New moms are facing so many dilemmas when making the first choices for their infants. If one of your concerns is about the quality and safety of baby laundry detergent, this is the right place to be.
You have chosen the best baby clothes, then you also have to consider about laundry detergent as well. If you’re uncertain about actual needs of separate laundry detergent for baby’s clothes and diapers and you’re looking to invest in the new one, but you’re hesitating, we are here to assist you in making the perfect pick. With so many options on the market, how can you be sure that your choice was correct and not misled by false advertisements?
Washing with regular detergents or not? Can a tin of cheap soda wash off tough baby stains? This text will clear all the doubts and help you make the best choice of the laundry detergent for your loved little one.
What is in this review?
Take a look at our picks for the best baby laundry detergents for washing your baby’s clothes and diapers.
Are you a new parent struggling in your head with questions concerning baby’s safety, harmful chemicals, toxins and smelly residue in laundry detergents? In the following lines, I’ll show you my top seven baby laundry detergent recommendations and elaborate on why they caught my eye.
Since this is a very touchy subject, I’ll try to analyze my choices the best I can. Usually, new moms reach for well-advertised leading brands, well known in their family households. Tide is a good example; surely every house used it at least once. To clarify, we tend to believe that, leading brand detergents are hard on stains, made of high-quality ingredients, they will leave baby’s clothes and diapers perfectly clean and that they will go easy on baby’s tender skin. That is so wrong, because of that tiny-label-that-nobody-reads.
Petroleum-based, (or regular detergents, as we know them) are made of different dangerous chemicals and fragrances hidden behind confusing abbreviations: SLS, SLES, ALS, PEG, EDTA, DEA – all known as harmful and carcinogen to the human body, causing different skin conditions, from simple itch to eczema. Definitely, something you don’t want to subject your child to.
Editor’s Choice
Charlie’s-Soap
Why is it better?
- Organic product
- Calendula is handpicked in their gardens
- Cruelty free
- Great for eczema and cradle cap
- Natural Calendula scent
The Lineup At A Glance
| Product | Loads | Stains | Odors | Hot/Cold Wash | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charlie’s Soap | 100 | Removes all stains | Removes all odors | Both, equally good | |
Nellie’s All Natural Laundry Soda | 100 | Removes all stains | Removes all odors | Both, equally good | |
Biokleen Laundry Liquid, Free & Clear | 64 Standard/128 HE | Removes all stains | Doesn’t remove sweat | Both, equally good | |
Unscented by Shabby Chick | 70 | Can’t remove old stains | Removes all odors | Preferably hot | |
Eco-Me Laundry Natural Detergent | 64 | Not recommended for heavy stains | Removes all odors | Preferably hot | |
Seventh Generation | 53 | Removes all stains | Removes all odors | Both, equally good | |
Earth Friendly Products Baby Ecos  | 100 | Can’t remove old stains | Removes all odors | Both, equally good |
Best Laundry Detergent for our Babies
Below I have listed seven fantastic laundry detergents that are perfectly suitable for babies, fragrance-free, chemical-free, natural and safe.
1. Charlie’s Soap
I tried it once, just to please my go-green-eco-friendly-mother-in-law, and I immediately fell in love with it. When I washed my first loads with Charlie’s Soap, I was surprised to see my baby’s white cloth diapers and rompers being really white, and without any perfume, with just a scent of being clean.
- All toxic chemicals free
- Fragrance free
- No residue
- Washes off the old accumulated residue
- Safe
- Biodegradable
- Cruelty free
- Great on all kinds of stains
- No pre-soaking needed
- Washes in hot and cold water equally good
- Tub stated 100 loads, washed 80-85 actual loads.
So guys, what are you waiting for? Charlie’s Soap is not only the best natural baby laundry detergent, but it is also The Best. For everyone’s clothes, not just for baby’s. Use it for all the family, cat and dog coats and beds, plush toys too!
Since this soap is able to wash in cold water, so you don’t have to worry about your baby’s winter clothes anymore.
2. Nellie’s All Natural Laundry Soda
Nellie’s Laundry Soda caught my eye thanks to that excellent vintage design. That is to say, with so many products on supermarket shelves that are competitive with their bright colors and annoying, difficult to open packages, Nellie’s Soda came as a relief.
- Removes all known stains
- Chemicals free
- No residue
- Fragrance free
- Reusable tin
- 1.5 scoops/load needed for cloth diapers
- Less than 100 loads per tin
So guys, what are you waiting for? Charlie’s Soap is not only the best natural baby laundry detergent, but it is also The Best. For everyone’s clothes, not just for baby’s. Use it for all the family, cat and dog coats and beds, plush toys too!
