Still mourning Tide free & gentle powder

[y0ung1996]

I haven’t seen a post on this for awhile so I thought I’d ask. Now that’s it’s been a couple months since the powder was discontinued what have people been using with success? I’ve been using Tide liquid sensitive and free and it was doing ok until my washer started smelling today. I’d really like unscented but I’m thinking of giving in and getting just normal Tide powder because there’s not many other options here in Canada.

 

[stephert]

@y0ung1996 Same..and my pocket feels it.. I tried the liquid version, I tried all free and clear powder, and I tried seventh generation. They all caused different issues.. (skin sensitivity, and stink issues. I have hard well water so that doesn't help. I am currently using essembly detergent along with Charlie's soap water softener/booster. It's not cheap but so far is working! I also occasionally add vinegar to the wash.

 

[danielireland17]

@stephert I use esembly detergent and it works pretty well. I wish I had something little bit stronger but I never tried tide powder before it was discontinued so i will never know lol

 

[seanmcc]

@y0ung1996 Lower mainland BC, soft water

I just use regular powdered Tide

 

[orthodoxchurchapologia]

@y0ung1996 I've been using standard powdered Tide for my daughter's diapers and she appears to tolerate it fine. The fragrance is pretty mild by the time the diapers have been washed and dried.

 

[sheshell675]

@y0ung1996 I have had success with BioKleen free and gentle powder. I have very soft water.

 

[pressfrancis]

@y0ung1996 I get the powder free 6 gentle from Superstore. It still exists

 

[katrina2017]

@pressfrancis It was confirmed discontinued by P&G in the spring. Your location may just have leftover stock.

 

[bharati21]

@y0ung1996 I’ve used Tide Free & Gentle for years. I have to do two washes, first a short warm wash with half the amount of detergent then a long hot wash with the normal amount of detergent. I have a top loader so I use “normal” and “heavy” - none of the washes are super long.

I could never get a rinse then wash to work with anything. Always smelled.

And I put an Affresh tablet through the machine once a month, after the first diaper wash of the month.

 

[aishaaa]

@y0ung1996 I use Charlie’s Soap powder detergent, as recommended to me by a local cloth diaper laundry service

 

[tobiahjude99]

@y0ung1996 I did not find another unscented option that worked for me. Eventually I had to just buy OG Tide and grit my teeth.

I tried a few other unscented detergents before giving up, and all of them either had a "not quite clean enough" issue or a "didn't rinse out enough" issue for me (soft water, HE toploader). I tried Kirkland F&C, tide F&C liquid, and one of the liquid Seventh Generation variants.

So I just went to Tide OG because fragrance can't be worse than unclean diapers or detergent residue. Tide cleans & rinses out, no micromanaging needed.

I gave up before I found All F&C -- I see that recommended a lot, if you can find access to it.

 

[tgreen78]

@tobiahjude99 Is the All working for you? I am thinking tide free and clear liquid isn't working great for us and I really do not want to try a fragranced detergent

 

[sharbodie]

@tobiahjude99 Yeah I'm using OG tide powder, I'm of the same mind that clean diapers are more important for my baby's health than whatever chemicals or fragrances are in the powder. I also find the powder scent less offensive than the liquid which I hated.

All free and clear isn't cloth diaper safe, I thought? It has an ingredient that causes repelling? I use that for baby clothes but not for diapers.

 

[tobiahjude99]

@sharbodie Yeah ..... If only we didn't have to compromise. I find the box scent nauseating, but I barely notice it on clean laundry.

I hate giving up tho, it upset me to stop trying. But my morals disintegrated into a pile of dust after buying that small box of Tide and running a few loads. It was such a relief to have clean diapers without soap on them. Even tide F&C powder rinsed badly for me. By the time I CD my next baby, we should have a new washer .... I'm hoping future me has less detergent issues.

And on All, I thought the same thing as you but like the other replier said, I think that might just be the liquid and the powder might be fine?

 

[mariehall]

@sharbodie I think the liquid is not cloth safe but the powder is okay if I remember correctly

 

[y0ung1996]

@tobiahjude99 Thanks for the input. Clean diapers sound really nice without having to rely on other products like borax and Oxi clean, but I’m having to do right now. Do you find the scent really strong after they are dried?

 

[tobiahjude99]

@y0ung1996 Not really. The scent is mostly strong when they are being washed or when i measure the powder, but it isn't too noticable to me after they are dried.

 

[sammynq5]

@y0ung1996 I use Foca. I have very hard water and it does a great job, and it’s lightly scented.

 

[strugglingsaint]

@y0ung1996 I’ve been using tide free and gentle pods. Yes I know they are not recommended, but I’m experimenting with them since we’re working on potty training. So far no issues but a few things about my situation are as follows.
-average water not too hard/soft.
-I still use my biz powder in my first wash for a boost.
-last year I got a new washer that has a steam sanitize setting. I use this setting for my second wash and it was a game changer for cleaning my diapers.
-I use 3pods in my first wash and 4 in my second with an extra rinse in my second wash.

Overall they have been working well. If I have more kids not sure that I’ll continue with pods(hopefully tide powder will return ).

 

[y0ung1996]

@green5 This is a good point. Baby isn’t old enough for solids yet and I find just a rinse then wash works well enough, but this sounds like a good plan for the future. I think I need to give up the idea of a “one and done” detergent that fulfills all categories.