Calgon Use Question

[blnony]

I've been using the Calgon in my first wash with detergent. Is this the norm? Does anyone have any other suggestions.
I also think I'm starting to have a "stinky" hemp problem. Any one suggestions would be great. I usually do two washs - one cold and one hot. I've tried All Free, then Reg. Tide, and now I'm back to All Free. I'm starting to get tired of thinking of my wash as a chemistry experiment. :)

[nohomama]

I got good results doing a warm wash/warm rinse wtih just Calgon, then another hot wash/warm rinse with detergent (All F & C) and vinegar. The dipes had no odor when they came out of the washer and were quilted-up and very soft (more so than usual) when they came out of the dryer.

If you're having a stink problem, stick around and see if you're getting suds when you're using just the Calgon. If you are, run them through repeated wash cycles with just Calgon until you're not seeing anymore suds, then run them through an additional time with detergent and whatever else you use normally. If you don't see suds but still notice an odor to the dipes after washing with just the Calgon, run them through again with just the Calgon until there's no noticeable odor. Then, again, run them through using your normal wash routine.

One other suggestion, if you use washing soda normally, you may want to scrap it. It can be a culprit in detergent build-up and contribute to problems with stink.

HTH,

[egoldber]

LOL!! I use the Calgon in my second wash (the hot wash), and I add it with the detergent. (I use 1/3 recommended amount of detergent in first wash and a "smidge" of detergent in second wash.)

When I did my very first Calgon wash, I added it in the hot wash, then I did a second rinse with it in the rinse and then a third rinse with nothing. I never got any sudsing like some others have seen, but I was amazed at what a difference it made!

[mama2be]

What difference does it make...softness only??? or soemthing else too...

[nohomama]

Using Calgon is just another way to strip your diapers. Like the vinegar method, it makes dipes softer and gets rid of any lingering odors.

[egoldber]

I had a slight stink problem with some of my diapers and I thought the rest were fine. After using Calgon, I realized how ROUGH my diapers had become without my realizing it! No matter how little detergent you use, over time, it builds up in the fabric of the diaper.

Try it once and I think you'll be amazed!

[Momof3Labs]

One hot wash with a cap and a half of Calgon got rid of my stinky hemp problem! I didn't see suds in the water, either, but the water was pretty funky :-p. The bonus was that the diapers came out SO MUCH softer - I didn't realize how rough they had gotten either.

I've been doing this now:

1 cold cycle with half a capful of Cheer Free or Arm & Hammer free, with a half capful of Calgon (in the wash cycle)

1 hot cycle with nothing added

Dry as usual

I'm not sure if the Calgon is making a difference on a maintenance basis. I might try not using for a week or two, and then doing a maintenance wash with the cap and a half. It's all an experiment, and the bonus is that the results vary widely!

[Kate888]

LOL! I've been doing my own experiment with Calgon :D After reading a thread at MDC about just doing a hot wash without soaking, here is what I'm doing now. All dipes come out clean and soft. No stains. Washing every other day.

1 hot wash with 1/4 recommended amount of detergent (using ALL right now) with 1 tbsp baking soda and a few drops of tea tree oil, regular long agitation and 1 cold rinse.

1 warm/or cold wash with 1 capful of Calgon, no detergent (but I can see suds in there), regular long agitation and a second rinse (cold).

So far so good :)

(For stripping really stinky hemp, I use a cup of Calgon with clean dipes, hot wash, long agitation and a second rinse).

HTH :)






Kate
Mama to Maya 2-17-02

[liya]

Thats my routine except i do it every week...its worked so far so lets hope it keeps up...

[Calmegja]

Who knew we were all mad laundry scientists? ;-)

I do a cold rinse with nothing first. Then I do a hot wash with 1/3 the recommended amount of detergent (I've been using Tide with wearcare or Allen's naturally), and I follow it with another hotwash cycle with nothing added. Once a week, I will add a capful of Calgon to the second washcycle. I used to add two tablespoons of baking soda in the first cold rinse, but I've dropped that, and I've dropped the long soak, too.

I haven't been doing the Calgon long enough to know if I should do it every time or not, but I'm happy with my hemp this way, so I guess it's a keeper for my routine! ;-)

I just don't want anyone else to come up with any new laundry miracles. I'm getting myself all confused

[sugarsnappea]

Ok- I confess. I am 2 year Borax and Washing Soda user. Yikes! I have never had a stink problem, but I am pretty religious about washing dipes every 2 days. My dipes seem soft but I guess they could be softer. I am going to give the Calgon a try. My method seems to work but those posts on build up freak me out. Does it matter if I use the liquid vs the powder? NO Soaking? Hmmm. I do the vinegar and hot water strip every few weeks. I feel like an archaic CD mama- so old school and reluctant to try anything new. Thanks for the tips, I am going to get the Calgon today. :)

[egoldber]

I probably wouldn't have tried it, but my nighttime diapers had a faint odor I just could NOT get rid of. And then when I used the Calgon, I was amazed at the difference it made in ALL my dapers!

