The winner of The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment Laundry Soap Giveaway (brought to you by CrunchyMoms and All Things Diapers) is...........
TRESHENNA! (Ms Polka Dottie) :)
Congradulations!
Treshenna will be receiving a package of Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder, courtesy of All Things Diapers.
Showing posts with label Laundry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laundry. Show all posts
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment :: Experiment Wrap-Up
After a long hiatus due to the Holiday Season, a broken computer keyboard, followed by a broken computer, followed by a major flood of our bathroom, kitchen, and basement (installation of our new BumGenius diaper sprayer didn't go so smoothly), Crunchy Moms is finally back in the blogosphere! To celebrate our return, we're wrapping up the Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment!
It was a hard decision, and one I poured (gallons and gallons of water) over (stinky diapers) for over a month! I couldn't decided how to finalize the experiment so I just decided to give you my results and opinions straight and bluntly.
It was a hard decision, and one I poured (gallons and gallons of water) over (stinky diapers) for over a month! I couldn't decided how to finalize the experiment so I just decided to give you my results and opinions straight and bluntly.
- After using the Thirsties for only a week, I realized that my diapers were still stinky. When they were wet out of the wash, they smelled horrible. Out of the dryer they weren't so bad but once they got wet, stink city!
- The Rockin' Green cleaned my diapers fairly well, but I realized I needed to do a couple extra rinse cycles to get the extra suds and the oily residue from the fragrance oils out of my diapers.
- Charlie's smells like windex, but it cleaned my diapers fantastically. I looked up the material safety data sheet for the laundry powder, as I had heard concerns about toxic substances in the all purpose cleaner. The MSDS didn't list any toxic chemicals in the laundry powder, so I feel comfortable recommending it. And of course, the real point of this experiment, with Charlie's: The stink was gone!
So Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder is the W I N N E R !!!
I will note, however, in our household, we have decided to use a mixture of Charlie's and Rockin' Green on our diapers. I love the scents of the Rockin' Green detergent and I love the cleaning power of Charlie's. I've always been a bit of a tester and a mixer of cleaning agents, and I've found that this combo cleans our diapers wonderfully and makes doing diaper laundry fun!
Tonight I will chose the winner of the contest at random. The winner will receive a package of Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder, courtesy of All Things Diapers!
If you haven't already entered the contest, you still have time! The contest will close at Midnight (CST) tonight, Friday, January 6th, 2012! Go to our first post in this series to find out how to enter!
Friday, November 25, 2011
An (Unwanted) Break From Cloth Diapers (why I'll never go back to disposables)
Disposable diapers smell like pee.
All. The. Time.
I never really noticed until today. All of our cloth was in the wash (due to the Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment) so we pulled out the 'sposies. So gross. We've been using cloth for a while now and we've gotten used to super absorbent, pee-smell-free diapers.
I also didn't realize how much we have cut down on actual diaper changes since switching to cloth. Parker goes for 2-3 hours or so in a cloth diaper. In a disposable he lasts about an hour before the pee smell sets in and he needs to be changed.
Needless to say, I will not be trading in my Subaby and Bum Genius diapers for Pampers or Huggies any time soon.
I prefer my son to smell like baby, not like pee.
All. The. Time.
I never really noticed until today. All of our cloth was in the wash (due to the Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment) so we pulled out the 'sposies. So gross. We've been using cloth for a while now and we've gotten used to super absorbent, pee-smell-free diapers.
I also didn't realize how much we have cut down on actual diaper changes since switching to cloth. Parker goes for 2-3 hours or so in a cloth diaper. In a disposable he lasts about an hour before the pee smell sets in and he needs to be changed.
Needless to say, I will not be trading in my Subaby and Bum Genius diapers for Pampers or Huggies any time soon.
I prefer my son to smell like baby, not like pee.
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment & Laundry Detergent Giveaway {Part Three}
Welcome to part {{THREE}} of The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment!
This installment includes diaper drama, bubbly badness, and a daring feat called "The Sniff Test".
After my initial assessments of the three laundry detergents, I dove right in and got started. I divided my diapers and liners into three groups and paired each group with one of the three detergents.
