Tuesday Tales: Detergent Dosing

Tuesday Tales is a new segment to Bum Luxury's blog. We all see things on the internet and wonder what is true and what is fiction. Tuesday Tales will point out some of the false information you might come across while reading blogs and online forums. If you've seen something you find is strange or hard to believe, feel free to share it with me so we can find the truths together.

This article from www.wazoodle.com has been going around the internet lately and I want to warn my fellow CDers to be careful of what you read when it comes to washing routines. I have cut and pasted parts of the article to go over. You can see my comments in italics.

I, myself, am not a textile expert or a laundry expert. However, I have done loads of research (and laundry) and use common sense. 

Understanding the wash

When finished, dry your diapers on medium heat or cloths line.  

 If you dry your cloth diapers in the dryer, I would do it on low if any of them have PUL. Most manufacturers refer to this on their care site and tags. Drying your diapers on medium heat can void the warranty. I prefer to use a clothesline which gets out most of the stains the writer says are caused by bad laundering or when using the wrong detergent.

The harder your water, the more likely you'll need a big-brand detergent.  

Later in the article she defines 'big-brand' as a well known detergent. I disagree with her statement.

Selecting Detergents

If in doubt about what works best in your area, visit the biggest grocer in your area and ask which brand of detergent sells best -- chances are the masses have already figured it out for you. 

I think it's important to read reviews on items you buy. What sells best doesn't make it the right choice for you and your family or washing needs. Advertising does a lot for a brand and a better item might not have as much money to advertise. Think of the first time you heard of cloth diapering-you probably heard of Bum Genius or Fuzzibunz, because those are two of the big companies and they have more money to advertise. Great diapers like Knickernappies are still an awesome choice, but you might not have heard about them because it's a smaller company with a smaller budget. Also along these lines are the cheapie diapers-Sunbaby, Kawaii, Alvas, etc.-I would bet a majority of cloth diaper users have tried them because they are cheap, but that doesn't mean they are going to work for you. Make sense?

Detergent Dosing

The practice of low detergent dosing is something that has been created by diaper manufacturers who don't understand how water, detergent and textiles interact in the wash.  There is no good reason for low doses, is simply a bad practice. 

I have to disagree with this. There are many detergents out there that were developed just to be used on cloth diapers. Using the recommended amount of detergent is important. However, when you read most detergent directions, the recommended amount is for a full load. You may not always wash a full load of diapers at one time. Therefore, you need to use less detergent to get the diapers clean.

Most detergents you see everyday in the laundry aisle have items in the ingredient list that can't be used on cloth. Also, many detergents were developed before HE washers came out as well so the recommended amount by the detergent manufacturer may be incorrect. It is important to make sure you use an HE detergent if you have an HE machine.

It is widely known that the makers of laundry detergents and dish washing detergents have recommended the use of more than enough of their product for many years. Why would they do this? More sales! If you are using more, you must need to buy more. Plus, if you use too much, your dishes/clothes may not come out as clean because of all of the residue left behind which leads people to buy more. It's an endless cycle.

The key to detergent is this: if your diapers come out smelling like soap or you see suds in the rinse cycle, you used too much detergent and need to rinse it out. If your diapers come out smelling like funk, you didn't use enough detergent and they aren't clean yet so wash them again with a little more. Next time, you'll know better. :)

Washing and Drying

• Use the right detergent, in the right dose -- even if your diaper manufacturer recommends otherwise! Only if you don't care about your warranty...I did add a link to a chart for CD safe detergents.
• Disinfectants are OK - vinegar, small amounts of bleach and other laundry safe sanitizers can be used. Most of the brands I use specifically say not to use bleach. My washer says no vinegar, so I'm going to pass.
• Double the rinse cycle if your washer has that feature. Yes, rinsing is key to a good wash routine.
• Tumble or line dry (no drier sheets).  If you line dry it's a good idea to tumble diapers in a drier occasionally to loosen and soften the diaper. I agree. If the diapers stiffen, the dryer can soften the diaper, but it's not necessary. I usually only have trouble with stiff hemp inserts or flannel wipes. Once the wipes are wet though, it's not an issue, and moving the hemp around in my hands a bit softens it just fine.

Special Situations and Remedial Actions

Hemp: 

Hemp does not dry sufficiently on a line unless the relative humidity is less than 8% (meaning you live in a desert).   

