Laundry Question - Liberty,MO

Updated on November 19, 2008
S.T. asks from Liberty, MO
103 answers

I am expecting our first child in march and have heard that there is a special laundry detergent for washing the baby clothes. I have never seen it at the store and am wondering if this is true. If so, do you have to special order it? Does it really matter? All the mom's of little babies and young toddlers have used the same detergent on the baby clothes as the adult clothes, they just washed them in seperate loads. Any advice would be appreciated!! THANKS!!!!!!!!

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C.B.

answers from St. Louis on

DREFT..The only way to go cause baby skin is very sensitive. Have 4 children of my own and tried regular like I use for my clothes matter of minutes baby had red spots all over. Changed outfit to something I knew that was done in the DREFT cleared up within 15-30 minutes. You can get it at Wal-Mart.

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M.W.

answers from Columbia on

Susan - I used Dreft, which you can buy at Wal-Mart. My youngest son has some skin allergy issues, and Dreft was a real life-saver. I did wash his clothes separately.

Hope this helps!
M. w

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N.S.

answers from Kansas City on

I also just use the "free of" detergents and fabric softeners. Cheer free or any of them with no dyes, fragrances or anything in them.
The one thing I would like to advise you on with the laundry stuff is to get one of those net bags they have to wash dedicates in, most people use them for washing silks and pantyhose in, I use them for baby socks. Those little suckers are tiny and get lost so easy. This way they get clean but stay in the little net bag so they don't wiggle their way inside a onsie or into the drum in the wash machine.
Congratulations on the baby and just relax and enjoy it.

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J.S.

answers from Springfield on

It really depends on your baby. Some detergents can be harsh on a baby's skin. I personally have never had a problem with any detergent I've used irritating my kids' skin. I only use liquid detergent though, never the powder. That's just a personal choice, but I don't know if the poweder may possibly be a little more likely to irritate. Congraluations and good luck with your new baby!

2 moms found this helpful
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E.M.

answers from Kansas City on

There is a laundry soap called Dreft that is made for babies. It is sold in the laundry aisle with all the other soap. I asked my sons dermatologist about it once and he told me that it is no better than any other laundry detergent. He said the "dermatologists" that "recommended" it was only doing it for the money. My doc recommended using a free and clear soap, fabric softner and dryer sheets. Also if you need a good stain remover (which you will with little ones) I use a product called Fels Naptha. It comes in a bar and you do have to pre-wash the stains out in the sink but it is worth it. It only cost $1 a bar and even takes out formula stains. Good luck to you and your new baby when it arrives!

2 moms found this helpful
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C.M.

answers from Kansas City on

We used Dreft the first time or two with out first one. I was also a nervous Mom. Once you have been doing this for a while though, you realize how much marketing goes into baby products and how easy it is to get sucked in to all the "this is the best for your baby" media. We have always been a Tide family and I do use the powder and we have never had any problems. Our family has a history of dry skin problems and I never noticed a difference between the "baby" detergent and the regular stuff other then the price. Dreft is REALLY expensive. I think there are a lot of brands out now that do the "free" thing so if you are really worried about it, you might try one of those. If you don't have skin issues in your family, you will probably be fine just to use your regular old detergent. Just wash all those new baby clothes before you put them on the little one.

2 moms found this helpful
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D.G.

answers from Kansas City on

i do not use different laundry detergent for my kids. They are 3 years and nine months. I don't wash them seperately either. I did use tide free and clear when my son was little but that was because his skin was sensitive. I would start out with something free and clear just to make sure it doesn't irritate the babies skin. If nothing irritates it, you can probably use anything.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.D.

answers from St. Louis on

I have found the special laundry detergents to be way over priced and not worth it. If you find a scent free/dye free detergent you will be able to wash all of your families clothes together and not risk you baby having any type of reaction to the detergent. I have used the scent free/dye free Purex and All and both have worked out great.

Good luck and congrats!

1 mom found this helpful

A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

hmm...i guess i'm the ghetto mama on here, but when i saw the price of dreft, it lasted about once. i think the basic idea is that it's free of dyes and chemicals and leaves the clothes softer for baby's delicate skin. i never had one issue when i couldn't afford it. and i never looked back. i truly think a lot of things feed on our paranoia and desire to give our kids the best "no matter what the cost" - i guarantee you that dreft does NOT cost twice as much to make as regular detergent. anywho, point being it's a personal choice, but i gave up on it. it was unrealistic for us anyway, since we used shared (apartment) laundry facilities so then i had to carry TWO heavy jugs of detergent to the laundry room.

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B.W.

answers from Kansas City on

We use all free in all our clothes including babys.

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S.H.

answers from Kansas City on

We used the dye-free/perfume-free laundry detergent - Tide. Our daughter was VERY sensitive to fragrances (would freak out around someone who even just had used a lot of hair spray!), so even special "baby" stuff w/ any scent at all was not an option for us. We never had any trouble at all with skin sensitivities to what we used.