3. Biokleen Laundry Liquid, Free & Clear
My favorite detergent before the discovery of Charlie’s Soap and Nellie’s Soda.
- Plant-based
- Concentrated liquid
- Fragrance-free
- Safe
- Gentle on skin
- Removes stains
- Naturally lightly scented
- Heavy odors (sweat) need pre-soaking
Since I am a mother of two, and my husband has a very delicate skin, I desperately needed a change from leading brands of detergents, and I was struggling with advertised “best laundry detergent for baby” or “organic baby laundry detergent” which was clearly just for advertising, since many of those detergents were still harsh on the delicate skin. I could scent milder fragrances and after double rinse I could still feel residue on cloth diapers and my husband’s shirts. I started digging deeper, learned more about toxic 1.4-dioxane, phosphates and other disturbing ingredients of “safe” baby laundry detergents.
My thoughts
Then I purchased my first Biokleen Laundry Liquid. I was curious about liquid detergents. Were they equally good and affordable like regular, powdery ones?
The answer was yes and yes! To my surprise, my husband’s annoying rash disappeared after washing and rinsing all his clothes several times.
I know I just said that Biokleen can’t fight a sweaty workout shirt, but surely it is not to be missed when it comes to the laundry detergent for our baby’s clothes. Babies don’t go to gym.
4. Unscented by Shabby Chick
“Dedicated with love to a dad”. Me again with the vintage design! What can I say, I really love it, I collect vintage art, and designing a laundry detergent package can be considered as a form of art, too.
- Non-toxic
- Hypoallergenic
- No Fragrances
- Removes baby food stains
- Helpless wit old or deeply embedded stains
This is a handcrafted liquid soap, condensed and super creamy, and like previous ones takes only one tablespoon per full load of clothes. To clarify, this one goes directly to the clothes and not into detergent dispenser. It is non-toxic and hypoallergenic, free from fragrances and dyes. There are unscented and lightly scented versions. Therefore, I prefer unscented one, just to be on the safe side.
I had one silky dress decorated with my toddler’s greasy fingers (she had fish and fries for dinner and gave me a hug on my night out), and this thank-you-so-much-soap removed the stains perfectly. Baby cloth diapers are easily ironed after being washed in this soap, and they feel very gentle in your hand, so I believe that baby’s delicate skin will be delighted, too.
I don’t buy this one often, just sometimes, when I feel the need for change.
5. Eco-Me Laundry Natural Detergent
Sometimes you have to listen to older and wiser neighbors. Eco-Me detergents are regular stock in my first neighbor’s house for years (love you, Diana!) and I was curious to try one bottle. Most importantly, she was so happy with my choice that she gave me one from her stock, not to feel guilty about money wasted. Luckily, I was really happy with my first load.
- Plant based
- All natural
- Chemicals free
- No optical brighteners
- No residue
- Cruelty free
- Only hot water wash
- Can’t remove heavy stains
That is to say that as a working mom I have no time to pre-soak, hand scrape, or do any other kind of stain treatment. I like to fold it and toss it into washing machine and let the laundry detergent to the job. Eco-Me is simply not strong enough to beat toddler made stains (mud, poop, grass, markers and mom’s mascara). So, I use it from time to time for some delicate items.
Lastly, if your kids are preschoolers or older, I am convinced that you will love this detergent.
6. Seventh Generation – Natural Baby Laundry Detergent
This detergent performs miracles on all types of stains. A Superhero in the world of stains! A Certified Biobased Product, 96% made with plant-based ingredients, fragranced with essential oils and botanical extracts.
- No fabric softeners
- Lack of fragrances
- No Dyes
- No optical brighteners
- Removes all known stains
- Subtle natural lemon scent
- Contains sodium lauryl sulfate (plant-derived)
- No petroleum based SLES
- 1,4-dioxane free
- Contains two low toxic synthetic preservatives
That is to say, some people applaud to Seventh Generation laundry detergents; some, like my husband, the Pharmacist, are worried about hidden chemicals on the label, saying that two different synthetic preservatives are not allowed to be present in what is called “Natural Laundry Detergent”. Then, I leave it to your choice.
It cleans very well, destroys all the stains, so if your family is involved in active life, that includes hiking, riding, climbing and other similar, stain-friendly activity, and you are not 101% into green lifestyle, give it a try, it won’t be a disappointment.
