Is Regular Laundry Detergent Safe for Baby Clothes?

Why Infants Need Safe Laundry Detergent

Newborns produce less protective oils, so they’re more prone to dryness and irritation.

Baby skin is also thinner and more absorbent than adults’, which means it absorbs more of whatever comes in contact with it—including detergent residue left on clothes. 

But sensitive skin doesn't automatically mean you need a specialized baby detergent. It just means you should pay attention to what's in your regular detergent, and how your baby's skin responds.

Ingredients to Avoid in Laundry Detergent—Especially for Babies

Whether you're using a product marketed for babies or your regular family laundry detergent, certain ingredients are most likely to cause irritation. Here are the harsh additives to look out for in laundry detergent.  

Toxic fragrances. Fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, or dye-free laundry detergents are good options for washing baby clothes, as they usually have fewer additives and chemicals. Fragrances are one of the most common allergens for sensitive skin because they can include irritating ingredients that are listed on the label.

Dyes. Artificial dyes add no cleaning power—they just make the detergent look appealing. Not only that, certain dyes can trigger rashes and eczema, particularly for those with sensitive skin, like babies.

Optical brighteners. These chemicals make whites look brighter under UV light, but they can irritate sensitive skin. Optical brighteners also don't rinse out completely, so those irritants can sit on skin all day, causing a flare-up long after you’ve snapped up your baby’s onesie.

Harsh preservatives. Ingredients like methylisothiazolinone are common preservatives in fabric softeners and some laundry detergents. The problem? They're known allergens, and lab studies on the brains of mammals suggest methylisothiazolinone could be a neurotoxin.

Signs Your Baby Might Be Reacting to Your Laundry Detergent

Rashes caused by laundry detergent tend to be worse on the arms and legs, where clothing is tighter and rubs more against the skin. 

Symptoms to watch for:

• Red, bumpy rash on areas covered by clothing
• Dry, flaky skin
• Excessive fussiness or scratching
• Irritation that improves when clothing is removed

If you notice these signs, switch to a fragrance-free, dye-free detergent and see if symptoms improve. If irritation persists, talk to your pediatrician—not all rashes are detergent-related.

A quick way to know if a rash is caused by laundry detergent is to check under your child's diaper, where clothes don't touch the skin. If there’s a rash in that area, your detergent is likely not the culprit.