Try Cloth Diapers Risk Free

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Like Tweet

One Cloth Diaper and My Laundry Room Revolution

It all began with a soft, fluffy green BumGenius diaper. After hours of research on the computer, I finally decided to purchase a reusable alternative to the disposables I was using on my then 18 month old son. The allure of saving the environment from the incredible amount of waste that comes with disposables was overshadowed by the potential savings of my wallet. Little did I know that with this purchase, I would begin not only a diapering transformation, but a laundry room revolution.

After all my experience with two little ones with extremely sensitive skin, and many different laundering routines, I could ramble on about everything I've learned about detergents, dryer sheets, and more...but instead I'll present the top five things I've learned as a result of cloth diapers entering my life.

5. The real difference between regular and "baby" detergents.
The truth is in the residue. Regular detergents are made with far less care to residue than baby detergents. Adults are naturally less sensitive to anything left behind on our clothing, and these detergents simply leave behind more chemicals...whether they be fragrances, whiteners, softeners, etc. "Baby" detergents are designed to leave behind fewer of these potential skin irritants. Almost all formulas with no whiteners, bleach, fragrance, or enzymes function exactly like a "baby" detergent. Using cloth diapers made me realize how big a part residues actually play in the laundry equation. Anything left behind on clothes will attract more dirt and stink, and possibly irritate baby's sensitive skin. Over time, I realized there's no reason I wasn't being just as conscious of what was going next to my own skin!

4. Clean is not a color.
When you use detergents that include whiteners, your clothes really do look whiter/brighter, but it's actually an optical illusion! The whitening agent left behind on your clothes (yes, it's a residue!) simply reflects the light differently. It's just another chemical next to your skin, and your clothes are not really cleaner. It's also these whiteners that will make laundry stiff without a run through the dryer. The cost of whiter clothes through bleach is also high...considering how much faster it causes the fabrics to break down (and how harmful chlorine is to the environment). Although I'd rather my diapers look like new forever, a couple of stains don't affect their function or cleanliness one bit! Minimizing my family's chemical exposure is important to me, so I looked for safer alternatives. And, I turned back to the most effective method of stain prevention: treating and washing clothes as soon as possible.

3. Clean is not a fragrance.
It seems like an easy enough concept, but how many times have I cleaned with scented products and enjoyed the clean feeling that a "fresh scent" provided? The truth is, you don't need a perfumed waft of lavender (or anything else for that matter) floating into your nostrils to say something is clean. Clean is an absence of dirt and other unwanted substances, and sometimes that doesn't have a pretty smell! Besides, fragrances in most name-brand detergents are petroleum based, and not even an odor actually found in nature. As I mentioned before, fragrances can also be a skin irritant, and not very useful on a diaper. Sticking with natural alternatives and real scents was the direction I would turn for all of my clothes.

2. The pure joy of line-dry laundry.
The sun's natural disinfecting and whitening power is available at the best price of all: free! I find it therapeutic to clip my cloth diapers and laundry outside, and watch it blowing in the breeze. Nothing compares to the smell of line dried clothes (remember sometimes clean is a smell). The weather may not always cooperate, but any day without rain I try to capture this free energy source. Even overcast days will filter through the beneficial rays of the sun. There's nothing more effective in getting stains out of my own diapers than several hours in the sunshine...and soon the rest of my laundry followed!

1. Laundry doesn't have to be complicated.
When I considered cloth diapers, my first thought was to how overwhelming my laundry room would become. Another special detergent, and more dirty clothes. My shelves used to be cluttered full of many different formulas designed to improve my cleaning prowess. Baby-safe detergent, delicates-safe detergent, bleach for whitening, softener for softening, dryer sheets for softening (making me wonder why on earth do things that are naturally soft need so much softening!?), odor remover, stain remover and random bottles of who knows what. Now, I have a very simple laundry room shelf. Thanks to Kelly's Closet, I discovered my Rockin' Green detergents which are unscented for the diapers, and random natural scents for everything else. Sitting next to them are baking soda for the occasional boost, chlorine-free bleach for times of need, and wool dryer balls. Essentially, everything is washed and dried with the same approach...using safe, natural formulas that leave clean clothes (and nothing harmful!) behind.