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D.F.

answers from Kansas City on

With my first son, I used Dreft. But with my new son (will be here in 2 days) I have used Baby Magic. Baby Magic is alot cheaper and you can use it in the new HE washer where Dreft you can't. You can also do the Tide Free or Baby All.

1 mom found this helpful

D.H.

answers from Kansas City on

With the economy as it is right now, I would use whatever you use on your clothes. I did it with my two and they never had any problems. I wouldn't change unless your child has a reaction to what you are using. You may need more stain remover however, than what you use now, b/c those little ones sure are messy. Congratulations and Good luck and God Bless.

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S.D.

answers from Topeka on

I used Dreft at first then Purex is way cheaper All has a baby brand as well these are all sold in stores where you buy your laundry soap.These are dye free and fragrance free soaps and will cause no irration as baby gets older even if you wanted to use your same soap on baby use less and do a doulble rinse cycle.But for the first few months I use the baby brands then use what I have on hand.As for washing them seperatly I do all my clothes seperate,and it keeps it in order.By the way i'm due in March 13th as well will find out what i'm having at the end of the month.

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S.L.

answers from Kansas City on

I never used any special soap and never had any issues.

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S.C.

answers from St. Louis on

there is baby laundry detergent...but with everyone going green I just used a "green" laundry detergent...the special baby detergent I can remember is Dreft...and that can get pricey buying 2 detergents...my girl is 2 now and we use Surf or Tide for everyone...I found other baby detergent at the local Wal-Mart or Target...

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N.R.

answers from Kansas City on

I never have washed my son's clothes with different detergent...I figured if I noticed he was getting a rash or something that I would switch then, but he never had any problems at all.

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N.W.

answers from Kansas City on

The laundry detergent is Dreft. It's expensive and the reason you buy it is so that it doesn't remove the flame retardant from jammies along with being fragrance and dye free. All Free is the same thing. It's much cheaper and you can even get the Costco brand of All Free - I think it's called Free and Clear - and get the same thing! It's much cheaper to go the All or Free and Clear route! Then you can wash all your clothes together!

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H.S.

answers from Kansas City on

The laundry soap is dreft. Its best to use it or all brand has a baby detergent. My pediatrician recommended I use it until my son was a year old.

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K.B.

answers from Wichita on

Good Morning Susan. Congratulations!!
I think possibly they are recommending Dreft? I tried it when our eldest was a baby, it kind of left a residue in the water.

It is ok to use reg laundry det. for your baby. If they develope a rash it's trial and error. Get the most gentle det you can find. I was allergic to Tide as a child.

Again Congratulations to you and your hubby on your new precious Angel coming in March. Rest while you can Susan, you won't get alot later :) Well maybe by the time they are 18 it might be iffy..lol But then your up waiting for them to come home ;)

K. Nana of 5
PS ask anything you want here, We're a great (: bunch of mom's willing to help!!

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L.W.

answers from Kansas City on

I have used Dreft on my children's clothes since they were babies. Both had sensitivity in their private areas once potty trained so I kept using it until just recently. I washed my clothes in it, too, so that they weren't rubbing against clothes washed in something else. Worked for me. Good luck.

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J.S.

answers from St. Joseph on

I used Dreft exclusively with my first child and never gad any problems. When my 3 month old began getting a rash, her pediatrician told me that All Free & Clear is actually easier on their delicate skin. I switched and her skin has cleared. This also allows me to wash all the clothes together. Good luck!

M.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I think you should use it because baby's skin is so sensitive. I also use it on my 3 y/olds clothes because she has eczema. You can buy dreft at most stores, but target has the off brand that is the same thing, you can even find it right next to the dreft at target and its a lot cheaper. Congrats on having a baby!

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E.W.

answers from St. Louis on

We switched the whole house to All Free and Clear. Their skin is more delicate than yours and is more prone to irritation. It doesn't make sense to just switch detergent for their clothes because they are still touching yours all the time. I believe the detergent you are thinking of is Dreft, but I think it is way overpriced compared to All.

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L.B.

answers from Columbia on

It's called Dreft and I know that Wal-Mart carries it. I use it with my first one but after the other came along and the money got less I just used the same detergent for the baby clothes and everyone elses. I did wash the baby's seperate from the rest but only until they were about 7-8 months old. We use All free. My youngest has a lot of allergy issues and this is what we used for her when she was a baby.

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F.C.

answers from Kansas City on

good morning, my daughter is 15 months old. and i use frangrence free. without any sharp perfume smell. All, or Tide have new without any perfume like smell. it is the best. she this little blanket that she carries around the house and smell it. without any perfume smell that what work for me. hope you will go and check it out.
and wish you best of luck for first baby
F.

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M.E.

answers from St. Louis on

Susan,

I use Melaleuca laundry products, no dyes, etc. The rinse completely clean and are very gentle. You can tell by the almost non-existant lint since we switched from store brands. Approx. 30 loads worth of detergent, brightener, spot treater and fabric softener is only about $20. You just can't beat it. We actually switched all of our home cleaning products to Melaleuca because they are safe for kids, pets and environmentally friendly and cheaper than Walmart! You can visit www.melaleuca.com or email/call me ###-###-#### as the website can sometimes be a little confusing at first.

