I have a confession: I love doing my cloth diaper laundry. I love it because I have a secret weapon.
The choice to cloth diaper means overcoming a bunch of obstacles: the initial diaper investment, the disparaging comments from friends and family, and probably the most daunting of all: the laundry.
To me, the cloth diaper laundry is NBD. My routine is simple: cold water rinse cycle, add detergent, warm/cold cycle, and then dry on the line. I never have stains, and the diapers always smell gorgeous, but that's because I cheat. I use my secret weapon: Crunchy Clean.
Crunchy Clean is an earth-friendly detergent formulated specially for cloth diapers. I've tried a number of commercial detergents (All Free & Clear, 20 Mule Team Borax, Arm & Hammer) and a few SAHM-made products, but Crunchy Clean has been my lifesaver. It does the job extraordinarily well, but the best part is the scent: you can order your Crunchy Clean in one of several dozen amazing scents (my favorite is "Welcome Home" - they bill it as
"graham crackers, vanilla frosting, creamy caramel, and juicy raisins" but I totally think it is yummy 'Nilla Wafers). I often read about moms dealing with cloth diapers that smell like ammonia, but I never have that problem. Crunchy Clean costs a touch more than some of the detergents I've tried, but it works and the others didn't, so the price isn't even a consideration.
Crunchy Clean is probably the best piece of advice I can give to a mom new to cloth diapering. You're welcome in advance. If you need me, I'll be rolling around in a pile of clean diapers. Mmm...'Nilla Wafers.