7. Earth Friendly Products Baby Ecos Disney Laundry Detergent
When Disney character outweighs during detergent shopping This was my first baby detergent purchase made because I felt need to buy a Disney related product. Now, when I am an experienced shopper with common sense, my attention can be never drawn again to this type of merchandise. That is to say: ”If a product itself needs a help of a world-famous brand in order to be sold, that product is not worth of my dime and my time.”
- Concentrated
- Hypoallergenic
- Phosphate free
- Chlorine and dye free
- No residue
- Cruelty free
- Cap is firm and tight
- Dosage shown clearly
- Removes usual baby stains
- Can’t remove old stains
Maybe you will have different experiences, for I have heard that the formula is slightly changed.
For baby girl clothes, you have to use detergent more carefully since the clothes often have accessories on them. You may find many great baby girl clothes on our list. Or if you have a baby boy, we also have a special review on the best baby boy clothes here.
What have we learned from this text?
- Regular detergent ingredients: Regular detergents from leading brands are full of toxic, harmful, carcinogenic chemicals, that can cause different irritations, eczema, and other serious skin conditions
- Actual cleanliness: All laundry detergents leave a residue on the clothes after being washed and rinsed several times. This residue can not be seen
- Are we being lied to: Detergent manufacturers misguide us with false advertisements, where “natural lavender scent” is nothing but a bunch of hideous chemicals, and “sparkling white and clean laundry” is a euphemism for optical brighteners that create a false impression of clean laundry.
- Detergent labels: What is advertised as “natural”, “baby safe”, “organic” sometimes is neither safe nor organic, read labels carefully and look for the answers on the web if you are not sure what an abbreviation stands for. You can use this website for the daily dose of Green Activism
Additional information
- Is the natural detergent solely for babies: There is a variety of plant-based laundry detergents, that are not only a good choice for your offspring but for the whole family too.
- Are natural detergents really good: Plant-based detergents are skin-friendly, environment-friendly, they cost more-less the same like petroleum-based detergents, but you don’t need to rush to the hospital in case of ingestion, simple water drinking will do the job
- What makes a quality baby detergent: Good baby laundry detergent has to be toxic chemicals free, fragrance-free, phosphate, chlorine, and dye free and not to leave any residue on clothes
- Superpowers we look for in baby detergents: Baby detergent of your choice has to be a stain-killer. During the first years of baby’s life, stains are a constant enemy that needs to be destroyed, over and over again. So, yes to the stain removing natural detergent, and no to the aggressive stain removers that can be found on supermarket shelves
F.A.Q
What are the key characteristics of a good baby laundry detergent?
– List of ingredients: The lesser, the better. Natural detergents don’t have a long list of chemical ingredients. You need to see on the label that it’s non-toxic and chemicals free, fragrance-free, sulfate-free, without optical brighteners, non-irritating- Fabric cleanliness: Must leave no residue on clothes, also has to remove old residue accumulated after years of using regular, petroleum-based detergents. This is something you can’t see, but your baby’s skin can feel it. You can also feel your clothes being kind of “slimy” between your hands- Environmental impact: Must be safe, eco-friendly, biodegradable, and something I personally find very important – cruelty-free, meaning, no animal testing! – No mercy on stains: It has to be effective on all baby stains like food, dirt, poop, puke and many others as the baby grows up.
So, are you still using that regular, petroleum-based laundry detergent for your baby’s clothes and cloth diapers?
If this text intrigued you enough to dig deeper, read more and educate yourself, spread the word to the others. Start with your family, your mom, in-laws, siblings. I am sure that you will be surprised by a number of people suffering from different skin conditions, and I am not talking only about kids. To clarify, one person interested in switching from regular, petroleum-based laundry detergent to this, “new age, green kind” of plant-based detergents, will trigger another, then another, and soon the majority of moms, and concerned grandmas will go green, leaving no other solution to the manufacturers of leading brands but to sit down and think and reformulate their products.
Why to continuously poison our baby’s delicate and sensitive skin?
Thanks to the endless sea of information on the web, you can easily say NO to your well-intentioned mother-in-law and explain that what is best for the baby comes from nature, and not from some greedy multinational manufacturer of household care products
Childmode thanks you in advance.
Dear new mom, thank you for sparing some time to read my The 7 Best Baby Laundry Detergent list, I do encourage you to try them all. As you could see from the list, my priorities and taste have changed over the years and lately, I enjoy using the ones from the top of the list.
However, you might have a different opinion.
Please, do not hesitate to share it with me.
Cheers!