What Detergent Should I Use?

Washing cloth diapers doesn’t require a special detergent. If you use the household detergent normally used for the rest of the family’s clothing, you should be fine.

Sometimes, however, you do need to take into account baby’s sensitive skin and your washing conditions. Very hard and very soft water can make a difference in outcome, so you may need to experiment with different detergents, or find out if you need to add vinegar to your cloth diaper wash, to find the best fit for your conditions.

Some detergents designed especially for babies such as Ivory Snow and Dreft should be avoided, as should fabric softeners. Pure soap products and fabric softeners can leave a build-up in the cloth diapers and reduce their absorbency over time. This is also true for detergents with stain blocking and whitening ingredients. When it comes to detergents, simple is best.

If you find that your regular detergent isn’t getting the cloth diapers clean enough, consider different brands. Sometimes switching from one brand to another can make a difference in the overall cleanliness of the diapers. You should also always be on the lookout for any diaper rash that might be caused by a particular kind of detergent or any extra ingredients you may not have noticed your detergent contains. If this happens, simply switch to another, more basic, brand.

Always be sure to read the instructions from the manufacturers for your individual cloth diapers. Some discourage the use of bleach in all forms or have special condition for detergent such as using less than would normally be required. In general, however, when washing cloth diapers just toss them in the machine with a regular detergent and everything should work beautifully.