I do live in the desert, fortunately. My hemp is more than dry even when the humidity reaches 50% or higher-I know that's not very high compared to many other places. I wonder where the writer got this statistic of 8%.) 

If you don't dry hemp diapers completely, trapped moisture is slowly released which enables microbes to feed on the diaper fibers when your diapers are stored.  You'll know is this is a problem as your diapers will develop 'hemp-stink' a persistent odor that is present in clean diapers.  

If they smell, they aren't clean.

Stripping:  

Feel free to check the linked article to read her recommendations. I did not want them to clog up my post as I completely disagree.

Where to start? People either love using vinegar or won't go near it. I'm in the latter group-I won't risk ruining my diapers or my washing machine. Did you know using vinegar can ruin the rubber casings in your machine and void your warrant? It can also ruin the elastic and PUL in your diapers. Not worth the risk.  

CLR? I am shocked to see this is a recommended stripping method. Please be aware that the official site for this product says specifically not to use CLR on fabrics. Plus, it is a very corrosive and I wouldn't want it anywhere near my baby's skin. If I'm already having to trouble shoot due to the wrong laundry detergent, I would hate to see the troubleshooting guide for using CLR on diapers.

Persistent Odor:

If you diapers have an ammonia or barn-smell, that means there is poop left in your diapers after washing. 

I believe it is important to make sure you use the right amount of detergent. Ammonia is not caused by poop, however. It is caused from the urea in urine. Kimberly Webb of Rockin Green Detergent wrote a great article on the ammonia stinkies and what causes them. 

Conclusion

The key to a good wash routine is water. A good, cold pre-rinse and if needed a soak, a hot wash and another cold rinse at the end is the simple way to wash your diapers. If you have issues, add more water to your routine first and see if that fixes it. If not, contact a retailer or the manufacturer for help.

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Walking the Line (with the HOA)

I've always wanted a pool. I was born a fish-I am a Pisces after all-and I love to swim. As soon as March comes around, I want to be able to get in a big puddle of water and just float around. I know March seems a little early to some, but I do live in Phoenix and even if it's cold, I just can't help myself. The water calls my name. Kinda like chocolate does... 

My absolute most favorite thing about our new house is the pool. Finally! I have my own personal place to swim around. Now that's luxury! However, like most things in life, it does have a downside. When you don't have a clothesline and it's monsoon season in the desert, diapers, wipes and liners just seem to find their way into my swimming area.

A Blueberry pail liner I found floating in the pool a few mornings ago.

This poses two threats: 1. An item could clog the pool filter and really mess things up for me and 2. The chlorine in the pool has the potential to ruin the PUL in my pocket diapers. Conclusion: I need a clothesline. Again, there is an obstacle I have to overcome: our HOA. It clearly states that clotheslines are not allowed. However, even though I'm a goody goody for the most part, I feel that this rule can be bent a bit and it needs to be! So, I bought a retractable clothesline. 

This is how I have always had to dry my diapers.

And the table works great, too.

My husband installed it the other day, and I was really ready to use it-I already had clean diapers that needed to be dried, unfortunately, I didn't have any clothespins, so out on the lawn furniture they went. 

When it's not in use, I can fold it against the wall. The HOA can't hate on this, right?

When I'm ready to use it, I just turn the line holder out.

Then I pull out the line and attach it to the hook on the other end of the patio.

I was able to get to the store that day and get my clothespins. I had also bought groceries and happened to bring home some delicious gyros for dinner. On the way home, Lee, my husband observed the clouds over the mountains and I wished for a storm to come-a good TX style storm with thunder, lightning and some heavy rain. He laughed at me and said that will never happen. I shrugged, knowing he was probably right. 

When we are home and sitting down to eat, I notice the wind has really started to pick up. From my seat at the table, I looked towards the front of the house and it looked liked another haboob was coming our way. Lee and I decided to go take a look out back. Holy smokes-the wind was crazy and all of a sudden the hail starts coming down. Wow! I got my wish. Then I notice my poor diapers getting blown around and hailed on. I say, "Oh no! My diapers!" and Lee says, "Screw your diapers! The Jeep!" as he runs out to the garage.

Oh. Our new car that hasn't been parked in the garage yet because it's been overtaken by Lee's toys is getting hailed on. Crap. 

