How to wash reusable diapers? - part 3

We share with you the third part of the useful series of articles published on our partners' blog from "Bottomlane" . They are the result of the test program for washing reusable diapers, which we carried out in partnership between "Tierra Verde" and "Bottomlane".

6 weeks later

You already know that for several weeks, together with Tierra Verde Bulgaria and 6 female volunteers, we have been testing the effectiveness of Tierra Verde's Yellow and Blue laundry detergent and baby clothes , as well as Puer , a bleaching agent and their stain remover soap . We are looking for an answer to the question of whether a natural product can effectively cope with the complex task of washing clothes well enough. reusable baby diapers and remove bacteria, proteins, fats, acids and all other components of human excrement.

The agreed period of our experiment ended some time ago and the feedback from our volunteers made it clear enough that the tested Tierra Verde detergents can handle baby diapers effectively enough . Of course, miracles did not happen. Some diapers remained poorly washed, and some stains remained unbleached, but my impressions are that the same result is achieved by commercial chemical baby detergents, so I consider the experiment to be completely successful .

During our experiments, I realized a few things:

The right laundry routine is more important than the detergent . Laundry is something we usually don’t think about because the end result isn’t too important. Our everyday clothes will come out clean enough even if we wash them with plain water, but with baby diapers it’s the opposite – we’re looking for the highest possible result. However, this result depends not only on the added detergent, but also on the conditions in which we put the laundry, and without which it will never, never, never be the best (maybe just satisfactory). For example, I won’t get tired of repeating that 1 hour of washing is too little ; diapers need A LOT of water (even more than they need detergent!) and the longer the main program you use, the better they will be washed. I realize that the duration is sometimes inconvenient for the household and I'm not trying to convince anyone otherwise, but in that case, at least everyone who saves an hour or two from doing laundry should be aware of where the problems with washing come from. It's not the detergent.

Washing in hard water is disgusting, but it is entirely possible to achieve good results . If I lived in an area with hard water, I would probably bathe with an anti-scale detergent. My most important conclusions and recommendations for families who wash their diapers in hard water:

Add anti-scale agent at ALL STAGES OF THE WASH. I know it's not possible to interrupt your main program to add rinse aid, but at least add it during the pre-wash or if you do an extra rinse.
You won't go wrong if you add more detergent than the recommended amount;
The higher temperature (60 degrees) more effectively overcomes the minerals in the water;
Use lots of water!
Read this article about the deposits that hard water minerals can create, as well as how to remove them.

I am now publishing the final survey, unedited, that I asked the ladies from our expert group to fill out. For a quick explanation – my last questions are related to the distribution of baby detergents, because this is one of the most important factors determining our choice. I recently reviewed the list of Tierra Verde partners and was surprised by the huge distribution of their products – you can find them not only in a really long list of organic stores, but also in the entire DM store network. The German chain unlocks really wide access to many wonderful products and Tierra Verde detergents are one of them.

Were you able to follow the washing instructions from the test program? If not, what made it difficult for you?

Did you have any problems with odors/urine buildup/minerals in your diapers before you started the test?

Did you pre-soak according to the instructions?

What is the water hardness in your area and did you use an anti-scale agent? In which phases of the wash did you add it – cold rinse / main wash / additional rinse (if needed)?

At what temperature did you wash the diapers at the beginning and end of the test period? Do you notice a difference in the washing?

How long is your main wash program?

How often do you wash?

How big a change in your usual washing routine does the suggested washing instructions from the test program represent, and were you able to replace all the detergents you were using with those from the test kit? Are there any that you don't use?

Please share whether after 5-6 weeks of use you can smell any residual odors after washing the diapers (i.e. when they are clean).

Please share if after 5-6 weeks of use you notice an ammonia smell immediately/soon after the diaper has been wet.

Share whether you had any old stains left and if so, did you notice a difference in them after washing with Tierra Verde detergents?

Share whether you observe overall refreshing and whitening of diapers after 5-6 weeks of using Tierra Verde products.

Have you tried treating the stains? If so, with what products and how did you apply them to the fabric?

Share your overall impressions of the washing powder, Puer, and the stain remover.

Please give a final rating of the washing powder on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "Poor", 2 being "Rather unsatisfactory", 3 - "I couldn't form an opinion", 4 - "Rather good", 5 - "Excellent";

Please rate the availability of Tierra Verde washing powder in your location compared to commercial washing powders and how easily you could obtain it.

Please rate the availability of Tierra Verde laundry detergent in your location compared to other specialized laundry detergents for reusable baby diapers and how easily you could obtain it.