Washing Series, Agents and Aids

This topic covers wash aids and additional wash agents beyond your normal detergents.

If using a typical laundry detergent such as bottled liquids or boxed powders you usually simply trust it will meet your laundry needs and likely think no more about it.

However if you happen to be doing more complicated laundry, making your own detergent, or if you are hand washing, you may find you either want to add to your normal detergent or create your own.

Here is a quick breakdown of typical agents to either boost normal washing detergents or to use in a combination for say hand washing or making your own detergent.

Liquid dish soap:
Liquid dish soap lifts grease, stains and soil from clothes. To remove stains dampen cloth with cold water, as in coldest tap water available, squirt a dab directly onto stain and work into fabric till stain lifts from cloth. Liquid dish soap also works well to lift ammonia and is used to prep and strip removing all sorts of ills that may be causing fabrics to repel, allowing the to be absorbent once again. Most often it is detergent build up or oils that cause fabrics to repel.

Liquid dish soap is safe on PUL prefold covers, PUL pocket covers, Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, cotton, bamboo, hemp and micro fiber.

Washing Soda:
Washing soda is considered a detergent or laundry booster and is used in many ways to clean around homes. It works well to eliminate stains and odors Encouraging stains and soil to lift from fabrics. Warning, do not use on fabrics that are not colorfast! Washing soda can cause fabric to fade and needs to be used with caution on dark's. You will quickly see the results as the dye bleeds from the fabrics and into the water, tinting the water blue, red or gray. This lifting factor makes it good for releasing stains or dyes from dark colors bleeding onto lights, yet why it is bad for dark's and non colorfast fabrics. Fabrics can have a slight slimy feel after using washing soda, though not as sever as baking soda, please make sure to rinse items well to remove any film and prevent build up.

Washing soda can be helpful with softening hard water.

Washing soda  is safe on PUL prefold covers, PUL pocket covers, Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, cotton, bamboo, hemp and micro fiber.

Borax:
Borax is another detergent or laundry booster and is another good house hold cleaner. It works well to eliminate odors. I would use caution using borax with dark colors but do not feel it is as pron to cause fading as washing soda. Borax can be harsh on skin, use caution when hand washing. Always wash hands well after contact with borax.Please make sure you use extra rinses when using borax so no residue remains.

Borax is the least child safe and you may choose not to use it for that reason. In my research the real danger comes in consumption and not physical contact so I personally feel it is safe for use on clothing. That said it certainly can cause skin irritation so please rinse very well if using. If you chose to use it on your diapers it works well to lift and neutralize odors. That said please use it on items that won;t go into babes mouth. For instance I would use it on diapers, I would use it to scrub the toilet, I would not use it to clean a  high chair.

Borax  is safe on PUL prefold covers, PUL pocket covers, Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, cotton, bamboo, hemp and micro fiber.

Baking Soda:
Baking soda is a wonderful lifting agent, great for helping liberate detergents from fibers, deodorizing, odor neutralizing, and leaving clothes (and households) clean and fresh. Baking soda is also a wonderful all around house hold cleaner. I use baking soda in my early rinse cycles. I have noted that when hand washing clothes will run clean and no more soap appears to be coming out, I add baking soda and more soap releases into the water thus helping avoid residue build up. Baking soda is also great for neutralizing ammonia and eliminating odors. Baking soda is great for laundry and anything stinky. Clothes will feel slimy when baking soda is used until it is rinsed clean. I know once I can't feel any more "slim" that they are well rinsed and ready to go.  That said I always give stuff an extra rinse just to be sure.

Baking soda can be helpful for hard water.

Baking Soda  is safe on PUL prefold covers, PUL pocket covers, wool covers, Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, cotton, bamboo, hemp, micro fiber, wool and silk.

