When to Bag the Dreft

NOW!! Switch to a Free and CLear such as ALL. Both of my sons have eczema and the pedi said this would work best for the entire family. He was a great pedi, just had to movefrom Tyler to Houston to Bacliff.

I have been using regular detergents for my daughters clothes since she was 9 months old she is 17 months and I have not had any problems.

We used Dreft for about a year, then switched to Baby All because it was less expensive. My boys had terrible skin issue with Dreft & Baby All (didn't know at the time they were a major trigger). The issues resolved themselves when we converted to MelaPower & MelaSoft! Now we 'can' do everyone's laundry together. :)

I have good and bad news. From a dermatologists perspective Dreft is kind of a hoax - no need for it even when they are really little. It is clever marketing, but actually a tide or all "free" is easer on the skin! Feel free to graduate!

One thing you might want to stay away from are dryer sheets. They actually contain tiny particles almost like fiberglass, which arent good for anybody's skin.

I use seventh generation free and clear, do a second rinse, and no dryer sheets

Hope this helps - more info on my practice at

www.dallascosmeticcenter.com

I was told that as long as they didnt have sensitive skin or develop a rash from regular soap it was ok to use it, i used reg. soap with both my kiddos and they did fine, just washed their clothes seperate from ours and first till they were 1.

It was never necessary to use Dreft. It is full of fragrance and softeners, so if your kiddo is fine with that then she's probably ok with regular detergent.

If she has shown skin reactions to other things like bath soap or shampoo or anything else, then I'd be more cautious about changing detergents.

I just use a regular brand of Free and Clear detergent on all our clothes and never used baby detergent. My baby is 7mo. We have Purex F&C, but Tide, All, etc, also make F&C varieties.

Marg, they make a tide detergent for sensitive skin, I am a fair skinned person and have used it and it works well. Good luck with your sweetheart. L.

Remember baby's skin is touching your clothing all the time and he hasn't had a reaction yet. But here's a suggestion. Wash one or two of his daily clothes with your regular clothes, let him wear those one or two days straight and watch. If there's no reaction, then that detergent is probably fine. We used dreft until babies were one year old, but that's because my MIL told my husband that was needed; I never thought it was necessary.

We have never used a special detergent for my son. My doctor said it really wasn't needed. Just another way for someone to make more money off new parents. That if he did have a skin issue we could buy regular detergent free of dyes, etc. that the whole family could use.

I used Dreft only with my first two because *back in the day (in other words I'm old. LOL )detergents were a lot more harsh. By the time my 3rd came along there were a lot of dye free perfume, free products on the market. My ped advised me to try regular soap from day one and if there were no signs of sensitivity there was no need to use products like Dreft. No problems with #3 so by the time #4 came along I didn't even use Dreft, I went straight to regular detergent. Keep a close eye on your baby for reactions, but she'll probably be just fine. BTW your "a little about me" had me LOL.

I switched fairly early on with my child - we couldn't afford all the different bottles of soap! Ultimately it won't hurt your child, you really don't even need to use a special detergent. It's just a milder soap to ensure there are no rashes or adverse reactions. But the way I see it, if your washer does it's job, there shouldn't be any soap left to cause a reaction, anyway. I recommend you wash one or two of baby's items in regular detergent and make sure it doesn't affect her skin in any way and go from there.

I have 4 kids... I used dreft with #1 (first time mommy) and then never again with any of my other kids. Everyone is fine. Our babies come from us, for the most part they will have the same reactions we do (though I know there is always an exception to that rule), so I think you are safe.

Good luck..

I used Dreft until my daughter was around 18 months. Two reasons, first, I bought in quantity and that's when it ran out. And second, that is when I felt comfortable washing her tiny little clothes with our giganimous ones. :)

If your child doesn't have any issues, then you can stop at any time. If it makes you feel better, just put the clothes on one additional rinse cycle to ensure that you have washed out all the soap.

From what I've noticed, Dreft works better at getting out baby stains such as spit up from breast milk. But Tide works better on the older kids stains, like dirt and normal food. :)

We have always used All Free and Clear. It is just as good as Dreft.

I'm sure you can used any product you want as long as there is no irritation to the skin. It probably is an advertising ploy and or just a recomendation. Save the dreft, use what you want if irritaion develops go back to using dreft.

I have an 8 month old, and I stopped using Dreft 2 months ago, and she's fine. I think you can use any detergent, but just use 1/2 of the amount that you would normally use, then move up to regular strength slowly. That's what I did, and she has been fine with it. Good luck!

I know you've rec'd a lot of responses from this and I didn't read any of them, but I wanted to tell you I personally think Dreft is a bunch of BS manufactured by a company who is basically preying on new (read: naive)parents. With that said, if you're concerned about skin irritation, use Woolite. When I was naive, I mean a new mom, I used Woolite for my DDs clothes. Once the first bottle was done, it was the generic brand and we've never looked back!! By the time she was a year old she was lucky I even washed the clothes before I put them on her! Bad Mom, I hear the boos and hisses now!! Hey, she's 5 now so I must be doing something right! ;)

I stopped using it at a year. My daughter had never had any reactions either and she didn't seem to have sensitive skin. You could try Tide (or whatever you use) and if she has a reaction, then you could switch back.