Pink and Purple Diapers and Plain Liners
+
Thirsties Super Wash
Blue and Green Diapers and Wonderfulls Liners
+
Rockin' Green Classic Rock
Red, Yellow, and Orange Diapers and Liners with Buttons
+
Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder
After the first rinse, there were tons of bubbles from my previous detergent (all small and mighty free and clear). I always rinse at least three times after the wash cycle so I was kind of surprised to find this much residue coming out. Look at all those bubbles!
Gross right?
I decided to judge the detergents based on the results of a these different tests:
The Sniff Test
(after washing is complete)
The Second Sniff Test
(after drying is complete)
The Pee Test
(Does the diaper stink as soon as anything wet hits it?)
The Softness Test
(how the diaper feels after being washed)
The Absorbency Test
(Does the diaper/liner soak up wetness or repel it?)
Check Back Soon to find out how each detergent did when put up against my strict standards and super hero sense of smell!
And don't forget to check out Part One to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a package of the winning detergent!
The trio of cloth cleansers donated to the cause by All Things Diapers
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment
I adore my readers and hope you feel the same way about me.
Please sign up for your very own free email subscription or follow me by joining Crunchy Moms using the handy dandy links at the top right hand corner of this page.
You can also follow me on Twitter, or check out my YouTube channel.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment & Giveaway! {Part Two}
In my last post I told you about how the beautiful and generous people at All Things Diapers gave me three different types of cloth diaper safe laundry detergent to conduct an intense experiment.
The goal: rid my diapers of stink.
The contenders:
Don't forget to read the first in this series The Great Diaper Stink Experiment {Part One} to enter the giveaway! One lucky reader will win a package of the winning detergent, courtesy of All Things Diapers.
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment
----------------------------------------
I adore my readers and hope you feel the same way about me.
Please sign up for your very own free email subscription or follow me by joining Crunchy Moms using the handy dandy links at the top right hand corner of this page.
You can also follow me on Twitter, or check out my YouTube channel.
The goal: rid my diapers of stink.
The contenders:
Rockin' Green Classic Rock, Thirsties Super Wash, Charlie's Soap
I rated the three detergents on several preliminary tests before I began the actual experiment. The initial tests were: Packaging (aesthetics), Packaging (ease of use), Looks (the detergent itself), Smells, Ingredients (how many of the ingredients are listed), and Ingredients (what the ingredients actually are).
And without further delay...
Rockin' Green Classic Rock
Packaging (aesthetics) :: 5 points.
Let's face it, it's a super shiny package and it's got great marketing.
Packaging (ease of use) :: 3 points.
The zipper bag is cute but hard to close when the detergent gets in the zipper and it didn't come with a scoop. Luckily, I purchased a pretty little hot pink scoop that has magnets inside to stick to your washing machine (everything gets lost with a four year old in the house) from All Things Diapers.
Looks :: 4 points
The detergent looks like fluffy white snow so it's definitely pretty but it also doesn't scream "cleans your clothes" to me when I look at it.
Smells :: 4 points
I chose the Smashing Watermelons scent for my own use, which smells amazing, but, since the other two detergents are unscented, I felt it wouldn't be fair to rate them against a scented detergent. So I used a sample packet of Rockin' Green Bare Naked Babies (unscented) for this test. It smells a little like soap, but not really chemically.
Ingredients (listed) :: 5 points.
This detergent lists ALL of its ingredients, which isn't very common.
Ingredients (actual) :: 5 points.
:: sodium carbonate , sodium percarbonate, natural chelating agents, sodium sulfate, bio-degradable surfactants, fragrance oils (if scented is chosen)::
The Annoying Zipper Bag.
Looks like pure clean snow.
The cutest hot pink magnetic laundry scoop ever!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charlie's Soap
Packaging (aesthetics) :: 4 points.
It's plainer than the other two and looks like it would be marketed more towards men than women. It doesn't look like something I would look at and think, "Hey, this would be great for my baby's diapers." But it still has a pleasing look in it's own way.
Packaging (ease of use) :: 4 points.
It has an easy screw off lid and a little green scoop that is just the right size. It could be spilled easily though so I took off one little point.