The same things that I considered when laundering my cloth diapers became a revolution to the entire approach of laundry. Starting with cloth diapers, I realized the significance of everything that went into my washing machine. All this time I was focused on everything I was washing away, and the new focus was on what was being left behind (ha, pun intended!).

Now I know my choices are not only resulting in a healthier and safer home, but a more environmentally friendly world impact. Who knew one cloth diaper could do so much?

By Julie G.

19 comments:

HereWeGoAJen said...

I agree. By cloth diapering, I have learned so much more about laundry!

Unknown said...

HOORAY for the Laundry Revolution!

Stephanie U said...

Researching detergent showed me things too. I am not using the exact same thing on everything, but I have decided to use "better" detergent than I was. The biggest eye-opener was that "green" detergents aren't always that good. Sometimes it just means the manufacturering is more green - not what it leaves on the clothes.

jenmc said...

My laundry room has changed dramatically since I started using cloth diapers. I don't use dryer sheets at all, I skip the fabric softener now in the wash, and i use one soap for everything. I used to have separate regimens for regular clothes and my dipes but I felt like it was so costly to buy a detergent JUST for my diapers that i switched to 7th Gen free and clear for everything and it works great and save me money. I also LOVe hanging my clothes out to dry. It is like 15 miuntes of private time just for me. Great post.

Anonymous said...

Ever use the soap nuts?? I've read a lot about Rockin' Green causing a rash when it was first used, any experience with this??

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com said...

Cloth diapering "forced" me to read up on fabrics, laundry, detergents, etc. It's almost like studying for a course!
My laundry mantra: keep it simple yet effective.

Crystal said...

My laundry routine is being transformed also! Soon after purchasing Charlie's Soap for my diapers I began using it for all my clothes and I find that it does a great job on even the nastiest of work clothes. Now I'm considering dryer balls because I recently ran out of dryer sheets but can't bring myself to buy any more of those chemical laden things.

Anonymous said...

I started cloth diapering my son because of the environmental issue as well......was so pleasantly surprised how much money we would save. It was all good timing bc my husband soon lost his job...didn't have to worry about buying disposables!

Maria and Michael's Mommy said...

Thanks for posting! Cloth diapering totally opened my eyes in the laundry department as well!

Sabrina said...

It's fun to see how cloth diapers can change so many different routines that happen in our homes.

Anonymous said...

Interesting post. I'm waiting for baby #1 to arrive and I was wondering about what detergent to use on the diapers once he/she is here.

Brittaney said...

Now that I use cloth the way we do laundry has changed to.

We use EcoNuts.

I was tempted to by these stuff called "eco" at the store. The label tho just says its full of natural oils..

But thats ok, we love EcoNuts.

AshyBoo29 said...

I can't wait to get some Rockin Green! You make it sound like so much fun!

Tammy said...

My laundry rituals have also greatly improved since I began CDing, its amazing how one decision can change so many things.

Kitty Wilkin said...

This is a great post! I love the simplicity of "Clean is not a Color" and your other points. Right on! Cloth diapering is opening my eyes to a whole lot of things!

Melody J said...

I have slowly realized a lot of the same types of things when it comes to laundry. Now I even make my own for our clothes, but I love Rockin' Green for taking out even the worst toddler stinkies in diapers.

Laura said...

I agree... in my switch to cloth diapering I have learned a lot more about laundry detergents & laundry. I've line dried our clothes for the past 5 years (been living in Arizona) practically year-round. I Love it & takes me back to childhood when my Mom did the same (she still does). Going to be hard on me this fall/winter after we move back to Pacific NW.

Alycia said...

Thank you for this post. As crazy as I am about cloth diaper laundry I hardly give a second thought to our clothes. I'l use fabric softeneres, random detergents, and I overdry like whoa. I think I'm going to stick to a free & clear detergent (one that's really free &clear) and our water softener. We have super hard well water so we can't skip that step.

Great post!

Julie said...

Thanks for the awesome comments! It was fun to write about because now there are two things I NEVER thought would make me happy...laundry AND diapers! LOL. I can't wait to order even more lovely fluff when I need detergent refills. I'm such an addict, LOL.