Cloth diaper questions

[BabyMaybe917]

For those that use cloth just wondering a few things. Some questions are silly.

How do you clean out poo diapers?
Do you have to use special detergent or can I just use a fragrance free type detergent?
Can I use my dryer instead of sun drying?

I'm looking into Charlie Banana all in ones but can't make the laundry commitment and DH is NOT on board.

 

[Rachel_C]

For a EBF baby, you don't need to do anything with the poo, just put it in the washing machine as it will dissolve and wash down the drain.

For formula fed poo or after LO starts solids, you just need to remove any 'solids'. I usually just give it a wipe with some loo roll into the toilet, which is less yucky than cleaning LO's bum! Sometimes I used the shower to spray the poo off into the loo or in the US you can get sprayers that attach to the toilet. Any liquid poo left on the nappy will again be washed down the drain.

For detergent, you need to check the brand's guidelines. Some say no enzymes, no brighteners etc, others recommend them! Really, most detergents without softeners will be fine but not following the brand's rules will invalidate your warranty.

Inserts can generally be tumble dried but I wouldn't tumble the outers. Any tumble drying will age the fabrics faster so I wouldn't advise it. Cost wise, tumbling increased the cost by quite a lot and the same goes for environmental cost too.

I wouldn't buy just one brand, try a few first (just buy one nappy of each) and see how you go before buying more. Not all nappies suit all babies so you really need to try them before investing - it can be a costly mistake not to.

The laundry commitment isn't huge - you don't need to sit and watch the machine go round 2 mins to put the washing machine on, 30 seconds to set an extra rinse, 5 mins to hang them up to dry and maybe 10 mins to put them away (or you can leave them un-made-up and assemble as you go). Do that 2-3 times a week... less time than it takes to go to the shops for disposables and take out smelly bins

Charlie Banana are pocket nappies, although they claim you can use them as a hybrid nappy with a disposable insert. I'm not a fan of that idea as the inside of the nappy will still get damp and that will smell a bit whiffy if you reuse the cover with a new insert. If you like the idea of hybrids, I'd look at proper hybrids with wipe-clean covers e.g. Flips, GroVia, gNappies.

 

[adrie]

How do you clean out poo diapers?
Do you have to use special detergent or can I just use a fragrance free type detergent?
Can I use my dryer instead of sun drying?

All we have are Charlie Banana OS diapers, and we've been cloth diapering for nearly 7 months.

My LO is FF, so all shells are cleaned of poop before throwing in the diaper pail. I use a basin in the tub with a brush used only for this purpose. Dump all poopy residue in the toilet and flush.

Once baby is on solids, liners work better and there is generally no need to "clean" the shell off first because the liner contains it. Apparently Viva or Bounty paper towels work just as well and are more cost effective than liners you buy from diaper companies.

You don't need special detergent (we use Tide original HE). You can use free and clear versions and even ones that are plant derived; however, they are weaker and require more detergent to wash effectively. Also, plant derived detergent works best when washed in hot water.

Diaper laundry is simply heavily soiled laundry, and as such, needs enough detergent to properly clean the diapers. Use too little detergent and you will get bacteria build up, ammonia, and burns on baby (if not sooner, then later). Use enough detergent for a heavily soiled load which may vary depending on the amount of diapers you are washing.

Also, if you have hard water (and most of us do) adding a water softener like Calgon to the main wash is recommended to help the detergent properly clean the diapers. No extra rinses are necessary other than the one attached to the main cycle unless diapers feel soapy or slimy, as minerals will redeposit in the diapers and cause build up of bacteria, ammonia, and rashes on the baby.

You can definitely use your dryer instead of sunning, just don't stretch any elastics while hot.

 

[BabyMaybe917]

After researching a little more ALL day I have decided I still really like the idea of the Charlie Banana's and am hoping they work the best. I ordered a few online to give them a try and hope they come ASAP. I'm excited to get this started. My poor LO has her 3rd of 4th diaper rash resulting in broken down skin and I'm tired of it. I'm hoping cloth helps as her disposables are literally sticking to her bum and possible are even the culprit for the missing skin. It breaks my heart.

