I am on the hunt for the perfect cloth diaper detergent. I have not found it yet, but I'll be reviewing the contenders as I go. I am hoping to find one detergent that I love for both diaper laundry and regular laundry.
The first contender : Planet Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergent
Price: ?? don't remember I think $10-$12 at local food co-op
Planet is free of all the fragrances, brighteners, etc. that are bad for diapers and is certified biodegradable. It is supposed to rinse completely out of clothing. Sounds perfect. I was happy to find it locally (well, sort of, I'm in the middle of nowhere so nothing is actually local . . . but I digress) because I am usually to "frugal" (cheap) to pay for detergent and shipping.
The verdict:
We have had no issues with diapers repelling, and no rash issues. However, the diapers are smelling kinda funky. Not like ammonia and not like poop. Just - bad. Hard to explain, but it's not pleasant. I'm thinking perhaps I need to use a little more detergent? I'm going to give that a try the next time I wash. I am not impressed with the stain removal on our regular laundry. I probably won't buy Planet again.
The Grade: B-
next up - Rockin' Green - after I've had a chance to try it out.
oooh!! I'm also looking for the "perfect" cloth dipe detergent!! I'll be reading your reviews!
ReplyDeleteI've also been on a search for the perfect diaper detergent. i just tried rockin green & really liked it :) I think you will like it too - I havent noticed any funky smells :)
ReplyDeleteWe had the same problem with Planet. Want to know what I use? Soapnuts and homemade powder. The soapnuts I use primarily for diapers. Here's the recipe for the powder (and then I'll tell you how I use it): three parts washing soda (not baking soda), three parts oxyclean (or similar), one part borax. Mix it all together. I used one scoop (that came with the oxyclean) for large regular laundry and scale down from there.
ReplyDeleteFor diapers: I rinse (cold), soak and rinse (cold) with a scoop of powder (not a whole scoop, though. it depends on how big the load is). Then on warm/cold I throw in a bag of soapnuts and five drops of tea tree oil. No need for an extra rinse. Once a month (as per your suggestion) I add RLR to the warm/cold cycle and add an extra rinse.
I hear good things about Lil Outlaws, but haven't tried it myself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions, I am going to try soapnuts for sure and probably lil outlaws too. Perhaps Crunchy clean as well. I love the idea of buying from a WAHM or small biz!
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