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J.C.

answers from Kansas City on

The "traditional" baby detergent is Dreft, but when I had my first (6yrs ago), her pediatrician said there was no need to buy that-- any scent-free and dye-free detergent would be fine. Since "All Free & Clear" (I think that's what it's called) was significantly cheaper than Dreft, that's what we used for both our babies and we never had any problems. Good luck with your little one!

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A.T.

answers from Kansas City on

Congratulations!Begining your new journey of motherhood is wonderful and exhausting at the same time as I am sure you have already experienced some of.
The brand of detergent I used was Dreft it smells wonderful! I have seen it in Babies R Us and Target, Wal Mart. I heard you should not use dryer sheets...just an fyi. I will tell you my story breifly. We have 4 children 7,5,3 and 11months. With the first 2 I only used Dreft and washed their clothes alone by the 3rd child life became much more busy and Dreft is so much more expensive I washed them in Tide free. So, the last 2 children had their clothes washed with ours and had no problem. It is kind of fun to use Dreft like I said and it smells really good. If you use a regular detergent just get one that says free on it.
Good Luck! Enjoy these last few days with your spouse while you don't have a precious little one added.

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R.M.

answers from Topeka on

Dreft is a detergent that has been suggested to use for baby clothes. My daughter uses regular commercial laundry detergent but she makes sure she gets the fragrance free type. I would also suggest using liquid instead of powder, just because it eliminates the possibility of powdered detergent not dissolving completely and irritating your baby's delicate skin. I always put my little ones clothing through a seperate rinse to make doubly sure that it was thoroughly rinsed.
Enjoy that little one....God Bless You!!!

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S.R.

answers from Kansas City on

It is called Dreft. I started out using it but then went on to use our regular detergent. I did not notice a difference on my daughters clothes. I always washed her sepertely. Since there were so much. They make a cheer free and I think a tide free that I use. It is free of dye, perfumes and works well.

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W.H.

answers from Springfield on

There are a few different options on the laundry aisle at the store. Dreft is the most commonly used for baby clothes and I recommend washing your baby's clothes in the special detergent for at least the first yr. It's more gentle than regular detergent and you want to make sure to keep your baby's clothes soft as they are meant to be.

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S.V.

answers from St. Louis on

Dreft is the one specific for babies clothes. I never used it. I wash my whole family's clothes together with same detergent. If they had rashes or something to that I would have looked into changing their detergent, but they were fine.

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L.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Susan,
I did not read through all the posts. With my first child I used Dreft as well as the Dreft stain remover. However with my second child I got a front loader and must do bigger loads. I bought Tide free untill my hubby broke out and am now using Cheer free. My son will be two in a couple of weeks and I still use the Cheer free only because of my daughter having such bad eczema. I would buy something that says free of dyes and wash all your clothes together only because of the economy as well as it saves time.

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P.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I used Dreft on both my children's baby clothes. Once they were about a year or so old I tried regular detergent and neither had break outs. Good luck with new baby.

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G.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I think the other moms have covered it pretty well, but Dreft is the special baby detergent you may have heard about. And it's not just for the dye/perfume issue. Dreft is supposed to be formulated to rinse completely out of clothes and not leave any residues. But there are now also Baby All (not the free & clear) and Baby Purex (both liquids) that should have the same properties. You may be lucky and your baby will not be sensitive, but just in case, I would at least buy one bottle of a "baby" detergent just to get through the first few months and then switch to a "free and clear" formula as recommended earlier. By the time they are a year, you can usually just use anything you like. Good luck.

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E.K.

answers from Lawrence on

i agree about using any detergent that is dye/perfume free. i do recommend dreft stain spray though or the dreft form of oxyclean to get out the stubborn spit up stains.

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M.T.

answers from St. Louis on

Hello Susan, the detergent you are referring to is called Dreft, it can be expensive. Arm and hammer also makes a detergent that has no dye's or perfumes this should work well also. Congrats on the new baby :)

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L.D.

answers from Topeka on

It is called DREFT, it is in stores has a white bottle and pink label. basically I think it is for sensitive skin and allergies. snice you dont know if your baby will have either I think is why some people use it. I did for the first 6-12 months than I went with the regular stuff. have fun

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T.R.

answers from Joplin on

it's called dreft. and it sucks. and is really expensive. also stinky. take it from a peds nurse....if your kids going to have skin allergies or eczema they'll have it regardless of what soap you use. i wouldn't go crazy with scents or dyes, of course, but don't think you have to buy dreft. good luck with your baby!

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D.R.

answers from Joplin on

Why not have a toxic free laundry soap this is 6x stronger and is healthy for your family. I buy my soap every 3 months. I became a customer about 3 years ago and it has helped. Changing my home over to a healthier environment. check out this website

www.livefamilydreams.info

D.

