I have a HE FL and I've been using Charlie's for all our laundry since a bit before LO came (we've been going through a lot of different detergents to try and find one that works well for us) - and we really like it. DH hasn't complained about stinky laundry like with some of the other detergents we've tried - and I haven't had problems with stinky diapers. They come out smelling nice and clean.
I don't have hard water, so I'm no help with the hard water treatment, but my parents, who do have hard water and use Charlie's (though obviously don't cloth diaper) - had to do some tinkering to get the balance right to get it to clean things well.
You can add calgon in the softner section to treat for hard water. It can be found in the laundry section at your local store so it's easier to get than waiting for an online order.
Re: Charlie's soap
I have a HE FL and I've been using Charlie's for all our laundry since a bit before LO came (we've been going through a lot of different detergents to try and find one that works well for us) - and we really like it. DH hasn't complained about stinky laundry like with some of the other detergents we've tried - and I haven't had problems with stinky diapers. They come out smelling nice and clean.
I don't have hard water, so I'm no help with the hard water treatment, but my parents, who do have hard water and use Charlie's (though obviously don't cloth diaper) - had to do some tinkering to get the balance right to get it to clean things well.
DS born 6/2013