Diapers Q&A

Help with washing cloth diapers?

How do you wash your cloth diapers, especially if you use more than one kind. I am so confused. I have bum genius 3.0 one size diapers and a happy heiny, and an getting some prefolds with covers as well. The two pocket diapers came today, but have conflicting washing instructions. One says to use a natural soap or an "all free" detergent, and the other says specifically not to use a natural soap or all free detergent, just to use regular tide?? Any help?? here is what the bum genius site said: What detergent can I use? You should only use detergents that are free of dyes, enzymes, perfumes, whiteners and brighteners. Using detergents containing these ingredients will cause damage to your diaper including elastic failure and leaking. Then happy Heinies says this: ecommended detergents: We recommend Tide, Sunlight, Cheer, Era, and Clout (Costco brand). These are not made with any of the natural oily substances which leave residue on fleece. Detergents to avoid: Natural soaps often contain various oils. These should NOT be used because they will leave a residue on fleece, causing it to repel liquids. The following detergents will cause a soap build up. Do NOT use them. * Dr. Bronner’s Soap * 7th Generation * Bio-Kleen * Ivory Snow * Dreft * Any ALL free detergents. * Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean – These have the potential for detergent burn in babies

Public Comments

1. just use some woolite it wont hurt
2. wash the bum genius's in one wash and the happy heiny in another wash. just remember which ones you're washing so that you don't mess them up. best of luck!
3. I use a squirt of Dawn non-concentrated diswashing detergent on mine. Sounds strange, but it works!
4. IDK. My dear departed mother used her home made lye soap. All my brothers and sisters, and I have tough butts.
5. What they are saying is essentially the same -- although it is confusing. You don't want a detergent with chemical irritants (like the optical whiteners, scents, etc., included in most "regular" brands) or enzymes and oils (which you'll find in a lot of "natural" detergents like Bio-Kleen). You also don't want to use anything that is technically soap. My favorite for pocket diapers -- and everything else, actually -- is Charlie's Soap (which is not, btw, "soap"); it gets the fleece clean better than anything else I've tried. Second to that is good ol' Tide. Whatever you choose, just remember to use as little as possible and rinse, rinse, rinse. Edit: By "ALL free," they are referring specifically to the ALL brand detergents.
6. I wash all of our diapers (pockets, prefolds, flats, and covers together). I do a cold rinse with baking soda. Then a hot wash with a quirt of Dawn dish soap (regular, not concentrated), followed by an extra rinse.
7. I used Purex Free and Clear as recommended by Wildflower Diapers. Always worked fine for me with all types of diapers. Good luck.