We were most nervous to try a natural laundry detergent as we have been using one with a strong scent for a while, and were afraid our clothes would not smell good with an unscented detergent. After over 3 months of using it, I can honestly say that I like it and that my clothes still feel and smell clean. It has been an adjustment to use such a small amount of detergent, and to not see very many bubbles when it goes in the water, but I do feel like it gets the job done.
I was not shocked to find out that my cleaners had harsh chemicals in them, but I was surprised to learn that my laundry soap was rated an F on the EWG scale. This is the soap I wash my baby’s clothes in, and that makes me feel really bad. I have found it funny how much more willing I am to make healthier changes now that I am a mom. I love knowing that this detergent is so much cleaner than others and that when we have another baby someday I can just keep washing all of our clothes with the same detergent.
Maybe it is just me, but I felt like it was a lot of extra work and tons of tiny loads of laundry to wash all of the baby clothes with separate detergent. Granted my girl was a spit up queen (not exaggerating friends, it was everywhere) so we were washing clothes and burp cloths basically every day. I remember being so excited when I realized baby girl didn’t get a rash or anything after I had accidentally thrown her sleep sack in with our laundry. Now I sincerely regret not looking into the reasons why it is suggested to use a gentle detergent on baby clothes, I thought it was purely to make sure they didn’t have sensitive skin or weren’t allergic to your detergent.
Luckily I have learned and I plan on moving forward and making better choices in the future. I would definitely suggest doing your own research on the laundry soap you use and seeing if there are harmful chemicals in it, because if you are like me it had never even crossed my mind. Also just as a warning, just because something says the terms “clean”, “free and clear”, or “gentle” does not mean it doesn’t have harmful ingredients in it. Even products marketed specifically for babies can still have bad ingredients in them, both my regular Gain detergent and my Dreft baby detergent rated as an F on the EWG website. I found the EWG website to be very helpful with laundry detergent as I could see the list of ingredients and why they got the rating they did.
I am not opposed to trying out other kinds of natural laundry detergents and will probably add some different ones into the mix so we can find a few different clean detergents that we like in case we run out of one since shipping takes time. I would definitely suggest this as a great choice though because we really have been very impressed by it.
My only complaint so far is that I do feel like my whites are looking a bit dingier than before, unfortunately I am unsure of whether this is from the laundry soap or from the new natural deodorant I have been trying. If you plan on using Branch Basics as laundry detergent I would suggest getting their oxygen boost as well to use with your whites. I didn’t want to spend the extra $10 on something I didn’t think I would need to use, but after seeing a lot of before and after pictures on their Instagram page and website I think the oxygen boost makes a big difference in helping keep whites white and stain removal so I plan on buying it next time I make a purchase from them.
*Also just as a side note, it has been months since I have used my regular old Gain detergent but my husband washed a load of laundry and grabbed the old pods out of habit. I could immediately tell as I started folding the laundry this morning. The clothes smelled so strong now that I had just gotten used to no scent, and they had almost a soap like consistency when I touched them that remained on my hands. I’m surprised I never noticed this in the years we have been using this detergent, and am so glad to have found a better option for our family that does not leave residue all over us. I also pulled a pair of summer pants out of my drawer that have been sitting there for probably 9 months and immediately smelled my old detergent and was shocked by how strong the smell still was. This has been a change I am really glad we decided to make, I love having a detergent that is safe for all of us to use and that I no longer have to worry about what chemicals are touching our skin.
If you end up choosing to buy Branch Basics you can get $10 off your purchase by using my referral code http://branchbasics.refr.cc/carissao
Sources:
WELL BALANCED 