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J.T.

answers from St. Louis on

Dreft is the "magic" laundry detergent that you are probably speaking of. It works great. I use the powder kind. You can find it by the other laundry detergent. Usually on the top shelf. My mom LOVES the smell of it! She always knows when I run out because Briana's clothes don't smell of it. She has even went as far as buying it for me as Christmas presents, one of Briana's birthday presents, and so on. My daughter was born on March 28th. Best day of my life! :) Good luck!

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A.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I more than understand needing to save money & Dreft is NOT cheap. May I suggest doing what I did? I got the Free & Clear detergents. Purex, All & many others have the Free & Clear detergents. My son has sensitive skin like mine & did just fine with them. You can buy 2 of these for the price of 1 bottle of Dreft! Good Luck & Congratulations!

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J.W.

answers from Wichita on

Good Morning!

There is a baby brand of laundry detergent. I used baby All for a while and then we switched to Free-Clear All. It's better to use something like this because babys' skin is so sensitive. Until my kids got a little older I did seperate their clothes from ours, but we're all using the Free-Clear All because of skin issues. If you can't find the baby detergent, I would recommend the All. I hope this helps! Congrats on the baby!!! Good luck!

J.

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K.W.

answers from Wichita on

Hi & congrats on the new baby. I used Ivory Snow with both of my children & didn't have any problems. I never had problems with colors fading or whites turning grey (if they do then you're using too much detergent!!) I would suggest washing the clothes before you put them on the baby & if she/he doesn't have a reaction to the Ivory Snow I would stock up on it. I also found that Ivory Snow is cheaper than
Dreft & most other detergents(i didn't like the smell of dreft either). I didn't switch to using "adult" detergents until each one of my children were 2 years old.

Good Luck!!

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M.I.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi Susan,

The detergent is called "Dreft" it should be available in your local Target, Walmart or grocery stores. It is a very mild detergent. I washed my son's clothes in it until he was two.

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S.D.

answers from St. Louis on

We're first time parents and initially we used Dreft. However, any detergent that does not contain scents works. All makes "All Free & Clear" and we actually buy our laundry soap at Costco and use their store brand without the added perfumes. Dreft was expensive and we didn't see any different results with it. We use "Stain Stick" to remove baby stains too and it has never reacted with our babies sensitive skin. He's 15 months now and we don't have any stains so far the stain stick hasn't gotten out. Congratulations!!

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K.D.

answers from St. Louis on

its called Dreft. i get it at walmart. they are the cheapest. Shop n save and target make their own brands, but i have never used them. i swear by dreft. my son is a year old and i still use it on him. for newborns its extremely important to wash everything in it before they use it. the starches they put in new clothes broke my sons skin out. i always washed everthing he was given in the dreft just to be safe, plus it make him smell sooooo good. incase you decide to breastfeed, was your nursing bras and all your nursing tops in the dreft also. his face is alot more sensitive and if i used regular detergant on my nursing clothes, it would break his face out. so just think about anything that would touch his skin long term and use the dreft. congats and good luck.

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J.S.

answers from St. Louis on

Personally I use ALL free and clear for all my family's laundry. It has no dyes or perfumes and has never irritated any of my 3 kids. I did try Tide free once and it broke out my son in a bad rash so I just stick with ALL. It's easy to find and works great on getting clothes clean. Oxiclean free and clear is great for getting baby stains like spit up and food out too!

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M.L.

answers from Wichita on

I used Dreft available at wal-mart or the grocery store. The Dreft stain-remover is GREAT! But, after the first kid I switched to fragrance free, dye free whatever was on sale. I think it just depends on if you or your kids have allergies or sensitive skin. I have both so I always use fragrance free and we had no problems with the babies.

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

The product is Dreft. It is expensive, and for my kids- they were allergic to that as well as fabric softener. I used the Free and Clear ALL- or you can use whichever brand you choose- the big thing is to get to the clothes when they are freshly stained- soaking in cold water does wonders. Are you Breastfeeding or Formula feeding- the spit-up from formula is harder to remove than breastmilk- and the inevitable diaper explosions also. After 9 kids, you stress less over the laundry, a few stains never hurt anyone. Best of luck- S.

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C.G.

answers from Columbia on

I know you have a lot of other posts, but I wanted to mention that you may want to get an eco-friendly brand. I use Full Circle, but there are more. One reason is because non-eco-friendly brands usually contain optical brighteners (even the dye-free, scent-free). Optical brighteners are harmful to your skin and the environment. And, whatever is on your skin, is eventually absorbed into your body. Here is a quote from a website about optical brighteners:

"The quest to have "brighter" clothes has brought about Optical Brighteners, also called optical bleaches or fluorescent whitening agents. This is a group of colorless, fluorescent chemicals that absorb ultraviolet light and emit it back as visible blue light. The blue light actually masks the yellowing, and makes it appear brighter and whiter.

