Liquid vs. Powder Detergent for Baby Clothes

The liquid vs. powder laundry debate extends far beyond washing baby clothes. Everyone wants to know, or has an opinion as to which is best, and which is most cost effective. Here's an overview of the debate specifically considering sensitive baby skin.

Effectiveness
A 1995 Consumer Reports study showed that overall, powders outperformed liquid detergents. So if your main consideration is removing milk, food, and poop stains from baby clothes, that's important. (http://www.slate.com/id/19914/)

However, it's also true that liquid detergents are good for pre-treating stains. Carefully pour a small amount of liquid detergent onto stains and scrub with an old toothbrush before washing. This works especially well for oily or greasy stains.

Gentleness
Gentle detergents made specifically for baby laundry, like Dreft, are available in both powders and liquids. These are expensive, though, so many people use the free and clear (dye-free, fragrance-free) versions of normal detergents instead. Free and clear detergents are also available in both forms, but more often in liquids than in powders. Therefore, if you want to use a free and clear detergent to protect that sensitive baby skin, liquid detergent may be easier to find.

Dissolvability
Liquid detergents are pre-dissolved and mix with the wash water more easily than powder detergents. Powder detergents need to dissolve in the wash water, preferably before clothes are added, and often don't dissolve well in cold water. So if you're washing in cold water, which can help protect baby clothes from wear and fading, you may want to go with a liquid detergent.

Liquid detergents also tend to rinse out better, which is good for sensitive skin. Any leftover detergent residue may irritate sensitive baby skin.

Frugality
Anecdotally, people say that powder detergents cost less per load than liquid detergents. Last time I bought detergent, I checked this out and found that within brands, powder and liquid cost about the same per load (at least according the labels).

If you like to stock up or buy large quantities, you should know that, according to Rodale.com, powders are more shelf-stable, so you can stock up on powder detergent when it's on sale and it will retain more of its effectiveness over time. (http://www.rodale.com/powder-laundry-detergent-vs-liquid-laundry-detergent) This could be especially helpful if you're using a more expensive baby detergent like Dreft - you can buy several boxes of Dreft powder while it's on sale (hopefully using a coupon as well).

Overall, it really just comes down to your personal preferences and priorities. You may have to experiment with both powder and liquid in different brands of detergent until you find one that works for you.