laundry detergent - quick Q

[Citykid]

Hi all you btdt mamas,

What kind of laundry detergent should I get for baby's clothes? I have no idea of what's out there except for the Dreft I see in the supermarket. Is that stuff all right?

Thanks!

[KKmama]

Dreft is nasty crap. Don't buy it!

If you get something mild which is dye- and perfume-free (which Dreft is not), you'll be fine. We use 7th Generation for *all* of our laundry and double-rinse it. This makes it easier to just wash the baby clothes in with everyone else's clothes.

[pique]

On Nighten's recommendation, we've been using Charlie's Soap for all our clothes and for pre-washing diapers and baby clothes. It's pretty amazing stuff and you use so little:

www.charliesoap.com/

[jassyp101]

We use Ecos. It's all natural and dye free. It's available in most health food stores.

[2+twins]

We're using Charlie's Soap here too (for everything).

[Stayathomemommy]

we use Meleluka scent free, i wont be buying anything special for the babies clothes. its definatelly best to find something you can use on all your laundry since you will want to wash all your cloths in stuff that wont irritate babies skin.

[hairpin]

Just how much Charlie's Soap do you use? I couldn't figure it out from the website.

[Carley]

^^1 Tablespoon of soap per load I also hopped on the Charlies wagon!

[hairpin]

What? Does it really clean with one TABLESPOON?

That's crazy talk!

... maybe I'll try it out though...

[aweynsayl]

i love Ecover.

[mariank]

We have been using the Trader Joe's brand Ecover knock-off lately for all our laundry and will use it for baby clothes & diapers too. Everyone in our household has extremely sensitive skin. The Trader Joe's brand is $5 for the big box, which is $10 at Whole Foods and $18 at other stores!

Marian

[AdinaL]

I use biokleen.

[celestialdreamer]

Originally Posted by AdinaL

I use biokleen.

: We've been using it for about 5 yrs, and just used the same thing on dd's diapers and clothes. I do like to wash baby clothes seperately even though we use the same exact wash technique, that way I can make sure to pretreat any baby clothes stains before they go in the washer.

[newbie_mary]

Another new convert to Charlie's Soap here!! It works GREAT and the bag is so small, yet it does 80 loads!!!!!

Mary

[nighten]

Charlie's Soap is the bomb! I use 1/8cup per load (I use the liquid) and it works great.

Love it. And it is 100% water soluble so no residue for to mess with diaper absorbancy.

Good stuff, that Charlie's!

[2+twins]

I only use 1/2 tbs per full load with Charlies cuz I have an HE machine, so that's 160 loads per bag (and the bag is indeed small). Pretty amazing stuff!

[Citykid]

Thanks so much ladies, this is SOOO helpful! Can you buy Charlie's in your local health food store or do you have to order it online?

[nighten]

Originally Posted by Citykid

Thanks so much ladies, this is SOOO helpful! Can you buy Charlie's in your local health food store or do you have to order it online?

You have to order it online, but they are super fast with their turnaround time.

[Wittyone]

Originally Posted by Citykid

Thanks so much ladies, this is SOOO helpful! Can you buy Charlie's in your local health food store or do you have to order it online?

Some people have been able to find it at their Whole Foods but my local one doesn't seem to carry it. Check out Charlie's website b/c if I remember correctly they list some stores where they are starting to distribute to.

[veganf]

Use whatever you want. The baby won't care unless he/she turns out to be allergic. We used to use the "natural" laundry soaps, but they clogged our plumbing and didn't clean cloth diapers well.
All Dreft is is an expensive detergent with fabric softener added. If you're washing cloth diapers, avoid it like the plague.

- krista