Optical Brighteners have been a marketing genius for companies that manufacture detergents, however in reality they are simply a "special effect", and your clothes are not cleaner, nor are they brighter or whiter.

Optical Brighteners stay on your clothes, and can produce skin reactions, and irritation to any part of your body. As for the environment, the chemicals are toxic to fish, and over time scientist state these chemicals can actually mutate bacteria. Optical Brighteners are also non-biodegradable, and once they get into the ground or water, they stay."

If they stay in ground water once they are there, they probably stay in your body once they are there too. Look for brands that say "Do not contain optical brighteners" on the back label.

Best wishes and congratulations on becoming a mom-to-be!

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J.G.

answers from Springfield on

The detergent you have heard of is Dreft and it is readily available at Walmart, Target, and those types of stores. I bought it with my first baby but then discovered with my second baby it was cheaper to buy the scent and dye free ALL or Tide detergents. Dreft simply has no fragrance and no dyes so it prevents irritating babys skin. The free and clear Tides, ALL's and even Purex free and clear are the same thing and can be cheaper than dreft. I have continued to use free and clear detergents on our clothes even though my children are older now. I wash their clothes with ours and use it for the whole family. When they are little babies it can be easier to wash their clothes seperate because you can lose alot of tiny socks washing it with your clothes :)! Also don't use fabric softeners or dryer sheets on their clothes. Babies skin is so sensitive and delicate any added things can irritate them especially when they are small. I hope this helps!
J. Goodwin- RN and mom of 3

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M.E.

answers from St. Louis on

I know you've already received about 100 responses. But have you heard of Get Clean? You may have seen it featured on Oprah's Earth Day show and with Dr. Oz... or Rachal Ray several this past year. I agree to wash all your family laundry together. I washed everything seperately with Dreft for my first child....it is a pain and very expensive! Then I switched to Shaklee's Get Clean. It's super economical, concentrated, and non-toxic (unless it's labled "non-toxic", it's NOT...even the Free and Clear ones). So, toxins can be absorbed through the skin....which can break down the immune system.
Check out this site for info:
http://www.shaklee.net/embracehealth
You can also do a search on Oprah's site to see what she has to say about it.
Congratulations!!

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W.S.

answers from Lawrence on

I use All free & clear detergent and dye/fragrance free softener. I just quit separating her laundry (mostly) this year (she just turned two). Dreft is probably the brand you've heard of, most grocery stores sell it. It's kinda expensive but my friends loved it, said it really removed stains well. That's my experience; you can choose to do what you feel is right!

If a skin rash develops, stop using softener and see if it is the problem, just fyi.

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M.G.

answers from Lawrence on

I used Dreft for my son. He is almost 6 months now and i just used up the rest of the first bottle that i bought. it wasnt a large bottle either(about $10), it's just that the clothes are so small that it takes a couple weeks to get enough clothes for 1 load. So I dont see it as being too expensive. One thing you might think about is: your baby is against you alot and may sleep with you so he will be exposed to your clothing and bedding so if he doesnt have any skin irritations when you bring him home and expose him to all your things, you should be fine to use whatever detergent you like. I just keep using dreft because i like the baby smell.

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K.O.

answers from Wichita on

Dreft is highly recommended. If your baby does not have super sensitive skin then it is okay to wash the baby's clothes with the other family member's clothes; just use a mild detergent. Good luck! Enjoy your new addition when he or she arrives in March!

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C.K.

answers from Springfield on

It's been a few years since my daughter was born, but back then Dreft was what I used and it does make a difference since their skin is so sensitive.
Good luck

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R.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi,

I didn't get a chance to read all of the responses so forgive me if this is a repeat. Congrats on the baby!

Target has a store brand knock off of Dreft which is much cheaper but does the same thing.

Also, the Dreft stain remover is fabulous! I use it for everything even though my kids (and husband - haha) are past the baby stage.

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B.M.

answers from Kansas City on

The detergent you are talking about is probably Dreft. It keeps baby, toddler, and children's clothes flame retardant.

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K.S.

answers from St. Louis on

The laundry soap you are inquiring about is Dreft. It is in liguid form. The same company makes a stain remover(spray). It really does the job. I have even used it on the clothes of my family members.

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J.J.

answers from St. Louis on

I use Tide Free and Gentle or Cheer free and gentle for our entire family. Anything without added dyes and fragrences. I also use bounce free and gentle fabric softener. I wash the baby clothes with my older daughter's, as they are often the same colors (can we say pink?). I think people go overboard with special detergents, and see no reason for them unless your baby has a bad reaction to one.

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E.D.

answers from St. Louis on

Same answer here. We asked the nurse at the hospital and she said anything perfume and dye free. We switched all our laundry over. No fabric softeners either. You can add vingar to your laundry where you would normally add softener and it will soften your clothes.

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L.J.

answers from Kansas City on

There is one advertised for babies..called Dreft.
But...it contains ethanol (http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/br...) , sodium borate (http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/br..., and 2 other toxic surfactants that have no health studies done on them at this time. In short...I wouldn't and didn't use this on my children's laundry because of the health risks.
I would highly recommend Get Clean Laundry Detergent (http://www.shaklee.net/J./product/00129). It's a great non-toxic, good for you and the environment product.

