Baby Clothes Detergent?

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benjamming

benjamming

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Ok, so what is the deal with laundry detergents, such as Dreft, that claim to be specially formulated for baby clothes? What is so special about these detergents that Cheer, Tide, Gain, etc. don't offer? I understand that many items dealing with baby are more expensive just like boats, etc. Is that the reason here, marketing, or is there more to it? If more to it, what are the reasons I should keep two types of laundry detergents & wash his clothes separately?

Thanks.
 
I think they are probably more gentle and have less fragrance. I think the fragrance free detergent in diluted amount should be sufficient.
 
We used a couple sample packs of the baby detergent we recieved in the mail. After the free samples ran out,their clothes were washed in the same detergent as our were.

They survived just fine.
 
I think most are hypoallerginic. Frangrance free and dye free. We used one for a couple of months with our first. Then switched to All Free Clear because it was cheaper and more available. And then shortly after we just used what we were using for our own laundry. With the second one... we didn't even care.lol Nothing was bothering her skin, so we figured she wasn't allergic to anything we were using on her clothes.

I personally wouldn't purchase baby specific detergent above some other "free clear" type of detergent unless I found it cheaper. After about five months old, I would try to switch to regular and keep an eye on the skin. My wife bought into the hype for the first one. Not on the second one and she has been just fine.

Now, if the baby has skin allergies, that is a different issue. I'd go with whatever the doctor recommends.
 
We use Charlie's Soap on everything - not just baby clothes and diapers. It's cheaper than 'regular' soap, cleans better, leaves clothes naturally soft and has no dyes or fragrance. Only takes a tablespoon per load.

After going through several of the small plastic jars, I manned up and bought the 40 pound pail. 1.5 years later, we're about halfway through it.
 
I forgot to mention that our normal detergent is the Free, Clear, i.e. dye/fragrance free versions of regular detergents.

Stewart Fan,

Yeah, I don't have any issue with using the product if some company wants to send free samples.
lol.gif


Panda Bear,

In regards to gentler, do you mean just less detergent (not as concentrated) so it's not as harsh or actually different detergents that are inherently not as harsh? If different detergents, I could see how that possibly, maybe, could be more expensive. However, it seems to me more like a demand exists for it when allergies arise, & it has simply overflowed to everyone needs it type of thing.
 
I only used Dreft when somebody gave me a bottle, it has a slight fragrance to it but no dye's. I had no choice but to use Dye and Fragrance free detergents due to my baby have skin issues. What I used for my baby was All Free And Clear, much cheaper and probably was better on his skin than Dreft.
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming
I forgot to mention that our normal detergent is the Free, Clear, i.e. dye/fragrance free versions of regular detergents.

Stewart Fan,

Yeah, I don't have any issue with using the product if some company wants to send free samples.
lol.gif


Panda Bear,

In regards to gentler, do you mean just less detergent (not as concentrated) so it's not as harsh or actually different detergents that are inherently not as harsh? If different detergents, I could see how that possibly, maybe, could be more expensive. However, it seems to me more like a demand exists for it when allergies arise, & it has simply overflowed to everyone needs it type of thing.


I have no idea, but based on what I see in pH value of dish soap and shower soap, I think it is merely different chemical to get as close to pH 7 (neutral) as possible. Diluting may work, like the children medicine being merely a smaller dose just to be safe. One of my pharmacist assistance friend always concern about cutting a small pill into 8 pieces for pets because the human pills are cheaper. One wrong cut and you can OD a chihuahua.
 
my wife makes our laundry detergent, at a rate of about $1.00 for 2.5 gallons....and it is free of detergents and dyes. and all the babies get their clothes washed in it without issue.
 
Originally Posted By: Al
How did my wife and I and our kids survive baby-hood without all these "Baby-safe" products?


I am not sure it's a matter of life and death with nothing in between. It might be more a matter of gradually, incrementally improving the quality of life by removing garbage little by little. A kid born today can expect a longer and healthier life than you partially due to these types of small steps.

We can survive without almost all of the luxurious amenities to which we've all become accustomed; but why on earth would we deliberately produce and distribute things that are unhealthy if we now know better?!
 
Originally Posted By: volvos_rock
my wife makes our laundry detergent, at a rate of about $1.00 for 2.5 gallons....and it is free of detergents and dyes. and all the babies get their clothes washed in it without issue.


No detergents? It's not really laundry detergent then is it?
 
PH means very little as the clothes should be rinsed at the end of the cycle.

An extra rinse solves TONS of issues for sensitive folks. I raised 3 kids and one was extremely allergic to everything. We finally found out through trial and error that one extra rinse removes almost all of the problems!

Good luck, as every kid is different.
 
I would think that pH would matter in regards to how well the clothes hold up. For example, if I get some industrial degreaser chemical on my clothes at work, a hole will appear after washing. We're talking pH 12-13 but still it's a valid point I think.
I use the extra rinse with some items now.
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming
Ok, so what is the deal with laundry detergents, such as Dreft, that claim to be specially formulated for baby clothes?


Just try your regular detergent and see if baby reacts okay to it. A minority of babies have very sensitive skin and the dyes/perfumes bother them. Most kids its indifferent.
 
If your child is sensitive, just use all free and clear. Cheaper and just as effective as Dreft. Perhaps more effective since you can wash your clothes with it too.

You won't need it by the time the kid hits 9 months.
 
One thing with ALL clear- test before you use it- seems my wife and kids are allergic to hit- they broke out in hives. With anything- do a test.
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
I think they are probably more gentle and have less fragrance.


How about NO fragrance? Why do people need fragrance in their laundry detergent?!!?
 
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