I CHALLENGE YOU!!

I'm about to take a challenge.  I'm challenging YOU to do the same.  Read about the challenge HERE and  HERE.  It will take place May 23-30.

Have you ever used flats?  Have you ever hand washed your diapers?  Yeah, me neither.  But I'm about to do both, and I'm super excited about it!

In response to this saddening article, a challenge has been made to prove that diapering can be done at an extremely low cost by using flats.  The challenge was also made to prove that cloth diapering IS possible, even without a washer and dryer.  When I read the above article about how some families are washing out and reusing disposable diapers, I was inspired to start a program that's been stewing in my mind for several months now.  I had planned on waiting until later this year when things settled down.  But let's face it: things will never settle down.   As I'm typing this, there are families who are having to choose between diapers and groceries.  I do not want any babies health to be at risk because their families can't afford both groceries and diapers.  Why wait?

Then I saw this challenge, and I'm all over it!  Contacts have been made to get things started with the program to help local families in cloth diapers who cannot afford it.  This challenge will help me be able to not only tell people it can be done very inexpensively and without a washer/dryer, but I can share my own personal experience. 

So, do you accept this challenge? 

the "A" word.

This post should be about my review of Country Save laundry detergent.  However, I am going to have to put that off until a later date.  I have had some major issues, with only 3 diapers, so I am unable to give an honest review of Country Save at this time.  So instead, I will share all about my battle, and how I've had to strip multiple times in just a few weeks.

For those who are new to my blog (welcome!), I did a review on the new (at the time) Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted diaper for overnight use.  I loved it!!  It seemed bulletproof.  But after only 1 short month of use, there were issues.  They never leaked, they were definitely great in that aspect.  Every morning when changing E, I was nearly knocked out by the strong smell of the dreaded "A" word......

Ammonia.

For an entire year of cloth diapering, I only once experienced this, after a brief affair with Tide Free & Gentle.  But one stripping and back to Tide original did the trick, no more stinky and leaky diapers.  I didn't even use anything special to strip them, just did multiple hot washes.  I knew my current ammonia problem was not caused by detergent build up.  After all, the Fab Duo's never leaked, even after all night.  And no other diapers, even the thick microfiber AIO's, smelled of ammonia.

In January, I tested EcoNuts Soap nuts.  Towards the end of that month, I started smelling ammonia every morning.  I suspected it was because the Eco Nuts just couldn't get the thick microfiber fitted clean enough, since the thick microfiber AIO's also had a faint ammonia smell.  I thought a good stripping would take care of it.

At the end of January, I soaked half of my clean stash in RLR Laundry Treatment. Then the entire next day I did hot wash after hot wash.  I think it was about 5 hot wash/cold rinse cycles (a few days later I did the other half of the stash in the same way).  I figured the diapers would have no more residue of any kind after this.  So I started my month long test of Country Save detergent.

For the first week or so, I could not smell any more ammonia.  Yay!!  But my joy did not last long.  This time it was only the Thirsties Duo Fab Fitteds.  Once the ammonia returned, I stripped the diapers again (all of them).  That only lasted one use.  After washing them again, I smelled the ammonia yet again.  Over the next couple of weeks, I tried multiple things to get rid of the stink

Adding white vinegar to the pre-rinse.

Adding an extra rinse, and even an extra hot wash.

Soaking in white vinegar.

Soaking in OxyClean.

Soaking in a white vinegar/OxyClean mixture.

Soaking only the Fab Duo's in boiling water.

Adding a little RLR to each wash.

I also bought Bac Out, and soaked them (and all of the other microfiber while I was at it, just in case) overnight.  I did this twice.  The inserts came out a brighter white!  But the Fab Duo's still had the stink.  This was the last straw.  I do not want high maitenance diapers.

Everyone told me to try a few drops of blue Dawn dish soap to strip.  And I was told to use Rockin Green's Funk Rock.  Or to spray them after each use with Bac Out prior to putting them in the diaper pail.  I know all the tricks, but I was tired of trying to get rid of ammonia that just did not want to stay away.  I even thought about ditching my detergent reviews and going back to Tide original.  But, I decided not to do that.  I figured if I was having problems with ALL of the diapers, not just these 3, then I would do that.  But it was only the 3 Fab Duo's that made a nice home for ammonia.

I'd had enough.  I am done with the Fab Duo's.  I am a little sad, though, since the diapers worked so well. 

