If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to help friends and family members go “Green.” So when the holidays roll around, I am always looking for things that will help them reduce their footprint but still make it fun and easy for them to do so.
So, I am really excited to share Jingle Bell Rock with you guys! These little bags of Rockin’ Green are not only great presents for just about anyone in your life, but they are also helping spread the word that green is good.
With 5 yummy scents-
Holiday Berry
Egg Nog
Peppermint Stick
O’Christmas Tree
Sugar Cookie
and superior cleaning power, you can help someone make the switch to an eco-friendly detergent FUN!
As most of you know, Rockin’ Green is a small business that has been growing by leaps and bounds lately. I would love your support in this contest, because it would certainly help us get Rockin’ Green out there to the masses just a little bit quicker!
I love getting emails from customers telling me how much they love their Rockin’ Green! Today’s email was from Joyce. She wrote:
“We just went through a move and I was working on cleaning my laundry room, and realized I was missing a bag of Rockin’ Green! I tore my laundry room apart and was so very sad because the unused bag was nowhere to be found! My hubby told me I could order more after the move if I couldn’t find it. I sighed and said ok (yeah I got permission to get more and was sad )
Well, we got through the major part of the move and went back to finish cleaning out the old house. I pulled out my box of cleaning rags and as I was digging through that box, I find a lovely muslin bag filled with ROCKIN’ GREEN! I screamed “WHOO-HOO!!” and my hubby came over and asked me what I was excited about and I showed him the lost bag! I couldn’t believe how excited I got about finding a bag of laundry detergent (the best ever, btw). So, that’s my story of how excited I got about Rockin’ Green! ”
This month’s Topic for the Cloth Diaper Carnival is: “What is your wash routine?”
That is pretty much right up my alley!
First, I will start off with an article I wrote recently, and finish up with a very poorly filmed video of my laundry routine. Enjoy!
When I first started using cloth diapers, it took me about 2 weeks to mess them up. It wasn’t intentional mind you, I just didn’t know anyone that cloth diapered at that point, so there was no one to show me the way. The first 6 months of my cloth diapering journey was full of tears, frustration, and lots and lots of rinses.
So, the purpose of this post is to save you from that frustration. I’ve been cloth diapering for over 3 years now and have created my own cloth diaper detergent, so I am a professional when it comes to washing diapers.
First a Warning
Washing cloth diapers is a HOT topic among the many diaper boards and forums. Lots of diapering moms will tell you their wash routine, and it will scare the living daylights out of you. I get emails from customers every day who have laundry routines that are seriously two pages long. There are multiple rinses, they stop things in the middle of the cycle to add a cup of this, or a dash of that. Then they add more things into the next rinse, and it just keeps going and going. I have heard of 8 hour soaks, rinses on top of rinses…and the list goes on and on. And then they complain that no one will help with the diaper laundry!
So please, please take these forum conversations with a grain of salt. We are making things much harder on ourselves! It really is as easy as 1, 2, 3…
Step 1: Pre-rinse, an Absolute Must
So you have a bag full of dirty diapers, and you need to get them clean. Dump them all into the wash, and set the washer for a quick cold rinse. This is absolutely critical to your washing success. This step gets most of the poop and urine out of your diapers, so that when they wash in step 2, they actually have a chance to get clean. Cold water will help stains from setting, and it’s better for your electric bill.
Step 2: Fill it to the Top and Make it HOT!
Once the yuckies are rinsed away, it’s time to get to business. Fill your washer with hot water, and put as much water as possible in the basin. For the top-loader folks this is probably the extra large load setting. For the front-loader fans, you will have to read your manual to see what cycle setting gets you the most water. Then add the detergent. We will talk about this in a later section, but generally speaking you are going to use ¼ to ½ of the recommended amount of store-bought laundry detergent. Or you can buy a detergent like Rockin’ Green especially made for cloth diapers, and then you just follow the dosage instructions listed on the package. Then rinse.
Step 3: Dry ‘em.
No, I didn’t skip a few steps. That is it! Take the diapers out of the washer, and put them into the dryer on unto the clothesline to dry.
A few tips to get the most life out of your diapers.
PUL Pockets and Covers – these are meant to be dried on medium or high heat. The heat actually re-seals the fabric and will prevent leaking. If you like to line dry your diapers, I would recommend throwing them into the dryer once or twice a month to keep the PUL in top shape.
Fitteds & Prefolds- if you have squishy diapers that you want to keep buttery soft, opt for low or medium heat.
Mixed bag? Dry everything on medium to keep everybody happy.
The Detergent Debate….
Cloth diapers are meant to absorb everything that they come in contact with. Good for a super-soaker baby, but not so good when it comes to laundry detergents. Most of the things that you can buy in the grocery store have tons of scary sounding chemicals in them that can cause some major problems with your diapers and your babies skin. Things like enzymes, dyes, perfumes, optical brighteners, soaps, etc are standard in most detergents. Over time you will notice things like repelling, stinky diapers even after being washed, and rashes.
And this is when the tears and complicated laundry routines start to take over. You have to strip your diapers, to get the excess soap and chemicals out, and then start adding in all sorts of stuff to try to counteract the negative effects of your laundry detergent. Most laundry problems can be fixed by using the right detergent.
The best advice I have is to start from the get-go using a detergent that is formulated for cloth diapers. Do your homework, before adding anything into your washing machine. It is going to save you a ton of heartache (and water) by using something that works with your diapers and not against them.
Note: I NEVER strip my diapers. Thanks to Rockin’ Green, I have had no need to strip diapers. So it’s been about 8 months or so now.
And now…the video…
Part 1 – the cliffhanger
Part 2 – the exciting finale!
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I just wanted to take a second and show you a few pictures today:
First, our new packaging. It’s a great re-usable cotton muslin bag with the Rockin’ Green logo on it. I am really proud of it, and think they look pretty spiffy!
Next, I wanted to show you what 100 pounds of Rockin Green cloth diaper detergent looks like- the “factory” is super busy these days, and this is what we produced on Saturday. Can you smell the yumminess?
And all bagged and ready to go to new homes- and retailers!
And on a business note- we just added 3 new retailers to the mix, so be on the lookout for Rockin’ Green in their stores soon. I am working nights to get the hard rock formula perfected, as well as our wetbag discs. So there are some new things coming down the pike.
I have said this before and I will say it again. I LOVE my job- and it’s because of my awesome customers. You guys send me notes and emails all the time about how much you love your Rockin’ Green cloth diaper detergent, and it really makes it all worth while. Today I wanted to share with you an awesome video that my twitter buddy Slee cooked up. It’s really cute!
If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to help friends and family members go “Green.” So when the holidays roll around, I am always looking for things that will help them reduce their footprint but still make it fun and easy for them to do so.
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