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A.L.

answers from Kansas City on

It's called Dreft.. I found it at WalMart. After we ran out of the first bottle - around 5 months, we just used what the family uses and everything has been fine. That new baby skin wasn't so sensitive anymore...

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S.P.

answers from St. Louis on

The laundry detergent is called Dreft. It is available at Walmart and Target. It is important to use in the beginning. With both my kids I bought 1 big box and washed all their clothes prior to them being born. Then I used the rest of the box for their clothes only until it was gone. It is important b/c regular detergent can iritate the baby's skin. Once you know your baby has no skin iritations, you can stop using it.

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G.B.

answers from Kansas City on

Its called Dreft. You can find it at any grocery store or at Babies R Us. Its a little more mild so it is suppose to be better for babies' more sensitive skin.

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D.M.

answers from St. Louis on

As others have said, the detergent you are thinking of is Dreft and you can buy it in most stores. I bought it over eight years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. I used it to wash maybe one load of baby clothes and then just used Tide and put the clothes all together. I have never had an issue and I still have the box of Dreft that I bought way back then -- if I ever accidentally run out of Tide, I will use it.

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

My best friend uses All perfume free and dye free on her baby's clothes as well as her and her other three children. I use it as well as my son and I both have skin that breaks out easily and mine is due to excema. But using All perfume free and dye free is pretty good.

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J.W.

answers from Kansas City on

Susan~
You don't have to get special laundry detergent. I am a mother of two and I have never used the special laundry detergent. I did washed the babies clothes separate but that was also BC sometimes you would have to soak the babies clothes from the spit up, baby's food(anything Orange is using very hard to get out like sweet potatoes and squash, to get stains out the best is Oxy Clean and Biz) and blow-outs(this is "Enormous Poos" all over their clothes and even sometimes yours). Make sure the first 6 months of your child's life have extra clothing for your baby and even a set for you BC you never know when it might happen!( For my daughter we were at her doctors apt., she had a "Huge Blow-Out" all over her clothes and me! Sad thing is I was a first time mom just like you and didn't know anything about this! My friends who had kids never told me until after it happen! It was to late BC I didn't even bring clothes for me or have a set in the car. When your child is about 1 years old you can wash all your clothes together. One more thing the first year your going to have alot, alot, alot of laundry!:) I really hope my advice helps you!:) Good Luck and Best Wishes!:) Take Care

PS: Also to have a quick, easy labor and delivery workout everyday even if your tired! Make sure you workout all the way up to your due date!!!!! ( I walked 3 times a day, swim, and even workout at the gym everyday!:))

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L.B.

answers from St. Joseph on

Well, yes there are laundry detergents for babies. The whole point being that they have super sensitive skin and these detergents have less in them to irritate baby. My personal favorite was Dreft because, not only did it work, but it left my kids clothes smelling great! I can also highly recommend the Baby Oxyclean for getting out extremely difficult stains (poop, puke, whatever they throw your way)...it IS a bit more expensive than the regular Oxclean but it doesn't fade their clothes! (Always a perk at resale)

If you can't afford the high prices of those laundry detergents, the clear and free of any brand (Cheer, All, Tide) will work just as well and the whole family can use them. Most dermotologists will tell you Tide free and clear (no scent, no dyes) for anyone with skin problems, but ironically, I'm allergic to it(go fig)...LOL...Ultimately, it's a matter of budget and personal choice. Congratulations & best of luck to you!

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C.S.

answers from Lawrence on

Hey Susan! We shop from a different store that saves time and money and uses no harsh chemicals but the best of science and nature. They have laundry detergent safe for babies and adults without toxins! Many moms appreciate this store and the convenience of not having to worry about buying 2 different types of detergent or washing clothes separately. They even have fabric softener, pre-spot, and a great bleach replacement that is safe too! I would love to share more about this and we also help Moms stay at home with a benefit of shopping here and earning some extra income too! If you are interested you can reply and we can get the details over the phone or you can visit our websites www.2liveabetterlife.com or www.2abetterlife.com

Hope that helps!

Cindy

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S.A.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi. There is a baby detergent, however it can be very costly. When I was pregnant with my 2nd (now 22 month old) I read in a baby magazine to use the detergent that says no perfumes, no dyes (no scent) and you can get that for the cost of regular detergent. Boy, that saved me a lot of money cause with my 1st, I followed the suggestion of using the baby detergent.

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E.O.

answers from Wichita on

My skin is very sensitive to chemicals; I would think a detergant that has is for sensitive skin having no dyes, or chemicals would be great. You can get the most safe ones from the health food store--7th Generation or Country Save (the one I use) are good brands. Hope that helps.
E.