In case you're wondering, I have an older top loader, not an HE machine. This is the first time I have ever had a problem with my wash routine in over a year of cloth diapering.

So for the last few nights E has been wearing a Thirsties Duo Diaper with an added bamboo/hemp gFlapper.  I only have 2 of those, and they are set aside for my husband to use (easy hook & loop).  So today I bought a Knickernappies OS Pocket, which includes 2 LoopyDo inserts (microfiber and hemp).  I hear amazing things about these LoopyDo inserts.  If this works, then E may have a new nighttime diaper. 

Next week, after getting back into a normal wash routine and stripping all of the diapers yet again, I will start my month long test of Rockin Green.  Without the Fab Duo's, I am hoping to be able to give an honest review.  I have another detergent planned for May, and will return to Country Save in June.

Tidal Wave

This is the first of several detergent reviews for cloth diaper laundry.  Stay tuned in the coming months for reviews on Lulu's in the Fluff, Rockin' Green, EcoNuts, and Country Save. 

First, I'll let you know how I'm testing.  I will test each detergent for 1 month, unless I start having build-up and/or any other issues before that time.  In between testings, I will strip all of the diapers in RLR Laundry Treatment so there is no residue of the former detergent.  My review of Tide original powder is a little different, though, since that is what I started with a year ago when we started CDing.  I will also review Tide Free & Gentle, since I used that for about a month recently. 

I have an older top loader, with normal water.  I have a mix of natural and synthetic materials.  My normal wash routine is: Cold rinse.  Long hot wash plus detergent, followed by one cold rinse.  I typically wash every 3 days.

I know, I know....Tide is NOT a recommended detergent for cloth diapers.  It has enzymes, brightners, dyes, fragrances...alll the bad stuff for cloth diapers.  However, when I was researching cloth diapers and what detergent to use, I had on overwhelming response suggesting Tide.  Somehow, despite all the bad ingredients, Tide worked for so many.  I wanted something cheap, that I could pick up at the store while doing my weekly grocery shopping.  My kids do not have sensitive skin, and I wasn't as concerned about using an all natural or organic detergent, so I decided to give it a try.

Not once did I deal with stink or repelling issues.  Well, the only time I ever smelled ammonia was after a long weekend trip where the dirty diapers went unwashed for 5 days.  But a soak in white vinegar, then the normal wash routine, plus one extra rinse, cleared it right up.   

With Tide, I use 1/2 the recommended amount, less if it's a smaller load.  Despite not having stink issues, I will add about 1/4 cup white vinegar to the pre-rinse to help keep the diapers (especially the natural fibers) soft and squishy.  Stains are never much of an issue, and they are very faint if there were any.  They sun out easily and quickly.  Maybe once every 4-5 weeks I will do a soak in Oxyclean if I felt they needed it, but I don't really think it's necessary.  I don't do this as often now that I'm not as paranoid about mild staining like I was in the beginning.  Tide worked so well that I started using it on all of our laundry.

A few months ago I decided on a whim to try Tide Free & Gentle.  Don't ask me why, I just wanted to try it.  At first, it was fine, and I didn't have any problems.  But after about a month, I noticed E's diapers were leaking often and I noticed a mild ammonia smell.  This can be a common problem with many free & clear detergents, though some have no problems.

As soon as I noticed a problem, I went to the store and bought Tide original.  I stripped the diapers by first doing a soak in white vinegar, then a hot wash with Tide original, and multiple hot washes after that.  No more stink or repelling issues.  Lesson learned.

What detergent to use is, in my opinion, the hardest thing to recommend for cloth diapers since there are so many factors. Detergent success depends on what washer and what type of water you have, as well as any skin sensitivities your child may have. This is why I suggest to do your research, then pick a detergent you think will work, and try it out. If it doesn't work, then try another. I know it seems daunting, but it's really not. I got lucky, and the first detergent I tried worked great!

In case you are new to the cloth diaper world, fabric softener of any kind (alone, in detergents, or dryer sheets) should never be used on cloth diapers.  It causes build up, which is the culprit behind stink and repelling issues.  As an alternative, white vinegar is a natural softener.  Using wool dryer balls (2-4) can not only soften clothes, but also cut down on drying time! 

In early March I will have my next detergent review, EcoNuts!  In the meantime, I will be reviewing several cloth diapers.