When I was pregnant with my now 3-year-old, I already knew that I would be very careful about the personal care products I use for her. This meant that for everything from baby soap and lotion to hair products, I would be choosing organic and natural alternatives that minimized her contact with toxic chemicals as much as possible. Even when washing her clothes, I knew I needed to choose laundry products carefully.
With my older daughter who is now 11, I used Dreft laundry detergent. I received several bottles at my baby shower and I loved it so much that I kept buying it. So I admit that I was a bit disappointed when I had Juliza that Dreft wouldn’t be an option, as I was trying to avoid traditional products.
The great news? Dreft finally has a product for parents like me who want more natural alternatives to the products we otherwise love.
Dreft purtouch is a new baby detergent that is 65% plant-based, hypoallergenic and made
with naturally-derived ingredients, designed specifically to be gentle on your baby’s delicate skin. It is free of dyes, chlorine, phosphates, ethanolamine and optical brighteners, and still designed to effectively remove up to 99% of baby stains. Even better, it is safe in septic tanks and the recyclable bottle is also made from 25% or more post-consumer recycled plastic.
I was excited when I was asked me to try Dreft purtouch, as I remember my great experience with the original product and couldn’t wait to see if this would compare.
The simple answer is that I love it.
I have to admit that I like my laundry detergent to smell good. I know it’s not necessarily for my clothes to get clean, but it is a psychological boost that makes using the product that much more enjoyable. Fragrance can literally make or break a product for me. Dreft purtouch has a fragrance that feels light and gentle — nothing too heavy or overpowering for you or your baby. And though the scent lingers after washing and drying, it is really subtle.
There’s also the matter of whether it did a good job of washing my daughter’s clothes. At 3 years old, she’s in the mess stage of toddlerhood. Eating a cup of yogurt means it will end up trailed down the front of her shirt, and learning to drink from a cup without a cover leads to sticky messes that force us to separate “play” clothes from the rest of her wardrobe. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a couple of stains that had been very visible were considerably lighter after washing with Dreft purtouch.
I wish I had gotten a “before” shot, but just know that the barely visible stain shown below was much more pronounced before washing — and it wasn’t a new stain either.
I also appreciated that my daughter’s clothes came out of the wash process noticeably softer than they did with our previous natural detergent. We never use liquid laundry detergent, and even with dryer sheets, her clothes would still feel a bit “rougher” than I would like. Dreft purtouch delivered touchable softness, especially helpful now that my little one is (finally) potty trained and wearing underwear that needs to be comfortable.
I am really pleased with this product, and I have every intention of continuing to use it throughout Juliza’s toddlerhood. I can feel confident that when she’s spinning and twirling in her beautiful clothes, that there is no residue that is harmful for her and her skin.
And I now know what to get for anyone I know who is having a baby.
I also wanted to share a video that had an impact on how I think about baby clothes. Dreft recently completed a survey that revealed 9 out of 10 dermatologists recommend washing baby clothes before the first wear, as excess dyes and chemicals from the manufacturing process, along with dirt from storage, transport and handling, can stay on the clothes. Need a visual? Check out this video that drives it home:
Yeah. I promise I won’t forget the thought of some kid kicking around a sweet little onesie that a baby will wear. Just something to think about.
Giveaway Time!
Would you like to try it for yourself? I thought you might. Enter below to win a bottle of Dreft purtouch.
