Recommendations for "Baby Safe" Laundry Detergent?

When we had our first son who is now almost 8yrs old, we spent the extra money on Dreft cause "That'what momma used" but then I found Baby Biz and Fab also has a baby laundry detergent. My now 4 yr old had really bad skin rashes aover just about anything and they worked GREAT for him. We tried Ivory and it actuslly made his rash worse. We now have a little girl almost 1yr and all we used was Fab and Baby Biz.
It's half the price if not cheaper and works just as well and smells better too

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I would recommend Dreft Laundry Detergent. I used it which all of my children. It does not have all the chemicals & isn't hard on your baby's clothing or skin. But you have so many choices now with the free & clear detergents on the market. I would start with Dreft & then if that does not fit your need or budget try a free & clear one. Congratulations !!

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Congrats on your impending arrival !!!

I would recommend using Shaklee's laundry detergent and actually ALL their cleaning products. Go to this website to learn more: http://www.shaklee.net/focusonhealth/prodHou

Their super concentrated laundry powder uses enzyme activated NATURAL ingredients to get your clothes really clean. It's
Hypoallergenic formula won’t irritate sensitive skin.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Blessings to you and your baby!

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I shop with melaleuca and have for over 3 ½ years. They have all safe products and the laundry detergent works great. You don’t need to buy separate detergent -- you can use it for the entire family. It is also six times concentrated so that means better for the environment and saves you a ton on $$$. (A 96oz bottle does 192 loads of laundry). If you want more info or have questions feel free to email me at ____@____.com -- M.

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We started out using Dreft with my oldest child and when she started with eczema we began using ALL free and clear. Two kids later we are still using it. It gets the clothes clean and keeps us from worrying about our skin.

If you are considering cloth diapering, check out www.balterbaby.com where you will find not only cloth diapers but several articles relating to baby! A lot of Mom's I deal with recommend Tide. I think it's really a personal preference and you may want to consider something that is not only friendly for your baby but also the environment. I hope this helps!

K.
www.balterbaby.com

Hey...one of my boys has eczema, and breaks out with some detergents...we currently use all free and clear and have since he was tiny; we have had 2 boys since Parker, and have never had any trouble.
There is also the option of going to a whole foods/organic market! Best wishes, T.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day laundry supplies clean your clothes and make them smell like a spring-time morning. Our laundry products are biodegradable and phosphate free, and, of course, are made with natural essential oils. Be sure to try our Laundry Detergent (one of our hardest working cleaners), Fabric Softener (to make your laundry fluffy and soft), and all of our other laundry supplies.

Honestly, I always used the dye free, perfume free kinds because of my husband. Originally I used Cheer free and Downy free but our stores here don't carry the HE Cheer free fr front loaders. I've always washed all my baby clothes with ours and never had a problem (I think my husband has th most sensitive skin in the family). I think it just depends on how sensitive your baby's skin is. If it's real sensitive, then theoretically, any clothes that will ever touch your baby (ie anyone who ever holds your baby) will have to be washed special.

I wish you much happiness and a quick and easy delivery!

I used Dreft "religiously" with my first child. In fact, I was still using it when I found out I was expecting my second. I started comparing labels to see if I could combine our detergent into one, instead of having that extra expense and I found All Free and Clear. It doesn't have any purfumes and dyes, which my family can't have anyway due to sensitive skin, and can be bought at Sam's and Cotco for a better bargain! I discovered there are no benefits to using Dreft over the All Free and Clear, except the "Baby Laundry" smell. (In fact, my second baby had LESS issues with excema than my first, could be a coincindence, who knows) We still use All Free and Clear to this day. I hope they never take it off the market!

Good luck and Congratulations!

my dd had sensitive skin and i didn't notice a difference in any of them except Ivory snow. they all work great from Purex baby to Dreft, but if your baby experience's sensitive skin, Ivory snow is the best. I would usually just switch to Ivory when she started breaking out and then back to whatever i was using. Now she is almost a year and I just use Purex Natural Elements for all of our laundry and it works great! something to remember, just throw in one outfit with your clothes and that's how you'll find out if she is ready to join clothes washing with the rest of the family.

I do have some dreft at home for my baby but if your child doesnt have skin allergies she should be fine with whatever you use at home. I wash my babies clothes with mine and my toddlers clothes (just wash hubbys clothes b/c his work clothes get sooo dirty, seperatly. We have never had any problems even with newgorns, but like I said thats b/c we dont have any allergies, I would try and see and deff save money then.

I'm a die hard All Free and Clear fan. My boys both have sensitive skin and this is a very economical alternative to the "baby" detergents. I use it for all our clothes. Also, I use Chlorox 2 Free color safe bleach and Bounce Free and Clear fabric softener. Most brands out there now have a "free" alternative and there's no sense in buying 2 different products.

