When to Stop Using Baby Detergent?

I stopped Dreft when she was a year old - a little later, actually, as I finished the bottle. I've bleached a couple things but washed them 3 times afterwards before putting them back in her drawers. I use Oxyclean for stains but I don't think it whitens like bleach.

Personally I think dreft is a scam. We never used it. We use All free and clear, almost every brand of detergent makes a kind for sensitive skin if you are worried about that but I like All because its cheap. Even my friend whose little girl has really bad eczema can use the All free and clear and said dreft was worse for her baby. I have always bleached whites so no help on that front. I like the oxy stain remover but haven't tried just oxy in place of bleach. Good luck! You could try doing maybe just one outfit if you are really worried about it.

I had to switch to Tide Free HE when we bought new frontloaders - I think my daughter was about 4 months old - because they don't make an HE version of Dreft. Started using bleach on her whites at around 10 months old or so. I always set it to the Extra Rinse cycle. Never had a problem Good luck!

it will depend upon your child's sensitivity. I never used baby detergent and I used bleach when necessary. Never had a problem.

I didn't use Dreft for very long because their high efficiency formula was hard to find and really expensive. I use All Free and Clear. It costs the same as other "All", and has worked fine for us. I have sensitive skin, so I almost never purchase detergent that isn't dye/perfume free. Most brands have a free/clear line. If you don't prefer those, I think you could try washing a load in other detergent and just watch to see if your daughter has a problem. If she hasn't shown any signs of skin sensitivity, I'm sure you are just fine to switch.

I use the baby Oxyclean powder for soaking and I LOVE it. There are occasionally stains that it doesn't hit, but that is rare. It really brightens things and takes out almost anything. I use Oxyclean Max Force for spot spraying, and find that it works pretty well too.

Mostly a repeat of what others have said... I quit using Dreft around 18 months. My experience with Oxyclean is that it leaves the clothes feeling funny, almost stiff... maybe my rinse cycles (I set it for two) don't get it all out? But I can sure tell if my husband, while trying to be helpful, has thrown some into a load. I bleach all our whites. My son doesn't have any allergy issues, but that would definitely be a consideration if he did.

The bottle says 18 months. I stopped then and I use other detergents that are unscented.

I never used it and always used bleach with whites and my kids are fine and they never got rashes.

I never used dreft. Always Tide Free or All Free. Those worked just fine and didn't seem to irritate my daughter even when she was a newborn. I have tried 7th generation, but it doesn't seem to get my clothes as clean. Also it leaves behind a funny smell. I don't have good luck with oxyclean, but I hear that other people do, so... I do know that there's a baby version of oxyclean, but I don't know what the difference is.

Hi Joanna

I never used the baby laundry I used the Get Clean line from Shaklee. The whole cleaning line is safe for your family as well as the planet. I have attached a link to my website. Please take a look and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

J. Knudson
Independent Distributor

http://healthylivingmama.myshaklee.com/us/en/category.php...;

I only used Dreft for the first few months or until I ran out. I felt that it was way too expensive and it didn't clean the clothes well enough (especially spit up). I'm sure there will be no problem switching to Tide. Plus it smells better.

I only bought one box, so I'd say a couple weeks only. UNLESS your children are allergic to a lot or sensitive, I just use regular what I use for my husband and I. I have always bleached the whites, especially when he was a newborn and pooped all over...

Sunrider's Superclean is great. The formula is completely harmless and plant-based. ECOS is great, too. Let's make our stores stock it!

The skin is the largest eliminative organ of the body. If we can reduce our families exposure to various toxins in our environment, we will see our health dramatically improve. (DRAMATICALLY!)

This is an investment in our families health and Well-being. We won't penny pinch here or with our families nutrition, either.

Hi Joanne,

What a good question! I used Dreft with my oldest child (now almost 6) and then switched stores when she was about 4 months old and still shop with that company. Their laundry detergent is ph-balanced and is gentle enough for the whole family. PLUS, it is super concentrated, so it is a great money saver! I hardly ever have to buy laundry detergent, and I now have three kids! They also have a whitening product that is created so it won't destroy your clothes. The company actually makes nearly 400 products that we all use every day, but their products are safer for the home, family, and environment. If you want more info, I'm happy to share. Just email me at ____@____.com. Thanks!

i stopped at a year. oxyclean is nice. i bleach my daughters clothes but i do set the washer to do an exta rince when i do.

I stopped using Dreft before my son was 1 and I haven't looked back. I use natural detergents that i get from a health food store like Ecos and I NEVER use bleach... it's destructive to nature. I like Oxyclean since it's a little more naturally friendly.

I never used dreft on any of my childrens clothes. Since the day they were born, I washed with our detergent. You can switch now and it would be alright.

Stopped using baby detergent? I never realized I was supposed to start using it! :) I've always washed my son's clothes in "big people" detergent. I've also Oxycleaned his clothes (no, it doesn't whiten like bleach does) and bleached his clothes. So far, none of us have had any sort of reaction to the detergents. Since he's approaching 7 now, I think we are probably not going to see a reaction now.

I never used that stuff because I hate how it smells and it costs an arm and a leg. I used All (baby) sometimes, but it's really not necessary to use anything different on baby clothes.

