Soap for Cloth Diapers

You want to avoid Enzymes, Dyes, Scents, and Brighteners. This keep the life of the diaper and cover.

We use all® Small & Mighty® Free & Clear but here is the best lists I found ...
http://www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiaperdetergents.pdf
http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm
for HE: http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/hedetergentchoices.htm

Here are recommendations how to store, wash and dry.
http://www.diaperpin.com/howto.asp#WASH

Good luck!

Good info on detergents for cloth diapers.
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm

I skipped wipes completely because they were very irritating to my son's super-sensitive skin. After each change, I'd stick his butt in the bathroom sink and wash him clean with warm water only. For diaper cream we used Weleda, and for cloth diaper service - we used Tiny Tots.

Hi A.,
Congratulations on switching to cloth. I think you'll like them as you get used to them and your son will love the softness. My nine month old daughter has very sensitive skin but she only has diaper rash when she's ill or when we use disposable wipes (I haven't found one yet even the "sensitive" ones that don't cause her rash). I use Cheer Free detergent because it has no perfumes or dyes. Use only 1/4 - 1/2 of whatever detergent you choose and do an extra rinse. Sometimes I add baking soda to the wash cycle and vinegar to the rinse cycle to prevent odor from staying in the diapers. I toss the diapers into the dryer for 10 minutes only then hang them in the sun to dry, this makes them soft (from the dryer) and white (the sun removes poop stains and bacteria naturally, I never bleach diapers as it isn't good for baby skin). I use Diaper Area Wash from California Baby (I use only 1/4 strength diluted with filtered water as it is very strong) with cloth wipes. I just toss the cloth wipes in the wash with the diapers. Check out www.diaperpin.com for detergent suggestions, laundry tips, and a recipe for home made baby wipe solution. Hope this helps, happy diapering. - K.

I always just used whatever laundry detergent I happen to be using for my regular laundry. I don't use anything special. I think at the moment it's liquid ALL. I've had two different laundry methods, depending on if I could find the big boxes of baking soda at the store or not. Also, I do not have a diaper pail filled with water, I soak the diapers overnight in the washer instead.

First method:
Put diapers in washer, add 1/3 c baking soda, let soak overnight.
In the morning, spin out the water, run a normal cycle with normal amount of detergent and Downy Ball 1/2 full of vinegar
Dry in dryer (plastic/vinyl diaper covers CANNOT be put in dryer)

Second method(since I moved and can no longer find the big boxes of baking soda at the store I usually go to):
Put diapers in washer overnight with normal amount of detergent
In the morning, spin out the water, run a normal cycle with a normal amount of detergent. My new washer has a "second rinse" feature, so I rinse the diapers twice.
Dry as usual

Also, why use disposable wipes if you're using cloth diapers? I use a stack of baby washcloths, since I had so many extra. I also cut a few old washcloths into halves and quarters- halves are very good for dirty diapers, quarters are big enough if Baby is just wet. I keep the washcloths in a basket next to my sink, and use warm water when it's time to for a diaper change. We've lived in three houses in the time I've been diapering my kids, and the exact method I've used as changed for each house, so do what is easiest for you. In one house, I kept the washcloths and a small bucket of water by the changing table so I wouldn't have to keep running to the bathroom to get the washcloths wet.

Do whatever works best for you- there is no "right" way to use cloth diapers!

Hi I use seven generation liquid baby soap for on the spot poopy stain treatment before I put the diapers in the wash, and I use biokleen powder detergent or the natural laundry detergent from Trader Joes You can find seven genertion and biokleen at health food store or whole foods. just try to make sure it is a natural soap with out any artificial perfumes or dyes and you should be okay.
take care

I think I heard somewhere not to use Dreft because of softeners? I use Country Save which I get at Sunrise Natural Foods in Roseville on Douglas. I love it for my cloth diapers.

I use the Kirklan free and clear from Costco, I think its the generic for All free and clear.

I have been using products that are safe for your home and non toxic. My twin daughters had sensitive skin and had rashes until I used this laundry detergent that was non toxic. Here is a site for you to look at. www.melaleuca.com and www.saferforyourhome.com If you want to know more about these products you can respond with any questions. I hope this helps and I know these are the best real products out there. I have been doing research on this for years and have compared many products and ingredients and have seen great results for many people.

Not sure about the soap, but if you have a Costco membership the Kirkland brand non-perfumed baby wipes are great. I never have any problems with diaper rash using them.

