EcoSprout Cloth Diaper Detergent

Please note, due to the weight of this item it is not included in our "Orders over $50 ship for free" promotion. If your order is over $50 but contains laundry detergent, there will be a $3 shipping charge - which still gives you half-off shipping. Thanks for understanding.

Wondering if you have hard water? Get your complimentary water test strip!

Eco Sprout Detergent is an eco-friendly, all natural detergent that's great for your entire family, and SAFE for cloth diapers & sensitive skin. It will clean and disinfect your diapers while rinsing clean. No more battling with eye-watering ammonia smells, as Eco Sprout dramatically helps neutralize the odor.

The scent is for you to enjoy and will freshen your washing maching and make your laundry room smell nice. It is designed to safely wash out of your diapers or clothing and leave nothing behind but a clean fresh scent.

*Our detergent is safe for all water types and is designed to work with both HE and conventional machines.

Our detergent is free from dyes, brighteners, enzymes, phosphates, & is SLS free. It is also 100% natural and biodegradable.



Basic Washing Instructions:

Have you already done the Eco Sprout soak for first time users? Then you are ready to begin washing your diapers as normal*.

Do a pre-soak or pre-wash on your diapers first. If your machine does not allow these settings, then you can just do a basic or quick wash in cold. This will help minimize staining, remove any loose particulates, and fully soak the diapers to dilute and pull out the urine. If your diapers are heavily soiled and need an extra boost you can add a small amount of detergent. Add Eco Sprout and do a HOT wash/cold rinse. Using the recommended amount shown on chart below. Add a second final rinse. Enjoy nice clean, fresh smelling diapers! Another routine that works really well for people is this:

Do a pre-wash, soak, or quick wash as above, but use HOT water instead of cold. No detergent unless heavily soiled diapers need a boost - then you can add some detergent. Add Eco Sprout and do a HOT wash/cold rinse. Add a second final rinse. Enjoy nice clean, fresh smelling diapers!

An important note about water level: for top loading machines, you only need enough water for the diapers to be able to freely move around and rub against each other. If you are doing a smaller load and setting your machine to use the highest level of water, you will either need to increase the amount of detergent being used - to compensate with the large amount of water, or decrease the water setting of your machine.

Do you have hard water?

Hard water contains more minerals than regular water. These minerals neutralize a portion of the detergent balancing out the PH of the water. For detergent to work effectively, you need to add more detergent. This will help break down the minerals in the water so that they do not re-deposit back on to your diapers. Start with the lowest recommended amount of detergent and then adjust up if necessary. Some people find it extremely helpful to add a cap full of Calgon to their wash cycle to help soften the water.

HE Machines AND Soft Water?

Sounds confusing? We know :) But once you get a routine that works...stick with it! It just might take some trial and error to get it just right. IF you have soft water AND an HE machine, you will only need to use 1-2 TBSP with an average load of diapers. Why? HE machines require less detergent and so does soft water. When you put the two together...you get to use the least amount of everyone!



Helpful Tips

*What is "normal"? I wish we could give you the magic answer...but washing cloth diapers takes a little bit of trial and error to find your perfect wash routine. A lot depends on your machine and the type of water you have.

Here are some simple things you should know:

Making sure you get enough water through your diapers. This is key to getting a good clean, and an effective rinse. In top load machines, don't over do it! There is no reason to have your washer fill to the tippy-top unless you are washing 25+ diapers. Instead, fill with enough water to allow your diapers to move freely. This allows you to use less detergent and get a more effective wash. If you choose to fill to the tippy-top, simply use more detergent. The more water the better in front loading HE machines!

One of the most important steps to washing cloth diapers is to do an extra rinse at the end of your cycle. But only 1 extra rinse is needed. Adding extra rinses will not get rid of ammonia. Adding more than one extra rinse can cause a mineral build up with hard water and is not recommended.

The amount of diapers you wash at one time is important. Small loads where the diapers float around in the water is not as effective as adding a few more diapers to the wash so they can rub up against each other and help with the cleaning routine. Too many diapers and they will not get clean enough because there is no room to agitate around and rub up against each other.

This doesn't have to be complicated....you just need to figure out what works for you and then keep it simple!

Having difficulty with an HE machine? The hardest part about washing cloth diapers in and HE machine is getting enough water through the diapers. My family follows the above washing routine (with the hot pre-wash setting) and we have not had any problems. There have been several suggestions made by others to do things like add a wet towel to the load to trick the machine into thinking there is more laundry, or soak the diapers first before adding them to the machine. Both those tricks will work. But we want it to be as simple as possible!

A lot of people have great success with the following routine regardless of the type of machine you have:

1. Cold wash with no detergent.

2. Hot wash with detergent.

3 Extra rinse at the end.



Diapers need a pick-me-up, but you have no time for a soak? Then just do a mini-soak or super-wash!

For the mini-soak with a top loader:

Fill your machine with hot water (only enough so your diapers will be fully saturated with a little extra water). Add 3-4 TBSP of detergent depending on load size (agitate water so detergent dissolves) Add diapers Let diapers soak for about an hour and then wash Drain Run one wash cycle in hot without detergent No extra rinse needed

For a super-wash with an HE machine or regular top loading machine: Since many HE machines do not allow for a soak here is an alternative option:

Pre-wash in hot water with 2 TBSP of detergent

Hot wash/cold rinse as normal but increase the detergent by 1-2 TBSP of what your normally use

One extra rinse in cold water