Baby Laundry Soap for Toddler Clothes?

on September 17, 2009 at 4:56 PM

baby laundry soap In the parenting class I took at the hospital before the birth of our first child, the wizened old baby nurse gave some insider tips.

"Don't get caught up in buying special baby laundry soap," was one she told us about. "It's expensive and unnecessary. You know those blankets we swaddle your baby in the minute after she's born? All washed and sterilized with bleach. Every last one of them."

Well, IDK, that's just what she said.

I used the baby laundry soap I recieved as a shower gift, but as soon as it ran out I switched to the Free and Clear stuff that I myself must use on my clothes to avoid breaking out in hives. Just call me Mrs. Allergic. It's cheaper than the baby soap, but I must admit I missed that great baby clothes smell. Baby laundry soap is specially formulated for baby-type stains like urine, poop, milk, and foods.

A number of CafeMoms never bothered with baby laundry soap. They used their usual household stuff from the get-go or, like me, used the Free and Clear. The Free and Clear is even better than baby soap, they said, because it lacks fragrance, which many people (Exhibit A: Cafe Cynthia) are allergic to.

But some moms continue to wash their toddlers clothes separately from the rest of the house. I admit I got into this habit for a good long while, too, until I noticed that my kids' clothes were way dirtier than ours and that I wouldn't be "contaminating them" with our grown-up dirt.

It's a little silly when you think about it. I mean, dirt is dirt.

Do you use any special soap or methods for laundering your toddler's clothes?

Related posts:

10 Laundry Shortcuts

Let's Go on a Laundry Strike

Gee, Your Laundry Smells Terrific

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: clothes, health

Comments (17)

aurorabunny

on Sep 17, 2009 at 5:44 PM

We use Charlies soap. Most of the stuff in regular detergents is totally yuck.

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RanaAurora

on Sep 17, 2009 at 5:56 PM

She's right. Normal detergents are pretty nasty when you learn more about them. Whiteners/brighteners? Those leave particles in your clothing that just refract light - it's not that your clothing is brighter, it's just more covered in chemicals.

We use Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day liquids, along with baking soda and white vinegar.

AgentBrez

on Sep 17, 2009 at 6:03 PM

i make my own laundry detergent and dont separate my kids clothes from mine and hubby's. i used dreft with my first, for her first few months, maybe up to a yr but was told it was not necessary so i stopped. when i did buy detergent i bought the all free and clear.

momoflilangel

on Sep 17, 2009 at 6:23 PM

I use the same laundry soap for all of us. I used Dreft when it was given to me as a gift but after that it was too expensive & unecessary.

I do wash my daughters clothes separately though. She has her own laundry basket and when it is full all her clothes get washed together. I think it's easier this way and I don't have to worry about losing her little socks in our grown up clothes.

CherBearCM

on Sep 17, 2009 at 7:06 PM

I wash our clothes seperately from my husband's work clothes when he has been dealing with fibreglass or grease but other than that it all goes in the same load. But I also buy free & clear detergent, I am the one with the skin problems! LOL

justanotherjen

on Sep 17, 2009 at 8:56 PM

I've never used special baby detergent. We were using free & clear stuff long before I had kids (started to use it when I was a teen and started to break out from the detergent and/or dryer sheets--just stopped using both). So when we had kids I just kept using what I always used.

My toddler's stuff gets washed on it's own usually. That's just because she has her own room and her own basket. I do her clothes every other week (she has a LOT of clothes) and it's usually exactly 1 load since the clothes are small. But if she doesn't have a lot I just toss it in with mine or one of her siblings if they are doing laundry. Her brother (almost 8) gets way dirtier then she does, lol. Personally, I'd never wash my own clothes with my other kids' clothes because they are really dirty and gross compared to the toddler's, lol.

ilovemyson2002

on Sep 17, 2009 at 9:44 PM

i never baught the baby soap on my 2 kids n i used the same soap as we did

mommypip

on Sep 17, 2009 at 11:35 PM

I use free and clear but only because I'm cloth diapering. I don't use seperate stuff though. My SO's clothes have to be washed seperately though because he works with welders and coolant which both contain lead.

toriandgrace

on Sep 18, 2009 at 1:34 AM

I'm also allergic to laundry detergents, so I have always used All free and clear. I'm comfortable with my chemical filled detergents, just personally.

fmchavez

on Sep 18, 2009 at 1:52 AM

I'm incredibly anal about the scent of my laundry. I don't know why but I am. I literally spend 20minutes (well not everytime, but I have) picking out a detergent for our regular wash. I freaking love the way dreft smells. I don't know what it is but it makes me incredibly happy.