Baby laundry detergent? Is it necessary?

KingsGirl4 · February 2014

I just had my baby shower and everyone keeps telling me I need to wash all the new baby clothes I received (duh) with Dreft. I checked the price at the store the other day and was surprised to see how expensive it was. My husband and I are on a tight budget and every little extra expense counts. Is it really necessary to buy a special "baby" laundry detergent or is it okay to use the regular stuff I already have?

bumpuser794640 · February 2014

Baby detergent is absolutely unnecessary, and the fragrances/dyes in them can actually be irritating to sensitive baby skin. Stick with what you use on the rest of your laundry or switch to a free & clear if you want.

MelCfromMN · February 2014

We just continued to use what we always did (Tide), and had no issues. I would just use your regular, if baby gets a rash, you will know to try a different detergent. I also think Dreft is not necessary, at least to start...

lookame3639 · February 2014

I agree with PP. Draft is a big marketing ploy. I guess it used to be something you needed and the formula was pretty ok for sensitive skin however the formula changed and now it's really pretty bad for those with sensitive skin.

AKB090609 · February 2014

Nope, we currently and always have used a free and clear detergent.

LittleApple · February 2014

Free and clear detergents are better because it doesn't have perfumes and dyes.

LittleFish1 · February 2014

agree with the others, a free & clear is better than Dreft (cheaper too)

ss265 · February 2014

Echo PP. Also just wanted to add that Oxiclean Baby or Oxiclean Versatile is essential for getting stains out of the baby clothes - and trust me you will need it.

Both the baby and versatile versions are free of dyes etc.

dmurrie · February 2014

Not necessary. However, if your baby (like our DD) ends up having eczema or it irritates their skin, you can use any free and clear detergent and that may be better than a perfumed kind. We use all free & clear but have one bottle of tide for when things are really gross (DD is sick, diaper explodes, etc)

BBColt78 · February 2014

Free and clear is a good choice. We use Seventh Generation which doesn't have the harsh chemicals that even some Free and Clears have.

Dreft has way too much fragrance. I don't know how people can stand that!

hollygb22 · February 2014

no. we use Charlie's Soap as our normal detergent. Made no switches.

Abs211981 · February 2014

hollygb22 said:

no. we use Charlie's Soap as our normal detergent. Made no switches.

us too! DH has super sensitive skin and everything else out there (even perfume/dye free) made his skin break out. We seriously went through 12 different brands before I finally ordered Charlies and we've never had a problem since.

One other thing I like so much about Charlie's is that it's a powder detergent. We have front load W/D and liquid detergent can contribute to mold/mildew buildup in my experience.

I'll never use anything else.

KikiCohen · February 2014

Not necessary. When I had baby clothes to wash, I bought a bottle of All Sensitive. (At least I think that's what it's called. It is a white bottle with a purple cap.) It is dye free, but still has a light scent. It's super cheap compared to Dreft. I would, however, recommend buying a bottle of Dreft spray to pre-treat spots on clothes (and carpet.... and furniture....).