I've picked out the bioliners I want to use, a large wet/dry bag to keep dirty diapers in the bathroom in, and a to go wet/dry bag for the diaper bag. I've also found coupon codes for diapers.com and I will have to do a couple of different transactions but will save a total of $60 in the end! And the ones I bought to try out were on sale 6 pack for $85 instead of $110-120. I'm feeling pretty good.

I've also found a DIY detergent recipe that gets great reviews that I'm excited about making. Oh and DH is going to build me a drying rack!

 

[Rachel_C]

Just be careful if borax is one of the ingredients for the detergent, some manufacturers advise against it.

At the other end of the scale to what adrie recommends, you have those like myself who find that using the full dose of detergent leaves detergent residue in the nappies, which traps bacteria and can cause stinkiness, rash and loss of absorbency. It depends on lots of factors like water type (although we have quite hard water here so it's not the case that hard water automatically means you need to use loads of detergent) and your washing machine so it's best just to try it and see. I would advocate starting with less since nappies that aren't properly clean will smell and look dirty as soon as you remove them from the machine so it's very easy to see that you didn't use enough detergent and just put them back in to fix the problem. Detergent build up takes longer to detect as it takes a while to build up to detectable levels and then requires strip washing to get it out and start afresh. Most nappy manufacturers say to use less than the full dose of detergent so make of that what you will! The ideas of minerals being redeposited in extra rinses is something I have never come across in 5 years of reading about cloth (and 4.5 years of using them while living with hard water) and being a member of lots of nappy communities including the nappy library network in the UK. If you're concerned about that, perhaps ask Bummis - they write a lot of good stuff about laundering nappies

 

[sheldonsmommy]

After researching a little more ALL day I have decided I still really like the idea of the Charlie Banana's and am hoping they work the best. I ordered a few online to give them a try and hope they come ASAP. I'm excited to get this started. My poor LO has her 3rd of 4th diaper rash resulting in broken down skin and I'm tired of it. I'm hoping cloth helps as her disposables are literally sticking to her bum and possible are even the culprit for the missing skin. It breaks my heart.

I've picked out the bioliners I want to use, a large wet/dry bag to keep dirty diapers in the bathroom in, and a to go wet/dry bag for the diaper bag. I've also found coupon codes for diapers.com and I will have to do a couple of different transactions but will save a total of $60 in the end! And the ones I bought to try out were on sale 6 pack for $85 instead of $110-120. I'm feeling pretty good.

I've also found a DIY detergent recipe that gets great reviews that I'm excited about making. Oh and DH is going to build me a drying rack!

Try your diy detergent on your clothes first. I was attempting a borax/washing soda/bar soap mix (2:2:1 respectively) and it simply did not work as well at getting clothes clean. I was so excited about it but really let down .

But in Canada and the US (you're using dollars so I assume ) there are plenty of eco-friendly options. I'm with Rachel_C though, I would use less than the recommended amount at first as you can tell right away if they are still dirty.

I hope cloth works for you, it eliminated my son's diaper rash when he was too little for the one-sizes that I had when he was born!

 

[BabyMaybe917]

Thanks ladies. If I use regular detergent I plan n to start at 1/4 the normal amount. It seems to be the starting recommendation.

I can't wait to get them in. I've also ordered 3 sunbaby diapers to try. They seen to have great reviews and are extremely inexpensive! ! And of course super cute prints.

 

[noon_child]

I used quite a few Charlie Bananas but the label recommends washing at 40degrees only (some other brands like Tots Bots say you can wash at 60). At 40degrees I wasn't convinced that all bacteria would be gone (although I know the physical process of washing removes a lot) so I ended up using a sanitiser (although not recommended by a lot of manufacturers) and a small dose (1/4) of detergent (Surecare, because LO has eczema). I hardly ever had to do a detergent strip wash using these amounts.

 

[adrie]

I too bought into a lot of the misinformation in the cloth diapering world. Of course anyone is free to do as they wish, however, I will mention a few things that I have learned.

Most of this misinformation states the detergent is the issue rather than mineral build up (hard water, which most of us in the western world have to some degree) or bacteria build up from improper cleaning. It's amazing how ANY issue seems to be linked back to detergent rather than the real issue of improperly cleaned diapers.

"Cloth diaper safe" detergents are weaker than traditional detergents. You may not notice an issue for a while, but most likely, they WILL arise. Barnyard stink, ammonia, and rashes. The answer in never more rinses and even less detergent. Use basic logic here. Water does not clean to the degree that is needed for heavily soiled laundry.

