Tide Free and Clear Question

sunshineinmay09

Is it ok to use the liquid one for my dipes? Apparently, they don't make it HE compatible in the powdered version of the free and clear.

ETA: can't use regular Tide because C's sensitive to the scent in it. Can't use nellies because she's allergic. Currently using Tiny Bubbles, but it's not getting the dipes clean and I'm using almost 3 scoops each load with 2T of Calgon. Thank you, hard water.

sunshineinmay09

Well, can someone suggest something else that will get my dipes clean and work wonderfully in hard water? I'm getting frustrated.

sunshineinmay09

Warm quick wash, no detergent, 1T Calgon

Power wash, hot water, 2 3/4 scoop tiny bubbles, 2T Calgon with detergent, then 1T in the fabric softener cup. (This cycle is an hour and a half, don't be fooled by the power name )

Extra rinse (cold by default)

Wash every other day.

This is the exact same wash routine I use for my son's diapers, and I don't have a single problem with his. BUT, I can use tide with his, because he's not allergic to it.

And she woke up with another rash and her diaper smelling faintly of ammonia. I'm about ready to give up. This was a diaper that was just stripped, used once, and then washed the other day and it smells! That's not right!

sunshineinmay09

Yes. And even now, with the amount I'm using there is not a suds in sight in my washing machine.

CLLDLL

Your routine and detergent amounts look good to me. Could you still have bacteria stuck in your diapers from when you had barnyard? Did you ever bleach between having barnyard and upping the amount of det.?

sunshineinmay09

I've been around long enough to know that liquid tide isn't recommended for diapers, but I guess I was hoping somehow it would still work.

I was originally using tiny bubbles in my son's diapers, but it started giving me problems after about 4 months, hence the switch to tide.

The Nellie's was working great, but she's allergic. And maybe in addition to the tiny bubbles not working, she's allergic to that as well. It wouldn't surprise me. I might try Allen's.

But in the mean time, I have to wash C's dipes today and I don't know if I should wash them in the tiny bubbles or tide. or I could try washing them with my regular Ecos detergent, but that has fabric softener in it (coconut based) which I know isn't good to use in dipes either.

And now I'm just babbling. Excuse me while I go cry in a corner.

CLLDLL

I'm sorry. I have a sensitive skinned kid too and hard water. It's rough.

We had terrible luck with Ecos FWIW. Barnyard after like two washes. We really like Lulus hard water formula with Calgon added.

PipSqueak0313

If I was having the type of issues described, I would try the Tide F&G liquid, or maybe try the free and clear versions of other detergents. What kind of diapers are you using.....microfiber is hardest to clean and flats are the easiest to clean. Another option would be to use the Tide free and gentle powder and handwash the diapers....but there again, flats would be the easiest for handwashing.

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sunshineinmay09

I have a mix of everything. Flats, fitteds, bamboo pockets and AIOs, some micro fleece fb and kawaii pockets and TT hybrids. Interestingly enough, it's my flats and fitteds that are giving me the most fits.

@CLLDLL‌ I'll look into lulu's. Thank you for the suggestion. When I first started cding, before I knew better, I used Ecos free and clear and had the worst problems after a few months. How much Calgon do you use?


Maybe I'll try the liquid tide. One wash wouldn't hurt, would it?

CLLDLL

I don't measure my Calgon, I just dump it in. "> I would say around 2TBSP in the pre rinse and 2-3 in the main wash.

CLLDLL

Oh and are you unfolding your flats before you wash them? When I first got mine I was throwing them in still pad folded and they didn't get clean. Now I unfold first and they don't give me any trouble.

sunshineinmay09

Yes, I am unfolding the flats. I figured that out quickly when after the first wash they weren't clean . ">

sunshineinmay09

@theultimatesak‌ I'm not 100% sure it's the detergents. Isn't eczema blistery, though? I'll have to go google some pictures. What did you do to get the eczema under control? I'm already avoiding the foods I know she can't tolerate. Dairy, red meat, nuts, wheat, and coconut (I.e coconut ice cream, yogurt, milk, ect.)

countrycotton

I know it may sound crazy, but you may try adding a short hot wash cycle after the final rinse with no detergent. The hot water and extra agation should get any remaining detergent out. I would think no detergent left in the diapers should mean no reaction to the detergent. Just a thought.

Edited, stupid auto correct

freezorburn

How many diapers are you washing per load? 3 scoops seems like a lot of detergent to me. Maybe you have detergent buildup.

sunshineinmay09

I don't think it is. I just checked my rinse and there's no soap bubbles.

@theultimatesak‌ did H's eczema rash look like traditional eczema? I googled pics, but they didn't really look like hers? I don't know. After two rounds if mild yeast rashes, I'm paranoid that everything's a yeast rash now. And before anybody asks, yes, I have treated my diapers and she was in sposies with medication cream. And we waited two weeks both times, and the rash completely cleared up.

PipSqueak0313

CLLDLL said:

Oh and are you unfolding your flats before you wash them? When I first got mine I was throwing them in still pad folded and they didn't get clean. Now I unfold first and they don't give me any trouble.

I don't unfold my flats before washing. I run the prewash and then check them. If they haven't unfolded it's because I didn't set the load side to the correct size - aka I had it set too small. I have an old-fashioned top loader so that probably doesn't apply to HE machine, does it?

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CLLDLL

PipSqueak0313 said:

CLLDLL said:

Oh and are you unfolding your flats before you wash them? When I first got mine I was throwing them in still pad folded and they didn't get clean. Now I unfold first and they don't give me any trouble.

I don't unfold my flats before washing. I run the prewash and then check them. If they haven't unfolded it's because I didn't set the load side to the correct size - aka I had it set too small. I have an old-fashioned top loader so that probably doesn't apply to HE machine, does it?

Interesting. I have an HE FL. Before I was unfolding mine, they would eventually get unfolded, but I think it was taking long enough thatthey weren't getting pre rinsed well enough.

sunshineinmay09

@theultimatesak‌ if you could show me some pics, so I could compare it to C's, I'd be grateful!

freezorburn

maydaygirl590 said:

I don't think it is. I just checked my rinse and there's no soap bubbles. 

I'm becoming more and more convinced that the presence or absence of soap bubbles isn't necessarily a reliable indicator that you have detergent buildup, or not. For one thing, HE detergents are designed for minimal, if any suds. Also, hard water tends to suppress suds.

I second PP's suggestion to do a short hot wash after your main wash to make sure all detergent residue has been rinsed away. And before making that change, maybe do 1-2 hot water strips with Calgon. Once you have done the strips and add the short hot (or even warm) wash at the end, you may be able to ease off the Tiny Bubbles in small amounts. I still think you are using too much.

freezorburn

Also check out kmc84's thread about detergent buildup in her machine.

Buildup in your machine can redeposit on your diapers during the final rinse.

countrycotton

I also agree with cleaning your washing machine. I have a regular top load, I found a tutorial online about how to stip them, you use hot water, add boiling water and vinegar then repeat with bleach. It really helped my machine.

sunshineinmay09

My HE machine prompts me about every 2 weeks (maybe more often?) to run it through it's cleaning cycle. So I don't think that's the issue, but thank you for the suggestion.