7 Best Baby Detergent Picks 2024

While every baby is different, one thing is for sure—all babies are great at creating messes. From diaper blowouts to drool and food, doing lots of extra laundry is inevitable. Having the best baby detergent to get rid of stains and odors is necessary for all new parents. After all, babies are a lot of work, and any product that makes life easier is a win.

While there’s a seemingly endless amount of laundry detergents out there, it’s essential to choose one specifically made for babies (we love these detergents for sensitive skin for the rest of the family). These products are formulated without potential irritants to their skin and are made to remove the types of stains that babies create.

Whether you’re looking for a basic detergent to get the job done or you prioritize an eco-friendly lifestyle, we’ve researched the best options in every category. These are the best seven baby laundry detergents to consider. Be sure to add at least one to your newborn checklist.

What to look for in the best baby detergent

While there are several things that Dr. Hayley Goldbach, MD, board-certified dermatologist and nontoxic lifestyle expert suggests, her most important criterion is opting for a fragrance-free detergent for babies. “Artificial fragrances make your clothes seem cleaner, but in reality, they are potential endocrine disrupters.”

She also recommends avoiding ethyloxyated ingredients. “These included compounds like polyethylene glycol (PEG) or sulfates like sodium laureth sulfate (SLS). The conversion of sodium laurel sulfate creates a potentially carcinogenic byproduct. And PEG is an allergen that can cause skin irritation.”

In other words, it's best to go with a detergent made from naturally-derived ingredients free of potential chemical irritants. It's also important to make sure your new baby detergent works with your washer and dryer set.

Best baby detergent 2024

• Best overall: Molly's Suds Baby Laundry Detergent Powder 
• Best organic: Hello Bello Concentrated Laundry Detergent
• Best unscented: Babyganics 3X Baby Laundry Detergent
• Best eco-friendly: Grab Green Baby Laundry Pods
• Best budget: Purex Liquid Baby Detergent
• Best rated: Dreft Stage 2: Active Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent
• Best luxury: Noodle & Boo Baby Laundry Essentials Ultra-Safe Laundry Detergent

Best overall

Molly's Suds Baby Laundry Detergent Powder

You might not have heard of Molly’s Suds Baby Laundry Detergent Powder yet, but don’t let that stop you from clicking “add to cart.” With a nearly five-star Amazon rating, it’s also a favorite of Dr. Goldbach’s. “My family uses Molly’s Suds, an unscented powder—I recommend it to all my patients."

Remove spit-up, poop, and formula with this powerful detergent for babies. It’s one of the most natural formulas on the market because it's made without phosphates, oils or dyes. There are also no phthalates, sulfates or formaldehyde.

We love this laundry detergent for allergy-prone babies.

Dr. Goldbach notes that a little bit goes a long way. So, you won’t have to worry about running out. The resealable 80.25-ounce bag is also compact, light, and easier to store than a huge bottle of liquid detergent.

Pros

• Safe for high-efficiency, standard, and commercial washing machines
• Available in Sweet Baby Shea as well as Fragrance-Free
• Ideal for newborns, babies and toddlers
• Great for cleaning cloth diapers
• Because it’s hypoallergenic, this detergent is an optimal choice for babies with sensitive skin
• Boasts active stain removers

Cons

•  Some stains may require an additional remover or booster along with this product

Best organic

Hello Bello Concentrated Laundry Detergent

There are many natural and plant-based detergents out there, but few are certified organic. So if you insist on that credential Hello Bello Concentrated Laundry Detergent is the best option. At just $.13 cents per load, it’s also an excellent choice for those seeking a safer option on a budget. This formula is free of optical brighteners, artificial fragrances, dyes, phosphates, phthalates and oil chemicals.

Hello Bello is also easy to use—just fill the cap to the line and put it in the washing machine. The organic soap berries and botanical extracts deeply clean everything from onesies to burp clothes. We love that it's gentle on fabrics and tough on stains. The Fresh Lavender scent leaves every load smelling fresh.

Pros

• Accessibly-priced
• Great scent
• Bottle can clean up to 80 loads of laundry
• Septic system safe

Cons

• Because it is sulfate-free, it won’t bubble like standard detergents do

Best unscented

Babyganics 3X Laundry Detergent

According to Dr. Goldbach, unscented laundry detergent is best, which is just one reason to choose Babyganics 3X Baby Laundry Detergent. Made with plant-derived ingredients as well as what the brand calls “other thoughtfully chosen ingredients,” we think it's a solid choice. It works hard to fight stains without optical brighteners, chlorine, phthalates, sulfates, fragrances or dyes. It’s also useful for cloth diapers.

