Keepin' it clean. Keepin' it green.

Laundry Detergent:

My litmus paper for laundry detergent are my cloth diapers.  Are my inserts crunchy or not?  Do they still smell like a baby's bottom?  Are there stains on covers, pockets, or inserts?

With my second born son we started cloth diapering with BumGenius pocket diapers.  For the first year we used Purex Free and Clear.  It was recommended for use on cloth diapers and economical.  How well did it work?
Test 1: Inserts were a little crunchy, and "stripping" had to happen once a month to prevent leaks.  They were crunchy due to detergent residue build up.
Test 2: I didn't think they smelled too bad.  My husband, however, didn't think they smelled enough.
Test 3: It didn't get rid of stains at all.  My diapers spent some time in the sunshine for stain removal.

After "Diaper Diva", unless she'd rather be "Diaper Guru," opened up Green Bambino (shameless plug), we started trying new things.  First Charlie Soap.
Test 1:  Inserts remained soft significantly longer.  Some stripping was needed, though less often, to prevent leaking.  Now we know that simply an extra hot rinse every now and then does wonders.
Test 2:  Again, I thought they smelled fine, but hubby wasn't convinced.  He digs that flowery aroma.
Test 3:  Most staining was removed, but not completely.

Next we tried Tiny Bubbles.
Test 1:  Inserts were consistently soft and leak free.
Test 2:  The smell seemed to satisfy the hubs, or at least he didn't notice enough to say anything.
Test 3:  Honestly, I don't recall.  It must have worked then.

Now as I prepared my diapers for Baby Girl, and Diaper Diva had a new Rockin' Green Hard Rock formula she wanted me to try, I tested it with clean/unstripped diapers that had been sitting for 6 months and infant inserts for 2 years.  I was very impressed with the results.
Test 1:  They went in crunchy, and came out super soft.
Test 2:  I certainly hope that I didn't pack them away stinky.
Test 3:  2 year old infant inserts went in with some discoloration, and came out white as the day they were new.

My plan is to use old reliable Charlie Soap for my diapers this time around, but will keep the Rockin' Green in mind when I need to get rid of some staining.

Happy washing!