how many bubbles in the rinse is ok? none? a few?

[luckygreen713]

So, I've been stripping my diapers for 2 days now. I had been using mainly Purex F&C for several years, with other cheap mainstream detergents here and there. I use prefolds, so caring for them is pretty easy, but I'm finally starting to see some problems with them. My diapers aren't as absorbant. And I just got some new organic cotton sherpa diapers that worked fine for the first week or 2, then starting repelling really bad. I first thought that the repelling was because I accidentally washed one of my shirts with my dipes (don't ask...I have no idea how that happened) and I thought my antiperspirant coated the diapers. But now I'm thinking that it's the resdiue built up in my pf's that coated the new sherpa dipes.

I just switched detergent. I'm using Country Save. I stripped the diapers in hot water, then dawn, then more hot water, then vinegar, and now I'm washing in Country Save. I still see bubbles after about a bajillion rinses. The bubbles are small and don't cover the whole surface of the rinse water, maybe about half.

Anyway, I'm rambling here, sorry. My question is this: Is any amount of bubbles in the rinse acceptable? Should I just keep rinsing til there are no bubbles at all?

Thanks!

[Galatea]

No bubbles at all. I just keep putting it on hot wash and skipping the cold rinse.

[luckygreen713]

Oh my, my water bill is going to be crazy!! I'm still rinsing these diapers! I now understand why free and clear detergents are a bad idea. I think I'm going to like COuntry Save.

[cristeen]

You're using just water at this point, right?

You can try adding some vinegar in your rinse water, since that can help. Also make sure that your dispenser cup is clean and not dripping residual detergent back into your washer.

Are you using a top loader or a front loader?

[Katie T]

I go till there are no suds because in the past if I get impatient and don't then I end up having to strip the diapers which takes lots of time and water. You might also want to play around with how much soap you use and still get your dipes clean.

This is the reason I switched to Charlies Soap, I have to do 1 to 3 hot washes with no soap till I see no suds. (Weird thing is that I use to T every time yet sometimes I have to do more rinses.) But with other detergents I was rinsing at least 7 times. Not worth it to me.

Good luck, figuring out the perfect detergent and routine is not fun at all.