I never used it in the first place so I would say go for it. By the way, love your degrees. Very funny. Your child is in for a fun filled life for sure. Laughter keeps us sane through the challenges in life. You have a great start. Keep laughing!

I have never used dreft. I just washed clothes in what the family was using.

I finished the bottle that I bought, and now I use Purex (it is free of dyes and perfume). I tried a few of her clothes with our loads using the purex, and she did fine. I was worried before she was born about using the correct detergent. But, like another mom said, your baby is touching you and your clothes and probably would have had a reaction earlier.

Hi Margaret,
I am also a domestic engineer and I have 4 kids and honestly I never used anything other than tide and I have not had any problems. I hope this helps...good luck!
J.

I honestly can't remember when I stopped using Dreft for my son. You should test some of your child's clothing with the Tide to see how your infant's skin reacts to the change.

It's just one of those things you will have to try out to see if your daughter is allergic to something else. My daughter would get tiny rashes with certain things, but my son never has so I never had to use something for sensitive skin for him. If you are washing all of your linens, towels and your clothing in regular detergent and your daughter isn't showing signs of sensitive skin to them, you should be fine to wash her clothing in the same detergent.

I think you'll be alot happier when you switch because Dreft is so gentle that it doesn't clean as well.

We stopped using the dreft at about three weeks, but we noticed that detergents with Fabric Softeners gave my son a rash, so we go with the Free and Clear stuff.

I started switching at 12 months on both. I would was a select few with our stuff with Tide to make sure, but I never used Dreft, I used Baby All. I now use the Tide Sensitive and it has been no problem at all.

K.

My son is now 11 months today and I stopped using Dreft last month. If first tried it slowly by adding a blanket or onsie here and their to my clothes and he was fine. At that time I knew it was not a problem to switch him to our brand. Good luck!!!

I stopped using it when my daughter was around 7 or 8 months. I just make sure to do the extra rinse cycle when I'm washing her clothes. She's fine with it and has never gotten skin irritations. I use Tide, and I've also used Gain. Hope this helps.

We switched the whole family to regular "dye-free, perfume-free" detergent (All, Cheer, Arm & Hammer....they all make one) when our first was born and have never had any problems.

I have never used dreft, just wisk, which I wash my husband and I's clothing in. Neither of my children have ever had a rash or other reaction due to the detergent. I felt that dreft was a waste of money.

We've always used All free and clear without any problems. Never bought Dreft or any other detergents designed for babies.

I think it is very necessary to use it at first, but after 9 or 12 months, your regular stuff is fine.

With my first child, we used Dreft for the first year. With my second, we never used Dreft--just never "got around" to washing his clothes separately. And he never had any troubles with his clothes or skin.

I've never used Dreft.

I've always used ALL Free and Clear.

S.

I never used Dreft, and my kids never suffered! :)

If you are concerned, try ALL sensitive. It is in a white bottle.

I used Dreft w/my first child but never used it w/my second who is now 4 months old. I've been using Cheer free and gentle and my baby has done fine w/it.

With my 1st several kids I changed over at 12 months. With #5, baby and I developed allergies to every clothes washing agent on the market. So, 15 years later, we still use dreft or have BAD HIVES. i think as long as baby can tlerate it, it is fine to switch at any time. I know a lot of people that do not even use dreft at birth. They just use regular soap and they do fine.

I've used Tide from the very beginning with no problems. I did check with my pedi, and he said it was fine so long as my son didn't have any kind of reaction. I did always wash his clothing seperately from ours for about the first year. Now it all gets washed together.

You know, we never used specific detergents for our twins, now happily and healthily 2 years old. My husband has sensitive skin, and we use tide liquid, and everyone has always been fine.
Follow directions if you are concr=erned, but maybe you could try tide and see what happens for one outfit?
Good Luck!

Well, for starters, I never knew about DREFT until I had kids. I never knew what I was missing. This stuff gets stains out of anything. For the really tuff stains, I just put half a capful into a sink of water and soak over night.
My mom is a nurse and has been for 30 years. She has also found a new friend in DREFT. She gets all kinds of stains on her clothes from work and has tried everything over the years to get stains out. She was introduce to DREFT from me and she has found that it even gets blood stains (even old ones that have been set in and washed several times) out of clothes with NO problems.
The kids are 4 and 2. Will I ditch my DREFT??? Never!!! Even when they are old and grey, I think I'll still keep a bottle handy. It gets out all the baby food stains, but as the kiddos get bigger so do the stains.

With my 1st baby, I used it for a year and it does not do wonders on stains, so I was also using all kinds of baby stain products (i.e. TOTALLY TODDLER stain spray, etc.). With my second baby, I tried a batch of her clothes at 3 months in my regular Tide with bleach since it did not require any additional help with all of the stains. She had no reaction to the Tide, so I followed suit at 3 months with my 3rd baby too. I am sure that regular detergent could irritate some babies, but I suggest trying it at 3 months and if all is well then go back to your regular stuff. It's stain fighting power is probably lots better than Dreft.