Looks :: 5 points
It definitely looks like it would clean anything pretty well. It has that polished look. It's hard to explain what I mean, but you'd get it once you look at it. By looks alone, I feel the most confident in this one to actually clean my diapers.
Smells :: 2 points
It smells like Windex, which honestly freaks me out a bit.
Ingredients (listed) :: 3 points.
It has some of the ingredients listed, but not all.
Ingredients (actual) :: 2 points.
Some of them seem natural, but I've heard too many things about the non listed ingredients to feel comfortable giving this a higher score.
Perfect Sized Green Scoop.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thirsties Super Wash
Packaging (aesthetics) :: 5 points.
It's liquid in a clear bottle with a pretty little spring time themed label. The colors and flowers and grass on the label definitely say, "Diapers & Baby Butts".
Packaging (ease of use) :: 5 points.
It has a measuring cup built in. You take the cap off the measuring cup side and squeeze it to fill it to the right level. I tried every possible thing I could think of to get this to spill more than the right amount and I couldn't. It's actually a really good system. And no scoops or cups to lose.
Looks :: 3 points
It looks like water. That doesn't instill confidence in me.
Smells :: 4 points
It smells like water with a tiny bit of soap in it.
Ingredients (listed) :: .5 points.
Yes, that's point five points. There are no ingredients listed on the label AT ALL. I only gave the half a point because some of them are listed on the website.
Ingredients (actual) :: 3 points.
Most of the ingredients are natural and sound wonderful, but they aren't all listed so I can't be 100% sure.
The best measuring system EVER!
Tomorrow, I will post the results of the first and second washes.
Don't forget to read the first in this series The Great Diaper Stink Experiment {Part One} to enter the giveaway! One lucky reader will win a package of the winning detergent, courtesy of All Things Diapers.
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment
----------------------------------------
I adore my readers and hope you feel the same way about me.
Please sign up for your very own free email subscription or follow me by joining Crunchy Moms using the handy dandy links at the top right hand corner of this page.
You can also follow me on Twitter, or check out my YouTube channel.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment & Detergent Giveaway! {Part One}
I love to research things (anything really) and my adventure into cloth diapering has been no different. I looked into cloth diaper safe laundry detergent, reading reviews and charts and recommendations until I dreamt of laundry detergent dancing like faries around my head.
I started with the, not prefered but fairly well rated, All Small & Mighty Free & Clear. I thought it was too good to be true to find a detergent that was less than $5 and sold at pretty much any store. It was. It did an ok job of cleaning fairly clean clothes and baby blankets, but not such a good job getting the stink out of my baby, Parker's, diapers.
And so, after a few rounds with All, the inevitable has happened.
I've got stink.
The as-soon-as-any-liquids-touch-the-liner-the-diaper-and-baby-stink-like-an-ammonia-poop-smoothie kind of stink.
Martin at AllThingsDiapers was wonderful enough to donate one package of each of the three laundry detergents he sells at his store, which is both a brick & mortor and online store. All Things Diapers also runs a diaper service that was rated best diaper service by Minnesota Monthly. They have layaway, a rewards program, and a crazy huge selection of diapers, diaper accessories, baby carriers, beautiful baby wraps, laundry detergents, wet bags, diaper pails... I could go on and on. One look at the website and I was busy making a wishlist a mile long!
And then I went to the store.
Heaven! That is the only way to describe All Things Diapers. They have a truly great selection of carriers and wraps, with demos so you can try them out for yourself. Parker was super happy being worn in the beautiful blue and green Wrapsody Bali Breeze, and Liz, an incredibly sweet and helpful employee, showed me a new carry.
And then I learned about all the classes, workshops, and get togethers they host. They do in store demos and really help their customers make the right choices for each individual. They also have a lending library, which I, the bookworm, HAD to try out.
Overall, All Things Diapers is a beautifully designed store (complete with private changing and nursing areas and a rocking chair in the middle of the store so you can check out their offerings and calm your baby at the same time) with a great inventory and kind and super helpful employees. Their excellent customer service and wonderful donation will go a long way in making sure this experiment is successful.
