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Tide Original vs Free and Clear?

aviastar 7A Virginia

7 years ago

Hi! First post over here...

The question: Looking for opinions on whether Tide Original has more cleaning power than the un scented/no dye version.

Details: We cloth diaper- 100% cotton diapers, single layer and microfiber and PUL covers. It's the covers that get an ammonia stink if they aren't getting clean enough in the wash. We had some stinkiness so I upped the amount of detergent in each load and it's been taken care of.

We use powder- I read it was better? And I bought a big box of the Tide Original because that's what readily available at my grocery store- I have to hunt down the un scented powder and I can't find the big boxes of it. So while I personally prefer as few scents as possible in our home, the original is really inoffensive and if it cleans better I'll just stick with it.

Each load of diapers gets a rinse and spin, and two washes on hot with a full cup of detergent. No fabric softener or dryer sheets- it can affect the absorption. I also line dry/ sun them every so often to diminish staining and I'm not opposed to bleaching them when necessary but try to avoid it as it can mess with the PUL.

Thoughts? Any un scented powders that are amazing? Thank you!

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Comments (5)

mamapinky0
7 years ago
I think Tide F&G Powder is the same as the original powder as far as enzymes. 2 enzymes, I think. The Tide F&G Pods have 5 enzymes. If it was me..I'd use the F&G pods along with STPP. The STPP will ensure you get the best clean and help remove all detergent residue.

What washer do you have..does it have a heater? II've always found for cloth diapers the hotter the water the better and rinsing is critical. IMO Tide F&G would be the best for dipes as you want to avoid the synthetic perfumes next to babys skin.
aviastar 7A Virginia thanked mamapinky0
sspeer9
7 years ago
I'd consider Ecover Zero or Biokleen Premium Plus powders. They work pretty well with hot water.
aviastar 7A Virginia thanked sspeer9
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mamapinky0
7 years ago
I thought about those Speer but diapers need a workhorse detergent. The ones you mentioned are nice but highly doubtful they will do the job on dipes
aviastar 7A Virginia thanked mamapinky0
beaglenc
7 years ago
I second the FandG pods. Lots of people have had trouble with them dissolving completely. You might want to make sure they are completely dissolved before adding diapers. Also Borax is great for diaper and all clothes. I used to soak my babies diapers in it as well as add to the wash.

Good for you for using cloth instead of paper and plastic! Or whatever material is used now. Would be interesting to know just how many are in landfills across the country.
aviastar 7A Virginia thanked beaglenc
aviastar 7A Virginia
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you for the replies! We have a whirlpool cabrio- it's new and as the very first not hand me down washer we have ever owned, we love it! I don't believe it has a heater, but our water temps are set around 125-130 I think. I always choose the hottest setting for both washes. I do use extra rinses, but not as consistently as I could. STPP? Help a girl out...what does this stand for? The regular Tide doesn't seem to bother Bubs- he's one now and we've only ever used the scent free variety, until this round. But as he has gotten older, having more solid foods... Let's just say I want to stay proactive in having a great wash routine, haha!

biokleen and ecover are both mentioned in and around the diaper forums, too, but tide is the go to one size fits most recommendation, and it does work very well since I increased the amount per load.

I will take a look at the pods- the diapers get a no detergent rinse and spin and two consecutive washes, so it would be hard to dissolve them first before adding the dipes. We love the cloth! And actually find it less gross than the sposies all around!

thank you, again! I'm going to see if my walmart has a large box of the un scented powder and the pods and give each a try!

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