Bestsellers for Laundry Detergent
Kids can start helping with laundry around age 3, beginning with simple jobs like matching socks and carrying clothes to the hamper. Their jobs grow with age, so most kids can run a full load with check-ins by the tween years and handle their own weekly laundry as teens.
Here is what kids can safely handle at each stage, along with the supplies that help.
Laundry Jobs by Age
Use this breakdown of ages, laundry jobs, and a helpful supply for each stage to see where your child can start.
Age | Jobs they can do | A helpful supply |
|---|---|---|
3 to 5 | Sort by color, match socks, carry clothes to the hamper | Color Catcher sheets, a light collapsible basket |
6 to 8 | Load the washer, pour detergent to the cap line with you, move clothes to the dryer | A liquid with clear cap lines, or pre-measured sheets |
9 to 12 | Run a load with check-ins, read care labels, pre-treat stains | A stain stick and a crayon remover |
Teens | Their own laundry every week, delicates, ironing | A mesh bag and stain pens |
Ages 3 to 5: Sorting and Socks
Young kids can learn the basics by sorting clothes into piles or bins by color for whites, lights, and darks. Colored bins make sorting a color game. Kids this age can also match socks, carry clothes to the hamper, and hand you items to load into the washer.
A few simple supplies make these early jobs easier. An Eco One Collapsible Laundry Basket is light for a kid to carry, and a Whitmor Mesh Laundry Bag keeps small socks together. Because young helpers are still learning to sort, Shout Color Catcher Dye Trapping Sheets go in the wash to catch loose dye, so a mixed load is less likely to turn whites pink.
Ingredients Specially Treated Cellulose Sheet, Fragrance.
Ages 6 to 8: Loading and Measuring
Kids ages 6 to 8 can load the washer and pour liquid detergent with you watching, using the fill lines inside the cap. If you'd rather skip the pouring, Open Nature Free & Clear detergent sheets are pre-measured.
Once the wash cycle finishes, kids this age can move wet clothes to the dryer and clean the lint screen with you. When the load is dry, have them fold towels and pair socks.
Ingredients water; C12-15 alcohols ethoxylated; sodium laureth sulfate; sodium carbonate; trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate; fatty acids, C8-18 and C18-unsaturated sodium salts; sodium polyacrylate; benzisothiazolinone
Ingredients Water, C10-16 pareth, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium carbonate, sodium C10-16 alkylbenzenesulfonate, acrylic acid homopolymer, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), pentasodium DTPA, disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate, sodium hydroxide. Contains no phosphates.
Ages 9 to 12: A Load Start to Finish
Tweens are ready to run a load from start to finish with adult check-ins. Show them how to read care labels to pick the wash cycle and water temperature, and have them fold and put away their clean clothes when the dryer stops.
This is also the stage to teach kids to pre-treat stains before washing. With you checking in, tweens can use an OxiClean Maxforce gel stick or Spray n Wash pre-treat spray on grass, food, and dirt, and Carbona Stain Devils for ink, marker, and crayon. Tweens can also keep Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover Pens in their backpacks for lunch spills.
Ingredients For ingredient information, visit www.rbnainfo.com
Ingredients 5-15% Non-Ionic Surfactants; Less than 5% Anionic Surfactants.
Teens: Their Own Laundry, Every Week
Teens can do their own laundry each week. A weekly schedule gives them steady practice before they live on their own. At this stage, teens can handle stains on their own and wash delicates in a mesh bag like the Whitmor Mesh Laundry Bag.
You can also teach teens how to use an iron or steamer safely.
Got a front-loader at home? Here's what HE detergent is. Heading to a shared laundry room? Here's what to bring to the laundromat.
Keep Pods Out of Reach
Keep laundry pacs, or pods, sealed in their tub and up out of reach and sight of small children. They are a poisoning risk, and the label says to keep them away from kids. When you're teaching at the washer, use a liquid with a measuring cap or a pre-measured sheet, and always supervise young kids. Store detergent, bleach, and stain removers up high.
