New in parenthood? Welcome to the club filled with dirty clothes, strong stains and beautiful unforgettable moments! Yes, having a child can double or triple the amount of laundry you need to do. What’s more, you are now cleaning clothes for a newborn baby. Your child is more sensitive to the chemicals used in detergents and can suffer from allergies and itchiness caused by those substances. So what can you do? If you are looking for baby safe products, organic baby laundry detergents are an option can go for.
You may think what difference is between regular and organic laundry detergents. Actually, there are quite a few elements we can list. Let’s take a quick look at them.
Regular vs Organic baby laundry detergent
The first difference stands in the ingredients used in the two product types. Looking at the regular laundry detergents, here are a few chemicals used in their production:
- Phenols – chemical which can be quickly absorbed and can lead to circulatory collapse, cold sweats
- Petroleum distillates (naphthas) – can cause lung problems (inflammation) and even cancer
- Phosphates – chemicals with a powerful impact on the environment. Phosphates have been linked to determining certain marine plants to grow chaotically, leading to an unbalance in the ecosystem.
- Sodium hypochlorite – toxic chemical, linked to household poisoning
- Artificial fragrances – can cause allergies and irritations of the skin and eyes
- Ammonia – linked to eye problems (cataracts, corneal), bronchitis and pneumonia
- Sodium sulfate – can cause respiratory, eye and skin irritations
What’s more, these laundry detergents are known for leaving a residue on the washed clothes. It’s not something visible to the open eye. This residue is linked to several problems such as allergies, irritations of the skin and eyes and endocrine disruptions. If adults find it hard to deal with these symptoms, think of how your child would feel. The young ones are more sensitive and predisposed to suffering from these effects.
Organic baby laundry detergents position themselves on the other side of the discussion. They are made of plant-based or food-based ingredients, which cause little to no harm to the environment. They can also be biodegradable and can have other characteristics such as:
- soft on babies’ skin
- no fragrances
- non-toxic
- hypo-allergenic
- non-volatile
- not tested on animals
Yet, you need to check all of these on the product you want to buy, as this information differs from one product to another.
Speaking of checking, it’s crucial to pay very much attention when buying an organic baby laundry detergent. Don’t let yourself caught in catchy titles. Here are a few details you need to look at in every product.
What you need to be careful to
If the detergent is baby safe
Although some detergents have a baby safe label, this does not mean they are a reliable option. You need to check their ingredients list and see of there are any harsh chemicals used. If you find any, move on to the next product. You can also encounter the situation where you don’t have an ingredient list to look over. Detergent companies (in some countries) are allowed not to list their ingredients on the package.
Also, make sure the detergent is certified as being organic.
Product efficiency
There are a few elements which make a good organic baby laundry detergent. We can put them in 3 categories:
- how gentle it is on a baby’s skin
- having no chemicals and fragrances
- efficient in removing stains
Let’s concentrate more on the last aspect. Being able to clean strong stains is the top characteristic of a good product. Yet, if you realize your detergent is not powerful enough to deal with cloth diapers, stains of poop, pee and puke, don’t let it go. You can still use it for cleaning daily clothes and you can look for a new organic baby laundry detergent for those annoying stains.
Where to find an organic baby laundry detergent
It’s true, organic baby laundry detergents can be hard to find in regular stores. So, your next option is to shop online. Here are a few suggestions you can look over.