Vinegar:
Vinegar neutralizes ammonia and is a wonderful odor neutralizer as well as acting as a sterilizing agent. Its great for laundry, beauty care and house hold cleaning. Vinegar can set stains, so it is best to make sure all stains are fully removed before using. Never use vinegar on PUL! It can melt/ eat the laminate causing delamination and sever leaking. Vinegar can act as a softening agent making fabrics soft and cuddly, it can eliminate need for fabric softeners that cause build up, repelling and can be toxic. Vinegar does not harm or affect absorbency.

Vinegar is not safe on Pul prefold covers,  PUL pocket covers or any other PUL items.

Vinegar is safe on wool covers, Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, cotton, bamboo, hemp, micro fiber, and wool.

It is unknown if vinegar is safe on silk.

Peroxide:
Peroxide is a great laundry booster, but use in caution like you would bleach. Peroxide is a natural bleaching agent, so it is great for whitening and brightening prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, wipes, towels or anything you want nice vibrant white. This will bleach items so do not use on dark or colored items where there is a  risk of bleaching. Peroxide is a natural disinfectant so you can use it as a sanitizing agent.

I do not advise using it on PUL, but if you are feeling brave and want to try it here is my suggested usage. If you have a really bad poo stain take a tiny bit on a rag and dab onto the spot. For sanitation try lightly misting with a spray bottle. The idea is for it to make with the pocket's liner without allowing it to touch PUL. I would try this as a last resort on Pockets, this could work when having an infection issue, and is likely safer than other sanitizing options. However I would not use this on Prefold covers, or ever on direct PUL. Use with caution and at your own risk. I think this would be a safer option for sanitizing than other alternatives, but that still doesn't assure results. I can say I would suggest it over bleach hands down and am sure it is safer than vinegar by far.

Peroxide is safe on  Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, cotton, bamboo, hemp, and micro fiber.

It is unknown if peroxide is safe on PUL, silk or wool. I highly suggest against using on wool, and use on silk and PUL with great caution.

Salt:
Salt like vinegar is often used to set dyes. If you have dark colors it is great to add salt to your wash to lock the colors in and prevent them from fading. This is extra great for the first wash on a  new pair of jeans or dark Tee shirts. It sort of has the reverse affect of washing soda. I don't think that salt would really affect diaper laundry one way or the other, but it could set stains. If using salt on your diaper laundry to help soften water, please make sure all stains are thoroughly removed before adding.

Salt can be helpful for hard water.

Salt is safe on PUL prefold covers, PUL pocket covers wool covers, Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, cotton, bamboo, hemp, wool and micro fiber.

I belive salt is also safe for silk.

Sun:
The sun is a natural laundry aid. It kills off bad stuff like yeast and bacteria and it bleaches stains. Sunning diapers eliminates odors, issues ans stains. If you lay cloth out on green plant based substances the chloroform of the plants acts as a further boosting agent whitening and brightening even further. But... as with all bleaching agents be cautious with the sun and colors especially dark items. Bleach will fade fabrics and and can damage fabrics as well.

Sun is safe for Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, cotton, bamboo, hemp,and micro fiber.

Use caution when sunning PUL items and only sun for limited amounts of time, about 20 minutes, on occasion. Sun can damage elastic and PUL, as well as the outer fabrics of diaper covers.

Do not dry wool and silk in the sun. The sun can fade and is harsh on wool. The sun is highly damaging to silk, do not ever dry silk in direct sunlight.
_____________________

Borax and washing soda are both most effective in warm or hot water as they do not dissolve well in cold water. Always follow the care instructions for your fabric. If fabrics call for cold water and you want to use borax or washing soda try dissolving your washing agent in a small amount of hot water, then once dissolved and sure of no lumps you can add to your cold water wash.

You may have noticed I did not mention bleach. Let me explain. Bleach is a highly destructive agent. It can eat fabrics, it destroys PUL melting the laminate which can leave a melty gummy leaky mess in it;s wake.

Sure bleach is a great sanitizing agent but it is also toxic. It can affect sensitive lungs causing asthma attacks and is highly caustic when mixed with ammonia. I never suggest using chlorine bleach ever, for anything, but certainly not for diapers. Use at your own risk.