Anything other than Dawn?

[manynums]

I have given up on regular diaper detergent and just use Dawn all the time. I love it...my dipes are so clean.

However, I hate that it's not a greener option. Can someone recommend a good dish soap for stripping diapers that's not Dawn?

TIA!

[quiminco]

I think Dawn is about the greenest you can get with dish soap. Have you tried Cadie's RLR? I haven't used it but I hear it works great for stripping.

If you use natural fibers (cotton or hemp, but not wool) you can boil them to strip. I found that using an extra rinse reduces the need to strip, as well.

The reason for needing to strip is detergent build up in the diaper fibers traps the ickies from elimination, and that's what stinks. I use soap nuts and an extra rinse, and have never needed to strip my diapers because they never stink! When they start looking gross I put a scoop of OxiClean in the wash to brighten them up. The best part about the soap nuts is they are all natural and compostable, so when they're used up I just chuck them out into our heavily wooded backyard

[tellmemore]

Dawn?! Okay, so I have to know your routine, step-by-step. I'll try anything! How long have you been using just Dawn? How much do you put in? I am just sick of issues with CDing. My almost 3 y.o. DS is in disposables after almost 2 years of battles with stink and rash. Rash and stink! And my 7 mo old DD is in cloth with suspicion of yeast now. Her rash will not go away. Do tell!

[JessieBird]

I'd love to know more about your routine too. I tried Dawn to strip once and it didn't work at all.

Have you tried adding Calgon to a natural laundry detergent? It's natural and other than the mining done to extract it, it is fairly environmentally benign. I use it with Nature Clean every wash and it works really well. However, the stink comes back every four to six weeks unless I do this:

- quick wash, hot, 1/4 c calgon, 1/8 c vinegar
- heavy wash, hot, 1/4 c calgon, 2 tbs Nature Clean, 2 tbs bleach
- quick wash, hot, 1/8 c calgon, 1/8 c vinegar

Don't ask how I came up with that formula (I have no idea) but I've been stink free for 4 months now so it works. Of course I'd love to give up the bleach part and a shorten the routine if possible but I'm too scared to change anything. I can't deal with another round of stink.

I wonder if I could add Dawn to my wash instead? Do you have a FL or TL? I have a FL and I'd be nervous about the suds. I also have hard water (hence the Calgon success).

[cagirlintexas]

used to only use dawn with my Bum geniss cause it was the only way I could get them clean. Worked great though and never had any stink issues with it. Now I am wondering we have recently switched to a front loader can I use dawn when i start cloth diapering again with the next baby?

[averlee]

I never did anything special with the cloth diapers. I never did any stripping and just used whatever cheap detergent. I eventually didn't even keep diapers separate from other laundry anymore, just used the washer as an all-purpose hamper and ran it when it was full. Diapers, sheets, towels, baby clothes, my clothes, all together. Sounds gross I guess but it was always fine.