I then ran into a Facebook group who made me second guess my choice of detergent. The basic recipe for my detergent is this: 1c Washing Soda, 1c Borax, 1/2c Oxygen Cleaner.
What I learned:
- Washing soda = water softener
- Borax = water softener
- Oxygen Cleaner = brightener
So in conclusion, I had soft water to brighten my diapers... but were they REALLY clean??? Well the redness my little guy was sporting and the occasional "it burns my nostril hairs to throw my diapers in the washer" feeling were telling me: no.
I decided to try Tide. The idea here is to use a detergent that includes surfactants to clean the debris (dirt, urine, feces) caught in the fibers of my clothes and cloth diapers.
Well gosh darn it, it worked -.-
No more red skin, no more burning ammonia, no more extra rinses. One cold rinse, one full wash with Tide, and we are done!
I will check in with you in a couple of months to see if this experiment is still going well. So far, I'm glad we made the switch even though I'm still not too happy about the chemical storm going on in my washer... I figure it can't be any worse that all the crap the city adds to my tap water anyway right???
~Norm
Just found your blog. Love it. I'm 30 something (very LATE something, LOL), vegan (new), in the RGV as well. I'm a daddy with little girls though, so I'm not your long lost twin. :)
ReplyDeleteHave you tried Sal-Suds as your laundry soap? Works great for me.
I have not used Sal Suds but it sounds like a very good option to try next! Thanks for that tip :D I would be a bit afraid to use it on my cloth diapers due to the natural oils which can make the diapers repel but I wouldn't mind testing this out, it can't hurt that much, it's just laundry lol... It's always great to hear of more vegans in the RGV! Woo hop! Maybe our vegan community will soon have more options as the Valley continues to grow :D
DeleteOh auto correct... when will you stop correcting my "woo hoo" into "woo hop?"
ReplyDeleteI followed your advice and I am so happy using Tide :)
ReplyDelete