Easy to use as any detergent, it has a bottle that’s comfortable to handle and easily pours into the cup without spilling. Just measure to the line and pour it into your washing machine. Each bottle cleans up to 60 loads.

Pros

• High-efficiency machine compatible
• It contains stain-fighting ingredients
• Non-allergenic formula
• Dermatologist tested

Cons

• Not refillable

Best eco-friendly

Grab Green Baby Laundry Detergent Pods

Grab Green Baby Laundry Detergent Pods aren’t your typical laundry detergent pods becasue they’re powder and not liquid. So, they’re better for the environment yet as convenient as standard liquid pods while being far less wasteful than liquid detergent. Designed for both standard and high-efficiency washing machines, these pods dissolve in all water temperatures.

Remove the stains of growing babies five months and older including pureed fruits and vegetables, cereal starch, grass, and dirt—making it a go-to for parents of even the messiest little ones. It's formulated to do just that.

The eco-friendly formula does not contain optical brighteners, parabens, phthalates, or dyes. The plant and mineral-based formula is also responsibly sourced.

Be sure to keep laundry detergent out of a child’s reach. These pods have a Bittrex outer film to discourage accidental ingestion.

Pros

• Made with velcro to be easy open and close
• Not tested on animals and cruelty-free
• Made in the USA
• The detergent is safe for cloth diapers
• No gnarly items on the ingredient list

Cons

• Not ideal for pre-treating stains

Best budget

Purex Liquid Baby Laundry Detergent

Having children can be very expensive, so it’s important to save money when you can. If every penny counts in your household, you’ll love the fact that Purex Liquid Baby Laundry Detergent costs just $.11 cents per load. We love it so much that we use it as a regular detergent for the entire family.

Safe for both conventional and high-efficiency machines, each bottle can clean a generous 126 loads which should last approximately four months. Highly concentrated, this detergent has twice the cleaning power of the brand’s regular formula. So you only need to use half as much, making this a smart choice for the cost-conscious.

Hypoallergenic and dye-free, it has a scent that leaves clothing feeling fresh. Doctor-tested, Purex is safe for sensitive skin.

Pros

• Does double duty as a stain pre-treater
• Safe for both whites and colors
• Reviewers noted it has a fantastic scent
• The line on the cap makes it easy to measure

Cons

• Not eco-friendly

Best rated

Dreft Stage 2: Active Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent

Popular for nearly a century, Dreft is one of the original baby laundry detergent brands. So it's no surprise that Dreft Stage 2: Active Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent is such a popular product. It's also the number one pediatrician-recommended laundry detergent.

Is your baby a prince or princess of stains? Ideal for crawlers, Dreft’s Stage 2 formula can remove 99 percent of baby stains. So, if you can’t find a bib—don’t worry. You can wash it out with Dreft later.

Each bottle contains 128 ounces which is enough for up to 89 loads of laundry. It's ideal for moving beyond the Dreft Stage 1 Newborn detergent.

Pros

• Formulated for both standard and high-efficiency washers
• US EPA SaferChoice certified
• Free of phosphates, dyes, and chlorine
• Reviewers noted how much they liked the scent

Cons

• At 26 cents per load, this detergent isn’t cheap

Best luxury

Noodle & Boo Baby Laundry Essentials Ultra-Safe Laundry Detergent

When only a luxury detergent will do, the aptly-named Noodle & Boo Baby Laundry Essentials Ultra-Safe Laundry Detergent does not disappoint. While it’s a bit pricy, at 47 cents per load, it’s well-loved with 4.5 stars and more than 2225 ratings.

Add pizzazz to your laundry room with this stylish bottle. The eco-friendly formula is made with natural, plant-based ingredients. Hypoallergenic, it’s pediatrician-tested and approved. The clean laundry detergent is free of phosphates, dye and sulfates as well as formaldehyde.

Pros

• Doubles as a stain pre-treater
• Use in a conventional or high-efficiency washing machine
• Non-toxic formula
• Cruelty-free laundry detergent

Cons

• Each bottle lasts just 44 washes

Experts:

• Dr. Hayley Goldbach, MD, board-certified dermatologist