Detergents and Cloth Diapering - Cloth Diaper Safe Detergents

Detergents and Cloth Diapering

What detergent works best for washing cloth diapers? This is a loaded question since different detergents will work or not work to your satisfaction dependent on many different factors. What works for one person's diaper laundry will not necessarily work for you and yours. This chart analyzes many different detergent choices and rates them so that you can find the best cloth diaper detergent for your diaper laundering needs. We also pinpoint detergents that work well with HE or High Efficiency washing machines and they have a page of their own as well. See how our rating system works below the chart. The percentages under the rating represents the results of our running poll, and how many moms use each detergent.

Want to leave a review for a detergent? Visit our Product Review Forum. We also have a diaper laundry glossary and Detergent Ingredients Glossary.

Remember that even the detergents that have been given four stars will work differently based on the water, washing conditions, and individual children. Do some experimentation and find the option that works best for your family and your routine.

How we rated the detergents:
Detergents received one or two stars based upon the amount of non-ideal ingredients they contain. Detergents that received three stars are mostly good but may contain at least one of the non-ideal ingredients, which means a little caution may be warranted when trying them. Detergents that received four stars have none of the non-ideal ingredients and should be a good place to start experimentation in finding the diaper detergent that will work best for you! If the YES/NO section for a particular ingredient has been left blank it is because we just don't know yet.

Why Avoid these Ingredients?

Pure Soap: Pure soaps are the more natural choice in the world of cleaners, but soaps will leave a residue on your diapers and covers – similar to the soap scum you find in your tub. Soap scum on diapers makes them repel moisture rather than absorb it and it is also harsh on the laminates used in your diaper covers, making them absorb rather than repel water. The best choice for washing your diapers is to use detergent on them. To combat build-up though, Annie Berthold-Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home, recommends adding baking soda. “Start out with 1/4 cup of baking soda, and increase to 1/2 cup if you have very hard water,” she advises. Leave the soda in the water for ten minutes, then add the soap and clothes.

Enzymes: Enzymes attack organic matter and help dissolve stains when activated with water or moisture. Sweat, urine, and feces are all organic matter so there is a risk that these substances that are lingering on baby's skin will be a target for these enzymes. In particularly sensitive children, these enzymes can cause blistering, bleeding, sores and rashes.

Fragrances and Dyes: These are harsh and unnecessary chemicals for a baby's laundry. It is best to avoid them. Artificial fragrances are often made from petroleum. Many do not degrade in the environment, and may have toxic effects on both fish and mammals. Additionally, they often can cause allergies and skin or eye irritation.

Optical Brighteners: These are actually tiny particles that stick to the surface of your clothes after washing. These particles make colors appear to be brighter by absorbing invisible ultraviolet light and re-emitting it as blue light. If you want to see if your detergent has these brighteners, simply look at the detergent under a black light. Although these optical brighteners may make your clothes appear brighter, they are chemical residues that are intentionally left behind on your clothes and may cause skin irritation or other allergic reactions.

Fabric Softeners: Fabric softener, either in liquid or sheet form – leaves a water-repelling residue on your laundry. When left on your cloth diapers (and towels), this residue makes them less absorbent and useful in the very purpose that they serve.It also coats your diaper covers and can deteriorate their water-proof laminate. If your diapers NEED softening add 1/2 cup baking soda to the rinse cycle of your wash. You can also try a commercial green fabric softener like Natural Choices Home Safe Product’s Safe ‘N Soft, Ecover’s Natural Fabric Softener, or Sun & Earth’s Ultra Fabric Softener. Dryer Balls also help soften laundry. One of our new favorite products is The Static Eliminator Re-Usable Dryer Sheets. These sheets contain no chemicals and are hypoallergenic. In addition, they don't affect the flame resistance of clothing. Want to know the best part? They are safe for cloth diapers!
Do Detergents Disinfect?

Many people believe that a detergent is supposed to disinfect clothing or diapers but this is just not the case with most detergents. Detergents that contain something like chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, will kill bacteria/viruses/fungi present in the laundry but detergents without these ingredients will clean only...not disinfect. Most cloth diaper users avoid the above mentioned ingredients because they are harsh on clothing and skin. When searching for the perfect diaper detergent for your family please keep in mind that most of the higher ranked detergents for diaper laundry will NOT disinfect diapers and it would unreasonable to expect such.

What Is Detergent Residue?

Detergent Residue is a film that is left behind on clothing or in this case, cloth diapers. Why is this a problem? Detergent build-up and residue can lead to repelling or beading of liquid; leaks and wicking; skin rashes and irritation; stinky diapers and diaper covers; dulling of colors in fabric. These all present problems for cloth diaper users so it is best to try and avoid detergent build-up and residue. Residue problems are usually caused by additives in your detergent such as brighteners, fabric softeners, natural additives like citrus extract or grapeseed extract, soaps, and stain guards. Well, what if it is too late and you have a build-up problem? The most common method for removing residue is to strip diapers. A study on detergent residues that compares ecover, biokleen, country save, and others can be found here.

Still Not Sure?
Make your own detergent!

Disclaimer:
Best efforts have been made in the preparation of this information. The Diaper Jungle has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information herein. However, the information contained within this site is given without warranty, either expressed or implied. The Diaper Jungle cannot be held liable for any damages caused directly or indirectly by the links and information on this site. In addition, changes and improvements to the information provided herein may be made at any time.

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