# Cloth diapers washed in dreft



## sixtwelve09

Decided to use cloth diapers this time around, and have been doing a lot of reading about washing them. Lately we've had lots of rust in our water that stains our clothes so I took them to my moms house to be washed, and since she loves washing our toddlers clothes so much, she couldnt wait to do the babies laundry...only she put the cloth diapers in with the rest of the clothes and washed everything in dreft. The diapers look good still, but ive read so much about not using perfumes/dyes/etc. How will this effect the diapers and will it help if I give them a few washes without detergent?


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## TTC First

I have never done that myself however I would not imagine that one wash would have a dramatic impact. Keep an eye out for leaks and make sure that the insert is absorbing as it did. If it is not absorbing then it means that you need to strip the diapers. You will have to look that one up as people have different methods.


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## Rachel_C

As long as it doesn't have softener built into it, I'm 99.9% sure it'll be absolutely fine as long as the nappies were rinsed properly. If they smell of detergent, I'd give them another wash and then a few extra rinses until they don't smell any more, but otherwise it's fine. Brighteners, whiteners, enzymes etc aren't usually recommended by manufacturers but IMO it's mostly to do with helping them last longer. An occasional wash in such things won't harm anything, especially if thoroughly rinsed. In fact, until a couple of years ago we didn't really have detergents without all that in the UK (not widely available anyway) but our nappies were still fine - it's only been in the last couple of years that a load of 'nappy detergents' have appeared and we don't really have 'free and clear' detergents like you do in the US. I think most people then and probably now too just use a standard non-bio detergent (and 'non-bio' does still have some enzymes) with a few extra rinses.

If softener was used, I'd rewash with more detergent than you'd usually use and keep rinsing and rinsing until it's all gone, a mini strip wash.


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## adrie

Detergent smell on the diapers is okay! That simply means they are clean, just like your clothing!!! If you have *any* amount of hard water, washing unnecessarily and rinsing like crazy will cause hard water minerals to build up on your diapers and cause repelling and bacterial build up!!! 


SO much wrong information out there, it's kind of scary!


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## sheldonsmommy

I don't think it's wrong information, there are different variables that make it individual for everyone: different diapers, detergent, water type, washer. 

OP I don't think one wash will have a huge impact.


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## adrie

sheldonsmommy said:


> I don't think it's wrong information, there are different variables that make it individual for everyone: different diapers, detergent, water type, washer.

Oh, there def is a lot of wrong information. That is why there are countless ways to strip diapers when only 1 is necessary and 100% effective.

The three main variables that are the same for every cloth diaper mom are soft/hard water, washer type and detergent. People don't wash AIO or AI2 any different than a pocket diaper or prefolds.


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## JenX

adrie said:


> Oh, there def is a lot of wrong information. That is why there are countless ways to strip diapers when only 1 is necessary and 100% effective.
> 
> The three main variables that are the same for every cloth diaper mom are soft/hard water, washer type and detergent. People don't wash AIO or AI2 any different than a pocket diaper or prefolds.

Oh wow- I guess none of the rest of us have anything to add or know anything about cloth diapering. Adrie knows it all apparently and our wash routines are all wrong. It is getting pretty old having her take over every cloth diapering thread saying her way is the only way and the rest of us are spreading misinformation. To her I would like to say- I don't care if you say you have the knowledge of a billion years worth of cloth diapering behind you. You don't. You have only what you have read online, plus a few months worth of experience of your own with only one type of diaper, per your own admission. Be quiet and let others with more varied experience talk once in a while without accusing them of spreading misinformation. You are combative and have come in and singlehandedly made the Natural Paerenting section an unpleasant place. I'd like it to go back to being the calm and helpful resource it once was. 

And for the record, I *do* sometimes wash prefolds differently than AIOs or pockets. I can wash them separately from the covers and at higher temps without worry of damaging PUL. So there.


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## adrie

JenX said:


> adrie said:
> 
> 
> Oh, there def is a lot of wrong information. That is why there are countless ways to strip diapers when only 1 is necessary and 100% effective.
> 
> The three main variables that are the same for every cloth diaper mom are soft/hard water, washer type and detergent. People don't *edit* need to wash AIO or AI2 any different than a pocket diaper or prefolds.
> 
> Oh wow- I guess none of the rest of us have anything to add or know anything about cloth diapering. Adrie knows it all apparently and our wash routines are all wrong. It is getting pretty old having her take over every cloth diapering thread saying her way is the only way and the rest of us are spreading misinformation. To her I would like to say- I don't care if you say you have the knowledge of a billion years worth of cloth diapering behind you. You don't. You have only what you have read online, plus a few months worth of experience of your own with only one type of diaper, per your own admission. Be quiet and let others with more varied experience talk once in a while without accusing them of spreading misinformation. You are combative and have come in and singlehandedly made the Natural Paerenting section an unpleasant place. I'd like it to go back to being the calm and helpful resource it once was.
> 
> And for the record, I *do* sometimes wash prefolds differently than AIOs or pockets. I can wash them separately from the covers and at higher temps without worry of damaging PUL. So there.Click to expand...


