Dreft Laundry Detergent Review

I used to think Dreft was only for washing baby clothes, but I now wash our whole family's clothing with Dreft.

If you have sensitive skin...

• After a few bouts of major rashes with regular laundry detergents, even those that claim to be hypoallergenic, "free," and the like, I have resorted to using Dreft exclusively for washing our clothes. It is the only laundry detergent that I have found that does not flare up eczema around my house.

How does it clean?

• This detergent works well for our normal laundry needs
• I usually wash in cold water unless I am washing bedding. I use hot water to kill dust mites in sheets and other bedding.
• I tend to use Shout if I have challenging stains rather than pre-treating with Dreft
• According to the website, the powder (which is what I normally use) is better for cleaning mud or clay. The liquid is better for cleaning oil and grease and pre-treating stains

Safety and Static Issues

• Since I do have children not only with sensitive skin but also needing flame-retardant sleepwear, I do not use a fabric softener, and it is not recommended to use a fabric softener due to concerns that most dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners may decrease the effectiveness of flame retardants.
• Because of this, we have a LOT of static cling.

The Scent

• Dreft does tend to have a new baby scent
• I'm not crazy about scents because most scents either cause me to break out in a rash or wheeze, but Dreft does not seem to bother my allergies or anyone else in our family. Whew!

Products

• Apparently, they have a wide variety of products, including powders, liquids, non-concentrated, concentrated, wipes, stain pen, etc. but I have not seen anything other than the liquid and powder non-concentrated versions at our stores.

Special Offers

• According to the website, you may request a free sample at their corporate site called brandsaver.
• They rarely run rebate or coupon offers for Dreft, but occasionally I have found something at Dreft's website or the above site.
• Unfortunately, for a penny pincher like me, Dreft is significantly more expensive than almost every brand of laundry detergent that I have seen.

My Viewpoint:

Dreft is a good product for normal laundry needs for babies and for others with sensitive skin. It tends to clean our laundry well and does not flare up our eczema. However, Dreft does tend to be pretty expensive compared to other laundry brands, and coupons and rebates are hard to find.