Well, ten minutes later, the Jeep is in the garage and the storm is over. We finish eating our dinner and then go out back to assess the damage. My diapers are everywhere. There's a lawn chair in the pool and the floaties are missing. We find one on the side of the house and another is in the neighbors backyard. I still haven't headed over there to ask for it. You'd think they might just toss it back over...

As I collect my diapers to be washed again, I am just excited that I will finally get to hang them on my own line and look at the cute cloth drying in the sun!

The next morning.

The grill moved about 10 feet closer to the lawn furniture during the storm.

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Parents in Poverty: A diapering dilemma

1 in 3 parents in America financially struggle to diaper their child. 

It's an astounding statistic and it really fires people up-especially people who cloth diaper. 

There are many disposable diaper companies that raise money and awareness to donate diapers to this cause, but it's like the saying: 

If you give a man a fish he will have a single meal.
If you teach him how to fish, he will eat all his life.-- Kuan-tzu (Chinese Philosopher)

I say this because giving one family here and there disposable diapers isn't helping them to diaper their child for 2 1/2 years, the average amount of time a child wears diapers. 

There are many debates that go along with this. Some people say if you can't afford to have a child, you shouldn't. Well, that may be true, but surprises happen. Others think the government should provide diaper programs similar to WIC or welfare, which stirs up a whole different type of controversy. Then, there are those who say if a person can't afford to use disposables, they can't afford to use cloth.

I disagree. 

There are many types of cloth diapers, the cheapest being prefolds and covers-basically what our parents and their parents used, but nicer than plastic pants-which are still available.

This chart shows a breakdown of the cost to use cloth. Basically, it costs $0.06 per diaper change to use cloth vs. $0.25 per disposable. With the average baby going through 6,000 diapers before they are potty trained, the difference is significant-$1,140. Personally, I can think of many ways to use that money!

Many people don't  have access to a washer/dryer in their home, however. The cost of doing laundry in a laundromat is expensive at $4+ per load. What should these parents do?

Growing up, I remember my mother doing laundry in the bathtub. It was something we needed and it had to get washed one way or another. There are parents that choose to cloth diaper and wash each diaper after wearing. That may not work for everyone, but it is an option. If families have to use a laundromat, I would definitely air dry my diapers to save the dryer costs. 

People then argue that parents who can't afford disposable diapers, probably don't have time to hand wash cloth ones. We are really assuming here. I know many people who choose to stay at home because they have multiple children and it wouldn't make sense financially for them to put their children in daycare-they would pay more than they would make. It's a lose-lose situation. 

I don't know what the answer is here. My point is that if a parent can't afford to use a new disposable each time they change a diaper so that they have to 'wash' it out, they might as well use cloth because it will actually become clean when they wash it.

I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this sad issue. 

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Lazy Launderer?

A common reason people say they won't use cloth is the laundry. The laundry is already piling up, spilling out over the basket, covering the floor, and a host of random missing items have made their way into the mess. Why would anyone want more laundry to do?

Diaper laundry is not in the same category as your regular laundry. 

First, you don't have to sort it. You take your pail liner or wet bag, put it in the washer and turn it inside out. You don't even have to touch a dirty diaper. You wash your diapers-there are many ways to wash cloth, and most people have their own routines, so we won't get into that now. 

Once your diapers are washed, you dry them. I personally like to dry my diapers outside. This is a little extra work for me as I have to lay them out instead of just shoving them in the dryer, but it makes me feel better about my carbon footprint. Luckily, I live in the desert, and my diapers dry faster outside anyway.

After my diapers are dry, I have to stuff them. That means I put the microfiber insert (absorbent part) into the diaper (waterproof part.) This may take a few minutes, but I do it when my daughter is playing in the room and sometimes she helps. 

Jaelyn sitting in the basket of clean diapers 'helping' with the laundry-4 months old.

When they are stuffed, I put them into the baskets which are under her changing table and they are ready to be peed and pooped in again.

The important thing to remember about diaper laundry is that if you don't do it, you don't have diapers readily available to put on your child. You can leave clean socks, shirts, underwear and pants in a pile on top of your guest bedroom bed for a week, and nobody will be inconvenienced too much. If you run out of clean diapers, you might have a naked baby running around the house. That's okay here-I have tile.

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