These Laundry Detergents Are Banned In New York State

If you still have this laundry detergent in your possession, you may want to stop using it. 

Certain laundry detergents were banned in New York State, and for good reason: it was recently discovered that it may be a cancer-causing substance. 

Many products that are used for cleanliness have chemicals in them so they are able to kill certain bacteria, but the New York State Department of Conservation examines those chemicals to make sure that they stay below the legal limit.

A law went into effect in 2023 that lowered the maximum allowable concentration of 1,4-Dioxane for household cleaning and personal care products. Now, the legal limit is set at 1 part per million (which means some detergents were deemed to be above this newly adjusted limit).

Laundry detergents, surprisingly, have the highest concentrations of 1,4-Dioxane. And if you have never heard of that before, you’re not alone: it’s typically left off the ingredient list because 1,4-Dioxane usually only shows up in lab tests.

These Laundry Detergents Are Banned

In recent lab examination, it was discovered that the following laundry detergents contained more than the legal limit for 1,4-Dioxane:

•  Arm & Hammer Clean Burst
•  Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free & Clear

These detergents recently tested above the new legal limit for a probable carcinogen, and that is why they have been banned in New York state. 

UPDATE: THE FOLLOWING DETERGENTS ARE CLEARED FOR USE. 

Gain Original + Aroma Boost and Tide Original are OK to use, following a reformulation of products. After initial tests were done, Gain and Tide "moved directly to the lower concentration limit of <1ppm well ahead of the statutory deadline of the new NYSDEC requirements on trace levels of 1,4-Dioxane," according to Jennifer Beck, the Senior Communications Manager for NA Fabric Care.

To learn more about the law, click here.

Is 1,4-Dioxane in Your Laundry Detergent?

Recently, there was a study performed in a chemical testing lab by Bureau Veritas. During the study, the researchers found traces of 1,4-Dioxane in most detergents tested, but only a few of them surpassed the legal limit.

There were other products from Tide's gentler lines and products from Mrs. Meyers, All, and Method tested “between .18 and .4 PPM, making them acceptable under NY State guidelines but still containing some amount of 1,4-Dioxane.”

The Safest Laundry Detergent?

If you want to avoid 1,4-Dioxane entirely, one detergent you may want to try is something from the Meliora Cleaning Products line. After lab tests, it was discovered that Meliora Cleaning Products are made “without ethoxylated ingredients,” meaning they do not contain any 1,4-Dioxane.