My old washing routine was giving me some stink issues and rash issues, so I had to search for a new one. And, by gum, I think I’ve got it.
My old routine involved 1/4 cup free-and-clear detergent. (My bumGenius tags told me to.) Then I found a site that told me NEVER USE FREE & CLEAR DETERGENTS. Oh, how I hate contradictions.
The colors and dyes may irritate my baby’s bottom, but the free & clear detergents leave residue behind, which builds up, leading to leaky, stinky diapers.
Why, then, didn’t I have stink-and-rash issues until I moved here?!
I can only conclude that line-drying my inserts must have helped somehow. They definately got more sun than they do here in this Valley of Shade. Also, we gained a water softener when we moved, which increases the effectivenes of soap. Which probably means I should have been using less. But it’s so difficult to put less in, when everything is 2x concentrated. And, according to Kelly, I shouldn’t be using free-and-clear to begin with.
But even when I switched to a dyed, scented detergent (risking more rashes), the stink did not disappear. I started bleaching the diapers, perhaps once every week or two. That took care of the stink AND the rashes… but destroyed the elastic in my Mommy’s Touch diapers. And the stink always.came.back.
So my new rules:
- No free & clear detergents
- No dyed & scented detergents
- No bleach
Which leaves me with those specialty detergents. They’re usually the kind you can only buy online. So you have to pay shipping. And they’re not the cheapest to begin with. So if your detergent is working fine for you, then keep with it! Good for you! 🙂 I was you once!
Luckily, a friend had given me a small supply of Allen’s Naturally powder detergent. She, um, kind of gave it to me with the expectation that I would use it on the diapers she had let me borrow for Olivia. And I, um, stubbornly refused to give up the routine that had worked for me so well in the old apartment. And then I forgot all about that detergent until a week ago.
And after just one wash with only two teaspoons of Allen’s Naturally, the stink was considerably less! You could still *kind of* smell it if you knew what you were looking for. I then, following the advice at KellysCloset.com, used OxyClean (without detergent) in a load to strip the diapers (get rid of residue), then did another run-through with Allen’s, and the smell was GONE.
When my supply runs out, I’m going to try some Country Save detergent. It’s on all the “safe for cloth diapers” lists and there’s a store not too far away that sells it – I drive out that way once a week for the local Aldi’s anyway. Even if I didn’t have a store near-by, Amazon sells it, with free shipping on orders over $25! It’s even cheaper, load-for-load than most commercial brands.
So, in conclusion, I’m switching detergents. I know Allen’s works, but I don’t want to pay the shipping. When it runs out, I’m going to try Country Save. I’ll let you know if it’s as good as I hope it is.
Sun is actually an incredibly powerful natural bleach. It’s a very similar chemical reaction to the bleach.
We often hang our fine church linens out in the sun to get rid of stains. Works like a charm.
If that detergent doesn’t work, maybe you can try Charlie’s Soup: http://www.littlejumpingbeans.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=275&idcategory=71
I don’t know if you can buy it in stores, but since it’s only 3 pounds (and lasts 80 loads since you only need 1 tablespoon) the shipping isn’t too bad. We just recently switched, and this is the only thing I can afford to ship from the States!
I don’t have a water softener, but I’ve had great luck with Trader Joe’s detergent…
Our local cloth diaper seller says that good ole Tide is the best bet. You can read about it on her website: http://www.abbyslane.com
She likes Country Save, but also Planet. I’m going to try Planet if I run into any issues, since it’s available at my local Safeway.
I didn’t have stink issues until a few weeks ago… they just started to be a teensy bit funkadelic smelling. I knew they were clean, but it’s still not fun to put stinky diapers on your baby.
Anyway – I heard about Country Save and want to try it, but I still have a bunch of my old detergent to use (OxyClean is helping with stink for now) – I’m interested to know how it works for you.
Gotta go – have an 11-month old who just wants to cry and whine and be held… maybe teething!
Weird, because *I’ve* heard that Tide is too harsh and will wear down diapers over time. Maybe just the covers?
You could also try making “Diva Detergent” – not the same thing as the usual make-your-own laundry soap recipe that floats around the internet (that you’ve tried with eventual repelling results). http://www.tiffanyblitz.com/blog/archives/521 Read to the end of the article for the second recipe. A chemist created it with cloth diapers in mind.
Oh – I so feel your pain!! (or should I say I smell your pain???) 🙂
I started having serious stink issues after I switched to Purex F&C concentrated — I think it was just too hard to measure the tiny amount I really needed for the diapers. Then I stripped . . . and stripped . . . and it would only seem to work for one load – then the stink would come back. So, I tried Calgon — which worked wonders . . . for about two washes . . . then the stink would come back. So, since I didn’t want to use Calgon every time, and I didn’t want to drain the Potomac river trying to rinse all the suds out — I finally switched back to Trader Joe’s powder detergent. I had used it successfully in the past, but quit because I was afraid the baking soda in it would mess with my elastic. But, since all my BGs are out of warranty now, and some of my old elastic is shot anyway — I decided to take my chances. 🙂
I cannot tell you how wonderful my diapers smell now!!! And my sons are very glad to not wake up with ammonia burns during the night! 🙂 I’m curious about Country Save but can’t get it around here. I wanted to try it for a few loads before I ordered a bunch from Amazon. 🙂 So . . . let us know how it works!
So I see how it is. If you had started out using the detergent I gave you – it may have been different. I guess I can forgive you. And if you buy a 5 lb. box of Allen’s Naturally – it will last a LONG time. I’ve had mine forever. I still use the following method:
-About 1 tsp. Allen’s Naturally detergent in a cold presoak cycle.
-Maybe 1-2 TBSP Baking Soda in a hot water cycle.
-Permanent Press dryer cycle on either delicate (which usually means I have to run it twice) or medium heat.
The dipes almost always come out smelling good (the only time they don’t is if I’ve waited an exceptionally long time before I’ve washed them).
Nancy 🙂
I use country save, it’s great. I used to use nature clean powder, but it’s a corn based cleaner, and will cause build-up…which I found out the hard way!
is this the right “Diva Detergent” recipe?
http://www.food.com/recipe/diva-detergent-433724
I might try it once we get rid of all our other detergents (via washing our clothing, not the dipes)
i haven’t been using any detergent and the prefolds & flatfolds come out fine — no stink and no buildup.
I read somewhere about adding 1/4 c. vinegar to the rinse cycle to help keep things white and to restore the pH of the cloth…. AND just the other day i read about the perfectly non-toxic and useful Bluing. It’s cheap, gets things beautifully white and isn’t harsh like bleach. (We have mostly “natural” prefolds so bleaching isn’t necessary for our dipes).
How has this new routine (with Country Save) been working? Basically, do you have any updates to this post? Thanks!
I’ve been using Country Save (found on Alice.com for the cheapest price and free shipping as long as you get five other things) ever since! I do a cold prewash with half the recommended detergent, a hot wash with half the recommended detergent, and a cold rinse with nothing added and my diapers do not stink! 😀