10 Favorite Laundry Detergents for Babies

Products Nannies Love

Our skin is the largest organ on our bodies. The easiest way to protect babies from chemicals and fragrances that synthetic laundry detergents contain is to use natural products to wash their clothing and bedding.

All that is need to clean clothes are Baking Soda and White Vinegar.  Just 3/4 cup of baking soda can get a load of laundry clean with no added chemicals and no residual gunk left on the clothes. It works great on cloth diapers and adult clothing.

White vinegar is the perfect fabric softener. At first I worried that adding vinegar to my laundry would have me smelling like a salad, but the odor doesn’t remain on dry clothes. Adding 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle removes any detergent left in the clothing, prevents scale from settling in the clothes (which is the main reason it works as a fabric softener), and helps to repels per hair and dander.

If you or the family you work for are desperate to have a scent added to the clothing, experiment by adding a few drops of essential oils like tea tree oil, mint, lemon, or lavender to the wash.

Amazon is a great place to buy baby and children’s products because they make pricing clear and they also offer what they call the Family Program. It’s the perfect way to get the most out of your money, as it provides members with 20% off of product subscriptions. Click here to try the Amazon Family 30-Day Free Trial.

My 10 Favorite Store Bought Laundry Detergent Brands:

1. All Free and Clear

I love that All Free and Clear can be found on any grocery store shelf, in any Target or Walmart store, and even pharmacies in America. It is also inexpensive compared to specialty baby detergent brands. All Free and Clear can be used for the whole family. It has no irritating perfumes or fabric softeners.

2. Babyganics

This all-natural, plant-based detergent is amazing for babies with sensitive skin or any child with eczema. It is sulfate-free and rinses completely so there is never any itchy residue left behind.

3. Nellie’s Laundry Detergent

Just one tablespoon of Nellie’s Laundry Soda is needed for each regular sized laundry load. Every Nellie dryerball, fragrance stick, and laundry nugget is free of irritating toxins and phosphates, making them completely hypoallergenic. All the ingredients are biodegradable, helping to keep the environment as spotless as your clothes. Nellie’s Laundry Soda is safe for HE and standard washing machines. This detergent is scented.

4. Mrs. Meyer’s Laundry Detergent

This cruelty-free detergent contains naturally derived ingredients. It does have a fragrance derived from wildflowers, with a tiny touch of apple, lemon, and mint. Contains surfactants from plant-derived sources, dirt and stain-fighting enzymes, other thoughtfully chosen ingredients and, of course, those important essential oils. This liquid detergent is concentrated so a little goes a long way.

5. Puracy Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent

Plant-derived and allergen-free for those with sensitive skin and a clean environment. It was developed by doctors to clean as well as the synthetic brands, all while being a gentle and renewable solution.

6. Charlie Banana Laundry Detergent

Charlie Banana Laundry Soap is ideal for babies’ clothes and for anyone with allergies or sensitive skin. You just need to add one tablespoon to wash cloth diapers. It dissolves quickly in cold water, rinses thoroughly, and leaves no residue that can make clothes stiff and irritating. All their detergent just contains natural washing soda, sodium silicate, and coconut oil based detergents.

7. Seventh Generation

This hypoallergenic and fragrance-free laundry detergent is dermatologist tested to be gentle on skin. It is ultra-concentrated laundry soap. For more than 25 years, Seventh Generation has been thoughtfully formulating safe and effective plant-based products that work. As a leading green laundry detergent manufacturer, we are proud to make biodegradable and EPA Safer Choice Certified detergents. Their products are never tested on animals and do not contain animal-based ingredients. It is a very popular brand easy to find on store shelves.

8. Charlie’s Laundry Soap

Repeated washing with many detergents can leave residues in both your washer and your wash that can irritate sensitive skin. Just one tablespoon of Charlie’s Soap per load of laundry creates a soothing, safe, effective and biodegradable detergent that leaves nothing but the sweet smell of clean between your clothes and

9. Eco-Me Laundry Detergent

This is an efficient laundry detergent that has natural ingredients and eco friendly. Eco-Me makes several detergents with fragrance, but chose the one that has no fragrance for children with sensitive skin. This detergent is not tested on animals. It’s a gentle detergent not great for set in dirty stains from sports but it’s absolutely perfect for baby clothes and delicates.

10. Dreft Stage 1

I’m only adding Deft to the list because so many of my nanny friends recommend it. If the baby isn’t irritated by fragrances this is a very popular laundry detergent. It is marketed that it is made to be gentle on a newborn’s skin but I personally find the fragrance irritating to my skin. Deft is a popular brand that is easy to find on local store shelves.