!
Kind Laundry
Kind Laundry detergents are made in China.
Kind Laundry utilizes Chinese labs and factories to manufacture its dissolvable detergent sheets. According to Kind Laundry, these locations specialize in the technology that makes its dissolvable sheets possible.
Other Kind Laundry products are made in Canada.
Dirty Labs
Dirty Labs laundry detergents are made in the United States.
According to the Dirty Labs website, its entire product line is developed and manufactured in the US.
Grab Green
Grab Green laundry detergents are made in the United States.
All Grab Green products, from laundry detergent to baby lotion, are made in the US.
Stoneworks
Stoneworks laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Stoneworks detergent is one of the most popular product lines under the Grab Green label. As such, it’s made in the same US factories as other Grab Green products.
Mrs. Meyers
Mrs. Meyers laundry detergents are made in the United States.
The Mrs. Meyers Clean Day brand first launched in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2001, and has been manufactured in the area ever since. While the brand was acquired by S.C. Johnson in 2014, Mrs. Meyers laundry detergents are still largely manufactured in a Waxdale, Wisconsin, factory.
Charlie’s Soap
Charlie’s Soap laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Charlie’s Soap has been a mainstay in the North Carolina textile industry since the 1970s. Although the brand has grown immensely in the past few decades, its products are still manufactured locally in a Stoneville, North Carolina facility.
Molly’s Suds
Molly’s Suds laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Molly’s Suds is a Florida-based company manufactured in several local factories. It also strives to source as many ingredients and packaging materials from the Florida area as possible.
Biokleen
Biokleen laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Until very recently, Biokleen was a family-owned company manufactured exclusively in Vancouver, Washington. In 2019, Biokleen was purchased by Weiman Products, a collection of home care brands owned by a global investment firm called The Carlyle Group.
Rest assured, Biokleen laundry detergent is still made in the US. But production was moved out of Washington and into existing Weiman-owned facilities. Liquid detergents are currently made in Gurnee, Illinois. Powder formulas are made in Elmsford, New York.
Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation laundry detergents are made in the United States.
In the past, Seventh Generation products were primarily made in the US to minimize transportation emissions. Seventh Generation also utilized factories in Canada, Mexico, and throughout Europe.
Since Unilever purchased the Seventh Generation brand in 2016, it’s unclear if the above information is still 100% accurate. But we consistently found Seventh Generation laundry detergent bearing the label “Made in USA” during our research.
ECOS
ECOS laundry detergents are made in the United States.
The fact that ECOS detergents are made in the US is enough of a selling point for many consumers. But the company also prioritizes eco-friendly practices like carbon neutrality, renewable energy sources, and waste diversion.
Swash
Swash laundry detergents are made in the United States.
You may know Swash as the flagship laundry detergent of Whirlpool appliances. But the formula is actually made (and was first launched in 2007) by Procter & Gamble. Like other Procter & Gamble detergents, most of the manufacturing process takes place in the US.
Method
Method laundry detergents are made in the United States.
The Method Soap factory is located in Chicago, Illinois, and boasts a ton of sustainability-focused features like a wind turbine, solar panels, and more. Many of the plastic bottles that house Method products are also made on site.
In 2012, Method was bought by the Belgian company Ecover. Then, in turn, Ecover was bought by S.C. Johnson in 2017. As of today, however, the Method laundry detergent line still seems to be made in the same US factory.
Woolite
Woolite laundry detergents are made in the United States and other countries.
The main line of Woolite detergents is owned and manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser. Sadly, our research couldn’t produce any confirmed country of origin for these products. But other Reckitt laundry detergents are made in Europe.
Woolite Dry Care and Woolite Wrinkle & Static Remover are owned and manufactured by Summit Brands. These products are exclusively made in the US.
The Woolite name is also used for a popular line of carpet cleaners. These products are made and distributed by Bissell, Inc., which utilizes factories in the US, Mexico, China, and South Korea.