Congrats on your new baby! Hope this helps.

K. in GA

H.,
Congrats on the NEW ARRIVAL! Let me just say that I had 3 children and only ONE was allergic to everything. I could have washed the other two's clothes in lye soap and they would have not had any issues. But my son was alergic to everything.

I will say just use the "Introduction System", You only introduce 1 new item each two weeks that way if she is allergic to it you know what it is that she is allergic to because nothing else or new has been introduced. Blondes and blue eyes tend to have more issues with allergies. I used the Dreft and then I used cloth diapers because he was alergic to the plastic on the diapers. It turned out when he was 17 he was also allergic to the surgerical tape as well. NO PLACTIC FOR HIM AT ALL. Just try and change soap products if you have too.

Also, I might say that if you find that your child cries when you change their diaper DON"T thingk "Well they don't like their diapers changed!" The reason they cry is because they have had a reacton on their skin to their "poo-poo" and it irritates their skin and when you wipe with the diaper/wipers --- it hurts like H E _ _! Personal experience after using a cleansing product so keep that waste off their skin at all times. I feel for the little bottoms of the world that are being burned from their own waste and everyone thinks that it is just them not likeing having their diapers changed.

Enjoy your child's first birthday- it will be a perfect day i yousay calm and enjoy each moment because you life will never be the same again.
Keep Mothering,
C.

I use Biokleen for all my clothes. All non-toxic and no chemical fragrances that stay in your clothes forever. Kroger sells it in the healthy food section. They also sell seventh generation and maybe another one that would also be good alternatives. If you visit my blog, I talk about all the alternative products I use that are safer then the norm... (www.amyandsimonblog.com)

Anything that is dye and perfume free. I used ALL FREE & CLEAR but there are several others who make a similar product. Also, on that vein, don't use dryer sheets.

Congratulations!

Hi H.,
Dreft is the best laundry detergent for babies, in my opinion. I am a first time mom of a 2 and a half year old and I used Dreft up until he was 1.

I think you might want to get a copy of "Baby Bargains" by Alan and Denise Fields. It pointedly says that baby detergent is a waste of money (along with a lot of other things that seem like you have to have them, but not really). After going through babyhood with two boys, I tend to agree. I used free and clear detergents with the help of Shout and occasionally OxyClean to get through the baby laundry. You're only paying for the scent in reality. My husband is exceptionally fragrance-sensitive, so we stuck with our regular detergent. I recently bought Costco's "environmentally-friendly" detergent. It works well, but it does have a strong lavender scent.

I use regular purex and Mya's always done fine with it .She's 9 1/2 months.Purex does make a baby formula that is much cheaper than dreft.Dollar general has a good baby formula too.Congrats on your girl.It's so much fun deresing them.

ALL has a 'Free & Clear' laudry detergent that is very reasonably priced, compared to Dreft and some of the others. Though I wash my infants clothes separately from the rest, I use this detergent for the whole family, which makes it easier than buying several different brands and a whole lot more sense economically.

Hey H.,

I'd stay away from most of the detergents found in the grocery store. Instead, opt for one from the health food store like Seventh Generation products.
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Natural-Laundry-Detergent

This is a natural detergent without harmful chemicals and pollutants that the other ones contain. Sometimes the manufacturers use chemicals to cover up scents to make them "free and clear" 7th generation is a wonderful company and they are ethically, morally, and environmentally sound.

Love,
C.
www.LostRiverNaturals.com
Organic Herbal Handcrafts

I researched this when I had my first child, and unless you want to pay a lot of extra money for extra detergent (and Dreft is EXPENSIVE), then there's really no reason to use a special "baby" detergent. The ONE reason is if your baby has some type of skin condition or skin allergy. If you want to use a milder detergent, the baking soda ones are good and the "green" ones are more expensive, but good as well. There are even sites telling you how to make your own with baking soda.

I use tide free (no dyes of perfumes). It still gets everything clean, but doesn't cause skin irritations. We've been using it on our son's things (and ours) since he was born 8 months ago, and I have no complaints! No skin issues, but clean laundry :)

With my first I used Drift, with my second one I used Free and Clear. Its a lot cheaper for the same stuff. My sister has really sensitive skin and this is the only detergant she uses, Free and Clear. no dryer sheets. My sister is allergice to the perfume and dyes. She also needs to use clear shampoo or white because her skin will get brown blotchy spots on her shoulders and back area. Good luck and congrats

Congratulations on the impending birth of your daughter. I am a mother of three and grandmother of six. We always start out using Dreft and Downy. They are the absolute best.Be sure to wash all new clothes, sheets and anything that comes in contact with babies skin before you use them.
If cost becomes an issue, switch to All for sensitive skin.
It is a good alternative. Good luck and get lots of rest!

