hard water

[KCMartha]

We just moved and it seems our water is hard. I hadn't noticed until I tried to sterilize my pump and it came out all scaly. Ick. Is there anything I should do differently when washing my diapers? Previously I did a cold soak, long cold cycle with Charlies, extra rinse, then long hot cycle with Charlies and an extra rinse. Occasionally vinegar in the rinse or Oxyclean in the regular wash.

[Sundance]

I've always used Calgon water softener powder in my hot wash (cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse). I've tried other routines (with vinegar, etc.) and nothing else has really worked.
I can't find any Calgon these days, though, so I'm trying my first box of washing soda, we'll see how that goes....

[Peridot]

I use vinegar in with the detergent...most things come out well.

I do an extra vinegar rinse for diapers, towels, mamacloth, and undies.

I think it does depend on what mineral is making the water hard. washing soda doesn't help for us.

[Zooey]

Washing soda works for me.

[Sundance]

I use vinegar in with the detergent...most things come out well.

I do an extra vinegar rinse for diapers, towels, mamacloth, and undies.

I think it does depend on what mineral is making the water hard. washing soda doesn't help for us.

Yeah, I was going to suggest that different minerals do different things. When I tried vinegar, my diapers got SOOO built up and stinky. It took ages to get it figured out, and I almost quit CDing.

[DragonfliiMama]

We had a lot of trouble with hard water too and I did actually quit CD for a while, until the sposies started blowing out. :doh Rockin Green makes a cloth diaper detergent especially for hard water and it has made a huge difference for us.

[mipennsn]

Gasp... I use a little bleach (capful or less) in my 1st cold rinse and sometimes in my hot wash. I use very, very small amount of sport wash in my hot wash anymore and I have problems, but I am almost out and haven't found any in years... :(

Can't use Charlies powder, doesn't work in my water... :scratch

Vinegar is ok... :phew

I have found I have to strip frequently.:think RLR works for me. :D

Forget any microfiber, or other non-cotton materials. I use a combo of prefolds and AIO from all together diaper, before they changed the style of them. Mine have snaps which dh likes :shrug3 for the guy that doesn't like cloth diapers.

(Yes, I had fun with the smilies)

[Lady TS]

Calgon in the hot wash. They have it in little bottles of liquid now. I was bummed because you can't use the liquid in the dishwasher. :-/

(edited to add: not that I wash diapers in the dishwasher, but I had been using the same box of Calgon for the dishwasher and the washer....then the store only carried the bottles so I was stuck with crummy dishes. :()

[KCMartha]

Should I be able to get Calgon at the grocery store? Would it be helpful to find out which minerals are in the water?

[Peridot]

well, vinegar is acidic and soda is a base. :scratch Maybe it would be easier to get some litmus paper and test the PH?

[Sundance]

I used to get Calgon at the grocery store all the time. In the laundry section, with the "old" powders (Borax, plain soap, washing soda), but it's not there anymore. I don't know if my stores just stopped carrying it, or if they don't make the powder anymore, like PP said...I'll have to see if I can find a liquid.

[Peridot]

lots of times, if you ask, you'll find that your the 87th person to ask about i8t, and they'll start carying it again. That's what I did with the borax.

but honestly, since I started using the vinegar, I don't need borax or washing soda anymore. :shrug3

[KCMartha]

Hmm...litmus paper...maybe I can look up my science teacher friend for some help with that.

I was excited when I saw my local grocery carried borax and washing soda (not that I use them, just glad to know they were there) so maybe they have Calgon. Plus if the city water is hard then probably other people are buying water softener too!

Thanks so much for all your input. I will have to do some research!

[JustMandy]

I have hard water, it's from limestone.

I use vinegar in every wash and calgon every so often.

I read an article once about the different kinds of water softeners. Borax and washing soda do one thing and calgon does something different. I'm trying to find it but don't hold your breath.

I'm using soap nuts on my regular clothes (haven't had the courage to use them on dipes and towels yet). I wonder if they'd work...