Any properly cleaned diaper does not require regular stripping. Actually, a proper wash cycle will NEVER require stripping.

There is A LOT of confusion about detergent build up in the diapers when it is actually feces and urine that are not washed out of the diaper. The stink of barnyard and/or ammonia is from poop and pee, the weakness of your detergent and/or how little you are using.

Homemade detergents are not recommended as they do not contain surfactants necessary to clean the diapers. Fine for regular laundry; use at your own risk for cloth diapers.

Think about it this way, if baby has pooped or peed on a shirt, would you use the smallest amount of detergent and tons of water to get it out of the fabric?
No.

 

[adrie]

I used quite a few Charlie Bananas but the label recommends washing at 40degrees only (some other brands like Tots Bots say you can wash at 60). At 40degrees I wasn't convinced that all bacteria would be gone (although I know the physical process of washing removes a lot) so I ended up using a sanitiser (although not recommended by a lot of manufacturers) and a small dose (1/4) of detergent (Surecare, because LO has eczema). I hardly ever had to do a detergent strip wash using these amounts.

If you are using a mainstream detergent, the water temp does not matter. For plant derived detergents, hot water is recommended to help the detergent work properly.


Certain cloth brands even recommend Tide, Gain and others. I believe Rumparooz does; forgot a few other names.

 

[adrie]

Just be careful if borax is one of the ingredients for the detergent, some manufacturers advise against it.

At the other end of the scale to what adrie recommends, you have those like myself who find that using the full dose of detergent leaves detergent residue in the nappies, which traps bacteria and can cause stinkiness, rash and loss of absorbency. It depends on lots of factors like water type (although we have quite hard water here so it's not the case that hard water automatically means you need to use loads of detergent) and your washing machine so it's best just to try it and see. I would advocate starting with less since nappies that aren't properly clean will smell and look dirty as soon as you remove them from the machine so it's very easy to see that you didn't use enough detergent and just put them back in to fix the problem. Detergent build up takes longer to detect as it takes a while to build up to detectable levels and then requires strip washing to get it out and start afresh. Most nappy manufacturers say to use less than the full dose of detergent so make of that what you will! The ideas of minerals being redeposited in extra rinses is something I have never come across in 5 years of reading about cloth (and 4.5 years of using them while living with hard water) and being a member of lots of nappy communities including the nappy library network in the UK. If you're concerned about that, perhaps ask Bummis - they write a lot of good stuff about laundering nappies

Detergent is for cleaning and water softener like calgon and borax is for softening the water to prevent mineral build up on your diapers. Mineral buildup does exist ( I would suggest looking into it if you cloth diaper). It can cause repelling and rashes as well, since it is inhibiting the detergent from being able to do its job.

I am part of some no-nonsense diaper communities and I have never had to strip my diapers 7 months in.

How many times have you had to strip your diapers?

 

[adrie]

I used quite a few Charlie Bananas but the label recommends washing at 40degrees only (some other brands like Tots Bots say you can wash at 60). At 40degrees I wasn't convinced that all bacteria would be gone (although I know the physical process of washing removes a lot) so I ended up using a sanitiser (although not recommended by a lot of manufacturers) and a small dose (1/4) of detergent (Surecare, because LO has eczema). I hardly ever had to do a detergent strip wash using these amounts.

Even if you used the hottest water setting on your washer, it is not hot enough to sanitize your diapers. Also, It's NOT recommended to use the sanitize option for cloth if you have it though. I believe that can actually ruin diapers.

 

[noon_child]

I used quite a few Charlie Bananas but the label recommends washing at 40degrees only (some other brands like Tots Bots say you can wash at 60). At 40degrees I wasn't convinced that all bacteria would be gone (although I know the physical process of washing removes a lot) so I ended up using a sanitiser (although not recommended by a lot of manufacturers) and a small dose (1/4) of detergent (Surecare, because LO has eczema). I hardly ever had to do a detergent strip wash using these amounts.

Even if you used the hottest water setting on your washer, it is not hot enough to sanitize your diapers. Also, It's NOT recommended to use the sanitize option for cloth if you have it though. I believe that can actually ruin diapers.

I know sanitizers aren't recommended, but I used them anyway with the brand that the OP is looking in to and didn't have any negative results.

