My Laundry Fiasco
April 14, 2011 | 
Author So part of my job is that I get to try things out and see how they work. This is very cool! On our Facebook page, there is always talk about laundry and the best detergents to use. There are families who are strict in their CD friendly detergent use. Then, there are families who’ve only had good luck with detergents that aren’t recommended by CD companies.
I thought I’d give one particular detergent a try. It will remain nameless, however, to protect the innocent. *wink wink* I started washing my butterbean’s diapers in this detergent. I only use a very small amount for a couple of reasons. One: I only wash 3 to 4 diapers at a time as my little one is potty trained during the day. Two: This detergent is fairly “strong” and you don’t need much.
When I first started using the new detergent, I didn’t really notice much difference good or bad. My stash didn’t seem to get any cleaner or fluffier than they did with my personal favorite detergent, Lulu’s in the Fluff. But I pressed on because I wanted to see what the fuss was about with this detergent.
Everything was normal for a couple of weeks. Then one morning I got a call from my mom who watches my butterbean for me. She said he had a terrible rash on his bum that looked like a sunburn. My heart dropped. The moment she said what it looked like I knew he had ammonia burn.
As soon as I got home I went to work. I had to fix my stash. I threw every insert, cover, pocket, and training pant in my top loading
washer. I filled up the washer with hot water. Then I put a pot of water on the stove. Just before the water started to boil, I took it off the stove and poured it over my stash. I let them soak for 2 to 3 hours and rinsed with cold water. Then I repeated the process 3 times over two days.
After the last rinse, I ran a hot wash with no detergent. Dried them as usual. I took the diapers out of the dryer with a prayer that there would be no more ammonia burn.
The next morning I called my mom and asked how the little bum looked. No ammonia burn!!! YAY!
So I’ve gone back to my favorite 1 tablespoon of Lulu’s. My diapers smell like…nothing. Clean and fresh. Just the way I like it. I hope you’ll find my experience helpful and useful in your own laundry fiascoes.
Posted in Washing Cloth
I’m sure I know which detergent you’re referring to, and I use the Free version of it for my diapers. I’ve personally found that it’s the only detergent that gets my diapers clean. I’ve tried many CD “safe” detergents (including RnG which everyone seems to insist that you just HAVE to use) and they always leave my diapers with a faint poopy smell after they are washed, no matter how much or how little I used. When I started using the “nameless” detergent, my diapers were finally clean! No smell :) I have a top-loader and wash about 18 or diapers at a time with just under a tablespoon of detergent in my SUPER hard water. I do 3 rinses to get it out, and works great. The key with this detergent is rinsing! It contains enzymes and I’m quite sure that’s where the redness was from. If they are not rinsed completly, you will have redness. But for me, doing 3 rinses instead of 2 is much better than diapers that smell like poo.
I really wish one of the other CD detergents would have worked for me, but I think you just have to find what works for you.
Thanks for the input, Barb! I agree with you. RnG doesn’t work for everyone, including me. And, like I said in the post, some people only have good luck with detergents like Tide. I’ve even used the Free and Clear version of Tide and it didn’t work for me either. I always rinse at least 3 times, even with Lulu’s. I am not “condemning” anyone’s use of any detergent. That’s why I didn’t name the one I had the issue with. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t for someone else. The best thing to do, like you said, is find what works for you and stick with it. :)
I have used, RNG doesnt work for us at all, Tide Free and clear leaves amonia stink for us even after rinsing it 6 times the other day, Purex free and clear has worked AWESOME for us but I cant seem to find it since we moved, we are now trying Arm and Hammer free and clear with baking soda heres to hoping it works for us! I cant use scented anything with smells triggers a migraine and itchy skin. I have heard good things about the Arm and Hammer so I am hoping it does the job!!!