It All Comes Out In The Wash

Since I've started washing clothes for a baby with eczema and then diaper laundry, I have learned quite a bit about doing laundry. Before I had Sylvester (and cloth diapers) I used the suggested amount of detergent, liquid fabric softener and then dryer sheets. It turns out that Sylvester is allergic to fabric softener, of any kind, and using that much detergent is just as bad.

Bullet points:

• White vinegar is a great alternative to fabric softener
• White vinegar helps detergent do it's thing
• Baking soda is great for getting "the funk" out of diapers
• Baking soda is great for whitening whites!
• A pre-rinse does amazing things for getting out stains in diapers/clothes
• When using a pre-rinse don't let the washer go through the spin cycle, it leaves more water for the diapers to wash in.

So, in conclusion, I learned that liquid fabric softener is totally unnecessary and can be harmful (to sensitive baby skin). You don't have to use nearly as much detergent, I use half the recommended amount or less. Baking soda is awesome for whiting socks and undershirts, even older ones. White vinegar is great for softening clothes, not as good as fabric softener, but my DH hasn't noticed a difference.  

P.S. I've also only been using the delicate drying cycle on the "more dry" setting on our dryer, which means it runs longer but at a lower heat. It uses less energy and is better for your clothes. It should also be noted that I have HE front loading washer/dryer. I'm not sure if it makes a difference or not but it might when it comes to "how much" detergent to use.

More uses for White Vinegar. More uses for Baking Soda.