Comments on: Washing Cloth Diapers

By: Julie Holland

Julie Holland — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:09:40 +0000

For us the soap nuts left odors on the diapers. I used both the liquid extract and the soap nuts (had two samples sent to me, one of each kind). We have super hard well water. Allen’s Naturally is the only detergent that works consistently for us. I use 2 teaspoons per load so a quart lasts forever. Planet worked ok for us, but still caused stink issues after a couple of washes.

I do not use Charlies and will not recommend it to customers due to so many stories of scarring burns from it. I know some people swear by it, but when other detergents work, why risk it? Allen’s is all natural too.

Poop was not an issue even when my daughter was transitioning to formula and first starting solids. However, now that she is 100 percent formula fed and eating 1/2-1 cup of baby food a day, I shake off anything I can into the toilet. A diaper sprayer rinses off runny poop easily.

By: Pocket Diaper Inserts | All About Cloth Diapers Blog

Pocket Diaper Inserts | All About Cloth Diapers Blog — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:50:09 +0000

[...] fiber but it does have a tendency to get the stinkies. I think that has more to do with improper washing. Microfiber is manmade yet highly absorbent. Cotton is natural but is not that absorbent. Bamboo is [...]

By: Autumn Beck

Autumn Beck — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:41:33 +0000

Stella, any dish detergent that touts itself as a “grease buster” will do the job.

Lisa, when the poop is more solid is when I start flushing. Even in the beginning when starting solids it won’t be fully solid. OT, I wouldn’t start out with anything grainy. Your baby may still become constipated but less likely with veggies.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:57:29 +0000

My son is almost 5 months. We are looking to start cereal in a couple weeks. We have been cloth diapering from birth, so I am only familiar with breatfed poop. Will I have to start rinsing diapers as soon as I start cereal? When will his poop change so that diapers can no longer be dropped into the washer?

By: stella

stella — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:55:10 +0000

thank you for this wonderful blog!
I live in greece and i m trying cloth diapering though it is somewhat difficult in this country.. I ve ordered nearly two dozens of pocket cds and i m happy with them.. My only problem is that the water in the island we live is HARD!! We ve had some stinkin issues but when i washed the cloth diapers in the HOT circle (95 celcius = 203 fahrenheit) i stopped having problems. Now i see some repelling fleece and i’m a bit dissapointed..
Is it ok for the pocket diapers to be washed in such a hot temperature? should i switch to a lower temp again?
Here in greece i cannot find products such as Dawn for stripping. Should i try normal dish washing liquid instead?

Thank you in advance!

By: Autumn Beck

Autumn Beck — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:40:11 +0000

Kate, what a great idea! Especially if you have some diapers that need a little soaking.

By: Autumn Beck

Autumn Beck — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:38:47 +0000

AJ, my course of action is always if in doubt don’t use it. I too have heard the horror stories about Charlies and my baby has sensitive skin. Therefore, I have not and won’t be using Charlies. That’s not to say that hundreds of mamas aren’t happy with it. But if you are looking for a healthy, gentle detergent I have heard Ecover is an excellent choice. Ecover also makes a fabric softener that is safe to use on cloth diapers. You can buy Ecover at health food stores. Hope that helps! I have many pages devoted just to washing in my new book The Ultimate Guide to Cloth Diapers if you need more help.

By: AJ

AJ — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:57:33 +0000

HELP! Someone told me to use Charlies Powdered laundry soap but I found one site that said never use laundry soap and one that says taht Charlies has been linked to some babies having severe skin reactions. My baby is super sensitive (we switched to cloth because he is allergic to disposables). Should I try the Charlies? I hate getting mixed messages.

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:50:06 +0000

We have a washer that has a soak cycle so I just run that with the lid open (so it doesn’t finish the cycle…yet) and toss diapers in all day. Then at the end of the day I close the lid and let it finish it’s job. Afterwards I do a heavy-duty wash cycle using a tablespoon of Charlie’s powdered laundry soap. Works great, very limited staining, and minimal work. We don’t even have a diaper pail, and I keep up with the diaper loads because we only have about 18 cloth diapers.

By: Autumn Beck

Autumn Beck — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:03 +0000

Well I received my Soap Nuts and gave them a try. I really like the idea of using something so natural but it is hard to tell if it got the job done. The load of diapers that I tried it with were all pee diapers. Had there been poop I would have been able to actually see if Soap Nuts worked. I did have to run the cycle twice though. After the first time I smelled the diapers and could still smell urine. Also the little bag you put the Soap Nuts in did not stay closed-no matter how tight a knot I made. I will try another load but I don’t forsee a permanent change.