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D.V.

answers from St. Louis on

Dreft is the only laundry detergent I can think of specific for babies clothing. I used it on my childrens clothes until they were a year old then I started washing everything in regular detergent. Dreft also has a stain remover in a squirt bottle that was pretty good as well. Both of these items are sold at the grocery stores or Target, Wal-Mart, etc. Always in the laundry detergent isle. If there is another out there, I've never heard of it.

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M.R.

answers from St. Joseph on

Susan:

Do yourself and your baby a favor by starting to wash it's clothes in the same detergent that you use on your clothes and see if he/she is allergic. We didn't have any problems with my son but my daughter was born with eczema so we had to use dye and perfume free detergent and fabric softner. She's now 4 and we all use the same detergent. I think the detergent you use will help get more of the stains out better than the "baby" detergent. It'll also help that you won't have to introduce the baby's clothes gradually to your detergent. Good Luck

M.

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M.W.

answers from Kansas City on

It is called Dreft and you can find it at any store. But, my OBGYN and others told me that it is not necessary to use it. They said just to use one of the "free and clear" brands with no dyes, perfumes, etc. So, that's what I've done with both of my kids (and washed their clothes along with ours) and no problems...

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H.H.

answers from Kansas City on

it is called Dreft. I used it for the first bottle/box as newborns tend to have more sensitive skin but after that first bottle/box I used the soap we use and they did fine. I usually put a bottle of Dreft in the baby basket for new babies at church as well as other items they will use the first few weeks. If you notice your baby break out with your soap then you might want to use the dreft a little longer.

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R.H.

answers from St. Louis on

The laundry detergent you are looking for is Dreft. I used it the first few months because I know how sensitive my own skin is and could only imagine how sensitive my daughters was. One day I ran out, forgot to buy more and used Tide. She has been fine with it since.

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J.R.

answers from Lafayette on

dreft is probably the one you're thinking of and you can find it anyhere, but other detergents have super gentle non fragrance etc versions. I know ALL does for sure, and it tends to be cheaper. I think Tide does, but I dont see it often. Baby skin is very sensitive, some more than others, I think its important at least for the first little while, but i didnt freak out if a tshirt or something snuck in with our laundry

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L.T.

answers from St. Louis on

I'm sure you have had a million responses, but I used both "Dreft" and "All Baby" and liked them both, but Dreft costs more. My "baby" is 2 now and I use this product I buy online from Shaklee (non-toxic, environmentally friendly products) and like that the best. Good luck!
L. T.

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A.J.

answers from Kansas City on

There's a detergent called Dreft for babies. I'm pregnant with my first also and just bought some but haven't used it yet. I also noticed that Target had it's own brand similar to Dreft that was a little cheaper.

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C.H.

answers from Topeka on

It is Dreft & you can find it in the baby section down the same aisle as bottles & stuff @ Wal-Mart. I have just used Tide & not had any problems. I have read on several Fabric Softeners though, that you aren't supposed to use them on baby clothes. It makes them more flammable. I don't use fabric softener since having the baby. Hope this was helpful!

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S.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Susan, you can get it at any store. Just use Dreft (in a pink box) or Ivory Snow and I think some of the other big name brands have one also (Tide?). What your looking for is a gentel detergent that does not have any perfume or anything else in it that will irritate baby's skin. So just check the labels. I only used the Dreft for a few of months with my girls. Once I could that they did not have sensitive skin I used the same detergent that I always used. Good luck with your new little bundle.

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R.W.

answers from Kansas City on

When my were tiny babies I used Dreft. I loved the smell. As they got to be around age 1, I used whatever the rest of the clothes were washed in.

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

you pretty much just want to make sure your detergent is the kind free of dyes and perfumes. Our girl was getting a rash on her face, and it turned out it was from it rubbing against daddy's shirts that were washed in regular detergent. We switched everyone to Tide Free and Clear and havent had any problems since.

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B.S.

answers from Joplin on

I always used Dreft. Ivory Snow was a good one, too, but I had to wash ALL of our clothes in Dreft because my first born was so sensitive to soaps. Washing her own items wasn't enough. Holding her against my own shirt would break her skin out. So it ALL got washed in Dreft.
It can be difficult to find now, and pricey, but so worth it until they get a little older and not quite so sensitive.

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T.S.

answers from Wichita on

The Hospital gave me samples of Ivory Snow and Dreft detergents in my going home package. I have used the Ivory Snow, but I discovered that my baby clothes got kind of grey for the whites. So, I went back to my Cheer detergent. They have the one that is free of fragrence and dyes, Cheer Free. I also use a fabric sheet for the dryer that is free of fragrence. I washed the baby's clothes seperately just due to the small size so I wouldn't lose their tiny socks. I would think any detergent that is free of dyes or fragrence would work ok. I never had any rash reactions from them. I've used All detergent also.

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G.R.

answers from Wichita on

try something called ivory snow

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L.B.

answers from Kansas City on

Good morning, Susan and congratulations on being a mom-to-be!