Best Detergent for Kids' Clothes
There is no special detergent kids need for their clothes. For sensitive skin, the usual pick is a free and clear detergent, meaning dye-free and perfume-free, such as Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free & Clear, all Free & Clear, or Tide Free & Gentle HE. To skip measuring altogether, Open Nature Free & Clear detergent sheets come pre-measured.
For babies and toddlers, options include Dreft Newborn, Dreft Active Baby, Open Nature Newborn Free & Clear, and fragrance-free Dapple Baby. There is no set age to switch to the family detergent. Many families try a free and clear family detergent and stick with it once they see the baby's skin does fine. If a rash shows up, ask your pediatrician.
Ingredients Water, C10-16 pareth, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium carbonate, sodium C10-16 alkylbenzenesulfonate, acrylic acid homopolymer, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), pentasodium DTPA, disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate, sodium hydroxide. Contains no phosphates.
Ingredients water; C12-15 alcohols ethoxylated; sodium laureth sulfate; sodium carbonate; trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate; fatty acids, C8-18 and C18-unsaturated sodium salts; sodium polyacrylate; benzisothiazolinone
Ingredients Water Cleaning Agents (C10-16 alketh, sodium C10-16 alkylbenzenesulfonate, sodium lauryl sulfate), Cleaning Aids (polyethyleneimines alkoxylated), Suds Reducer (sodium salts of C12-18 fatty acids), Solvent (propylene glycol), Water Softener (sodium citrate), Cleaning Agent (C10-16 alkyldimethylamine oxide), Solvents (alcohol, sodium cumenesulfonate), Cleaning Aids (PEG propylene glycol terephthalic acid polymer, tetrasodium glutamate diacetate), Stabilizer and/or Process Aid (calcium formate), Enzymes (subtilisin, amylase enzyme, cellulase enzyme, mannanase enzyme),Quality Preserver (benzisothiazolinone)
A Six-Step Routine for Any Beginner
This six-step routine works for teens and adults learning how to do laundry for the first time, and doing laundry weekly helps the routine stick.
Sort. Sort clothes by color into whites, lights, and darks, and sort by weight to keep towels apart from tees.
Check and pre-treat. Check all pockets and pre-treat stains before washing.
Measure detergent. Measure liquid detergent to the fill line inside the cap for the load size, or use a pre-measured detergent sheet.
Pick the cycle and temperature. Read the care label to pick the wash cycle and water temperature, using cold water for most loads.
Dry. Dry clothes on the heat setting the care label allows, or hang them to dry.
Fold and put away. Fold clean clothes as soon as they're dry and put them away.
FAQ
What age should a child start doing laundry?
Kids can start helping with laundry around age 3 with simple jobs like sorting clothes by color, matching socks, and carrying clothes to the hamper. Their jobs grow with age, from loading the washer and measuring detergent with you watching at ages 6 to 8 to running a load with check-ins at ages 9 to 12.
When should kids do their own laundry?
Most kids can run a full load from start to finish with check-ins by the tween years, around ages 9 to 12. By the teen years, kids can own their laundry each week.
What's the best way to sort laundry?
Sort clothes into piles or bins by color for whites, lights, and darks, and sort by weight to keep towels apart from tees. You can also add Shout Color Catcher Dye Trapping Sheets to the wash to catch loose dye so a mixed load is less likely to turn whites pink, and use a Whitmor Mesh Laundry Bag to keep small socks or delicates together.
Do kids need a special laundry detergent?
No. A dye-free, perfume-free ("free and clear") detergent is the usual pick for sensitive skin, whether that's a liquid from Arm & Hammer, all or Tide, or pre-measured Open Nature sheets.
When can you switch from baby detergent to regular detergent?
There is no set age to switch from baby detergent to your family detergent. Many families try a free and clear family detergent and stick with it once they see the baby's skin does fine, and you can ask your pediatrician about rashes.
Are laundry pods safe for kids to use?
No. Laundry pacs (pods) are a poisoning risk, and the label says to keep them away from children, so store them sealed in their tub, out of reach and sight. For kids who are learning, use a liquid with a measuring cap or a pre-measured sheet, with an adult nearby.
