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Babies go through a lot more clothes than young children and adults, it’s incredible just how often the washing machine is on despite all your best efforts. On top of that, the baby’s skin is so much more sensitive and vulnerable which means that only safe and mild baby laundry detergent will do. This poses two questions – which washing powder is best at both cleanings and for protecting your baby?
These are the questions we posed for ourselves before we did our research and come up with a list of the best baby laundry detergent for babies UK.
Here are our top picks:
Best Detergent for Baby Clothes Reviews
Contents
Persil 3 in 1 Non-Bio Detergent Washing Capsules
The Persil 3 in 1 non-bio washing capsules dissolves quickly and doesn’t leave any residue in the wash. They break down stains quickly and effectively which includes stubborn and tough stains such as pasta sauce and of course, poo. They are designed to be kind on baby’s clothes and won’t discolour them. Lastly, and perhaps most important is that Persil has been recognised by the British Skin Foundation for producing a product which is kind on the sensitive skin of a baby. Persil also offers a fabric softener which works well with these capsules for best results.
Fairy Non-Bio For Babies Washing Liquid Detergent Pods
Fairy is a brand that we are all familiar with the UK and perhaps most famous for best baby products. Our of their range we recommend the non-biological washing capsules as we think they are the best. They’re great for washing baby’s clothes but perhaps best-reviewed due to their mild nature on baby skin and have been dermatologically accredited by the Skin Health Alliance. Fairy detergent for babies is not only one of the best performing but they’re also relatively cheap, available to buy in large quantities and widely available online and in your local supermarkets.
Why not also get Fairy fabric conditioner for an even softer wash.
Molly’s Suds Original Laundry Detergent Powder
Molly’s Suds non bio best baby washing powder has been specifically designed for babies with sensitive skin. Perhaps it’s best feature is that it’s designed to produce little suds which is handy for parents without super powerful and expensive washing machines – it’s highly concentrated and strong and can obliterate even the most soaked in and dried up stains. It can also be used effectively as a pre-wash. The powder is fragrance free, hypoallergenic and won’t irritate newborn baby skin which makes this product a fantastic all-rounder for people who prefer baby wash powder over liquids.
Norit Best Baby Clothing and Atopic Skin Liquid Detergent
For parents with babies who have eczema, atopic or really sensitive skin then we can’t think of better laundry detergent to wash baby clothes than Norit fragrance-free, non-bio detergents. It is recommended by dermatologists, paediatricians and allergists because of how mild it is on the skin but it is not plant-based. It’s washing capabilities are not the best and although it doesn’t compare with some of the stronger mixtures on our list it will still get clothes very clean. This shouldn’t be a surprise as the priority is to protect your baby’s skin. Best for babies with an existing skin condition.
Bollicine Certified Eco Organic Baby Clothes Laundry Liquid
This plant-based, eco-friendly, non-biological laundry liquid has been hailed as one of the safest laundry products to use for baby clothes. Free of petroleum, lanolin, mineral oils and parabens as well as being allergy tested you can be safe in the knowledge that your baby’s sensitive skin won’t be aggravated. Lastly, it’s plant-based, too, which may make it an attractive purchase for vegans and animal lovers. Best use is by hand but works just as effective in a washing machine to remove tough stains.
Eureka Sensitive Non-Bio Liquid Detergent
Eureka offers a non bio detergent which uses pure olive oil soap to wash the stains from the baby clothes, chamomile extract to give it a fresh smell. It has been tested to be hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested to ensure your baby’s skin is in safe hands. They don’t offer massive bottles but the price is relatively low and is one of the few brands which can cater for babies who do suffer from allergies and hypersensitivity. One of the best alternatives to big brands to help make sure baby laundry doesn’t become an anxiety-inducing event.
The EcoGurus – Highest Strength Non-Bio Natural Detergent
The EcoGurus offer one the highest strength detergent which is also friendly on baby’s sensitive skin. They’ve done this whilst being completely plant-based which outperforms even the best products on the market. Free of most complicated and harsh chemicals commonly used in laundry detergents such as phosphates, chlorine, formaldehyde (soap), whitener, glycol and common fragrances. Works exceptionally well in on low temperatures if you’re afraid of the damage high temps can do to precious clothes.
Ecogenic Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent
The Ecogenic laundry detergent for baby laundry is one of the few products which pass the guidelines set by ECOGARANTIE which sets a standard for products which are made from sustainable materials with little to no impact on the Earth’s ecosystem. This means this non bio product is free from virtually all man-made chemicals which gives you one of the mildest baby detergents in the UK. Perhaps not the best on stains but it’s the lightest on sensitive skin.
