Dreft

[Kat]

I know that it is recommended to wash baby clothes in some kind of gentle detergent. I realize some people don't do this, but DH and I both have extremely sensitive skin, so I am guessing our baby will, too.

Dreft seems to be the most popular baby detergent. Have any of you used this? Is it worth the cost, or do generic brands work just as well? Is there a more frugal alternative to this I am missing?

[Mrs-M]

Great topic! I've always wondered about Dreft. Never used it when my kids were babies, to wash their diapers and things in, but according to everything I've read about it, Dreft is good and many moms swear by it.

I just relied on more mild detergents such as Sunlight and Purex Baby Soft. Never had a problem, but then again no one in our family suffers with sensitive skin. When I laundered diapers I never used much detergent, and I regularly added vinegar to the final rinse cycle to flush any residual soap residue/buildup out of the diapers and to restore pH balance. Never any problems with diaper rash from improperly laundered diapers in our home, and everything always came out clean and fresh.

[Mrs-M]

To add, I think Purex baby Soft is the equivalent of Dreft. In fact I'm positive.

[Kat]

Thanks, Mrs. M. I haven't heard of Purex Baby Soft, but I was wondering if the "free" (i.e. All Free and Clear, etc.) were the same thing as Dreft. I'll have to look for the Purex the next time I am at the store. I am getting read to wash all the clothes I have for the baby and put them away. :-)

[Rosemary]

I used All Free & Clear when DD was an infant, including on cloth diapers. She never had any problems with it. Now that the naturally-derived detergents are more readily available, that's what I use (Seventh Generation, Ecos, or store brand when available). I think the most important things are fragrance-free and using a very small amount of detergent (1-2 Tbsp/load, not a whole capful).

[ApatheticNoMore]

I had a book about which products were toxic once and Dreft didn't score too well on the non-toxic scale. Ivory Snow scored much better (of course you can't get it anywhere anymore, and that's a bummer because I loved loved Ivory Snow). Of course product formulas do change. Yea you are probably better off with the natural detergents (Seventh Generation and so on, what I am currently using) and you can conserve product as mentioned. These are still a bit pricey though so well ... you are also better off making your own of course.

[maribeth]

I use whatever "free and clear" is on sale. DD was fine with it as a baby.

[danna]

Kat
I don't know if you shop at Costco, but I have been buying a detergent called "Springtime"
it is Biodegradable, scent free, phosphate free etc. the plus is around $17.00 for 8 litres and sometimes $13.00 on sale.
It is liquid and it is doing a really good job with only a couple of tablespoons a load, so lasting a very long time.
Dd and grandson have skin issues/scent issues and have had no problem.
We were nervous to buy such a large container at first but it is our new favourite brand and can be used in the new machines too.

[Mrs. Hermit]

I used original Tide for my babies with sensitive skin! They reacted to Dreft, Ivory, and most fragrance free laundry detergents, but could deal with Tide. Sometimes there seems no rhyme or reason their skin reactions.

[Wildflower]

I used Dreft more than 30 years ago with my babies. I thought it was great stuff! I used it to soak the cloth diapers in the diaper pail and then washed them with it too. With Dreft, a hot water wash, and 2 rinses - the second rinse I would put some vinegar in, and the diapers always came out soft, clean, and stain free. Did a great job on baby clothes as well. Also my babies had very sensitive skin and Dreft was the only detergent I could use that didn't break them out in some kind of rash. Of course, that was many years ago and the formula may have changed since then. Dreft might not be the great product now that it was way back then....YMMV

[Kat]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies!

@danna--I don't have a Costco nearby, but I wish I did!

DH has major skin sensitivity issues, so I usually use Tide or Charlie's soap for us. Charlie's is non-toxic, fragrance free, bioldegradable, etc. The website says you can use it for babies, but there are some mothers out there in cyberspace who claim that Charlie's gave their babies rashes, burns, and blisters. The feedback seems to be 50% love and 50% hate, so I am hesitant to use it.

I thought about trying soap nuts. Has anyone used those?

[herisf]

I'm an adult with skin sensitivity issues (and never had kids). But I use any scent free detergent out there that uses a paper box (don't like to use plastic bottles when there's an alternative). Currently I'm using Tide Free & Gentle (used to be just Tide Free). I only use a 1/2 tablespoon per load (1 if heavily soiled) and vinegar to rinse, so a box lasts me a very long time. I use nothing in the dryer as I'm allergic to Bounce. Everything comes out clean and soft (I can't air dry as things stay too itchy for me).

[Rosemary]

Adding vinegar to the rinse water will help remove any detergent residue. I always did that in our cloth diaper washes.

[Tenngal]

I used Dreft, but keep in mind my baby is now 24. Good product and I used it at least a year.

[Mrs-M]

Kat. I think where many baby wash detergents go wrong is, they add too much in the way of softeners to the ingredients. Softeners coat fabrics with a grease-like film which hinders comfort and absorbency. That's why it's a no-no to use any sort of fabric softener/dryer sheets when laundering (washing/drying) diapers. Stay away from that sort of thing.

Talking from experience, Purex cleans thoroughly, deep down, and leaves everything soft and fresh- minus the heavy perfume smell.

[Chickadee]

I used Dreft when my babies were little when they had allergy issues. I loved it. Their skin cleared up, the clothes were clean and soft and smelled so good. I was really happy with the product. Although it has been over a decade since I last used it.

[Mrs-M]

Bump.

Would love to hear back from you, Kat. i.e. Whether or not you went for a baby-clothing wash or not, and if you're happy with your choice. :)

[Zoe Girl]

My dd has had severe excema since she was 2 months old, we NEVER used dreft. We actually have not had a thing with fragrance in about 21 years. I think there is something about flame retardents but my kids always wore cotten close fitting PJs, and no one smoked or had candles so that was not an issue. I say use the fragrance free type, also borax or the fragrance free Oxy Clean is good for stains. If you use too much detergent or have a sensitive one then I suggest a second rinse cycle with some vinegar, it will really take any soap out and the clothes do not smell like vinegar.

[Stella]

I have a book of recipes for natural cleaners and I know it has a baby laundry detergent recipe. If you are interested at all I can look it up.

[Mrs-M]

One of the biggest mistakes a lot of mothers make, is living by the belief that, more is better. Baby clothing, aside from reusable/washable diapers, stays perfectly clean (for the most part), even when items are due for laundering. The trace amounts of spillage, spit-up, or even a little after-meal mess that takes place outside of baby's bib, is all in a days work for little ones, but short of freshening-up the worn clothing, very little in the way of detergent is needed to extract those messes. Incorporating a vinegar-rinse program to the wash-cycle will ensure soft, clean, residue-free things, reducing irritation and rashes.

[Kat]

Hi, guys! :-) I decided to use Tide Free. I can use that same detergent for all of us. It gets our clothes very clean, and it doesn't bother DH's skin or the baby's. I use about half the recommended amount with great results. I've tried cheaper detergents and homemade detergents, and they just don't seem to work as well for us. I hate paying out the big bucks for Tide, but I guess I can deal with it since we are so frugal in other areas that we care less about! :-)

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Kat.
I decided to use Tide Free. I can use that same detergent for all of us.Ditto! Major selling feature for me as well. (Remember, more is not better). :)