Homemade Laundry Detergents for Babies

Chemicals and Irritants

• Commercial detergents contain ingredients that can cause redness, blistering and swelling on sensitive baby skin. Laundry detergents may contain dyes, fragrances and phosphates that cause a skin reaction. Artificial fragrances often contain petroleum and can cause skin and eye irritation. Phosphates remove hard water minerals so that detergents are more effective, but they can irritate the skin and even harm the environment. Avoiding exposure to these chemicals by making your own detergent can help prevent contact dermatitis, a condition where an allergic reaction or irritation occurs on the skin.

Borax Baby Detergent

• Borax baby detergent requires 1 cup of borax, 1 cup of powdered oxygen cleaner, 1 cup of washing soda and a storage container with a lid. Combine the borax, washing soda and powdered detergent into the storage container. Stir the ingredients so that they are well-blended. Place the baby clothes into the washing machine and add 1/4 cup of the borax powdered detergent to each load. Wash the baby clothes according to the care label for best results.

Castile Soap Detergent

• The castile soap detergent will require 1 bar of laundry soap, 1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda, a grater and storage container with a lid. Grate the bar of laundry soap into the storage container until you have 1 cup of soap. Combine the borax and washing soda with the grated soap. Stir to mix the ingredients together well. Add 1/2 cup of the detergent to the baby clothes in the washing machine. Add 3/4 cup of the detergent for heavily soiled clothing. Launder the clothes according to the care label.

Liquid Baby Detergent

• Liquid baby detergent will require grated bar soap, a 5-gallon bucket, 1 cup washing soda, a small saucepan and 4 gallons of water. Grate your desired bar of soap into a saucepan. Select a scent-free soap for best results. Pour water into the saucepan so that it covers the grated soap. Heat the soap over low-heat until it dissolves into the water. Pour 4 gallons of hot water into the 5-gallon bucket. Add the soap mixture and washing soda. Stir until the ingredients combine well. Allow the water to cool completely. Add 1 1/2 cups of detergent for each load.

Tips

• Seal the storage container with a lid when you are not using the detergent. Store the detergent in a cool and dark location away from children and pets. Clean the container once you use all the laundry detergent and dry it thoroughly before you add more detergent to the containers. Label the container with the ingredients or the contents. Stop using the detergent immediately if it causes a rash or irritation to the baby's skin. Consult your doctor or dermatologist to determine if your baby has skin allergies. Double the recipes to make a larger amount of detergent.