I'm not sure what kind of cloth diapers you're using but many kinds can actually become water resistant with detergent buildup, then you are in for major leaks. I use Charlie's Soap. I haven't found it in stores but I just ordered 4 gallon bottles from their website and I think I am set for life. You only use 1 oz. per load and it washes clean, unlike Dreft and many of the other environmentally friendly brands. Good luck and congratulations on choosing cloth diapers!

Please do not use Dreft on your diapers... it will not rinse well and will actually cause rashes when your little one pees! I went from Dreft to Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin to All Small & Mighty Free & Clear... I am happy with our current detergent (DH2 is 18mos now) but am considering giving the 7th Generaton detergent a try to avoid the brightener deposits being left on the diapers. Here's the website I found that evaluates all the different laundry soaps:
http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

We deal with allergies and eczema and we've found the key to keeping DS2's bottom rash-free is getting the wet diaper of him ASAP as well as using Cetaphil skin cleanser on a cotton round. Thanks to ECing we've had very few poopy diapers but when faced with one we use a Kirkland alcohol-free scent-free wipe for the dirtiest part of the cleanup and then finish with the cetaphil to remove any soapy residue and rebalance the pH.

A tick I love is using two capfuls of vinegar instead of fabric softener in the rinse cycle (you cannot use fabric softener on cloth diapers or they will not be absorbent)... it does a nice job of preventing soap buildup in your diapers and also protects the fibers from staining.

my little guy's rashes went away when I switched to cloth. I use trader joes and borax which is natural. also avoid bleach. you can always stick the stained diapers in the sun, it will bleach the stains out. you will change more frequently. basically you will get to the point when you know they are gonna go to the bathroom and change frequently. I put my little guy on the baby potty for poops at 11 mos. to avoid soiled diapers and it works great. it helps with early potty training.
good luck

We just used Trader Joe's liqid detergent, like we use on our stuff. We had a service initially but now, we do our own (almost 9 months).
For wipes, from the beginning, we've just used cut up old shirts that we leave in a little bucket (big yogurt container) to soak in water and soap.
No diaper rash yet.
Good luck

Cloth is great, but I would echo the suggestion about diaper service. As your baby is past the first few months, you won't need to worry about changing so often. I could always tell when my son was about to get a new tooth because his poops became more acidic and he would have this AWFUL red, raw rash on his butt when he pooped--A&D ointment and a little sun exposure twice a day worked wonders. (And I loved the suggestion about the cloth wipes with tea tree oil solution--wish I had thought of that! I just had the diaper service give me 10 extra diapers each week and wet them with water for each poopy change...)

i use the kirkland brand at costco that's called free & clear (or s/thing like that). also, i used the kirkland brand of baby wipes. my kids have delicate skin and these products didn't irritate them.

Hi Allison,

green mountain diapers suggests BioKleen and it is what we have been using the last year and a half with no problems. Sounds like you might want to forget the disposable wipes all together, but we use Whole Foods brand wipes because they seem the softest and have never had a problem. Weleda makes wonderful natural biodynamic baby products (such as diaper ointment) that we love. Green Mountain has a very informative cloth diapering website. happy researching!

L.

We like Trader Joes brand (if you shop there) or Ecos which i think they now sell at Costco and Raleys. it's mild and we can use it for the whole family including the children. and Weleda is one diaper rash cream that worked well for us. The only kind of wipes we found to be mild enough are 7th Gen, otherwise, i agree with the others, just use your own cloths.

Look for nature babycare products. I love those! Can't help with the other.

Hi, if you can use a diaper service. We used one and it was great. Now that we've got the hang of using cloth diapers I clean them myself. One thing I would recommend is getting the diaper liners. It looks like really thick toilet paper. They are great because they are flushable and usually will keep most (if not all) of the poop on the liner to make cleaning the diaper easier. I used the regular baby detergent - Dreft and a bleach alternative (we use Clorox 2). We never use any kind of fabric softener - especially on things that need to absorb liquids (towels, diapers, etc) because fabric softeners repel water when the item is dried. Also, we've never used baby wipes. All that alcohol is bound to cause some issues... We used wet papertowels on the road (you can store them in any airtight container or ziploc style plastic bag which is reusable and keeps them moist). At home we used washcloths. If you use the washcloths, I recommend getting some that are a crazy/wild color or something that is "poop" colored. It makes it easier for your other family members to recognize NOT to use that one on their face. I use ugly cloths that I was going to throw away. If baby is just wet, I rinse it out use a little dish soap on it, rinse, and reuse a few times until it starts to smell off. If it's a major poop that the liner can't clean up I'll use a wet paper towel first then follow with the wash cloth. Just remember that the cloth diapers will need to be changed more frequently because they don't pull the wetness from baby, but they are gentler on baby because they don't have the chlorine (bleach) gel inside that transfers onto baby everytime he pees or poops. After a year I switched his detergent to the same one I use for the rest of the family (it is non-perfumed). Good luck with clearing up his rash! Oh, I've never used a diaper cream or rash cream on either of my boys. I also never used ANY "baby products" on either. We washed our boys with plain warm water - including their hair until they truly got dirty (our 15 month old was 13 months and our 5 year old was almost 22 months!). We now use the Dove sensitive bar (not the liquid they break out in a rash with the liquid) for their bodies and Dr. Bronner's Castile soap (we use it diluted). You could use the castile soap on his body also, but it is kind of expensive and the Dove works great and is cheap.

