We found the best laundry detergents for sensitive skin and babies—and they're SO good.
Between grass stains, messy dinners and diaper fails, kids make laundry more than a little challenging. We know you're looking for the best laundry detergent for sensitive skin and family life that gets the job done without a lot of hassle. We put a range of bestselling detergents to the test to bring you a list of the absolute best laundry detergent choices out there.
In our Today's Parent Approved lab, we stained pre-washed 100% cotton white onesies in our best washer and dryer with a range of messes—sweet potato puree, grass, mud, coffee and more—and then hit the laundromat to see how well detergents tackled the stains in a cold water wash. Plus we asked families to use the sensitive skin detergents at home and give us their feedback on how well it performed.
Here are the best detergents that earned out trust. You'll want to add them to your newborn checklist ASAP.
We love the stain-busting power of all Laundry Detergent for sensitive skin and the affordable real-world price tag. It's free of scents, dyes and messes. Better yet, it's available in both liquid and handy pac-style delivery options. It worked wonders on pizza sauce-covered toddler tees, playground messes and all sorts of other gunk.
This may be TMI, but it also handled some pretty gross bathroom mistake stains we had to encounter during the testing process. The toss-and-go pac option helped cement this formula on the top of our list of best laundry detergents for sensitive skin. Handle 56 loads of laundry via small pacs.
Add Babyganics baby laundry detergent to your cart ASAP, because it's a wonder you'll come to rely on for the first several months (and beyond!). A small capful goes a long way with this high-efficiency compatible stain buster. It's also fragrance-free, non-allergenic and so safe that it can be used to wash cloth diapers.
If you haven't already signed up for a free Amazon Baby Registry, do it, and be sure to add a few bottles to your list.
If you're looking to spend less without skimping on stain-fighting power, Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin laundry detergent is your best bet. It's an affordable, value-driven formula that doubles as one of the best free and clear laundry detergents on the market. It's safe for sensitive skin, is dermatologist tested and approved by our editors.
We tested it on meatball-stained jeans, crib sheets and pet bedding with great success. Each bottle handles up to 107 loads, which means you'll get through months of laundry without having to re-order. The roughly $10 price point means each load costs less than 10 cents—amazing.
If you love pods but hate weird additives like scents and dyes, these AspenClean unscented laundry pods are for you. Each powerful little pack of detergent is tough on stains thanks to plant-based ingredients. AspenClean laundry detergent pods are entirely fragrance-free, formulated with oxygen bleach and enzymes.
Absolutely no synthetic fragrances, toxins, or irritants can be found in these vegan laundry soap pods. Each pod is delivered in 100% plastic-free packaging, too. They're baby-safe, pet-safe, HE laundry machine-safe and shockingly affordable. And yes, they're certified by EcoCert, a leading reference for organic home care, as well as EWG verified.
Whether it's yoga pants all day or a serious case of every-kid-is-on-a-sports team, you should consider switching to an athleisure-specific laundry detergent for performance fabrics. That's because these materials have all sorts of anti-microbial, sweat-wicking and weight-focused technologies that make them comfortable, and some ordinary detergents can mess up their flow.
If you're spending serious cash on Lululemon and your second grader's soccer uniform, it makes sense to treat the fabric well. This Hex Performance laundry detergent does just that, promising a careful, elevated clean designed to tackle synthetic and poly-blend fabrics. The fragrance-free formula is safe for the whole family.
Save the planet and your baby's delicate skin? Yes, please! And that's exactly what this top-rated Seventh Generation concentration baby laundry detergent promises. It fights stains, has a light and gentle baby scent that parents rave about because it's natural and doesn't come from added fragrances.
This formula is made with 97% plant-based ingredients that break up even gross proteins (hello, baby poop). It's also free of dyes and artificial brighteners. Several national eczema associations endorse this formula.
Hate liquids or just live an on-the-go lifestyle? That's cool. These Ecos laundry sheets are going to change the way you live. These 100% plastic-free stain fighters are a breeze to carry on the go.
They're light as feathers and pack just as neatly in carry-on luggage as laundry room cupboards. RV enthusiasts say these are "the best for camping with a baby."
We love that there are no heavy laundry detergent bottles to carry and all the packaging is 100% recyclable. The sheets themselves fully dissolve—just toss them in the machine and water breaks them down. The clean formula is made without dyes, optical brighteners, parabens, phosphates or over 500 other yucky, potentially harmful ingredients.
The point-and-shoot style delivery system of MyKirei laundry spray makes it one of our favorite laundry detergents for kids prone to targeted stains. It's made of 98% biodegradable ingredient. We love the plant-powered formula that's free of Phosphates.
It's safe for sensitive skin and kids' laundry. There's no heavy lifting, measuring or mess with this handsome liquid laundry detergent.
If you're cleaning kids' mattresses covers from pee, blood and sweat on a near-daily basis, this bottle is a total miracle. Aim, spray and let it soak for a minute. Then toss everything (sheets, mattress protector—you name it) right in the wash.
It's a different type of laundry detergent thanks to its hyper-focused nozzle and clever handle. We love the intense cleaning power that stands up to supermarket frontrunners like Tide detergent and Persil Proclean, only with more convenient stain-fighting dispensing.
Powdered detergents have been a popular mainstay for generations. Nellie's Laundry Soda is a throwback to the way our grandmothers and great-grandmothers washed their clothes, offering no-fuss, all-natural ingredients that are gentle yet effective. A little goes a long way with this liquidless wonder—just throw one tablespoon in a regular load and you're all set.
It's free of SLS, SLES, gluten, phosphates, fragrances, chlorine and harsh chemicals that are potentially irritating to kids, babies and other delicate-skinned family members. We also love how lightweight and portable it is. And it's safe for HE machines.
Looking for one of the most popular laundry detergents for kids and families on Amazon? This bottle of Mrs. Meyers Lemon Verbena laundry detergent has racked up a whopping 16,000 Amazon ratings with a nearly perfect 4.7-star average. At 64 loads per bottle, this essential oil-infused formula only costs about .25 cents per load.
It's biodegradable, septic-safe and concentrated to minimize carbon footprint and safe shelf space. The enzyme-fueled formula fights tough stains, treats delicate fibers with care and smells like a trip to a spa. And yes, it's great for people with sensitive skin.
Amazon shoppers can't get enough of the soft, natural scent of Zum Clean Laundry Soap. The lineup features all sorts of earthy essential oil-based fragrances, but the lavender soap has an extra special place in our hearts. The scent isn't overpowering, lingering only lightly on clothes after the wash is done.
This one isn't a detergent at all—it's laundry soap that's compatible with HE washing machines. It won't bust the toughest pizza oil stains, but it'll rinse and refresh your favorite denim, tees and sweatshirts.
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Bryce Gruber is a Jewish mom to five growing kids. She loves writing shopping and trend content and catching up on pop culture. When she's not raising her children, she can be found hiking local mountains, traveling to sunny beaches and trying to get a handle on the endless laundry life provides.