HE Safe Baby Detergent

Updated on June 27, 2010
L.D. asks from Ballston Spa, NY
17 answers

I always used Dreft for my other children but now we have HE machines and Dreft says NOTHING about being HE safe on it. I bought some Tide Free and Gentle but haven't used it yet because I wanted to check with other moms. What do you use??

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So What Happened?

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I am familiar with Mela products. I am wondering about the baking soda idea though...is it safe to use in an HE washer? I'm guessing you would just put it in the tub before putting the clothes in like you would Oxyclean? (My detergent tray says only for liquid detergent.)

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M.F.

answers from New York on

Thanks ZsMomma, for that tip! I use 7th Generation. I use either the baby detergent or plain (I forget the name, it has blue trim) on my baby's clothes. They are a cruelty free company, too!

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A.H.

answers from New York on

Dreft is a scam. ANY detergent that is free of dyes and perfumes is fine for infants. I used Tide and the Kirkland (Costo brand) detergent on my daughter who had sensitive skin, and now with my newborn son, with no problems at all.

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M.D.

answers from New York on

I use the Tide Free and Gentle HE (my daughter has allergies and asthma) I like it.

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K.J.

answers from New York on

Hi L.,
We too got an HE machine after having a baby. A friend let me in on a little secret. You can still use all the regular detergents just use A LOT less! The issue with using regular detergent is making too many suds. I use about 1 tblsp. of regular detergent (maybe slightly less) and the clothes still are cleaned perfectly. A bottle of detergent lasts a lot longer too! So just don't use too much, you'll save money and your clothes will still get clean. We've been doing this with our HE machine for 4 years and it's still working great.

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H.J.

answers from Minneapolis on

I love Shaklee, you can order it at Shaklee.com we use it for the whole family

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K.G.

answers from New York on

I use Melapower which is from Melaleuca. They have awesome products!
Melapower laundry detergent is 6x the concentrate so you only use 1/2 ounce. It is safe for the family and is biodegradable. It really works great!
My clothes are so clean and soft. There isn't any unnecessary water in it.
Plus, I save money too! If you are interested, please let me know and I can help you. You will be pleasantly impressed!

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R.R.

answers from New York on

Dreft does sell a HE version. You may just have to try a different store.

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S.S.

answers from New York on

Dreft does sell an HE version- I've found it at Babies R Us and other baby stores.

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A.F.

answers from St. Cloud on

Hi L.! Have you ever heard of Charlie's Soap? I bought a bag after a woman on this site recommended it. I love it! You can order it off the Charlie's Soap website but I get it from amazon.com . It's super cheap, completely safe, HE compatible and the most effective laundry soap I have ever used.
I also love their all purpose spray.
Check their website! There may be a store in your area that carries the soap.

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A.D.

answers from New York on

I swear by All Free & Clear for my son and myself (I have very sensitive skin) - and it comes in HE. Good luck!

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K.P.

answers from New York on

Tide Free and we love it! We all use it b/c it works!

P.W.

answers from Dallas on

I'm a Shakklee Distributor and I use Shaklee Fresh Laundry too. It is definitely mild enough for babies and the whole family. He is great because it means you can use less and it will last longer.
Here is a link where you can go directly to the product and read about it.
http://healinghappens.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sk...

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V.G.

answers from Portland on

Honestly, on my baby clothes/diapers I only use baking soda. No smell, completely natural, completely safe, and it works wonders on stains.
The bonus? Super cheap so washing a bunch doesn't cost an arm and a leg!
1/2 cup for sm load, 1 cup for super dirty big load.

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J.T.

answers from New York on

I have always used Tide Free with no problems and so does my sister. I also always run it with a second rinse cycle just to make sure there is no soap residue. Just a note - with HE washers make sure you follow the measurements - you really do not need a lot of soap.

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L.R.

answers from Minneapolis on

We use All Free & Clear for my daugher who has eczema, and have since she was teeny. It's great, cleans well, a lot less expensive than Tide, and also comes in HE formula.
Good luck!

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N.O.

answers from Phoenix on

I use the Target generic for Dreft and/or All Free and Clear. I have had no problems.

M.W.

answers from Chicago on

I've always used MelaPower on all of our clothes. It's a lot more gentle on babies clothes and it comes in HE.

Take a look at www.saferforyourhome.com.

Let me know if you have any questions.

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