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In partnership with Truly Free Home. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
“Cleaning up your home” is a tall task (and, realistically, one that may never be fully “done”). There’s the surface level of, you know, actually keeping things tidy, and then there’s the more tedious work of sorting through tons of products, sourcing cleaner alternatives, researching how “clean” those cleaner products are, and then ensuring that they actually work. Just thinking about it can be exhausting.
I’m here to help. It can be hard to know where to start, and my biggest advice is just to start, period. What’s the saying? Progress over perfection? I’m into that.
If you’re still unsure, I’d like to put forth laundry as a great option. Our skin is our biggest organ, and our clothes touch our skin all day long, so using friendlier ingredients goes a long way. Once you start your journey, you may notice that two brands–Truly Free Home and Branch Basics–are fan favorites. I’ll cut to the chase: I tried them both. They’re both solid options, but I prefer one. Here’s the deal…
Meet The Players
Truly Free Home: Truly Free Home is a non-toxic brand built around the idea that you shouldn’t have to choose between safer ingredients and real performance. Its Laundry Wash starts with a reusable bottle and uses powder refills that you mix yourself, cutting down on waste without overcomplicating the process. It’s available both Unscented and with a Signature Scent, made with plant and essential oils and referred to as “clean and fresh.”
Branch Basics: Branch Basics is known for its plant- and mineral-based cleaning formulas and ultra-minimal ingredient philosophy. Their laundry detergent is a fragrance-free powder designed to clean effectively without dyes, added fragrances, or harsh additives.
Performance
There’s an often-discussed idea that “cleaner” products just don’t work as well–if you ditch the heavy-duty chemicals, you’re signing up for dingier whites and lasting odors. The truth is, no matter how safe a formula is, if it doesn’t actually get your clothes clean, you’re not going to stick with it. This is where Truly Free Home shines.
Truly Free Home: The brand delivers that genuinely clean feeling—fresh, odor-free, stain-lifted—in a way that honestly shocked me. I wasn’t expecting my clothes to emerge from the wash still dirty, per se, but I was expecting mediocre performance for the sake of “better” ingredients. Not the case here! My towels emerged smelling clean and feeling fluffy; my activewear genuinely smells fresh (if you know…you know); and I even had a few food stains that Truly Free Home lifted. It feels like a formula designed not just to avoid the bad stuff, but to actively perform well without it.
Branch Basics: Branch Basics cleans well, especially for everyday loads. (Maybe we’ve come further in the clean laundry space than I realized!) It handles lightly to moderately soiled laundry with no problem and stays true to its fragrance-free promise. But in my experience, Truly Free Home feels a little more heavy-duty in comparison, especially when you’re dealing with wardrobe workhorses.
Winner: Truly Free Home
Ingredients
When you’re switching to a “cleaner” detergent, ingredients are kind of the whole point.
Truly Free Home: This formula is plant-based and biodegradable, and it skips phosphates, chlorine bleach, optical brighteners, and other common irritants. It’s designed to be gentler on skin and safe for everyday family life without sacrificing effectiveness. I also appreciate that their scented formula doesn’t rely on overpowering fragrance to signal “clean,” and instead employs plant and essential oils.
Branch Basics: Branch Basics is also plant- and mineral-based and completely fragrance-free. No dyes, no added scent, no unnecessary extras. If you’re highly sensitive to fragrance or prefer the most minimal ingredient deck possible, this is a solid pick.
Winner: Tie
Scent
This one is admittedly personal.
Truly Free Home: I appreciate that Truly Free Home offers a light Signature Scent made with plant and essential oils, plus an Unscented version if you prefer zero scent. The scented option is subtle and softly fresh. I’m really sensitive to scent (many perfumes and lotions give me headaches) but find this one appealing in a my-laundry-actually-smells-clean way.
Branch Basics: Keeps things completely fragrance-free across the board.
Winner: Truly Free Home (for the flexibility)
Ease of Use
The form factors are actually pretty similar (more than you might think) with a few key differences.
Truly Free Home: The brand’s reusable bottle system employs powder refills that you mix at home. Once mixed, it feels just like using a familiar liquid detergent. I like that it reduces waste without making laundry day more complicated.
Branch Basics: A straightforward powder detergent that you scoop directly into the drum. Minimal and easy.
Winner: Tie
Price & Value
Let’s talk numbers for a second.
Truly Free Home: Runs about $18–$20 for 50 loads, which works out to roughly $0.36–$0.40 per load.
Branch Basics $39 for 90 loads, or about $0.43 per load.
Winner: Truly Free Home, a few cents cheaper per load (not wildly different, but potentially noticeable over time)
The Bottom Line
Both Truly Free Home and Branch Basics are thoughtful, ingredient-conscious options, and if your goal is simply to move away from conventional detergent, either one gets you closer.
But if you want something that proves “cleaner” can still mean powerful (that it tackles real-life stains, eliminates odors, feels intuitive to use, and comes in at a competitive cost per load) Truly Free Home is the one I’d reach for again.
Because making the switch is one thing, but sticking with it is another. And outstanding performance is what makes that possible.
Try it for yourself–and get 100 free loads–here.
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