Laundry detergent help?

[Xero]

I'm full of questions these days.

So I've been going green LOL!! But seriously, mostly because I like the idea of the all natural ingredients in the stuff that are more human-friendly. With all the sensitive skin in my house, I guess it helps. Anyway, I've always used baby detergent for Eli's clothes. The first year I used Dreft, and up until right now I've been using All Baby. For our clothes, I just use Purex. I've noticed Purex has come out with their own version of an all-natural ("green", if you will haha) laundry detergent. As soon as I run out of my regular Purex, I'm going to switch to the natural stuff. It actually costs exactly the same as the regular kind so I figured why not?

What I was wondering if you guys know is, do you think I can stop using the baby detergent for Eli's clothes and wash his stuff with the natural Purex that we'd be using? Would that be gentle enough for sensitive skin, do you think? I don't suppose I was going to wash his clothes in baby detergent forever. What would you guys do? Any better ideas than mine?

Also, any ideas for more natural dryer sheets? I can't stand static.

Basically, what do you guys do with your laundry and your little ones' laundry?

Thanks!

Link to Purex Natural Elements so you can check it out:


Purex / Products

[Jeremy+3]

We use Ecover on everything, we've never used baby detergents, I don't know if we even have them in the UK, we have an eczema sufferer in the house and the Ecover doesn't make it flare up, Jake once stayed at my mothers after she had used Fairy non-bio, he looked like a pin cushion the next day!

Ecover

This site has all ecover products on, with ingredient lists, you can get it in most countries.

[IADad]

Since starting to have kids we've used All Free Clear. No frgarance, not color. It works great and is supposed to be good for sensitive skin and we've never had a problem with it. So we've always used it for both baby clothes and our regular laundry. I also usually throw in a scoop of Oxy Clean with most loads and 2 with whites.

We don't use dryer sheets but do throw in the downy ball, for shirts, jeans and towels.

I found the following on natural fabric softening you may want to consider:

Stop Static Cling Without Toxic Fabric Softener or Dryer Sheets (Health/Environmental Article)

[Xero]

Jeremy+3 - I really don't feel the need to get laundry detergent off the internet, but I appreciate your input.

IADad - Yeah, I've seen that stuff too. I was going to go for the Free and Clear detergent, and then I found the natural stuff and found it to be the better alternative out of the two.

As for the dryer sheets, I've already read all of those articles on them and I know all of the negative info on the chemicals and such in the sheets, which is why I'm searching for better alternatives. Thanks for posting the link anyway though, that way other people can check it out.

I found these while searching for dryer sheets -

What about something like this?
Sun & Earth Products

Or what about dryer balls? Anybody ever tried those? Do they work?

[Jeremy+3]

You can get it in shops too, just have no idea what shops you have over there

[Xero]

Oh I see, it must be at the store where you live, my apologies. No, none of my local stores carry that brand of detergent. I have Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, Giant Eagle, and other small stores and that's pretty much it. Target carries a LOT of different "green" brands of detergent, but I like the idea that you can get the Natural Elements Purex basically anywhere, and it doesn't cost me a ton. They are also the first mass laundry brand to recieve recognition from the Design for the Environment program. I'm not too concerned about WHICH natural detergent to use, just wondering IF I bought this detergent, would it be a suitable detergent to use on my son's clothes in the place of the baby detergent I've been using? That's my question.

[Xero]

Okay I looked more closely at the dryer sheets I could find and I'll either be switching to Method Squeaky Green dryer sheets, or the Sun and Earth dryer sheets. I thought about the dryer balls, which would be best... but I'm worried they'd be too loud since our laundry room is next to apartments. A lot of reviews said they worked great but were loud. I dunno. Anyway, I can get the Method sheets at Target and that would be nice to avoid having to get stuff like that off the internet. But if the Sun and Earth ones end up being cheaper, I'll go with those because they are better to some extent in ingredients and whatnot than the Method.

Still not sure about the detergent being okay for Eli's clothes though. o.o

EDIT: Nevermind, I called my local Target and they don't carry the Method dryer sheets. I'll probably still stop by to check for any other kinds, but I guess I'll end up getting the Sun and Earth sheets.

[mom2many]

In place of dryer sheets you can use vinegar, I thought this was odd also, but I tried it one day cause a cat pee'd on my towels (vinegar is a good neutralizer) then discovered I was out of dryer sheets . I had heard of it before but only did it out of desperation, now I use vinegar in everything, the only thing I use the dryer sheets for is my sheets, I just LOVE the smell!

[Xero]

lol!! Wow, really? I mean, it works? Does it completely get rid of static? The static is what bugs me the most, I don't really care about the smell. Is there a particular way you have to do it, or do you just put it in with the laundry detergent when you start it? Does it leave any smell of its own? I don't particularly like the smell of vinegar, but I don't know if that sticks with the clothes or anything. Does it? Tell me more lol.

[mom2many]

I was worried about the smell also, I am not fond of vinegar either, but it leaves no smell behind. I use about 1/2 a cup to a cup, just depends. I just throw it in with the detergent. I haven't had any static issues, I don't know if it is normal or not, but I haven't had any.

It really was the weirdest suggestion I ever heard of, but gave it a shot and love it, not to mention the vinegar is so much cheaper.