Okay, I too will get specific. Washing any of the main types of diapers differently isn't out of necessity, but preference or choice. 

I didn't take anything over and I'm not here to argue. I've posted in a few threads in the entire NP section. Someone mentioned surfactants (detergent) as if it equates to sanitizing (bleach), which it absolutely is not, and I pointed that out. That is misinformation. it may not be deliberate, but it is false information. I just point it out when I see it.

Cloth diapers are just heavily soiled laundry and washing and stripping is not really that complicated or diverse at all, despite all of the "information" to the contrary. A good detergent and understanding the basics of a good wash routine is really all that is needed. 

I have mentioned that I am part of a community and I give information based off the collective. Anyone can take it or leave it.


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## sheldonsmommy

adrie said:


> JenX said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> adrie said:
> 
> 
> Oh, there def is a lot of wrong information. That is why there are countless ways to strip diapers when only 1 is necessary and 100% effective.
> 
> The three main variables that are the same for every cloth diaper mom are soft/hard water, washer type and detergent. People don't *edit* need to wash AIO or AI2 any different than a pocket diaper or prefolds.
> 
> Oh wow- I guess none of the rest of us have anything to add or know anything about cloth diapering. Adrie knows it all apparently and our wash routines are all wrong. It is getting pretty old having her take over every cloth diapering thread saying her way is the only way and the rest of us are spreading misinformation. To her I would like to say- I don't care if you say you have the knowledge of a billion years worth of cloth diapering behind you. You don't. You have only what you have read online, plus a few months worth of experience of your own with only one type of diaper, per your own admission. Be quiet and let others with more varied experience talk once in a while without accusing them of spreading misinformation. You are combative and have come in and singlehandedly made the Natural Paerenting section an unpleasant place. I'd like it to go back to being the calm and helpful resource it once was.
> 
> And for the record, I *do* sometimes wash prefolds differently than AIOs or pockets. I can wash them separately from the covers and at higher temps without worry of damaging PUL. So there.Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Okay, I too will get specific. Washing any of the main types of diapers differently isn't out of necessity, but preference or choice.
> 
> I didn't take anything over and I'm not here to argue. I've posted in a few threads in the entire NP section. Someone mentioned surfactants (detergent) in relation to sanitizing (bleach), which it absolutely is not, and I pointed that out. That is misinformation. I just point it out when I see it.
> 
> I have mentioned that I am part of a community and I give information based off the collective. Anyone can take it or leave it.Click to expand...

I can only presume you're talking about me spreading 'misinformation' when outlining the ingredients of Oxiclean. It does, in fact, contact surfactants and sodium percarbonate. 

Here's the link: https://www.oxiclean.com/news/the-science-of-oxiclean.aspx

I think you're mixing up your threads :)


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## adrie

sheldonsmommy
I can only presume you're talking about me spreading 'misinformation' when outlining the ingredients of Oxiclean. It does said:


> https://www.oxiclean.com/news/the-science-of-oxiclean.aspx[/url]
> 
> I think you're mixing up your threads :)

I'm not mixing up anything. I gave an example of misinformation rather than talking about generalities to prove my point. Sorry, you truly do not know what you are talking about if you are saying that Oxy clean will sanitize and strip diapers. 

Surfactants are not disinfectants, they are cleaning agents. Oxy clean will not sanitize diapers. It is essentially a laundry additive or "booster" for detergent. 

For my own intent and purposes, let me take tide with the bleach additive as a comparable example to what you are suggesting. 

As I use regular Tide to wash my diapers, and Tide with bleach contains the component of bleach, it would be like me saying that Tide with bleach used in the wash cycle is sufficient to sanitize my diapers of yeast. It is not. There needs to be the right amount of bleach per water ratio to disinfect, not some relatively miniscule amount within a load's size of detergent. I assume such a detergent product may help to whiten whites and brighten your colors, that is it. Much like Oxy clean is marketed as a stain remover, and not a disinfectant.


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