Dreft Vs. ALL Free- Clear

I think you'll be fine. I never washed my kids clothes separately, unless they were so nasty that I didn't want them nastifying the other things in the laundry. She's 3 now and has never had any skin issues. I've always used Tide.

Like many others, I have used ALL Free & Clear detergent since my baby was born with no issues. I also use Bounce Free (I think that's what they're called) dryer sheets. I began using ALL Free & Clear when I came across an article recommending it over Dreft and other baby detergents as it has fewer perfumes and dyes.

I never used special laundry detergent for my kids -- they never had any problems. My advice is to try the ALL, keep the clothes you washed in ALL separate for awhile and see if he gets a reaction. It's not going to be anything serious anyway -- a skin rash perhaps. If you seen any sign of redness or itching, then change him immediately.

I never used Dreft, the free and clear kinds are actually better. Dreft is just marketed as gentle for babies, but is no better than the other kinds with perfumes and dyes, just better marketing. And at this age lots of people are using their regular detergent as long as baby doesn't have skin irritations or eczema.

As for the dryer sheets, those actually are worse than the rinse in kind, because the chemicals just sit on the surface of the clothing. But depending on your humidity level where you live, you might be able to just get away with using those dryer balls. That is what I used on my son's laundry.

HI R.,

I would use an all natural or non toxic laundry detergent with or without a non toxic dryer sheet for my little one. I personally use a product that is so safe there is no need for a safety cap. It is gentle for baby and for the rest of the family and is inexpensive as well. If you're interested I can get you details on why I use it over all the other products on the market. It's not an MLM company but it works like a co-op so I'd need to fill you in on how to get it if you're interested.

If you want to shop at the grocery store Seventh Generation would be my pick. It doesn't detox but it is safe. It's expensive but the price is beginning to come down with all the "green" products emerging. I personally don't trust anything PandG manufactures because of the toxicities in all their other products.

Regards,

M.

My Doctor said not to use Dreft because it has perfume in it. I just use the free stuff on all our laundry. It makes it easier when you don't have to wash the baby stuff separately!

I agree with Stephanie H. Dreft has smelly perfumes, which are an issue for little ones because their sense of smelling is SO sensitive.
I would use the free/clear dryer sheets also (found at any store or target). You don't need clothes smelling like fake flowers or "summer breeze". Its better for him, and for all of you to eliminate the fake fragrances from your lives. :)
Good luck!

Dreft is awful! Its full of dyes and perfumes and has more chemicals in it than Tide. You are better off never using it. Plus it fades clothes horribly.

Any detergent will do, babies don't need special detergent. Just wash them with your clothing in regular detergent and call it good. No point in creating more work for yourself.

We never used Dreft. Just go wit the fragrance-free versions like you've found and you'll be fine. We also broke the rules and used fabric softener and our kids did fine, too.

We have used All Free and Clear -- or Purex Free and Clear if I can find it bc it is less expensive -- since my son was born and have never had any issues. They also make free & clear dryer sheets -- I found generic ones at Target.

Here is a fabulous product you buy online for baby and entire family:
http://healinghappens.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sk...

can buy in powder or liquid, is non-toxic and okay for the environment

all free and clear is far superior to dreft. dreft is just marketing genious. as for the dryer sheet, i stopped using them for myself and my baby (now 4). there was a little adjustment but i do not miss it. i made the decision when talking to my chemist/parent friend about how softeners work and decided that since they are in no way neccessary i'd give them up. bonus is i can throw a towel in any load and my lint screen does not get plugged up.

I stopped using the dreft and the unscented dryer sheets around 6 mos - largely because one day I just forgot and did my sons laundry like my own. Since he had no negative reaction (and hadn't shown any other skin sensitivities to anything else), I just finished up the dreft and never bought any more.

It depends on how sensitive your son's skin is. Personally, I bought the dreft when I was about to deliver and I almost never used it. I use dye free/perfume free detergents and fabric softeners and my son has been fine.

unless your baby is allergic or has sensitive skin i wouldnt worry about what you wash babies clothes with. mine were alwas washed with our detergent with our adult clothes. in my opinion its just another way for them to make money

same with the dryer sheets alwys use them with my kids too.

Funny, my Mom was looking for Dreft in the Cleveland OH area and couldn't find it either.......

We always used the Free& Clear versions, whatever was cheapest (still do). We quit all forms of fabric softener/dryer sheets when oldest son had eczema, and he and I both had real itchy skin, so can't help you there. I don't miss them a bit.

Good luck

K. Z.

Your baby should be fine, unless he has particularly sensitive skin. Should you want to pursue this line of thinking, i.e. safer products for your home, there is a lot of research which suggests it is a good idea to get all chemicals out of the home, i.e. laundry detergent that is safe for baby and the environment! You might find www.10Americans.com to be of interest. Good luck, R., and enjoy the little guy!

We used All Free & Clear when my son was a baby. He spent 11 weeks in the NICU, and they washed all the baby clothes in Tide (not free & clear or anything special). So, I probably didn't need to use a free & clear, but it made me feel better. Now we just use whatever, and he has had no problems with it.

You should be fine with a dryer sheet. My son has sensitive skin and we were using All free clear and a dryer sheet by the time he was 3 months.

Hands down, Rockin Green. I can send you a sample if you want.

Not sure about the detergent you mentioned. We use MelaPower, it's very concentrated and works well. I pay $16 for a 96 load container (48 oz) and it's the equivalent of about 3 bottles of national brand. It's safe for clothes of kids of all ages because it's not caustic, it's also environmentally good, I live by the Chesapeake Bay, so that's important to me,

I used all free and clear most of the time, we never had any issues. I use it on all our clothes and love it.
I did use whole foods bran baby soap for a while too, and that was good aswell, though pricy!

Yes you should be fine. To be honest I stopped using Dreft/All when my baby was about 8 months. My boyfriend has sensitive skin and we only use tide so he doesn't break out. So thats what I have been washing her clothes in and she's been fine.

Your baby should be fine but if in doubt, check with his doctor. I actually recommend another laundry detergent which contain less chemicals than even the "baby" detergents. It is called Melapower.

If interested, let me know.

Your baby will be just fine. You shouldn't believe everything you're told and you shouldn't buy everything you're told. Dreft is great for babies with extra-sensitive skin that actually get rashes from regular detergent. But I've always washed my babies clothes with everyone elses and never had a single problem. If regular detergent didn't cause your baby problems then there is no reason to buy a special detergent just for baby. Don't fall victim to clever advertising campaigns. Remember, these companies aren't in business to help you, they're in business to make money. Period.

I used ALL for a while and then switched to regular detergents. Unless your baby is very sensitive, he will be fine. If he is sensitive to dyes, switch to a dye free fragrence free version.

We use hypoallergenic detergent for my daughter (turned 2 in Feb) b/c she has sensitive skin. We've almost always used Bounce dryer sheets and she's been fine with those-it's just the normal detergent she can't handle. We used Baby All until we started with this hypyallergenic detergent a few months ago. My son was fine with normal detergent at 1 yr.