Choosing a Detergent

At NappyMojo we base our detergent advice on the premise that nappies are laundry, extremely dirty laundry, and although we want to look after them so they can last the distance, we also want them to be clean and safe every time they go on your babies precious bum.

We recommend using mainstream detergents from the supermarket as opposed to 'cloth safe' detergents. They are much cheaper, easier to come by and they contain more cleaning power! Usually the detergent you use on your clothing is fine, as long as you use the recommended amount for a heavily soiled load

Tips for choosing your detergent:
  • Start out with a standard or high performance powder, preferably with enzymes
  • Choose the right detergent for your machine. If you have a front loader or a high efficiency top loader, only use a detergent that specifies it is for a front loader ONLY
  • If you have hard water you may also need to add water softeners (Borax, washing soda or you can use a booster such as Napisan) to your wash cycle (Read more about hard and soft water).
  • Visit our friends at Clean Cloth Nappies Down Under for more NZ/AUS specific information about detergents and cloth nappy laundry

FAQs

Why use a powder?

Powders clean better than liquids in both Consumer NZ and Choice Australia detergent testing, even in low temperatures. Liquids are good for short wash cycles, but with nappies you will always need to use a long cycle. Powders also contain more water softeners so help bind to any minerals in your water. If you prefer to use a liquid, that's absolutely fine, just experiment with the amount to need to use.

What about detergent build-up?

You will hear lots of myths about using mainstream detergents on cloth nappies, including the dreaded 'detergent build-up' myth. The only things that 'buildup' in cloth nappies are urea (from urine that converts to that stinky ammonia when water is added), bacteria from poop, fabric softeners, some bottom creams and minerals from the water you wash in. All these buildups are avoided by treating nappies as the excessively dirty laundry that they are- Wash on a heavy cycle, in warm water, and use lots of strong detergent. If in doubt- check out this american survey on detergent use on cloth nappies. Mainstream detergents came out well ahead of 'cloth-safe' detergents, with standard detergents doing better than eco/sensitive/plant based detergents.

What's in mainstream detergents?

People often have concerns about what is in mainstream detergents. You can read more detail about ingredients here, we are most interested in surfactants, and for extra cleaning power enzymes.

Surfactants- They are your main cleaning power! They have a water loving end and a dirt loving end, they attach to the dirt and disappear with the water during the drain and spin, taking the dirt with them! If you don't have enough surfactant, some dirt will remain after each wash. Surfactants will not build up, as they are attracted to water not fabric. Surfactants are formulated in a lab and are expensive to produce, some 'cloth-safe' detergents contain little or no surfactants.

Enzymes- They consume dirt, and are the reason that 'high performance' and standard detergents do much better in testing in both the New Zealand Consumer testing and the Austrailian Choice testing. One of the enzymes used consumes protein stains, so detergents containing enzymes may degrade protein based materials such as wool and silk. The only nappies that are protein based are nappies that have wool in them (Wool covers). The 'bamboo' used in cloth nappies is actually deemed 'Rayon' whch is highly processed and not protein based. Cotton, hemp, microfibre, and PUL are not protein-based and will not degrade with enzyme use.

What about the environmental impact?

All detergents have an affect on the environment, and not all detergents that are labelled as eco or green are necessarily any more environmentally friendly than non-eco products. You have to do what feels right for you. For us, we recycle, we use and promote cloth nappies, we use vinegar for most of our cleaning round the house and we use 'Eco' detergent for our clothes... but when it came to washing nappies, we want them clean! Phosphates in detergents build up in waterways and can kill fish, dolphins and plants. Most detergents in New Zealand are now phosphate free, but if buying a parallel imported detergent, be sure to check it is phosphate free. If you would like to use an 'Eco' detergent, that is fine, they are not quite as strong as standard detergents so you may need to use more and will need to use hot water.

What if my baby has sensitive skin?

The two most likely reasons that a baby will get a nappy rash are continuous wet skin, this can be remedied by using a fleece liner (Read about liners) or ammonia burn caused by nappies that aren't quite getting clean enough. Studies have shown that enzymes used in laundry detergents do not irritate or cause sensitive skin. Irritation can be caused by perfumes but it is much rarer than consumers think. If you would like to use sensitive detergents, that is fine, they are not quite as strong as standard detergents so you may need to use more and will need to use hot water. 




References

Mainstream detergent use-

http://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/senior-year/survey-results-and-data/

http://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/senior-year/whats-in-my-detergent/

Enzyme use and skin irritation-

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2008.08561.x/abstract;jsessionid=534F2B41CED109CB14BE0903707BA9C7.f03t04
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/575890_2
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1020902/Biological-washing-powders-NOT-cause-skin-allergies-says-expert.html
http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15569529209042726
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2008/05May/Pages/Biowashingpowderrashesamyth.aspx

Detergent and skin irritation-

http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15569529409037508