The 6 Best Baby Cleaning Products of 2023

What We Like

• Great for baby’s skin
• Does not include fragrances or dyes
• A little bit goes a long way
• Can be used to pretreat stains

What We Don’t Like

• On the pricey side
• Can only be used for laundry

This Babyganics 3X Baby Laundry Detergent only uses plant-based ingredients, and it’s specifically made for baby’s sensitive skin. That means it’s free of optical brighteners, chlorine, phthalates, sulfates, fragrances, and dyes.

It is safe for cloth diapers and baby clothes, as well as linens and towels. This detergent is more expensive than those made for general use, so we recommend washing your baby’s laundry separately to get the biggest bang for your buck. You only need to use between a half capful and three-quarters of a capful, even for high-efficiency washing machines.

For stubborn stains, you may need to pretreat a small section with extra detergent. You can apply a small amount directly on the stain and let it sit for five minutes before doing the laundry like normal. This does use the detergent faster, but it can also help keep your baby’s clothes and cloth diapers extra clean.

Best All-Purpose Cleaner: Better Life Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

This Better Life All-Purpose Cleaner isn’t marketed for babies, but it checks all of the boxes as a great household cleaner if you have an infant—or if you just want to be mindful of the chemicals you use in your home. It uses plant-based cleaning agents from soap bark, corn, and coconut that can be used to clean everything from kitchen counters and highchairs to bathtubs.

The all-purpose cleaner is unscented but not listed as entirely fragrance-free. However, it doesn’t include synthetic fragrances, dyes, alcohol, or bleach. This comes in a two-pack, perfect for having some extra cleaner on hand. It only has one spray handle, though, so you’ll need to move it from one bottle to the other when the first runs out. It would be nice to have two working spray bottles so that you can keep them in different parts of your home, but you can always use the cleaner in your own reusable spray bottle.

Best Dish Soap: Dapple Baby Bottle & Dish Soap

This dish soap is gentle enough to use on bottles and breast pump parts without causing excess wear. It is also tough enough to get rid of build-up, dried-on milk, and odors that can accumulate in the smaller pieces of these items. It is fragrance-free and made without dyes, parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. The lack of fragrance is especially helpful since some babies are very sensitive to odors. Even safe ingredients can make their milk taste different, which may not be appealing to them.

When compared to budget-friendly dish soaps, this baby-safe dish soap is on the pricey side. With that in mind, you might not want to use it for your everyday dishes. However, purchasing in bulk can make it more cost-effective. You can also get the dish soap in a single bottle or multi-pack, depending on your household needs. This bottle comes with a pump handle for easier dispensing.

Best Wipes: WaterWipes Original Baby Wipes

If you have a baby, you probably have wipes that you keep on hand to deal with everything from spills to spit-up. WaterWipes are super gentle and contain 99.9 percent purified water for their cleaning power. You can use them to clean everything from toys and pacifiers to your baby’s face or bottom. They are also biodegradable—so you can feel better about using multiple wipes if needed.

Keep in mind that these wipes do not disinfect or have any sort of cleaning agent. So if you need to get germs off of something, opt for something stronger. Since the majority of wipes are used on or near baby’s skin, however, we like that these are some of the most gentle that you can get.

Best Floor Cleaner: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-Surface Cleaner Concentrate

Babies crawl, roll, and scoot, so you want your floor cleaner to be safe for them to be around. Mrs. Meyer’s cleaners are all great, but the multi-surface cleaner concentrate gets special attention as an easy-to-use and safe floor cleaner. It is made with plant-based, cruelty-free ingredients and does not include artificial colors, parabens, phthalates, or chlorine. It does, however, have a mild lavender scent, which comes from essential oils.

You will need to dilute it with water. While that adds an extra step, it also means that you control how much cleaner you use as well as how much you need to make for the space. You can do this in a spray bottle for smaller messes or a bucket for large mopping jobs. The same cleaner can be used on countertops, toys, and other surfaces, so you never need to worry about it going to waste. You shouldn’t use it on porous surfaces (such as some natural stone and unglazed tile), though, as it may damage them.

