Do you have to use drift to wash baby clothes?

No, you don't need to just use the one product. It is one that a lot of people use because it tends to be less of a problem to baby's skin. However, you can use regular laundry detergent and see if your baby gets itchy or otherwise has irritated skin. If so, add about a cup of white vinegar to the rinse water to remove the soap and that should help. Products without bleach worked best for me.