When laundering cloth diapers, there is a list of detergent additives that are cautioned. This is due to the effects they have on your cloth diapers or baby’s skin. Some may be fine for your regular laundry, but not always for cloth diapers. The additives to look out for are:
Brighteners
Chlorine Bleach
Dyes
Enzymes
Fragrance
Softeners
How are you supposed to remember all of that? You don’t have to. Simply follow the recommendations of the manufacturer. Our Customer Center and FAQs should have all the information you will need.
For those of you who like to know the Whys, I would like to explain the reasons why these additives are not recommended. This is my fifth and last post on the issue, with this one addressing Softeners.
Fabric softeners work by coating your laundry with oils and other ingredients that stay on the fabric, leaving it soft and static free. But it also leaves a water-repelling residue and possible carcinogens on your laundry. Fabric softener will also deposit on the inside of your dryer or washer; so if you use fabric softener on your other laundry, the softener will deposit on the cloth diapers when they are washed and dried. The residue can make your cloth diapers less absorbent, as well as possibly deteriorating any water-proof laminate. The residue can usually be removed, but damage to laminate is irreversible.
To remove residue, try running three hot wash cycles with a cloth diaper safe detergent followed by a warm rinse. You can also strip the diapers. Prevention is the best option, helping you to avoid frustration and wasted money and resources. There is another option to keep your laundry soft when using the dryer.
In the quest for a non-toxic solution to save resources and avoid fabric softeners, the wool dryer ball was created. The wool dryer balls work by bouncing around in the dryer and “beating” the contents, allowing the warm air to circulate into the fibers of the laundry. This can reduce the drying time by 25-45%!
Wool is a natural material that has zero toxins. These dryer balls are fragrance free, non-toxic, and naturally anti-bacterial. You will typically need from 4-6 wool dryer balls for your dryer.
Here are some great made in the USA options:
- Buddha Bunz: http://buddhabunz.com/store/Default.asp
- Eco Sisters Recycled Wool Dryer Balls: http://www.abesmarket.com/recycled-wool-dryer-balls-set-of-2.html
- Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?search_submit=&q=wool+dryer+balls
- Stoney Mountain Farm: http://www.stoneymountainfarm.com/pages/product-list/wool-dryer-balls.php
- Wooly Rounds: http://www.woolyrounds.com/
- WooldDryerBalls.com: http://wooldryerballs.com/
Here is a link on how to make your own: http://www.ehow.com/how_5151381_make-wool-dryer-balls.html
The use of the wool dryer balls will save you time and money as they are known to reduce drying time, and have no cost after the initial purchase.
Note: I have used the plastic dryer balls, and they did work. However I prefer the wool dryer balls, as they are sustainable, natural, and do not make as much noise in the dryer.
For those of you who use communal machines, I would hang to dry if possible, unless you know that the other users do not use dryer sheets.
You can find detergent rating charts at the following sites, which are a great help in choosing a detergent:
http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoicesataglancepspd.htm
If you have any questions, please send to support@thirstiesbaby.com. I will get them there!
Written by Sonya Choron 3/29/12
Thanks for the good info!!
Thanks for this! I’m new to CD’ing and learning how to care for them!
Thanks for links to detergent rating sites. very helpful.
Wow!! What a great idea!! I had no clue there was a solution to dryer sheets!!
i guess i should have known fabric softener left residue and could transfer to my diapers if used in the same washer. thanks for the helpful article!
Great, helpful post! This whole series has been so informative.
I hadn’t thought about wool dryer balls before. Very informative. Thank you!
I’ve switched to wool dryer balls, and I just love them! My clothes are so soft!
This is good to know – thanks! 🙂
I wish I could use fabric softeners– our water is so hard here, but I’ll try Dryer balls. Thanks for the info.
I love using wool dryer balls in with our diaper laundry! Good to know with how to get rid of residue of a sneaky dryer sheet does get in there with them!
I am dying to get my hands on some wool dryer balls!! Thanks for the post!
Thank you for the helpful info! Washing the diapers properly was one of the scariest parts of CD for me.
Very informative! This helps a lot!!
thanks! washing routines are the hardest thing to figure out!
I’ve always wanted to get some dryer balls. I’ve heard that you can get some infused with essential oils for fragrance. Maybe someday soon I’ll get some! 🙂
We use dryer balls and LOVE them! I get mine from http://www.crabbycandleco.com completely handmade by a girl I know. She actually has a TON of great “green” laundry and household items. Anyway I have threatened my husband that if another drop of liquid fabric softener comes in my house he’ll be buying me a new washer. I hate the stuff!
Hi! Great info, always a challenge to get the wash routine down…
Thanks for the good info!! When we first started cloth diapering we used regular detergent…not anymore!! I would love to know more about washing routines in front loaders. I wish I could soak the diapers some way without the mess of transferring them.
I love my wool dryer balls!
This has been very helpful! Thank you!
Thanks for the info. I don’t use softener on my towels either!
And I use dryer balls. I only have 3 though. I’d like to get up to 8 one day!!
So, silly newbie question here-is it safe to use the woll dryer balls when drying diapers? Also, I like to use vinegar with my towels, is that safe?
I make my own detergent but haven’t been able to find a substitute for softener, ill try the wool dryer balls! Thanks!
I love their prefolds and hemp inserts!
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