Here's a great link if you're interested that might be helpful: http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/livinggreen/articles/...

Hi, Cloth diapers the best! I am from the old school my daughter is 36 now.
I used ivory snow flakes the most pure thing you can buy.
I am pretty sure you can still buy this.
But always remember to put on rinse cycle at least three times and do not use fabric softner.

C.

I personally use Allen's Naturally on my dipes (natural, irritant free and safe for cloth diapers) but it has to be bought online. My second favorite is Ecover, which can be purchased at stores like Whole Foods.
While you're there, pick up Burt's Bees diaper cream, which is cloth dipe safe (as long as you don't slather it on) for rashes. Otherwise, I'd use nothing.
If you're washing your dipes, you might as well use cloth wipes, too. It's just a short step into cloth in that area. Like the previous person said, you can get baby washcloths (not the really thin ones from the $1 store, as they have a high poly count which keeps them from absorbing much liquid) from the store and dip them into a container of/spray the wipe w/ a bottle of water as needed.
I pre-moisten mine in a mixture of things found at Whole Foods and they stay fresh and ready to go till laundry day (every 3 days)--boiled water w/ a few squirts baby wash & 6ish drops of tea tree oil (antibacterial to both keep baby's bum clean and the wipes from getting icky), lavendar oil and a pour or Burt's Bees Apricot Oil (smells delish and moisturizes baby's bum, as well as making a slick surface for easy cleaning.) I pour that on a pile of wipes and throw them into the wipes warmer, then drop the wipes into the diaper pail till laundry day. We carry them in a small wipes wetbag or an old travel disposable wipes container pre-wet, as well.
They double for face/hand wipes too!

Especially with a switch in cloth diapers, you have to change them FAR MORE OFTEN than you do with disposable - if you don't you will find that your child's diaper rash will get worse, not better. Cloth diapers do not absorb urine like disposable, so make sure you are 100% comitted to not only the proper cleaning of the cloth diapers, but also the constant, frequent changes. Like, check that diaper once an hour - while cloth is not filled with the chemicals that disposables are, they also absorb very little urine in comparison. If you do not, the change from disposable to cloth will be useless, and his diaper rash will only continue to be bad.

Have you considered doing a diaper service? They come and pick up all your old, dirty diapers and bring you new ones however often you decide you want them to come. Lots easier than doing them yourself.

Wipes....we started out with wash clothes that I picked up at the store on sale. That got old taking them to/from day care each day.

We switched to Pampers NATURAL wipes...the ones in the teal-green box and has aloe vera in it. It absolutely does not burn or irritate. I know this for I have used them to care for a fissure....not even a tiny tingle. Any other wipe caused SEVERE pain...pass out pain. Not these.

For the rash, we used Calmoseptine. I bought it at the drug store attached to the hospital and used it for any reddness on my daughter until about a yr ago. She'll be 7 next month. http://www.calmoseptineointment.com/ or any pharmacy can order it. It's about $7.50 a tube. The pharmacy should use NDC# for a 4.0 oz tube is #0799-0001-04 or #00799-0001-04. It will take 1 or 2 days to get if it is ordered through pharmacy.

It stops the pain and helps clear up the butt.

We also let my little one run around naked in the backyard. A little morning sun did wonders.

Stephanie

I always used Borateem as an additive with a baby sensitive laundry soap. My girls used to get a bad diaper rash. Doctor said it was a yeast infection. He had me paint the infected areas with gentin violet. This worked well, but gentin violet dyes the skin purple and takes a few days to completly disappear. I would warn people who might change them because as it wore off their bottom was the color of a bruise.
J.

