Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.co...entchoices.htm

:)

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

We used Tide F&C just fine in the softer water of Colorado. Now in Nevada with really hard water none of the conventional detergents would cut it. We use Seventh Generation F&C with extra rinses now, no problems at all. With Tide F&C we were stripping monthly.

I know F&Cs are taboo for some reason, we have to use them due to kiddo sensitivities and/or allergies. According to the manufacturers the only differences are they don't have dye and scents added, they don't put anything extra in them that the regular formulas don't have. :shrug

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Just a note.....I had been using All Free and Clear due to my son's eczema and my PUL covers all started wicking. Turns out that the All Free and Clear optical brighteners break down the barrier of the pul and let the moisture through.

I still use All Free and Clear on the regular laundry, but I use Sun detergent on the dipes and haven't had problems as far as skin issues(yet?).

At least, that's been my experience. I think there was a thread earlier about this and that's where I got the info about color brigheners breaking down PUL covers. (I think).

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

The optical brightner issue is a relatively new one that prolly isn't reflected on the charts yet. It's a dye in the blue spectrum that attaches itself to the fibers to make it appear brighter, without necessarily removing the stain. A particular detergent held the patent on it and just let it run out late last year or early this year. Now anyone can use it. So if the bottle says "brightens whites" or something like that right on the front, be leary of the optical brightners.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I lot that list. It really makes things less overwhelming when your starting out. I've recomended it to so many new cders! :tu
I should've thoguth to post it here
:tol

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Excellent list. Thanks. :grin I just switched to Seventh Generation Liquid Baby Detergent, and while it has helped, my dipes are still a bit stinky, stripped or not. I am going to get some Allen's Naturally and try it. :D

This is an excellent resource

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I've been using sun or surf- so the list reasured me in that= thanks for posting it!

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

That's a great chart! I had no idea that those optical brighteners would be hard on my pockets. I'm going to get some Wind Fresh from Sam's Club. That stuff is super cheap.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

So is the 300 oz Sun from Wal-Mart! :tu I've been using that on my dipes (one of the recommendations for SnS) and it works just fine. I use Wind Fresh for my normal laundry and it :rockon !!!

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

we use charlie's soap and love it.... so cheap and effective. I've been using it on my regular laundry too, on and off... :grin

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Did anyone else notice the list was updated 7/5/06 and that regular Sun detergent has been changed to reflect the fragrance, plus noted that it does have enzymes and optical brighteners as well - and that it's no longer recommended for diapers? I just bought a jug and went to use it tonight for the first time - I was very surprised to smell obvious fragrance and that's what made me come back to double check the list and find it updated. :/ Now there is Sun Free on there, which I'll have to look for next week....I'm not impressed by the Allen's Naturally (dipes don't get clean smelling) and it is way too pricey anyway. Does anyone use Surf and is is really fragrance-free like it shows on the chart?

I wonder if she saw a bunch of hits to that webpage and decided to update it?

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Don't you hate it when you find something that does exactly what you want, no more and no less, and then they decide to change it!?! :doh I still have like half a bottle of Sun left and just went to look at it and it doesn't say it has any enzymes or brighteners, so I'm good as long as this bottle lasts. I don't notice any icky smell from it....it's call Clean and Fresh or something like that.

I'm seriously considering buying some Charlie's to clean dipes. But what's the world coming to when you have to go online to buy everything you want? (cloth dipes, detergent, ...)

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I guess I'll be ordering detergent online too! With my hard water, I feel like I have to make a choice between build-up or stinky diapers... I'm not sure which is worse at this point!

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

noone know if tesco washing powder is ok. i am becoming a cloth diaperer this week. do u even have a tesco supermarket where u r???

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

not in the US, have only seen Tesco in Europe (shopped there every week when living in Slovakia, such pleasant memories :) ). Have you checked in the ingredients to see if it checks out as ok for cloth nappies?

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Generic brands are usually safe for CDing because they rarely have enzymes and optical brighteners since they are expensive ingredients.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Does Charlie's soap work good for hard water?

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

From their site: http://charliesoap.com/faq/#q6

There is more on that site under #2 about cloth diapers. They have been doing some research I guess because a lot of people were saying their babies were experiencing sensitive bums after using their detergent to wash their cloth dipes.

The home page does say it's good to wash out POOP, though! lol



My first answer was "NO, don't use SOAP when you have hard water! It builds up!" Because I made my own laundry soap awhile back and yes, it builds up a lot.
But looking at their site, it looks like it's not a true SOAP, people just recognize it by that name and they kept "SOAP" in the name.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

the link confuses me a little. I look at the things that are yellow starred & so many of them have optical brightners, then others who are only green except for optical brighteners don't have yellow stars. Is there more to the starring system than just the five categories listed? I am almost out of my curent laundry detergent (All Free & Clear) & knowing how lazy I am I want to use just one laundry detergent for everything so when I next buy I want to buy something I can use on cd's.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I think the one(All Free & Clear) doesn't have yellow stars, even though all but one are green stars, is that it is known to cause problems with cloth diapering. They have an explanation underneath as to why it's not good. For the All, it causes wicking in Bummi-type covers(PUL?). I have experienced this first-hand, when they changed their formula and added the optical brighteners and my covers started wicking. I was so bummed.