[KCMartha]

Good news - I found both powder and liquid Calgon at the grocery store. I put some in with the diapers and also in the dishwasher. I know it helped in the dishwasher, too soon to tell for the diapers.

I am planning to call the city to ask about the pH of the water and if they know what minerals are in it (I'm sure they do!).

I found my washing instructions that came with my diapers and it had a whole section explaining about hard water, but I don't have it handy. I'll come back later to do put it up in case it is helpful to anyone else.

[cro]

It may take a little experimenting. I used to soak w/ vinegar, but it didn't really help. Then I accidentally put my detergent (borax/oxyclean/washing soda) in the soak and voila! Clean diapers.

Knowing exactly what's in your city's water should help you figure out the best additives for you. That is, if you don't like doing things the roundabout haphazard way. :giggle

[Sundance]

Good news - I found both powder and liquid Calgon at the grocery store. I put some in with the diapers and also in the dishwasher. I know it helped in the dishwasher, too soon to tell for the diapers.

I am planning to call the city to ask about the pH of the water and if they know what minerals are in it (I'm sure they do!).

I found my washing instructions that came with my diapers and it had a whole section explaining about hard water, but I don't have it handy. I'll come back later to do put it up in case it is helpful to anyone else.

Yes, please do post if you find it!!

[Quiteria]

for the pump, I ended up buying distilled water...it lasted long enough that it was worth not being all scaley...just for the pump

[Eowyn]

We have hard water. Charlie's didn't work for us, and neither does vinegar, but Country Save works very well for us.

[Pearl In Oyster]

We had a lot of trouble with hard water too and I did actually quit CD for a while, until the sposies started blowing out. :doh Rockin Green makes a cloth diaper detergent especially for hard water and it has made a huge difference for us.


Oh, I'm so interested to try this! We are about to move out to my in-laws' property and will be on well water. The few times that I've done diaper laundry while visiting them in the past, the diapers would leak easily and smell funny as soon as they got wet.

I think I'm going to order a few of their 80 cent samples ...

[Aerynne]

Our water is very, very hard (24 grains hard) and the only thing that works for me is a vinegar soak, overnight, in the hottest water I can get (I turn the water heater all the way up before filling up the washer). I do this about once a month or every other month and it works well.

[KCMartha]

Okay, here are the suggestions that came with the diapers. This is a direct quote from Karen at Green Mountain Diapers, so I hope that is okay.

"Hard water washing

The hardness or softness of your water refers to minerals in your water, usually calcium and sometimes magnesium. Metals in water can be copper, iron or zinc. Metals are not really the same thing as harness, although water softeners do help with metals also. Hardness minerals and metals are different from the pH. If you have minerals in your water, usually calcium or magnesium, then you have hard water. The more minerals dissolved in your water, the harder the water. The harder the water, the more detergent is needed. Sometimes a lot more detergent is needed because hard water does not clean as effectively as soft. The detergent is used up because it goes to work softening the water, so that's why you will need more detergent to do the job. Vinegar rinsing usually helps in hard water. RLR Laundry Treatment by Cadie might help, or Calgon water softener. Mineral buildup from your water will tend to make your diapers feel stiffer than diapers washed in soft water. Surprisingly, stiff diapers are unlikely to bother baby. Diapers that are a little stiff are not a problem. While city water supplies are sometimes a little hard, usually city water does not have the issues that some well water has. Calgon should do the trick now and then to soften and remove minerals if you have hard city water. But lousy well water may need professional help. If you have poor well water, get it tested, and get professional information from a water care specialist. If your problem is dissolved iron in your water, don't bleach your diapers. Bleach will cause the iron to precipitate out of the water and stain your diapers. Sometimes is iron from the water itself and sometimes iron in your water indicates a rusty water heater that needs replacement. It seems that liquid detergent works better in hard water for some reason. Trial and error will be needed to figure out your best wash routine. Keep track on paper."