My concern re: water temperature was because I'm aware that hospitals (UK) wash their linen etc at 60degrees and the nappy company I ordered a lot of my stuff from wash at 60degrees when cleaning their trial/rental nappies, so I just assumed it was better....

Plus my Mum had always used a nappy sanitiser with the cloth she used on me (Terry Squares) so I suppose culturally I just assumed you ought to - although later I read about people on here that didn't.

I ruied 2 x PUL outers (Charlie Banana) when forgot to turn my tumble dryer to low heat, and wish I'd have dried them on a rack more often as the outers really dont take much time to dry at all!

I'm 3years in to cloth and have stripped my nappies about 3 times, by 7months in I hadn't had to do it either. I don't really know much about stripping and how it works/what it works for but I used the dishwasher tablet method on my night nappies about 8months back and they went from leaking 3hrs in to LO going to bed back to lasting 12-13hrs. Is this because dishwasher tab removes minerals? I'm intrigued by this as I live in a semi-hard water area.

 

[Rachel_C]

Just be careful if borax is one of the ingredients for the detergent, some manufacturers advise against it.

At the other end of the scale to what adrie recommends, you have those like myself who find that using the full dose of detergent leaves detergent residue in the nappies, which traps bacteria and can cause stinkiness, rash and loss of absorbency. It depends on lots of factors like water type (although we have quite hard water here so it's not the case that hard water automatically means you need to use loads of detergent) and your washing machine so it's best just to try it and see. I would advocate starting with less since nappies that aren't properly clean will smell and look dirty as soon as you remove them from the machine so it's very easy to see that you didn't use enough detergent and just put them back in to fix the problem. Detergent build up takes longer to detect as it takes a while to build up to detectable levels and then requires strip washing to get it out and start afresh. Most nappy manufacturers say to use less than the full dose of detergent so make of that what you will! The ideas of minerals being redeposited in extra rinses is something I have never come across in 5 years of reading about cloth (and 4.5 years of using them while living with hard water) and being a member of lots of nappy communities including the nappy library network in the UK. If you're concerned about that, perhaps ask Bummis - they write a lot of good stuff about laundering nappies

Detergent is for cleaning and water softener like calgon and borax is for softening the water to prevent mineral build up on your diapers. Mineral buildup does exist ( I would suggest looking into it if you cloth diaper). It can cause repelling and rashes as well, since it is inhibiting the detergent from being able to do its job.

I am part of some no-nonsense diaper communities and I have never had to strip my diapers 7 months in.

How many times have you had to strip your diapers?

Needed to strip nappies rather than as general maintenance? Twice, I think, when I first started out and was using the full dose of detergent before people in here helped me work out the problem. In nearly 5 years of washing nappies.

Have you looked into the temperature at which water deposits are actually released as solids into the water? Do you have limescale on your hair (presumably washed at fairly cool temps) or just in your kettle (very hot temps)? Repeated rinsing does not cause hard water deposits to be left in nappies as the water isn't hot enough to cause the deposits to be released.

You claim that nappy detergents are made to rip people off but you seem to think that commercial detergent manufacturers are there for the good of mankind. No! They want you to use loads and therefore buy more, they want your clothes to smell lovely so you move, get a whiff and think, "Oooh this Persil smells divine and the lovely fresh fragrance must mean my clothes/towels/nappies are hygienically clean so I will continue buying this brand". Having spoken to many people who work in the cloth nappy world, I am confident in saying that those who make products for nappies are far more likely to have the best interests of the consumer at heart than the standard detergent manufacturers. Most who make nappy detergent are cloth users themselves who want to help others get it right.

I would suggest that the difference between UK and US machines might account for some of the information you're giving out that is most certainly incorrect for those in the UK. Machines here are mostly what you would call HE front loaders in the US. They don't use much water. Perhaps using a full dose of detergent with minimal rinsing works for you but it absolutely doesn't for many in the UK. Whether you agree with the facts or not, based on your 7 months of using cloth nappies, doesn't change the facts that people in the UK often start out using a full dose of detergent and encounter difficulties.

I'd really encourage you have a good look through the Bummis blog. They have a great post on laundry science. They know what they're talking about. I don't always agree with them based on personal experience but I can see the science behind what they say. If you'd care to share any science behind any of what you say, I'd love to read it.

