Cloth diapering when you don't use any laundry detergent?

[AirMiami]

Even though my daughter is almost 2, we are just making the transition to cloth now. We don't use any laundry detergent in our regular laundry, but do we need to use detergent with cloth diapers? I guess I'm mostly concerned about her poopy diapers. If you aren't using laundry detergent, what do you use on poop diapers to get them disinfected?

[firewoman]

I use detergent (country save or Allen's naturally) on my cloth diapers but I know people who do not use detergent because it builds up and causes stink issues. I have tried not using detergent before in my washer because I have a sanitary cycle and I feel the heat sanitizes the diapers. The diapers were clean and did not smell after the non-detergent washes. I think it is possible. Maybe someone who skips detergent altogether will speak up.

[Ola_]

How about something like soapnuts? It does depend on what kind of diapers you are using though as some are more picky, esp. the ones with synthetic fabrics.

[AirMiami]

To clarify, we don't use detergent because we have to be very frugal since we have a small income.

[littlemizflava]

i will speak up my way is cheap and easy. 5ml of dawn dish soap in each load with a few drops of tto. thats it i did that with 2 kids no prob, no smell, no buildups.

[Graceie]

I use very little detergent with all my laundry only a few super ichy loads a week , I use vinegar a lot of the time with my cloths diapers and it works great

[mum4vr]

Related to OP's post #4:

Super de duper CHEAP laundry soap/ detergent:

Boil a pan of water and add:

one bar of laundry bar soap, grated (like FELS NAPTHA, LIRIO, or ZOTE etc-- these can be found at most grocery stores for under a dollar a bar-- we just stocked up and they were 85 cents a bar)

when disolved, add one cup of borax and one cup of washing soda.

Put in a 5 gallon bucket and fill with water. Stir. It will gel later as it cools. This in not the soap-- it is concentrate. Mix half concentrate and half hot water in a reused laundry soap bottle, and use the normal (about 1/2 cup) cup on the bottle per load.

It makes 10 gallons of detergent that works GREAT for around a dollar.

I found this recipe (similar ones available on the duggar's website and others) when the only commercially available detergent I was NOT allergic to cost $17 a gallon! This is around 10 CENTS a gallon! woo hoo. Did 10 years of diapers on this, and most survived to be passed down to siblings and got super clean c:

HTH

blessings

[hippiemommaof4]

I would def make one of the homemade detergents mentioned here for sure with diapers I believe you def should use detergent.

[PatioGardener]

I use a detergent, but also add in some tea tree oil, like a PP said, to help to sanitize.

[Adaline'sMama]

Originally Posted by littlemizflava

i will speak up my way is cheap and easy. 5ml of dawn dish soap in each load with a few drops of tto. thats it i did that with 2 kids no prob, no smell, no buildups.

This sounds awesome. Could you please tell me what tto is? Thanks!

[4JMJ]

I think tto is tea tree oil

[mum4vr]

http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundr...rgent-recipes/

here's a link to 10 dif recipes. I think the duggars use #2.

[coffeegirl]

Originally Posted by littlemizflava

i will speak up my way is cheap and easy. 5ml of dawn dish soap in each load with a few drops of tto. thats it i did that with 2 kids no prob, no smell, no buildups.

Is this the Dawn and tto by itself, or along with another kind of regular detergent?

[Ola_]

Well the good news is that you need to use very very little detergent for cloth diapers, in fact you can have a lot of issues from using too much.  I mean measured in teaspoons and such.  Not sure if that helps, but certainly from a cost perspective it may.

[Galatea]

We didn't use detergent with our first and it worked fine, but required a bit more work.  Here's how we did it:

-spray all poopy diapers with Diaper Sprayer

-prewash cold with vinegar

-wash hot with 1 cup baking soda

-soak overnight with 1 cup baking soda

-rinse in the morning

[MoonStarFalling]

Perhaps if you have soft water you could find an alternative that works.  With our very hard water not using detergent or using a homemade alternative never got our diapers clean.  Like the pp said the great news is that I only had to use 1T All Free and Clear per load which is cheap anyway so the bottle lasted for a really long time.  

[RunningMama]

I'd also like to add that you can use Hydrogen Peroxide as a disinfectant on your diapers. I will soak a NB poopy diaper in about 1/4 c. HP and cold water overnight - it helps with stains as well. HP is awesome on any stain FYI. (You can get it super cheap at the grocery store or even Target)

[octobermom]

I'll be the slight voice of distent here... I find tiny amount of detergants useless and most CD safe detergants both pricy and pointless in how they work.. I went years battling issues rashes even build up because I strongly believed way less was best... When it comes to CDs the one place I now refuse to compromise is on detergant. I use tide I use a scoop right around the one line I rinse and rinse onece again (does it automacally) and I'm done. I have saved a TON can not emphise how much over any other sytem doing this...

 I don't think you need tide I hate stains and Tide for me works best do homemade even if you like or buy like those huge boxes of  SUN detergant ect you don't need to toss in the entire box start with the lowest line and adjust a bit up or down from there but these are diapers they will need aid getting clean.

Deanna

[coffeegirl]

Originally Posted by octobermom 

I'll be the slight voice of distent here... I find tiny amount of detergants useless and most CD safe detergants both pricy and pointless in how they work.. I went years battling issues rashes even build up because I strongly believed way less was best... When it comes to CDs the one place I now refuse to compromise is on detergant. I use tide I use a scoop right around the one line I rinse and rinse onece again (does it automacally) and I'm done. I have saved a TON can not emphise how much over any other sytem doing this...

 I don't think you need tide I hate stains and Tide for me works best do homemade even if you like or buy like those huge boxes of  SUN detergant ect you don't need to toss in the entire box start with the lowest line and adjust a bit up or down from there but these are diapers they will need aid getting clean.

Deanna

Gotta agree with this. These are DIAPERS people!! ;) :)