I agree with everyone that says you don't need to use a special detergent. I started out using Dreft but got tired of washing extra loads of laundry. t's just easier to through everyone's in together. My daughter is almost 3 and I still have Dreft left from when she was a newborn. By the way, we use Gain and have never had any problem.Alos, like someone else mentiond, I found that Dreft didn't rinse out as well.

I use the Method Baby Detergent. I have extremely sensitive skin, and had found that I could personally use the Method products without skin reactions... so I thought I would give it a shot. As it turns out my son has very sensitive skin, and this detergent has given him no issues!

Dreft works great but is expensive. SO I Tried a baby brand
made by ALL

I Really liked it and it worked great.

Liquid ALL is frangrance free and leaves on residue on the clothing. It's the only one my grandson is not allergic to. V.

Honestly, regular detergent is just fine. Sometimes the Dreft and those types don't rinse out of clothes well, and the residue they leave is more irritating than regular detergent, which usually rinses well. If you're concerned, use the kind that is "free and clear" of dyes and perfumes, but I've never had a problem with plain old All, or Tide, or whatever-- even on cloth diapers. Good luck!

CONGRATS on your new baby!! :) Your life will never be the same, all for the better!
I use ALL free and clear. I have pretty sensitive skin and my 2 children have been born with VERY sensitive skin that react to everything. I have washed their clothes/blankets in ALL free and clear since day 1 and they have been fine. My, now 6 month old son) had a crazy viral rash and we had to go the dermatologist, she said to only use the ALL, that is what she personally uses for her family. (she is 7mo pregnant). A week before this appt, the pediatrician told me to switch to Dreft, so I bought a $10 small bottle, rewashed EVERYTHING and it made the rash worse and he reacted to the Dreft...go figure. Sorry this is so long...use All free and clear, not Dreft.

I see lots of people who say All. It is cheaper than Dreft, but i did not find that it cleans as well. My son has excema, so our regular Tide doesn't work to well for him. We use Dreft. (It smells better too!) Whichever you use, remember not to use fabric softener. It makes the clothes less fire resistant. Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charlie's soap is great. i use it for all our laundry, incl cloth diapers. pretty inexpensive $8 for 80 loads. comes in a sugar sack with a scoop and you can find it at Whole Foods or Earth Fare or online.

My daughter has problems with eczema too, and Dreft and the other baby products are actually worse for her. They all have perfumes. I also like All Free and Clear, but agree that any dye free, perfume free should be fine. I actually started with All Free and Clear from day 1 with no issues because of it.

Hi, I am a mother of 2 (2yo and 3mths), and I use to use Dreft. Although it works well, it's just really expensive so I switched to Baby All. I love it and been using it for a year now.

We use baby safe and earth safe over here- Bio-kleen is the best, charlie's is good, country savings is good, seventh generation also works well.Congrats on the babe!

Hey H.! Congratulations. I always thought I would use Dreft, I mean that is what everyone used and what was sold for babies. I started researching and finding out all the harsh chemicals found in the detergents and household cleaners alike and decided to look for an alternative. I found Melaleuca and I LOVE THEIR PRODUCTS!!! So cost effective, SOOO GOOD, and our little one is not around those awful chemicals. Just be sure to check out the ingredients posted and then there are others they do not put on the labels as well that is really scary. Email me if you are interested in getting more detials about the company we use.
E.
____@____.com

I just continued to use my regular detergent, Tide, but would do an extra rinse cycle when washing my daughters clothes. She is now 14 weeks old and never had any problems. Congrats to you! Its so exciting and you will do great!

Purex free and clear all natural is good for everyone in the family. Seveth Generation is great too but you may have to order it, I havent seen it around here. Dreft is horrible! Full of toxins. The one I LOVE the most, is Caldrea laundry detergent, Sweet Pea, it can be found the cheapest at drugstore.com. It smells great w/o the artifical stuff:) It is concentrated so the little bottle really does last you a long time!
Congrats to you:)

Hi H.!
Congrats on having a girl! I wanted a girl soo bad when I was pregnant & we are blessed with Leslie. For my first child I used Ivory Snow. For Leslie I tackled the stains & just used Arm & Hammer detergent. We all have sensitive skin & allergies and this worked just fine. No reason to spend alot of extra money if you don't have to. Also, Borax added in with detergent helps too! Great luck to your family & enjoy your new little girl when she comes! Let us all know her name!
S.

My son has severe allergies and eczema and the only detergent that we have found to be the best is ALL (FREE AND CLEAR). It has no dyes or perfumes and is very gentle and mild. It was also recommended by his doctors and dermatologists. We use it for the whole family. It's easier than having to use 2 different detergents.
Hope this helps.

Congrats!!! I always used Dreft, but my girls never broke out or anything, and everything else was always washed in tide, my sheets, that they both slept on and my clothes, so I really dont know what all the hype is about.