If anybody in the UK has doubts about their wash routine, I'd recommend getting in touch with your local nappy library. They'll have a good idea what your water is like and how different detergents work in it.

ETA - Detergents generally contain water softeners anyway so if your water isn't particularly hard, you will be fine without it. If you do want to use it, look into your options. Borax isn't advised for nappies, nor is it widely available in the UK and Calgon is very over-priced. I think it was Which? who checked the numbers and found that when you take into account the price of buying it, you'd be better letting the limescale 'destroy' your machine over a long (long long) time and just buying a new machine with the money you saved on Calgon . Supermarkets' own stuff works fine for me.

 

[JenX]

I don't think there is that much difference in the US and UK machines. I have always found Rachel's advice to be spot on, and I'm in the US. The only difference I have noticed is that our machines don't seem to run quite as long, even on the longest cycles here. I noticed when visiting friends in Germany and the UK that is seemed like it took ages to do laundry and they always comment on how quick it is here.

All I can say is adrie has 7 month of cloth diapering experience and uses only one kind of diaper, whereas Rachel has 5 years of experience with nearly every type of diaper known. I would listen to her knowledge gained through lots of experience.

 

[adrie]

Just be careful if borax is one of the ingredients for the detergent, some manufacturers advise against it.

At the other end of the scale to what adrie recommends, you have those like myself who find that using the full dose of detergent leaves detergent residue in the nappies, which traps bacteria and can cause stinkiness, rash and loss of absorbency. It depends on lots of factors like water type (although we have quite hard water here so it's not the case that hard water automatically means you need to use loads of detergent) and your washing machine so it's best just to try it and see. I would advocate starting with less since nappies that aren't properly clean will smell and look dirty as soon as you remove them from the machine so it's very easy to see that you didn't use enough detergent and just put them back in to fix the problem. Detergent build up takes longer to detect as it takes a while to build up to detectable levels and then requires strip washing to get it out and start afresh. Most nappy manufacturers say to use less than the full dose of detergent so make of that what you will! The ideas of minerals being redeposited in extra rinses is something I have never come across in 5 years of reading about cloth (and 4.5 years of using them while living with hard water) and being a member of lots of nappy communities including the nappy library network in the UK. If you're concerned about that, perhaps ask Bummis - they write a lot of good stuff about laundering nappies

Detergent is for cleaning and water softener like calgon and borax is for softening the water to prevent mineral build up on your diapers. Mineral buildup does exist ( I would suggest looking into it if you cloth diaper). It can cause repelling and rashes as well, since it is inhibiting the detergent from being able to do its job.

I am part of some no-nonsense diaper communities and I have never had to strip my diapers 7 months in.

How many times have you had to strip your diapers?

Needed to strip nappies rather than as general maintenance? Twice, I think, when I first started out and was using the full dose of detergent before people in here helped me work out the problem. In nearly 5 years of washing nappies.

Have you looked into the temperature at which water deposits are actually released as solids into the water? Do you have limescale on your hair (presumably washed at fairly cool temps) or just in your kettle (very hot temps)? Repeated rinsing does not cause hard water deposits to be left in nappies as the water isn't hot enough to cause the deposits to be released.

You claim that nappy detergents are made to rip people off but you seem to think that commercial detergent manufacturers are there for the good of mankind. No! They want you to use loads and therefore buy more, they want your clothes to smell lovely so you move, get a whiff and think, "Oooh this Persil smells divine and the lovely fresh fragrance must mean my clothes/towels/nappies are hygienically clean so I will continue buying this brand". Having spoken to many people who work in the cloth nappy world, I am confident in saying that those who make products for nappies are far more likely to have the best interests of the consumer at heart than the standard detergent manufacturers. Most who make nappy detergent are cloth users themselves who want to help others get it right.

I would suggest that the difference between UK and US machines might account for some of the information you're giving out that is most certainly incorrect for those in the UK. Machines here are mostly what you would call HE front loaders in the US. They don't use much water. Perhaps using a full dose of detergent with minimal rinsing works for you but it absolutely doesn't for many in the UK. Whether you agree with the facts or not, based on your 7 months of using cloth nappies, doesn't change the facts that people in the UK often start out using a full dose of detergent and encounter difficulties.