I say anytime. There are so many "Free" detergents out there now that are free of dyes and such that you could switch anytime. I go between All (small and mighty concentrate) And Tide. Both make an environmentally friendlier and "free" product. I never used Dreft much past the 9 month mark. I got tired of spending the extra money when all you really have to do is send the clothes through an extra rinse cycle.
Well good luck passing the hot potato. I always get stuck with it in my house....

I never used Dreft. I felt like it was a marketing ploy for new Mom's. I had a sample pack from my childbirth classes and when I used it, it didn't take the stains out the same way normal detergent did. So in my experience I think it is too gentle. I have always used normal detergent but in the no dye or perfume formula and my kids are fine.

I was told by a health offial (can't remember if it was he pedi or another qualified person) that you can actually stop using dreft quite early (around 2-4 mos.) if their skin shows no irritants to other things (your clothes that they lay their head on, your perfumes that you wear, your lotions that you wear, your soaps that you use, etc) AS LONG AS YOUR RINSE CYCLE IN YOUR MACHINE does so thoroughly! They even said you don't have to do their clothes sepparate from the rest of the families at that point either!

I just use the dreft "spray-&-wash" yet for harder stains (other brands seem so harsh to me) and reg. detgt. for the wash!
Just thought this would help!

I stopped using dreft and started using the baby ALL it's much cheaper. With my first baby I think I only used it for 6 months and as long as they don't break out in a rash or anything I think they will be fine with you using the regular stuff.

Since you're ready to make a change, might I suggest using something less harsh and chemical filled than Tide. Buy a bottle of Arm and Hammer Naturals and see if you don't love the difference! Not just for the kids, but for the rest of the family and the environment. I was leary about trying a "natural" plant-based detergent, thinking that it couldn't clean as well as the petrol based products. Not only does it clean just s well, but it leaves a LOT less residue on the clothing and the appliances. I'm not a tree hugger, but my daughter was having a reaction to nearly every detergent on the market and our pedi recommended a natural detergent. When I noticed how well it was doing on her clothing and linens, we tossed the old brand and have been using Naturals ever since. Oh... I forgot to mention my daughter was 10 before she started having skin reactions to detergents! For less than $5 you can try a bottle and see if it works for you. Good Luck!

Margaret,

We used Dreft and then Baby All for the first few months, but then after some checking, we realized that the ALL Free & Clear is just as great. The issue with needing to use Dreft was that babies' sensitive skin isn't ready for all the dyes and perfumes in regular detergent. So we found that ALL Free & Clear is hypo-allergenic, has no dyes or perfumes and is made for sensitive skin. Our now-15-month-old little girl has very sensitive skin (she breaks out all over after kisses from Daddy because of his beard!) and we have had no problems at all with the ALL detergent.

As a plus, you can buy it in the big value sizes and we can use it for the whole family. I still usually wash her little clothes by themselves, but it's nice not to have to purchase separate detergent. Plus, it's better detergent for Mommy & Daddy, too! ...And good for the environment!

Also, if you need help with stains, OXY Clean makes OXY Baby, and they also have an OXY without dyes & perfumes... and here's a secret... Spot Shot Carpet Cleaner!!! My mom taught me this. Spray the stain with Spot Shot and then soak it in some OXY... it's a MIRACLE WORKER!!! We were given boxes of baby clothes from my little cousin who's 3 years older than my daughter. There were clothes that had stains like chocolate milk and spit up and poo and all kinds of stuff that had been sitting on these clothes in storage for 3 years!!!... my mom got every one of them out and they were like new again! Even the white stuff is brilliantly white!

Hope this helps!
-S. (Emma Kate's Mommy)

Hello Margaret,

I am a domestic engineer as well. I have a very smart boy who will turn two Jan. 14th and a baby girl who is 4 months old. With my son, I used baby All until he was about one, it was a lot cheaper than Dreft. Then I started using the All Free & Clear with no dyes or perfumes. I use that on my own clothes because I have certain allergies. However when my daughter was born I thought it would be just as well to use it for her little clothes. Other than the baby detergents having that baby smell, I think any detergent Free & Clear will work. We have not had any breakouts. Not sure if I would use a scented detergent until a little later though, just in case. Hope this helps!

I never used Dreft for any of my three kids and they did not have any problems. If they do have sensitive skin, you can use any of the brands "dye free, perfume free" versions. (I use All Free & Clear or Purex Free) I use that for all of our clothes, not just the kids. Dreft is a big waste of money in my opinion.

I never used Dreft I used Tide Free. My feeling was if you daughter is laying on your clothes that you washed in something else then why not wash all the clothes in one laundry detergent.

good question! my duaghter is 20 months old and i still use Dreft..... guess i was too busy to read the label for an end date.
would love to ehar the responses you get.
good luck with teh 'wisenheimer adn hot potato'!

Margaret you have a great sense of humor ::giggle:: At around 6 months I started using other detergents on blankets, etc. then the clothes around 9 months my baby stopped all together with the dreft. I guess just start testing out little by little. Good luck with your little pooping machine. ::laugh::