I think most of them have an explanation as to any problems that are known to occur with use of a particular detergent.

I do know one thing, though. You DON'T want something with enzymes, because if for some reason your washer doesn't rinse COMPLETELY, some residue of those enzymes will remain and once baby pees, the enzymes will be reactivated and go to work on baby's skin. :/ I've experienced that as well. Took me a loooong time to figure out why ds was having these awful continual rashes. :(

I have been using Sun detergent (clean and fresh scent I think) and I think I am starting to have buildup issues. :/
FWIW, I found Purex Free and Clear in powdered form on my last detergent shopping trip and am trying that now for ALL of our laundry, rather than having different detergents for different purposes (I was washing my undies/bras and dd's clothes in All F&C b/c the other detergent made me itch :O). I read the box and as far as I can tell, Purex F&C doesn't have enzymes or brighteners, so I think it will do the trick.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Here's a similar chart, that may be easier to interpret: http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

It also has some that the other doesn't, and pictures for everything, so that you can be sure you're looking at the right product.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I think the charts are good starts but really it comes down to experience. We use Charlies soap. I've alos never had issus diaper wise with Dreft but have with many others listed as good. We had the worst experence wit sports wash.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

thanks for this. I have to use purex because everything else gives me a rash so I am glad to find one that I can actually use on CD

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I gave up on laundry detergent a long time ago. Now I just use Dawn and haven't had build-up, rashes or stinks ever since.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

:giggle and once again proof what works for one doesn't for another. I know plenty that swear by this but for us it caused horrid rashes and so much buildup it just about caused me to give up on CD. :giggle and really didn't help the stink.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

has anyone used the natural laundry det. recipe for washing CD's?

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I don't have the same brands available here. I'm trying to extrapolate from that list what I should be looking for (or not looking for) in a laundry soap.

So, I need soap that does not have optical brighteners, enzymes, or fabric softener. I already avoid fragrances & dyes. Anything else I should be avoiding?

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

No, I haven't. I would be interested to know if someone has though.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

1 Cup Grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax

was our recpie used on cloth diapers no issues with regards to them but we found our DD was really reacting to the Washing soda so we stopped..

Deanna

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Enzymes are the super-baddie in that they are specifically for dissolving organic matter, which baby skin is made of. That's the most likely thing for anyone to react to when combined with wetness even if they aren't prone to allergic-type reactions at all.

Fabric softeners coat the stay dry layer of pocket diapers and cause water to repel. They can knock down the absorbency of diapers a little bit, but it's not a strong enough effect to eliminate a detergent with fabric softeners if you don't have pocket diapers.

A pp mentioned optical brighteners can cause bummis-type covers to wick.

Fabric softeners, brighteners, fragrances, and dyes are all potential sources of allergic reactions. Even if your baby isn't allergic now, the allergy could turn up later and its just easier to know those things are already not in the diaper detergent when you're trying to trouble-shoot a rash.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I always used plain old Tide on our Fuzzi Bunz and Happy Heinies.. And we never had a moment's problem. Maybe we just lucked out?

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Agh! :crazy I was hoping that there'd be one or two "perfect" detergents that were good for the environment and good for CDing. (We are *very* new to CD.) That would make it so much easier on me. :giggle

And what about Bac-Out Stain & Odor Eliminator? One of my cding friends swears by it?

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Is Bac-Out like an Oxy-Clean? I've heard of people using that only.

Allen's Naturally has a solid rep. Contrary to the statement on the op's link that none of the detergent has a diaper logo on it, the last time I looked at that box $20/75 loads, it did have a cloth diaper logo on it. I've used the Trader Joe's (despite the optical brighteners) diluted with huge amounts of washing soda and Borax to make it cheaper and Purex Free and Clear. They both seem fine, but, if I don't run the second rinse, I get an occasional reaction still.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Bac-Out is an enzyme cleaner. If it doesn't rinse completely out, it will eat the baby's skin.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Good to know. :yes2

I'll have to check out Allen's Naturally. Thanks TwoKids!

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I was hoping I could find one here :(
I love Nellies soap though! Only thing I cant find it where I live now so I will have to order it. Its works great on our sensitive skin.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

What about homemade kind. I make my own soap. Its just Washing Soda, Borax and Fels Naptha laundry soap. :shifty I only use 2 tbs to wash clothes. :shrug It cleans better then any stuff you buy at the store. It doesn't give my sensative ezcema kids a rash at all.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

Just to clear up some of the confusion regarding All Free and Clear - the version sold only in military commissaries is free of optical brighteners and works fine for diapers. The new military field uniforms, with fabrics computer designed to camouflage even when the enemy uses night vision equipment, lose that ability when detergents with optical brighteners are used on them. :doh So some companies now offer a version of their detergent especially for the military.

Just in case anyone was wondering why there is more than one listing for the same thing. ;)

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

I was wondering why the military had special detergent. thanks.

Re: Cloth diapers and which laundry detergents to use/avoid - a wonderful chart!
 

We use planet. I love that stuff!