[westgre]

I am doing my first Calgon tomorrow to strip my diapers. I have the powder -- how much do I use?
TIA,
Gretchen & Lyra (12/30/02)

[liya]

about half a cup...

[egoldber]

I just followed the directions on the box for the amount to use. I think it was 1/2 cup as Linda said.

HTH,

[gravymommy3]

I am not having a stink problem, but my diapers are not any softer that I can tell. Some of them are pretty darn rough! I am using the Calgon in every wash. Am I just the lucky one that this won't work for or what???

[egoldber]

I actually found that I get better results not using it in every wash. But if you didn't notice a difference the first time you used it, then it may not be for you. That's too bad!

[Momof3Labs]

I used a capful and a half alone in a wash the first time, that's when I noticed a softness difference. The jury is still out on whether using it every wash helps.

Did you try doing that - using 1.5-2x the amount alone in a wash to strip the dipes?

[sugarsnappea]

I did it! I noticed a slightly softer diaper. However, my diapers quilted up like never before- amazing! I am hoping this will increase their absorbancy. I did see the oodles of suds and that truly was remarkable. I used the liquid- do you think this matters? I am going to do the rest of my dipes today with the powder. Thank you ladies for all the tips. :)

[gravymommy3]

I will try to use more. I have a Neptune, so I do a hot wash and cold rinse (only hot option) and put the calgon in the detergent dispenser. Am I doing it wrong or something???

[nohomama]

Amy,

I have a Frigedaire front loader and also only have the option of hot wash/cold rinse. And no, you're not doing anything wrong. I add the Calgon to my detergent dipenser too. I suppose you could pour it in the wash drum before you put in the dipes but I don't think it would be any more or less effective.

[liya]

Amy arent your diapers moslty LIZ CLOTH....Hemp fleece(rough side up) gets extremely rough with time.....Thats why i asked all my other orders that had hemp fleece to make them smooth side up...Just a thought YK?? If its not the case then strike that...

[egoldber]

I have to say that calgon has made my hemp fleece soft again. That makes me very happy. :)

[Momof3Labs]

Same here! Calgon saved my hemp fleece!

[Calmegja]

Is it redundant if I say, me, too? My Joeys, hemp prefolds, and LC all got buttery again....

[gravymommy3]

Yeah, rub it in everyone!!! Mine might be a smidge softer, but not a lot. Linda, most of mine are LCs, but the prints I have and the colored ones are not hemp fleece (at least they don't feel and look the same as the original ones I bought and they are soft and smooth). Oh well, I'll keep adding the calgon and hoping the softness gods looks down on me.

[westgre]

I did about half my stash today. I haven't really noticed that they are softer, but my CPF's quilted up like you wouldn't believe! I had wondered why my CPF's were losing their quilt. We'll see if they work any better. The real test will be to see if my Fuzzi Bunz leak anymore. Thanks for all the info and advice!
Gretchen & Lyra (12/30/02)

[parkersmama]

LOL! I am definitely viewing laundry as a chemistry experiment these days!!

I'm currently doing a cold wash/cold rinse with Calgon or nothing and occasionally baking soda (is that bad? maybe I should stop the baking soda??). Then I do a hot wash/cold rinse (my only option) with 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount of regular Tide. Sometimes I put a Downey ball about 1/2 full with white vinegar into that wash.

My diapers seem soft enough but I am definitely having more a of a stinky problem than before. I wash every other day and when I open the pail to drop in another dipe or do the wash, there is a very strong amonia odor. Do I need to do a wash with just the Calgon X2??

Argh!! I've never been good at chemistry!!!!

[egoldber]

It does sound like you're getting some build up over time. You may want to try a warm wash with only Calgon and see if you get any suds.

I have just tweaked my rotuine again, LOL!

I have now simplified to: hot wash/cold rinse with 1/3 recommended amount of Tide, then another cold rinse. I am using Calgon once a week now, 1 capful (liquid) in the wash cycle.

[parkersmama]

Are you just taking a chance that all your diapers eventually get the Calgon? I know that I'm not washing all the same diapers every time, KWIM? I guess that basically 1/2 to 3/4 of my stash is getting washed every other day and the others are being worn while those are laundered. I wonder if some of them have just missed being stripped altogether?

[egoldber]

Well, I don't have that many diapers that it's a problem. I can mentally keep track of which ones have been "Calgon-ed" that week and which ones haven't.

When I first used the Calgon, I re-washed my entire stash, even clean things that I hadn't used in awhile.

[westgre]

My FB are still leaking! Ugh! I know I could invest some more time and try to strip them another way, but I'm just fed up with it. So, I'm just going to stick with a Liz's Cloth or two CPF's for night time. Thank goodness I didn't buy any more expensive FB before I figured this out!
Gretchen & Lyra (12/30/02)