hello friends - i’m sure many of you have seen this question before but i dug through some old posts regarding detergent and couldn’t really find what i was looking for!! i’m due in may 2024 FTM, so brand spankin new to cloth diapering!! if you’re still here, see below info and q’s.
we currently have a high efficiency LG front load washer which had worked great with the current tide free and clear pods we use.
are pods okay to use with cloth diapers?
if not, i’d like to stick with free and clear due to my husbands sensitive skin (and soon to be babys).
should i switch to liquid or powder? does it matter?
can you use light scent beads with cloth diapers? we’ve found the downey light beads don’t upset husbands skin, but i’m not sure about using them with cloth diapers or babes skin.
what are your favourites, and what has worked for you?
-we use free and clear for clothes. I use regular Tide powder for diapers. IMO, you’re paying for water with liquid detergents feel like you really need all those chemicals to get bodily fluids cleaned up.
-would not recommend scent beads or anything scented beyond what’s in my Tide detergent for cloth diapers.
-Overly stated: Tide Powder. My diapers all look brand new pretty much and I’m on kid 2. Other cloth diaper users have commented on how clean my diapers look and I’ve never had the same problems they have when it comes to staining, stink, etc. their problems are usually solved by switching to Tide powder, so I’d recommend just starting that way if you’re able to.
pods. No. Short term use isn’t a big deal but they will leave a coating long term
free and clear you have to be choosy. Most of them are weak. tide free + gentle liquid and all free & clear powder are the best options.
liquid or powder doesn’t matter unless you have super hard water, in which case powder is better.
I looked up the Downy light scent beads ingredients. It’s basically perfume oil mixed into Metamucil edit: Miralax (who knew!). I don’t see an issue with that, it should wash clean enough to not affect absorbency. I’d be more cautious how the perfume oil impacts the baby’s skin but you can’t know that in advance.
I use tide with bleach powder. I like the scent, it’s light. The product works amazing.
@jmv It's a lot of trial and error. My kids got rashy from some detergents and not others, regardless of fragrance status. As long as the detergent is strong enough, whatever works works, imo.
I would not use the beads though as those likely leave a layer of oils on the fabric.
@jmv I wouldn't use pods because any type of softener, it reduces the absorption capacity of the diapers, and I think most pods have softening agents.
My first born had super sensitive skin, even baby detergent would leave him with red patches everywhere there was friction (thighs, neck,...) so I switched for an all-natural detergent that I'm still using now.
I feel like the easier, the better when it came to cloth diapers, so I wouldn't bother with scented beads or anything, but that's purely personal!