Baby Anthyllis Detergent Delicate Detergent for Baby Clothing
The Baby Anthyllis detergent’s core ingredients are olive and rapeseed oil which is vegan, non-bio and dermatologically tested to reduce the risk of skin irritations on babies wearing clothes which have been washed with this. It cleans well and gets whites really white even when tested against baby’s clothes stained with pasta and even dyes. It’s cheap to buy but the bottle only holds 22 washes which is quite low so make sure to buy in bulk or arrange a subscription service with places like Amazon or supermarket click and collect services for best results.
NUK Non-Bio Fragrance-Free Detergent
NUK are manufacturers of a variety of baby products which are well received but their problem always seems to be visibility – they are not as widely known as they deserve. They are the leading brand in Germany and you can see why. pH neutral, no harsh chemicals and a superb clean even against the most soaked in stains. Their only problem is the small bottle size (500ml) which is half the standard capacity and far below the brands which offer bulk purchases.
Detergent and Washing Powders For Baby Clothes Buyer’s Guide
Do you need special detergent for baby clothes?
You don’t need to buy special detergent for baby clothes washing, you just need to avoid detergents with harsh chemicals, perfumes and ingredients which can cause or aggravate allergies. Babies do not need to have particularly sensitive skin to have adverse reactions to your laundry detergent.
The reason for this is summarised perfectly by Mustela, “Your baby’s sensitive which seems so beautiful and perfect but in fact, it’s extremely delicate. At birth, babies have an immature skin barrier. Your baby’s skin is highly delicate and vulnerable to daily outside attacks, and does not reach the first stage of maturity until the age of two.”
One of the most common causes of rashes on baby skin according to Healthline are allergies, chemicals, friction and fragrances (not teething!) which can all come from the clothes they wear which still have laundry detergent residue on them. Specifically, what kind of chemicals are in the material. Washing baby’s clothes with strong detergents can cause rashes.
Indeed, sensitive skin in babies is common with around 1 in 3 suffering from rashes, blemishes and dry skin which is a statistic too high to ignore. Therefore, to protect your baby from rashes and other skin conditions then you should be washing the baby’s clothes with laundry detergent which is free from these kinds of chemicals.
What are the chemicals to avoid in baby laundry detergent
Most people already know that ingesting any kind of detergent is toxic so there’s no point listing them all. But, these chemicals listed here are what can cause problems when used to wash baby’s clothes on their sensitive skin when they wear them.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES) – A common ingredient in the most laundry detergent which acts as a foaming agent and surfactants which remove the dirt from the clothes. This is the most common reason why laundry detergent can irritate the eyes, skin and is toxic when ingested. Detergents with SLS and SLES should be avoided both when washing baby’s clothes and kept away from their reach. SLS and SLES can also be found in washing up liquid so be careful.
- Chlorine bleach – Chlorine bleach is a well-known skin and lung irritant and most commonly associated with swimming pools. Bleach is harmful for the skin for the same reason it’s a great surfactant – it’s very strong and harsh on biological materials such as skin, eyes and hair.
- Optical brighteners / UV brighteners – Also known as simply ‘brighteners’ this chemical is designed to hide stains on clothes but doesn’t actually remove them. Brighteners are known to irritate the skin, eyes and lungs and can kill aquatic life which comes into contact with it.
- Fragrances – Artificial fragrances and perfumes do not improve the performance of the washing powder baby detergent whatsoever and are there to make the clothes smell fresh and clean afterwards giving the illusion that the clothes are clean. Many people may buy laundry detergent solely based on how they smell as opposed to how effective they are to at washing baby laundry. Artificial fragrances and perfumes are highly toxic, can irritate the skin and many are classified as carcinogens. Always buy fragrance-free baby laundry detergent.
- Dyes – Dyes offer no performance benefit whatsoever and are there simply to make the colour of the detergent more appealing to the consumer. Artificial dyes can irritate the skin and eyes and can be the cause of unexpected rashes of blotches on babies with or without sensitive skin. Plant-based and natural dyes are acceptable.
What should I wash my baby clothes with?
The best baby detergents on the UK market will be non-bio, free from the above-listed chemicals and eco-friendly. There are many products on the market which meet this criterion and we have listed our favourites for you. The most important thing to remember is just how sensitive your baby is to man-made chemicals in the early months and to avoid them at all costs. It is a myth that a mild detergent will be useless at removing stains and it’s more of a marketing ploy to make you believe that.
What does non-bio mean?
Non-bio means that the baby laundry detergents are free from biological enzymes commonly included in adult detergents. Biological enzymes can cause rashes when exposed to sensitive skin. Non-bio detergents use other ingredients to achieve the same results but does not necessarily mean that the detergent is suitable for babies.
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