There are special laundry detergents on the market for kids that are more gentle on sensitive baby skin and easy to find right in the regular stores. I have always used Dreft. Other brands are Ivory Snow and All Baby. Most major stores have a store brand, too. More environmentally friendly products are Seventh Generation and Method, which, I think I have seen at both Target and Babies R Us.

I have an almost 3 year old daughter and a 6 month old son. I still use the "baby" detergent for both of them. I think my daughter would be fine now with regular detergent, but it's just easier to wash her clothes and the baby's clothes together. The recommendations I've always seen suggest using "baby" detergent up until 18 months old or so.

I always thought I was pretty smart, until I got pregnant the first time. Then, I felt like there was SO MUCH I didn't know!! But, you'll learn quickly. This is a great site to throw those questions out. Everyone is kind and very helpful! So any questions you have, post them and you'll get lots of great suggestions!!

Best wishes...........L.

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D.A.

answers from St. Louis on

I use ALL free and clear. It has no dyes or perfumes which can react to baby's skin. The baby detergents are costly, and IMO not necessary.

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S.

answers from St. Louis on

This is more of a personal decision. We have always used a "free" formula: dye free, perfume free, etc. version of ours... You can also use Dreft. It's sold at Walmart, Target, etc. in the detergent aisle, or sometimes in the baby section. It basically just depends on whether or not the regular detergent bothers your child's skin. I have used the regular when my son's detergent runs out and he's been fine. Like I said, just a personal decision. Have fun with your little one - they grow up FAST!

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J.W.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi! It's Dreft, but it's kind of pricey. I use the All Free and Clear - basically the same thing, no detergents, dyes, etc. You can get one of those really big jugs for about $12.

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W.B.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi Susan,

My husband has allergies to laundry detergent and fabric softner. So I use ALL free and clear - it is in the white jug. For fabric softner I use downy.

My ped. told me not to use bounce or any other fabric sheet because it leaves fibers in the clothes and can irritate the skin. Which is what was going on with my youngest when she was 2 months old, she had a little area on her face that had lots of bumps and really red. The dr asked what kinds of soaps and detergents I was using.
So I went to ALL free and clear, Downy softner, and then I started using Huggies hyperalogenic baby wash and lotion. With in a week everything was cleared up.

W. B.

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G.N.

answers from St. Louis on

Its called Dreft in a pink and white bottle. I used it on all my sons clothes. Has a great smell.

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K.W.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi Susan, I've always used dreft baby laundry detergent on baby clothes, you can buy it at the grocery store or Walmart in the laundry detergent isle. Does it make a difference you asked, I think it does,cause their skin is so sensitive. I used it on my kids clothes for the first couple of years and now I use it to wash my grand daughters clothes.It really up to you, hope this helps.

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S.T.

answers from Kansas City on

The baby detergent is Dreft. My Pediatrician rec not using it b/c of all of the dyes and perfumes in the detergent. It can cause excema and sensitive skin to flair up and be worse from this detergent. I now use Tide Free, which was recommended by the Ped. Dreft smells good, but it is more expensive and in my opinion, can be more harmful to thier skin due to its sensitivity.

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L.S.

answers from St. Louis on

I'm sure you have the advice you need, but I just wanted to throw one more thing for you to think about into the mix. I started out using dreft with my first, now I am expecting my 5th. It seems silly to use one detergent on your child's clothes and a different one on yours, the baby is going to be touching your clothes almost as much as their own. Something to think about!
Good luck!!

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A.N.

answers from St. Louis on

Congratulations on your little one! I never used any special detergent with either of my kids when they were babies, and they were fine. If you want to however, or if your baby seems to have sensitive skin, there is a baby detergent called Dreft that you can find pretty much anywhere...Walmart, Target, etc. Seems like I've seen it in the baby department rather than the laundry department. Good luck!

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J.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi! I know you've received a thousand responses.. Dreft is wonderful. It doesn't do anything for stains, but it is the "baby smell in a bottle".. I had a hard time giving it up :). It does make the clothes very soft, and the smell is the best. There is a stain remover called "Totally Toddler".. marketed as a nursery odor and stain remover. I used it on the clothes, and sprayed out the diaper pail too. It's not as harsh on the little ones as the "grown up" brands, and it works great. Congrats on the little one!!

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V.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Dreft. It is a bit more expensive, but not a bad idea, just to make sure that no undue rashes, etc. happen. You can find it in the laundry section, and I think I recall seeing it in all the baby stores. Congratulations and good luck!

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D.R.

answers from St. Louis on

There is Dreft and Baby Purex, both available in almost any store. I used them for anything that my babies wore, or slept on, or bathed with. Mainly the purpose is to avoid any dyes or perfumes because they are more sensitive. You could probably use any detergent as long as you avoid dyes and scents. And definitely wash them separately from the rest of the family. As far as stains, try Zout. It took out formula and other baby stains. Good Luck!

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T.M.

answers from St. Louis on

You might be thinking of DREFT - it's sold at most stores w/ the other laundry detergent. ALL has one also that is just for babies. I've used it for both of my children.

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