So, on to business...
The Great Diaper Stink Experiment will go as follows:
. I will divide my diapers and liners into three groups.
. I will use one of each of the three brands of detergent on one specific group for a period of two months.
. I will make note of the different aspects of each detergent and rate them on each aspect accordingly.
. I will also make note of which group smells freshest after each wash cycle.
. I will report frequently on the data I have gathered from the experiment.
. At the end of the first month I will declare a favorite and one lucky reader will win a package of that detergent.
. I will do a follow up a month after that to conclude the experiment.
The brands I will be testing are...
Stay tuned for more exciting adventures in (hopefully soon-to-be-gone) stink! Don't forget to follow this blog (by email, rss, or through google connect) and like All Things Diapers on Facebook and comment below to be entered for a chance to win a package of the winning detergent!
Don't forget to comment below to finalize your entry!
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment
----------------------------------------
I adore my readers and hope you feel the same way about me.
Please sign up for your very own free email subscription or follow me by joining Crunchy Moms using the handy dandy links at the top right hand corner of this page.
You can also follow me on Twitter, or check out my YouTube channel.
I started with the, not prefered but fairly well rated, All Small & Mighty Free & Clear. I thought it was too good to be true to find a detergent that was less than $5 and sold at pretty much any store. It was. It did an ok job of cleaning fairly clean clothes and baby blankets, but not such a good job getting the stink out of my baby, Parker's, diapers.
Not so Mighty afterall!
And so, after a few rounds with All, the inevitable has happened.
I've got stink.
The as-soon-as-any-liquids-touch-the-liner-the-diaper-and-baby-stink-like-an-ammonia-poop-smoothie kind of stink.
Martin at AllThingsDiapers was wonderful enough to donate one package of each of the three laundry detergents he sells at his store, which is both a brick & mortor and online store. All Things Diapers also runs a diaper service that was rated best diaper service by Minnesota Monthly. They have layaway, a rewards program, and a crazy huge selection of diapers, diaper accessories, baby carriers, beautiful baby wraps, laundry detergents, wet bags, diaper pails... I could go on and on. One look at the website and I was busy making a wishlist a mile long!
And then I went to the store.
Heaven! That is the only way to describe All Things Diapers. They have a truly great selection of carriers and wraps, with demos so you can try them out for yourself. Parker was super happy being worn in the beautiful blue and green Wrapsody Bali Breeze, and Liz, an incredibly sweet and helpful employee, showed me a new carry.
And then I learned about all the classes, workshops, and get togethers they host. They do in store demos and really help their customers make the right choices for each individual. They also have a lending library, which I, the bookworm, HAD to try out.
Overall, All Things Diapers is a beautifully designed store (complete with private changing and nursing areas and a rocking chair in the middle of the store so you can check out their offerings and calm your baby at the same time) with a great inventory and kind and super helpful employees. Their excellent customer service and wonderful donation will go a long way in making sure this experiment is successful.
So, on to business...
The Great Diaper Stink Experiment will go as follows:
. I will divide my diapers and liners into three groups.
. I will use one of each of the three brands of detergent on one specific group for a period of two months.
. I will make note of the different aspects of each detergent and rate them on each aspect accordingly.
. I will also make note of which group smells freshest after each wash cycle.
. I will report frequently on the data I have gathered from the experiment.
. At the end of the first month I will declare a favorite and one lucky reader will win a package of that detergent.
. I will do a follow up a month after that to conclude the experiment.
The brands I will be testing are...
Rockin' Green Classic Rock, Thirsties Super Wash, and Charlie's Soap.
Stay tuned for more exciting adventures in (hopefully soon-to-be-gone) stink! Don't forget to follow this blog (by email, rss, or through google connect) and like All Things Diapers on Facebook and comment below to be entered for a chance to win a package of the winning detergent!
Don't forget to comment below to finalize your entry!
The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment
----------------------------------------
I adore my readers and hope you feel the same way about me.
Please sign up for your very own free email subscription or follow me by joining Crunchy Moms using the handy dandy links at the top right hand corner of this page.
You can also follow me on Twitter, or check out my YouTube channel.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