Best Bathroom Cleaner: Better Life Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner

Another great option for general cleaning as well as tough bathroom messes, the Better Life Natural tub and tile cleaner isn’t formulated with synthetic fragrances or dyes. Even though you will likely rinse away any excess before bathing your baby, it is still great to know that the products they come into contact with skip out on common skin irritants.

You can use this cleaner on tile, grout, fixtures, sinks, toilet seats, bathtubs, showers, and shower curtains. It is safe for glass but may streak more than a specially formulated glass cleaner. It does have a scent of tea tree and eucalyptus. This scent is fresh and mild, plus generally ideal for a bathroom—but you may want to run the fan or open a window to let the scent dissipate before having your baby in the small space.

The two-pack makes this cleaner more economical. Like other multi-packs, it comes with one spray handle that you can transfer from one dispenser to the other when you are ready. If you have more than one bathroom, you will need to carry the cleaner from one space to the other or use your own reusable spray bottle.

Best Disinfectant: CleanSmart Toy Disinfectant Spray

Kids come with germs, and having a baby-safe disinfectant is practically a necessity if you want to minimize the illnesses that come into your home. The CleanSmart toy disinfectant spray uses hypochlorous acid to get rid of 99.9 percent of germs and viruses. This compound is naturally produced in the body1 for exactly that purpose. The formula does not include fragrance, dye, alcohol, allergens, ammonia, bleach, or gluten.

The main drawback to this disinfectant is that it is expensive. So you likely don’t want to use it for everyday cleaning of surfaces with which your child won’t come in contact. However, if you are spraying toys and other items your baby might put in their mouth, this is the way to go. It is used in daycares and NICUs. Some people say that it has a slight scent, which can be attributed to the hypochlorous acid.

Best Hand Sanitizer: Babyganics Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer

The foaming action of the Babyganics hand sanitizer makes it easy to see where you have the cleaner as well as how well it is rubbed in. It is made without fragrances, dyes, alcohol, parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. The formula kills 99.9 percent of common viruses that you may come into contact with. While this version is fragrance-free, there are also options that are scented with essential oils of different citrus fruits.

While we prefer our hand sanitizer to be portable, the smaller, lidded versions of this kid-safe hand sanitizer are significantly more expensive per fluid ounce (at the time of publish) than larger bottles. If you can sacrifice the convenience of having a hand sanitizer in your diaper bag or purse, this larger bottle with a pump top is a solid option.

What to Look for in Baby Cleaning Products

Application Method

Consider how you plan to use a certain cleaning product when deciding which application method is best. Most are designed for easy use, such as laundry detergent that can be measured by the capful and spray cleaners that come with a trigger handle. If you need to dilute a concentrated cleaner, that can add a step but is often more economical.

Ingredients and Safety Precautions

For the best baby cleaning products, look for something that is fragrance-free and does not include dyes. “The main ingredients that we recommend avoiding are dyes and fragrances,” says Teresa S. Wright, MD, FAAD, FAAP. Dr. Wright adds, “It is important to realize that ‘unscented’ does not necessarily mean ‘fragrance-free’ as there are masking fragrances in some products that may be odorless but can still cause irritation or allergic reactions.” If you prefer products made with plant-based cleaning agents, there are plenty of options to choose from, as well.

You should consult your child’s pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about the best cleaning products to have around your baby and home.

Scent

Many baby cleaning products are fragrance-free because babies have such sensitive skin and noses. Fragrance-free products are a great option for this age. “Generally speaking, the skin of babies and toddlers is thinner than the skin of older children and adults, which makes it more prone to irritation. Therefore, we tend to treat all babies and toddlers as if they have sensitive skin,” says Wright. “The main ingredients that we recommend avoiding are dyes and fragrances.”

If you prefer using scented household cleaners but want to skip synthetic fragrances, you can find cleaners that use plant-based essential oils as fragrance. However, it’s important to note that undiluted essential oils should never be applied directly to a child’s skin.2

Most of the above cleaning products are not formulated to come in direct contact with your baby before drying, but it’s always best to consult your baby’s pediatrician to make sure any cleaning product is safe to use at home.

Amount

Babies make a lot of messes, so look for a cleaning product that has enough solution to last through the countless loads of laundry or wiping up spills that are bound to occur. Buying in bulk is a great way to make your purchase better for your budget as well as reduce the need to restock all the time.