I actually use Tide original on most of my stuff and actually used it on my cloth diapers for a while until i found something better for that purpose. I use bleach occasionally (usually only on towels) and oxyclean quite often on the kid clothes.

My favorite way to get kid stains out (especially poop from breastfeeding) is by drying in the sun. I couldn't believe how well it worked when I tried it the first time. No chemicals, no energy spent on the dryer and it does a better job.

I have heard this question countless time from moms of small children, and I wish that someone had the foresight to tell me about how dangerous the chemicals are in everyday household cleaning products that we buy off the store shelves.
I was shocked and appalled to discover that all of the above mentioned products are now being linked to childhood respiratory problems and allergies - even so far as to say that overexposure to the harsher chemicals like bleach and ammonia are now being linked to cancer.
Please do some research - I encourage you to look at the product labels for even things like your baby shampoo. It will list a chemical called Quaternium 15 - this is actually formaldehyde and is common in all soaps and shampoos.
If you are truly interested in looking at alternatives for your family - give me a call. I am trying to help families see that there are alternatives out there and I may be able to help you too.

Let me know if you have any questions - I would be more than happy to chat with you about alternative products that are safer for your baby and your entire family.

____@____.com - I look forward to hearing from you!!!

Maybe I'm a horrible mom ;) but on this third kid that I just had I have just been throwing his stuff in with the rest of ours and he's been fine. The other two I washed the babies stuff in dreft for about 2-3 months and then changed over. You should be fine to change now! :) It will make your life easier if you can do it with the other laundry!

Honestly...I love the smell of it, so I still use it on my four year old. I figure I probably never REALLY needed it, I just like it...

-M

I never used dreft with any of my babies (I have three). My second had very sensitive skin and dreft has fragrances and was as irritating to her skin as all other detergents. I used natural detergents or the "free and clear" types. I also used cloth diapers... no bleach. Baking soda is great for whitening clothes and cleaning stains. Bleach shouldn't bother her skin unless she is really sensitive, but I agree with others that it's better to avoid using bleach- not just for children. The other option is to run a second rinse on her clothes to just be sure to remove as much of the residues as possible. But I really do swear by baking soda with the whites... it really works great and helps with hard water as well. I had good results with Oxyclean as well- never had a problem with irritation and it took out tons of stains when I soaked clothes in it.

you can stop now..i think i used it for about a month..then i read you don't have to use it at all.

Hi hun I used dreft from the day i was pregnant washing all the clothes till my baby was 3 months old i didnt care for it it seemed to fade his clothes even when washed in cold water!we use all free and clear or the tide clear but ya you could switch to a dye free one first if your baby isnt touchy to smells ;) good luck and for the bleach i would hold off on that till u have switched to the new detergent let her skin get used to that they also have baby oxy clean u can use for her whites until shes used to that

Since we swim all the time, I've never worried about bleach (chlorine bleach and chlorine swimming pools are the same chemical).

Hi Joanne,

I would stop using it immediately. Most detergents (including Dreft) contain monoethanolamine (MEA) which is highly toxic and linked to asthma, allergies, and eczema? Ever wonder why those have increased dramatically? Shaklee has a line of safe, non-toxic, highly efficient, super concentrated (lasts longer & saves you $) laundry products that are earth-friendly. They work amazingly! Every person that I know that has switched has called me to thank me and give me there testimonial. The laundry detergent is made from corn and coconut surfactants and works much better at getting your clothes clean than other national brands. Also, there is a product called Nature Bright Laundry Booster and Stain Remover that works 60% better than Oxyclean. It is a mother's dream! You will get ALL stains out. The products are safe and gentle so you never have to worry about separating laundry for babies or family with sensitive skin. Check them out at www.greennutrition.info and register to win $200 of free products at www.freegreenproducts.info. I have a cost comparison sheet if you'd like me to forward it to you. It's an eye-opener! Also, Shaklee guarantees all of their products and offers a money-back guarantee so there's no risk in trying.

Stopped using that stuff loooong ago (my daughter is 2), definitely by age 1.

I just wash her stuff in whatever I wash our stuff in.

Hi Joanne,
I think I used Dreft maybe once at the beginning then just went to Tide Free or All Free. I'm allergic to perfume so I always get Fragrance Free detergent and use dryer balls instead of the dryer sheets which are full of chemicals. As long as you use a Fragrance Free detergent your daughter should be fine. I use Oxyclean once in awhile also. I think it's fine to use bleech now too. I use Clorox or Clorox 2 for colors.

Hope this helps.

We switched my son at about a year. I put a few of his things in with ours and checked to see if he had a reaction when he wore them. We use a more natural detergent (like seventh generation) as oxi clean and others are really harsh and full of chemicals I won't put near my son!

I stopped using Dreft as soon as the free sample ran out! I couldn't stand doing separate loads for my son's wash and our wash. We all now use the Tide with no dyes, and no fragrances. My son has fairly sensitive skin, and we've never had any issues.
I only use bleach on my really whites, and then, I dilute it to 1/4 of what it says on the package to use. My son doesn't wear any whites, really, so his stuff doesn't get bleached ever.