I'd really encourage you have a good look through the Bummis blog. They have a great post on laundry science. They know what they're talking about. I don't always agree with them based on personal experience but I can see the science behind what they say. If you'd care to share any science behind any of what you say, I'd love to read it.

If anybody in the UK has doubts about their wash routine, I'd recommend getting in touch with your local nappy library. They'll have a good idea what your water is like and how different detergents work in it.

ETA - Detergents generally contain water softeners anyway so if your water isn't particularly hard, you will be fine without it. If you do want to use it, look into your options. Borax isn't advised for nappies, nor is it widely available in the UK and Calgon is very over-priced. I think it was Which? who checked the numbers and found that when you take into account the price of buying it, you'd be better letting the limescale 'destroy' your machine over a long (long long) time and just buying a new machine with the money you saved on Calgon . Supermarkets' own stuff works fine for me.

People round here can believe whatever is it they want, but "cloth safe detergents" are both a rip off and a lie, at least in our part of the world. They are expensive and weak, and here if you used enough to get your diapers clean, it would not be a cost effective decision at all.

Mineral build up on your diapers is not some myth. I encourage EVERYONE who cloth diapers with hard to extremely hard water to research about it themselves as their detergent may have less built in softeners (think ALL free and clear versions and ALL cloth diaper detergents).

Not all mainstream detergents even have scents. So that is not really what this is about. I personally used a free and clear version of Sunlight initially and it did not get my diapers clean. Rewashed and switched to Tide and no issues whatsoever since. You also don't necessarily need loads of detergent to get your diapers clean. What matters most is water to detergent ratio for the amount of diapers you are washing.

I use to line one in my prewash cycle as a booster, and typically to line 2 in my main wash with 2 tbsp calgon and one extra rinse attached to the cycle. I dry them in the dryer occasionally (as I have found to be one of then best indicator of any kind of smell issue) and mostly hang or sun to dry.

I have a FL as well. We have hard bordering on extremely hard water so I feel better about adding the softener as an accompaniment to my detergent. Since I have a FL machine I use 2 whole tbsp per wash cycle; the box lasts quite a while. Plus I buy my Calgon online which saves me 4 bucks per box.

I have all the information I need on washing and maintaining my diapers. I'm more concerned about other people who think a bit of fragrance is going to cause their diapers to repel; things like that!

 

[adrie]

All I can say is adrie has 7 month of cloth diapering experience and uses only one kind of diaper, whereas Rachel has 5 years of experience with nearly every type of diaper known. I would listen to her knowledge gained through lots of experience.

Well, all I can say is that the information I am passing on is from women in cloth diaper communities who have just as many years if not more than her, and know pretty much everything there is to know as well.

 

[adrie]

I used quite a few Charlie Bananas but the label recommends washing at 40degrees only (some other brands like Tots Bots say you can wash at 60). At 40degrees I wasn't convinced that all bacteria would be gone (although I know the physical process of washing removes a lot) so I ended up using a sanitiser (although not recommended by a lot of manufacturers) and a small dose (1/4) of detergent (Surecare, because LO has eczema). I hardly ever had to do a detergent strip wash using these amounts.

Even if you used the hottest water setting on your washer, it is not hot enough to sanitize your diapers. Also, It's NOT recommended to use the sanitize option for cloth if you have it though. I believe that can actually ruin diapers.

I know sanitizers aren't recommended, but I used them anyway with the brand that the OP is looking in to and didn't have any negative results.

My concern re: water temperature was because I'm aware that hospitals (UK) wash their linen etc at 60degrees and the nappy company I ordered a lot of my stuff from wash at 60degrees when cleaning their trial/rental nappies, so I just assumed it was better....

Plus my Mum had always used a nappy sanitiser with the cloth she used on me (Terry Squares) so I suppose culturally I just assumed you ought to - although later I read about people on here that didn't.

I ruied 2 x PUL outers (Charlie Banana) when forgot to turn my tumble dryer to low heat, and wish I'd have dried them on a rack more often as the outers really dont take much time to dry at all!

I'm 3years in to cloth and have stripped my nappies about 3 times, by 7months in I hadn't had to do it either. I don't really know much about stripping and how it works/what it works for but I used the dishwasher tablet method on my night nappies about 8months back and they went from leaking 3hrs in to LO going to bed back to lasting 12-13hrs. Is this because dishwasher tab removes minerals? I'm intrigued by this as I live in a semi-hard water area.