I hope you'll try the natural food store in your area. There are great detergents with much better ingredients, in fact with the liquid I use I don't need any fabric softener at all, and it smells wonderful. It's Ecos brand, and I'd think it would be perfectly adequate for cloth diapers. There are also less expensive powders you can buy in bulk which are perfectly fine. There are also natural baby wipes there, some with lavender and some w/o, because it is sensitizing to some (I've always tolerated it with no problem, and enjoy its soothing properties, but my mother is not so fortunate.) Congratulations on making the switch to cloth!

Dear A.:

You might try Arm & Hammer powder detergent ... I find it is very gently and non-irritating. Both my husband and I develop hives from detergents easily and I've had good luck with this brand.

Also, I make a line of natural products from my farm in Cottonwood, CA. You might consider my Rash Relief lotion or oil for the diaper rash. Several of my clients have had good luck with it. Please email or call (you can see my ad on this site for mccluckfarms.com for my contact info.

Good luck!

V. T

Allison,

I just am trying out cloth diapers too for the same reason with my nearly 2 month old. They say you can use any regular detergent from the grocery except the free and clear or "natural kind (I am assuming they mean 7th generation and the like)" as they leave residue on the diapers which affects absorbancy, also not the kind with bleach or fabric softeners. However, since I have issues with fragrance too, and use free and clear on my clothes, I have been using the kind you oder online.

As far as wipes, I have switched to cloth wipes at home with just water. And for out and about, I use either the Lansinoh or Playtex wipes for breastfed babies which are supposed to be gentler.

As far as diaper rash, we have only been switched over for a few days but looks like it is going to work out.

Good luck!

You only need a tiny bit of detergent - I just use the normal baby stuff that I use for his clothes. Make sure you put the diapers through lots of rinsing. Apparently, if the detergent isn't thoroughly washed out it can cause irritation, too.

E.

It has been a long time since mine were in diapers, but they all have sensitive skin and what worked best for them was Dreft, and you should be able to purchace that at Target, or the grocery store, all of those should carry it. Test it on something small like the socks and make sure there is no reaction first before using it on all of baby's clothes and diapers, but we never had a problem with it at all. God Bless!

I agree with Kimmie M. Sun is an excellent non-chemical bleaching alternative. Some of the other mamas suggested diaper service. I did that and the cost was really comparable to buying disposables and super convenient. Also, switching to cloth wipes will help alot. As for diaper rash in general, my niece was forever rashy until she came to visit me and I used plain old cornstarch on her bottom (not a baby product, just baking isle at the grocery store). She was completely clear within 2 days. All natural, cheap and works wonders!

Use anything that is free and clear make sure that if you decided to go with a green soap that it is not plant based, it will reck your diapers.
and on the subject of diaper wipes, in my case every wipe no matter what brand gave my 9 month old a rash so I went with the baby wash cloths from babies rus you can put them in a little water in a plastic wipes box and use them all day. and when you go out wet a couple and put them in a zip lock bag. This works great and its and not mention cheap and when you are all done changing you lil one you just throw everything into the diaper pail instead of having pooping wipes in the garbage.(ick)

You shouldn't have to use any diaper rash cream if you use cloth diapers,wash them correctly and no wipes, my dotor(derm) says only to use a cream like cerva you can find this a walgreens. If you use diaper rash cream it can also reck your diapers and you will have to strip them you get them to not leak. Just a couple tip.
Good to hear the world has another earth mom.
Good luck.

I have to say you'd be better off using Tiny Tots or another similar diaper service. With the impending water restrictions it might be more cost-effective to have them wash your baby's diapers. If you do wash them, be sure you rinse them THOROUGHLY until there is no soap residue visible, or you might exacerbate the rash problem. My kids are 19 and 14, and I was probably the only mom in Palo Alto who used cloth diapers back then! I used the wool velcro wraps made by Biobottoms ( I haven't looked to see if they are still in business, but those worked the best for us- they are breathable and didn't soak through like some of the other synthetic wraps.) Follow the suggestions to use soft cotton wash rags instead of chemical baby wipes. You can buy thin "birdseye" (the name of the fabric, NOT the frozen vegetable!) diapers in packs of 12, and cut up a few to use as wipes...the rest are fantastic "burb rags"...I was never without one flung over my shoulder to catch the spit-up! Have you tried using A+D ointment or one of the zinc-based diaper rash ointments for diaper rash? If you can, now that the weather is warmer, try to let your baby have some "airing out" time with no diaper..maybe let him play for awhile on a big beach towel while wearing no diaper. Good luck...you are making the right decision for your baby's health.
Sincerely,
S. A.

