Everything You Need to Know About Baby-Friendly Laundry Detergents

When it comes to your little ones, the kind of laundry detergent you use makes a huge difference.

When it comes to caring for your baby, choosing the right laundry detergent can be critical. With still-growing skin barriers, babies are especially susceptible to irritation—and traditional detergents often contain harsh chemicals, dyes, and sulfates that pose a threat to anyone’s wellbeing, let alone the extra-sensitive skin of your little one. By opting for a baby-friendly laundry detergent, you can help keep your baby's skin healthy and happy. Bonus? They’re usually better for the planet too.

The Risks of Traditional Detergents

While traditional detergents give the appearance that they clean well, they’re usually packed with harmful ingredients that stay in and on clothes even after washing, rinsing, and drying. For example, sulfates—used to create suds—are known to strip natural oils from our skin, causing dryness, itchiness, and increased sensitivity.

These ingredients transfer to our skin when we wear our clothes, and though you may not always notice the effects, babies typically have significantly more sensitive skin than adults, making irritation or allergies much more of a risk. Fragrances are also a common issue. They can induce allergic reactions or make common skin conditions like eczema worse.

Beginner’s Guide to Choosing Baby-Friendly Detergents

Choosing the right baby laundry detergent can be tough because there are so many choices. A good rule of thumb? Choose one that puts your baby's sensitive skin first and the environment a close second. Typically, they’re one and the same.

Understanding Labels and Ingredients

Navigating the world of baby detergents starts with understanding the labels. Knowing common terms and certifications can help you make safer choices.

Look for callouts like hypoallergenic, free from dyes, fragrance, VOCs, chlorine, ammonia, bleach, parabens, and phthalates—and certifications that verify these claims, like EPA Safer Choice, Leaping Bunny, Cradle to Cradle, and B Corporation.

It’s also crucial to comb through the ingredient list, but we know labels and long ingredient lists can be overwhelming. Generally, the shorter and easier to read an ingredient list is, the safer a product is. When in doubt, use our handy guide for reading labels here.

Opt for the Plastic-Free Choice

Once you have a solid understanding of labels and ingredients, the next step is deciding which type of detergent works best for you and your baby’s needs. While traditional jugs and pods are familiar and seemingly convenient, they’re often hiding harmful toxins and microplastics. Not to mention, lugging a bulky detergent jug is a chore in itself.

For the convenience of a pod and the efficacy of liquid detergent, tablets offer a solution that is easier on you and often safer for baby. Our recommendation? Blueland’s first-of-its-kind, non-toxic and 100% plastic-free Laundry Detergent Tablets. They're proven to work as well as any leading detergent, and they’re made with ingredients you can feel good about:

• 100% plastic free and easy on the environment
• Clean ingredients that are gentle on clothes and skin
• Easy and convenient to store and use.
• Proven as effective as other leading brands.