Dreft
Dreft laundry detergents are made in the United States.
As yet another laundry detergent brand owned and manufactured by Procter & Gamble, the vast majority (if not all) Dreft products are made in the US. But, as is the case with the company’s other brands, Procter & Gamble acknowledges that some products are manufactured in other countries.
Kirkland Signature
Kirkland Signature laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Costco members will be familiar with the Kirkland Signature label (the wholesale retailer’s store brand). Many people believe that the laundry detergent is manufactured by Henkel.
Babyganics
Babyganics laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Despite being bought by S.C. Johnson in 2016, Babyganics laundry detergents have and continue to be made in the US.
The Laundress
The Laundress laundry detergents are made in the United States.
The Laundress is a New York-based luxury laundry care line that has historically been manufactured in the US. But with the company’s acquisition by Unilever in 2019, this may have changed.
The Laundress detergent is definitely still formulated in the US. Yet the large-scale manufacturing process may have been at least partially moved to Unilever’s vast international network of factories. Unfortunately, these potential changes have been kept hush by the companies involved!
Botanical Origin
Botanical Origin laundry detergents are made in Spain.
Since Botanical Origin is sold exclusively on Amazon’s US website, you might be surprised to learn that the brand’s products come from Spain. However, Botanical Origin is owned by Reckitt, a multinational company headquartered in the UK. So the fact that this laundry detergent is made in a European factory isn’t that surprising!
Puracy
Puracy laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Puracy is based in Texas and cites varied international animal testing laws as a major reason to keep the manufacturing process local.
Although Puracy was acquired by BRANDED Group in 2021, there are currently no public plans to transition the making of its products outside of the US.
Cleancult
Cleancult laundry detergents are made in the continental United States and Puerto Rico.
Cleancult’s manufacturing location has been in limbo the past few years. In 2016, the company moved its production facility to Puerto Rico from California. Following Hurricane Maria, however, it was forced to close its Puerto Rican factory and relocate once again to New York.
As of now, it seems that Cleancult laundry detergent is still being manufactured in New York. But the company’s leaders have expressed plans to return to Puerto Rico as soon as possible.
9 Elements
9 Elements laundry detergents are made in the United States.
If you’re keeping track of the laundry detergents owned and made by Procter & Gamble, you can add 9 Elements to the list! Again, this brand is largely manufactured in the US with select products and materials coming from outside of the country.
Up & Up
Up & Up laundry detergents are made in the United States.
The exact manufacturer of Target’s store brand laundry detergent, sold under the name Up & Up, is not public knowledge. But each bottle is labeled with “Manufactured in U.S.A.”
Oxiclean
Oxiclean laundry detergents are made in the United States.
After acquiring Oxiclean in 2006, Church & Dwight launched a line of laundry detergents under the brand name as well. These detergents are made in the same US facilities as Arm & Hammer and other Church & Dwight offerings.
Everspring
Everspring laundry detergents are made in the United States.
Everspring is Target’s relatively new line of eco-conscious products that toe the line between generic and high-end. While the specific manufacturer of Everspring laundry detergent is unknown, we do know that it is made in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do laundry detergent ingredients come from?
While the majority of laundry detergents sold in the US are manufactured domestically, the ingredients used to make said detergents are not. Nearly all laundry detergents utilize a combination of domestic- and internationally-sourced ingredients.
In many cases, China is the biggest (and often only) source of certain laundry detergent ingredients and packaging materials. Even brands that heavily advertise being made in the US or Canada typically rely on China for supplies.
Is laundry detergent made in one country better than another?
In terms of sustainability, it has little to do with the actual country the detergent is made in and more to do with how close the factories are to the product’s final destination. So consumers in North America, for example, should try to purchase laundry detergent made in the US, Canada, or Mexico to minimize transportation emissions.
While safety standards around the world are improving, some countries also have stricter standards than others when it comes to manufacturing household goods. These safety standards don’t just affect consumers but also help protect the people working in the factories.