Hi Allison. For cloth diapers it's best to use something that doesn't have enzymes or brighteners. If you have access to a military commissary, you can buy a specially formulated All Free and Clear without brighteners. Otherwise, I'd probably use ECOS brand detergent. I know I've seen it at Costco, but I'm not sure about other stores. Here's a detergent chart which rates most of the available detergents.

http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

Your laundry routine is almost as important as the detergent you use. What works for me is to prewash my diapers with cold water, a regular wash on hot, then do a second rinse on warm with a splash of vinegar. Depending on your water type (hard or soft), you may have to add baking soda or vinegar to your wash.

http://www.diaperjungle.com/washing-cloth-diapers.html

http://www.diaperpin.com/howto.asp#vinegar

As for wipes, I use cloth wipes and wash them right along with my diapers. They're simple enough to make, but I just bought a few packs of cheap baby washcloths and use those. The terry really helps to clean up the messes. I used to make a wipe solution of water, a small amount of baby wash and a few drops of tea tree oil. Some people squirt the solution on the wipe right before using and others store the wipes in a tub and pour the solution directly on the wipes. Now that my toddler is using the toilet most of the time, I just wet the wash cloth with warm water.

I'm really sorry that your babe is dealing with severe diaper rash. I would suspect yeast infection or maybe an allergy to the diapers you're using. For yeast, have you considered giving your son yogurt? Although most milk products aren't recommended before a year, yogurt can be given to infants starting at 8 months.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/tipYogurt.htm

If the rash is not yeast, what worked for my children was using cornstarch when they were diapered, but also allowing for some naked time. Their little bottoms need to be aired out occasionally! ;-)

You can get Dreft from Babies R Us, Target or the grocery store, but honestly any dye or fragrance free detergent will work the same. Dreft is more expensive and rarely goes on sale. I also use wipes that don't contain any fragrance or alcohol. For the diaper rash try using an anti fungal cream and hydro cortisone, also stop using wipes until the rash clears. Clean his bottom with a warm wet cloth and let his bottom dry before applying any creams. I hope this helps, good luck.

If you are using cloth diapers, the soap in them can cause diaper rash. I recommend:
1. Give a pre-rinse.
2. Wash diapers with 1/2 cup water softener (Borax in green box; White King; Calgon) and 1/2 the amount of soap you ususally use.
3. Give second rinse.
This makes sure all of the soap is out. You can do the same thing with baby's sheets so soap doesn't irritate their face and cause a rash.

Keep a diaper cream on baby so urine and feces don't get next to the skin so easily.

Make sure the food eaten isn't something baby is alergic to.

My daughter used to get what I thought were horrible diaper rashes that would seem to clear up for a day, then come right back.

Her doctor finally figured out that it was a yeast infection on the skin, and I had to get an infant prescription yeast infection ointment. It always started clearing up / feeling tons better within a day or two. For us, any rash that did not clear up in a day was usually yeast. One thing I had to be sure to do was clean her really well, pat her completely dry with a dry wash rag, then put on a moisture barrier (ointment of some sort).

Basically, if a "diaper rash" does not get better, either something is irritating the skin (like the chemicals in disposable diapers or fabric softener, etc...) or it is an external yeast infection.

It is even possible to have a diaper rash and yeast infection at the same time. This can be very painful to your little one, so ask your doctor about yeast right away.

I wash all my kids clothes in Dreft or Ivory Snow, they do not have any harsh additives

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm

If you have a baby with sensitive skin, Dreft is usually the detergent that most pediatricians recommend. However, be aware that cloth diapers can cause worse diaper rashes than disposables in some children if you don't use an effective liner that keeps the soiled diaper away from your baby's skin. My recommendation is that you use a warm, wet washcloth whenever possible, instead of disposable wipes, as your child could be sensitive to the chemicals in any wipes. Also, be aware that your child could have a form of yeast infection that is causing the diaper rash. Your pediatrician can assess this situation and prescribe an appropriate ointment if that is part of the problem. If he does have a yeast infection, you'll have to be especially careful when using cloth diapers.

I used all free and clear. You should check out the diaperpin.com for washing tips and reviews of different cloth diaper products. My daughter never had diaper rash in cloth diapers, only when we used disposables while traveling. Good luck!

Try Dreft laundry soap. don't use Tide - it doesn't rinse well.