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

[PurpleButterfly]

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

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.

So I have been using a DIY detergent for almost a year, but now I am wondering if my 14month old is growing out of her diapers or if they need stripped? I used disposables with my oldest one, so leaking meant a new size. How can you tell if your diapers need stripped or if they are the wrong size? How do you strip diapers?
Thanks
lcourtney

[2TMama]

I have never stripped ours. They have been stinkier lately....but last load i used a different concoction (usually use hard rock), added an extra rinse & line dried in the sunshine....here's hoping.

I found that my double-stuffed microfibers tend to leak...like baby was sitting on a full sponge ;P i now do a newborn prefold under a microfiber & *rarely* get leaks.

Iccourtney, what kind of diapers & can you share your soap recipe?

[Lady TS]

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).

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.

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

I have been using ecos for both loundry and diapers. Now it looks like it's the wrong choice :/

what's wrong with it?

I mean even free and clear is marked with a red star :/

We've had wonderful luck with Maggie's Soap Nuts Liquid. It's the only thing that doesn't make my super sensitive DD break out in a nasty rash.

[delightedmama]

Does anyone make their own detergent? I stuck to the list and all was well while Stateside, but I'm back in China and can't find a detergent that doesn't make the dipes repellent. Lots of leaks (that are more like spills, since it's not that the diaper's soaked, it's just not soaking it in!)

BTW I don't have any ingredients like borax or glycerin, and I don't know what washing soda is so I don't know whether I have it!! I do have bar soap, baking soda, and vinegar, though the BumGenius directions say not to use vinegar... I don't understand why, and I've written but not heard back.

[flowermama]

Originally Posted by delightedmama

Does anyone make their own detergent? I stuck to the list and all was well while Stateside, but I'm back in China and can't find a detergent that doesn't make the dipes repellent. Lots of leaks (that are more like spills, since it's not that the diaper's soaked, it's just not soaking it in!)

BTW I don't have any ingredients like borax or glycerin, and I don't know what washing soda is so I don't know whether I have it!! I do have bar soap, baking soda, and vinegar, though the BumGenius directions say not to use vinegar... I don't understand why, and I've written but not heard back.

I know your post is pretty old, but I've been looking through the stickies this morning and saw your post and was wondering how things turned out. Did you make your own detergent or did you find a store-bought type that worked better than what you were using? And did you ever find out why the BumGenius directions said not to use vinegar?

[delightedmama]

Originally Posted by flowermama

I know your post is pretty old, but I've been looking through the stickies this morning and saw your post and was wondering how things turned out. Did you make your own detergent or did you find a store-bought type that worked better than what you were using? And did you ever find out why the BumGenius directions said not to use vinegar?

Ooo, thanks for checking in!

As far as what works, I found that soapnuts are commonly used in Chinese traditional medicine so I bought a half-kilo for less than even the cheapest detergents, and began washing in soapnut liquid. I have to use cold water most of the time but once a month I fill up buckets with hot water (boiled or from a different source) to do a hot-water wash, which seems to work to "strip" any build-up.

The BumGenius guys said that vinegar can mess up the elastic. I'm not sure how that'd be worse than a drier, which we don't use but they say is okay to do. But we haven't needed to try the vinegar anyway so it's alright!

[milkmommy]

I'm not sure how that'd be worse than a drier, which we don't use but they say is okay to do. But we haven't needed to try the vinegar anyway so it's alright!

a dryer is fine. I dryer dry all my diaper covers ect on hight heat and I have some that have been in my stash/possion since 2003 . You just dont want to pull at covers diapers elastic when hot allow them to cool. I've also made vinager a fairly regular part of our CD rountinue with out any issues.

Deanna

This buy far is the best list I've seen.thanks.

Excellent list. Thanks. 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.

This is an excellent resource