Liquid detergent/wash routine question

haileyq

So, I had finally gotten down a decent wash routine, after struggling for like a year finding the balance between using enough detergent to get the diapers clean and not using too much to cause buildup.

Then, I moved.

I have well water with a water softener at my new house. However, when I decreased the amount of detergent I was using the diapers weren't smelling clean. When I went back to using up to the 2 line of Tide, the detergent was seriously not rinsing clean. Like, powdered, undissolved Tide particles were showing up in the lint filter on my dryer.

Should I try a liquid detergent? Has anyone had luck with any liquids? I've only ever used Tide.

Currently I'm doing a warm prewash with no detergent, then hot wash using 1.5 Tide and a squirt of Bac-Out, with the cold rinse and then a light cold wash at the end. It's getting most of the detergent out, but definitely not all. Or, am I doomed to hot water stripping every month or two?

Rrrrrachel

I would try liquid. It can have it's own problems, but you're already having problems, sooooo . . . You can also try predissolving the detergent but that's kind of a pain.

Into+the+Kitty

Predissolving detergent isn't that bad, especially if you have a top loader. I keep a solo cup that I empty detergent into, add some hot water while the basin is filling, and swirl it to dissolve fully.

haileyq

Somehow predissolving never occurred to me. Ding ding ding! I'll start there and hope for the best, thanks!

freezorburn

Agree with PPs. If that doesn't work, your next step might be to try adding a bit of Calgon to your main wash and possibly your pre-wash as well. It could just be that your water is crazy hard and your softener is only able to do so much. Or that the salts in your softener are of the precipitating variety.

Also, double-check that your wash water is getting hot enough. About 120F is optimal.

Bigboneded

I'm glad you asked, as I am on a well, too. No advice- not there yet... just soaking up info ;-)

haileyq

Hmm Maple you have a good point. It is a "new" washer but I'm pretty sure it's from 1975 when the house was built! Our first load of diaper laundry went great and I thought "wow this old sucker kicks ass" but has progressively gotten worse. It also doesn't have a long wash cycle, only a regular wash. It definitely wasn't getting them clean; after I hot water stripped they smelled terrible so I had to follow that with a bleach strip too. I was kind of hoping if I could get the detergent build up thing taken care of it would take care of that problem along with it...

Brandiewine11

Have you tried cleaning the washing machine? Perhaps there is a lot of built up gunk in there that is causing problems....

monishabansal

I have hard water and use liquid Country Save. Diapers are definitely clean.