Anyone know anything about Cloth Diapers..a laundry soap ?

[misskat22]

I know it doesn't seem related to CP, but I have a friend who's son is allergic to coconut (all types) and she cloth diapers him, well she just discovered that he's now having an allergic reaction to the commercial soap she's been using. I suggested a castille soap to make laundry soap out of, but have been told it can 'gum up' cloth diapers. I don't know anything about cloth diapering, so was wondering if anyone here was familiar with it, and if so, could you suggest a type of soap other than coconut that would work well for a laundry soap? I was thinking perhaps lard, but I think she might prefer a vegan alternative if it's possible. I also don't want to use palm if I can avoid it. Thanks for your help!!:mrgreen:

 

[Genny]

We used to use castile soap for our laundry. The only problem we found was that it would kind of build up after a bit. We never had that problem on our cloth diapers though, because we always double rinsed our diapers (sometimes more if they needed it), used vinegar during the rinse and sun dried them.

 

[CaliChan]

We use lard for our laundry soap, its cheep and effective. I would ask her about it, she might not have an issue with it at all. My vegetarian friend has no issue with any of my soaps that contain lard or animal fats of any sort.

 

[lsg]

Her soap may not be rinsing completely out of the cloth diapers. A detergent will rinse out more completely than a soap in hard water.

 

[kpduty51]

I haven't made laundry soap yet, but thought I'd second the reference to vinegar. I did cloth diapers for a long time. After rinsing them out, I would soak them in vinegar and h2o until I had a full load to wash. I used a mild baby laundry soap from our co-op. It was an effective combo. I also hung them on the line to dry in the sun.

 

[sweethavenarts]

Soap does build up in diapers, and sadly, most washing machines are no longer rinsing enough to get all the build up out to begin with. I had so much trouble with my cloth diapers after getting a new machine and I'm far from the only person with this problem.
I do have a diaper detergent I do recommend HIGHLY that you can pass on - Rocking Green. http://rockingreensoap.com Not only is the product great but the people are amazing you can call them and tell them your situation and they can recommend what soap will work best.

 

[misskat22]

Sweethavenarts, I actually know the woman that started Rockin' Green, well, online anyway This particular friend knows her as well, so I'm not sure why she doesn't use Rockin' Green.. I'll have a chat with my friend and see if I can help her come up with something for her son, both her kids have some pretty serious allergies and I'd really like to be able to help her out

 

[Mommysoaper]

I know Rockin' Green is popular for cloth diapers. I cloth diaper my little one, but I make my own laundry soap with my soap. I haven'e noticed any issues with it so far. I wash the diapers with vinegar first, sometimes also soak in the diapers depending on the soilage, then I wash with soap. I check during the cycle and if the water seems bubbly after the rinse cycle, I run the diapers through the rinse cycle again. I've not had any problems with smell, staining, or soap residue yet and I have been diapering my little one for 15 months. So far so good! Hope your friend finds something that works for her!

 

[sweethavenarts]

What kind of wash machine do you have mommysoaper?

 

[Mommysoaper]

What kind of wash machine do you have mommysoaper?

I have a boring ol' top loader. Whirlpool. Not sure how my homemade soap would work in a front loader but I know some of the concern with detergents/soaps is the amount of bubbles created in a frontloader and my homemade soap doesn't make a ton of bubbles in the machine.

 

[Genny]

I like Rockin' Green. I used them a bit before making my own detergent. I remember finding them way back while doing The Cloth Diaper Hunt (which is going to start any day!!! LOL )

I wasn't sure if they have coconut in it, so I emailed them the other day. They didn't say yes or no. All they'd say is it has plant based surfactants and repeated their ingredient list:

Ingredients: sodium carbonate , sodium percarbonate, natural chelating agents, sodium sulfate, biodegradable surfactants, natural fragrance oils (if scented is chosen)

 

[misskat22]

And that could very well be why my friend doesn't use it. I know she wont use anything for either of her kids if she's not 100% sure what's in it. Both her kids have a wide array of allergies, and most of them don't overlap. I've passed on all the great information I've gathered here, and she's going to check and see if she can get a local castille soap and give that a try. If she can't find any then I'm going to make her some and ship it to her. Thank you all for your input and advice, I really appreciate it and I know my friend does as well!