Question about washing cloth diapers

[Brooklynsmommy]

I am about to switch out daughter to cloth diapers. My question though, is if its ok to wash/ soak them in oxyclean. I love that stuff and wash/ soak everything else in it. It works really well and gets out the urine smell from PJ's that sometimes get wet. The other pro to this stuff is that its very non sudsy. I am only planning on using around 10 diapers only because she wont be in cloth when away from home. So I was thinking that I could have a bucket of the oxy water and let them soak until I wash them (about every other day). Any advice?

[elizajo]

Haven't posted in a long time, but stop by to check the latest and saw your post. I've been working with different soap and additives for several months trying to get rid of hard water deposits due to our well water and also to help my own skin allergies. My new system for DD's stuff is this: no presoaking, store in a dry lidded bucket until I'm ready to wash. I really didn't believe this would work, but after a bleach spotting incident, I gave it a try and was pleased to find that it really works. Toss them in the washer and run through a cold water rinse cycle. Next, add the laundry products and select a heavy duty wash cycle in hot water.

My washing products for diapers are: one scoop of Charlie's Soap (from charliesoap.com), a fourth of a scoop of oxyclean, and a few shakes of washing soda (a booster for the hard water). I add white vinegar to the final rinse. My machine has a second rinse cycle which I use for diapers. No fabric softeners should be used at all.

This method is even helping to removing old hard water dinginess from some white pointelle cotton outer layers, and also from the wide nylon lace waistbands that I used on a few pairs. Members of this site helped me make a system of panties, soakers, and pads for my older disabled daughter. I experimented with many fabrics and layering configurations, so we have washed hemp, cottons, polyesters, nylons, and everything in between.

To me the true test of washing is if you have a really clean, but not perfumed, smell after drying;and the wicking/absorbancy/repelling properties of the fabric still perform correctly. I think the Charlie's Soap, a "no-residue left behind" detergent, is more important than the oxyclean. If I didn't have well water, I probably wouldn't use the oxyclean unless I was washing whites, and wouldn't need to use the washing soda or vinegar rinse at all.

[Brooklynsmommy]

Well my problem is that we live in an apartment with coin washers. So Im not able to select the section of the cycle that I would like to use. Just colors, whites, delicates, and the such. I figured if I was to soak them for a little before (only about a day) and them rinse them and then just throw them in the wash that it should work.

[mom2a2z]

I'd ask this question over in diapering, hopefully a cd-ing mama living in an apartment will be able to share their experience.