That could very well be. That sort of technique is never recommended in the communities to which I am involved though. As far as I am aware, dishwasher tabs, dawn and the like are not recommended for use on cloth diapers. For mineral build up, a product called RLR (or a homemade recipe of equal parts calgon, washing soda, and borax) tackle that issue.

If dawn is needed to remove cream build up on diapers, some people put a dab just on the diaper, scrub with a toothbrush and rinse VERY WELL before throwing the diaper in the wash. Dawn is never recommended for washing machines; esp. so on FL machines.

Washing in hot is more of a preference, but not a necessity. A cycle at 60 degrees is not hot enough to ruin the diapers. PUL is a VERY strong material used in hospital settings and washed/dried at much hotter temps than your standard washer/dryer. Delamination CAN occur, sure, but it's not the norm, and probably the result of excessive use and I would def think, sanitation cycles either on your dishwasher or washing machine.

 

[adrie]

I don't think there is that much difference in the US and UK machines. I have always found Rachel's advice to be spot on, and I'm in the US. The only difference I have noticed is that our machines don't seem to run quite as long, even on the longest cycles here. I noticed when visiting friends in Germany and the UK that is seemed like it took ages to do laundry and they always comment on how quick it is here.

All I can say is adrie has 7 month of cloth diapering experience and uses only one kind of diaper, whereas Rachel has 5 years of experience with nearly every type of diaper known. I would listen to her knowledge gained through lots of experience.

So research is irrelevant?

It's unfair to say that I can't give suggestions or advise people on things simply because i don't have "5 years" of experience. My advice is from people who have more knowledge than she does, regardless whether they have been cloth diapering 5 minutes or 5 years.

She has never heard of hard minerals building up in diapers and MOST people have some measure of hard water. She believes the myth that all build up is caused by detergent.

It seems like she tries to help people and her intentions are just, but that doesn't make incorrect information the truth.

If detergent build up was true, it would surely arise in my case, as I use LOADS more detergent than probably anyone here in my front loader! No only are they more absorbent; they're fresh and white as new. Not one stain.

 

[Rachel_C]

I don't think there is that much difference in the US and UK machines. I have always found Rachel's advice to be spot on, and I'm in the US. The only difference I have noticed is that our machines don't seem to run quite as long, even on the longest cycles here. I noticed when visiting friends in Germany and the UK that is seemed like it took ages to do laundry and they always comment on how quick it is here.

All I can say is adrie has 7 month of cloth diapering experience and uses only one kind of diaper, whereas Rachel has 5 years of experience with nearly every type of diaper known. I would listen to her knowledge gained through lots of experience.

So research is irrelevant?

It's unfair to say that I can't give suggestions or advise people on things simply because i don't have "5 years" of experience. My advice is from people who have more knowledge than she does, regardless whether they have been cloth diapering 5 minutes or 5 years.

She has never heard of hard minerals building up in diapers and MOST people have some measure of hard water. She believes the myth that all build up is caused by detergent.

It seems like she tries to help people and her intentions are just, but that doesn't make incorrect information the truth.

If detergent build up was true, it would surely arise in my case, as I use LOADS more detergent than probably anyone here in my front loader! No only are they more absorbent; they're fresh and white as new. Not one stain.

SHE is the cat's mother .

SHE has heard of hard water deposits on nappies because she lives in a hard water area (about 14 degrees Clark so not extremely hard but fairly hard) and has felt the crunchiness of fabrics with 'limescale' in them. I'm sure if you do a search you can find her suggesting ways to remove hard water deposits from nappies somewhere around here.

SHE understands that sometimes this can cause nappies to trap nasties or lose absorbency but she feels that it's more often a result of too much detergent or not enough rinsing for however much detergent you are using OR ammonia build up due to not getting the nappies properly clean (if you care to search you can probably find posts where she suggests increasing the dose of detergent when nappies aren't getting clean). SHE would love to see ANY evidence that repeated rinsing (cold or warm water) causes hard water deposits on fabrics because SHE has spoken to many nappy libraries and nobody agrees with this idea or finds any merit in it whatsoever. These are people with varying ideas about detergent dosage, some saying a small dose and some saying a full dose but not one agreeing that rinsing is bad.