Never ever use detergent.... just baking soda

[andic29]

Im sitting here in my little hospital bed awaiting surgery tomorrow (got my first kidney stone, wouldn't recommend it) and my husband calls because he doesnt know how to wash the diapers. I tell him my wash routine and thats that.

There was a nurses assistant in the room at the time and right after I hung up, she says to me "Oh honey, don't you know you should never ever use detergent on cloth diapers? You should only ever use baking soda and warm water. Anything else will ruin the diapers. In fact, you should never use detergent on any clothing, its full of carcinogens and perfumes. Why pay to make clothes smell good? Baking soda gets everything clean, it's what I've been doing for years".

Even though Im high as a kite right now, Im a bit disgusted. Thankfully I have some serious nasal congestion going on so I wasn't forced to smell the "cleanliness".

As far as cloth diapers, I've been using and washing them with Tide powder for 4 years between 2 kids and they are just fine. They're made of cotton for cripes sake! I would have argued with her but I couldn't really form a coherant thought at the moment.

 

[washer111]

The worst part is, the nurse probably washes her uniforms with the rest of her clothes in "baking soda."

Want to know why they recommend using it in your fridge: Because it isn't perfumed, and helps to deodorise stuff, not necessarily because it will actually clean anything.

There was a thread recently about washing diapers here in an SQ front loader - most persons suggested a warm presoak/prerinse phase, followed by a HOT wash, preferably with a good detergent, and bleach added to the bleach dispenser for the bleach rinse.
Not one person suggested this 'baking soda' rubbish - if anyone is that concerned, they should make their own soap flakes and use them instead. They'd work far, far better!

 

[arbilab]

Sodium bicarbonate is not a very sophisticated surfactant. A notch above 'beating on a rock'.

 

[sel8207]

how much?

Did she say how much baking soda she used per wash. Am curious as there was another poster here regarding that subject who said that he used it because of skin problems (roasacea), and when he used it to wash his clothes, the skin problems went away. He said that it was quite a large amount per load. It was a while back. A little bit over the edge, but maybe someone here could try it and see what happens Maybe it has a slight abrasive nature to it and that causes it to clean somewhat. On the same subject, I found a little book at a yard sale a while back, that gave many uses for baking soda. I am going to find that book again and see if it says anything about using it in laundry. Les

 

[whirlcool]

Just because a person is a professional in one area doesn't make them knowledgeable about anything else. Thinking logically about this... the nurses aide isn't making any sense.

If you aren't supposed to use laundry detergent on diapers, then why do they have detergents on the market like "Dreft" & "All Baby Care Plus"? Could there be a remote possibility that the nurses aide was talking about Arm & Hammer Baking Soda detergent? Wouldn't you think that the companies that make these products would worry about liability issues?

Sure, go ahead and wash your diapers in pure baking soda, then watch for the diaper rash from less than clean diapers start to flare up.

 

[combo52]

Baking Soda In Refrigerators

IS USELESS, the only companies that promote it are the ones selling it, if you have odors in the frig use activated charcoal, baking soda does almost nothing.

 

[miele_ge]

or just keep your fridge clean

Rarely have odors in the fridge nor do we have ice cubes that taste funny.  Just a matter of keeping in CLEAN.

 

If there are strong cheeses or such, they are in tightly sealed zip lock bags or containers and consumed quickly.

 

 

 

[vintagekitchen]

clean fridge

Yes! I don't know why people can't seem to understand that the easiest way to keep your fridge smelling nice is clean it regularly and use containers with tight lids like tupperware or just a ziploc bag, for everything you put in the fridge except fresh veggies and fruit.

 

[launderess]

Nursing Assistants Have Under One Year Of Training

If not just barely six months. Therefore one would hardly put them in any authority regarding sanitation of anything and that includes laundry.

Baking soda is one of the weakest alkaline substances and while perfectly fine in theory for laundry, so is swishing one's wash around in a tub of plain water. Both will get your laundry "clean" but wouldn't bet on either for long haul use.

 

[andic29]

Hey everyone,

When I got home today, out of pure scientific curiosity, I washed a diaper load with only baking soda on the sanitize cycle and the results? OMG EW! Nasty, stained and still smelly. I was so surprised! :-/
Then I tried it out on a very lightly soiled load and still... I could smell deodorant and chik-fil-a.

As a physician, I don't put too much stock in what CNA's say. (Thats not mean't to be elitest at all just goes along the lines of what Laundress said) They seem to have a habit of giving out medical advice (usually wrong and way off base) to the patients they are working with and that irritates the life out of me.

As far as the fridge, I usually get odors from left overs that have strong, aromatic seasonings like garlic and rosemary but a day or so after the dish is gone, the smell disappears.

Whirlcool, no she mean't just plain 'ol baking soda

 

[washer111]

As a matter of fact; The instruction manual for both our F&P fridge and freezer recommend cleaning with Baking Soda and water, so as not to get perfume into any of the plastic interior pieces, that may then leech into the food.
And as far as I know; F&P are not (or were not) in the baking soda business either now or in 1999.

 

[combo52]

Cleaning a Ref With Baking Soda

I am sure it won't hurt, but as Laundress suggests warm water would probably do just as well, and you know that I have very little respect for F&P appliances, to me they go in the category as Dyson vacuums etc, interesting products but not very durable and not the greatest performers.

We clean-up and recondition old refs all the time at our shop and the messes we see in them would never budge with just baking soda, I am sure it is just fine for a ref that isn't really dirty., LOL.

 

[jeffg]

IMO somebody needs to ask this airhead's boss whether it's the warm water or baking soda that kills hepatitis, listeria and E Coli. Among several thousand other nasties.

Also tell the nurse's assistant that, wherever she got her training, if any, she needs to ask for a refund.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I wash out my fridge with bleach, then again I'm a chlorine addict. 

 

Sorry, to stay on topic, I wash diapers and now adult bed pads in bleach too.  My mom has accidents and bleach takes the odors out of the bedding.

 

[danemodsandy]

No Wonder....

We're having MRSA problems in hospitals, if this is the sum of a CNA's knowledge about cleanliness.

 

[retro-man]

The only thing I have found baking soda to clean well is the stove top. It takes all the cooked on grease around the burner drip pans nicely and doesn't scratch the surface.
Jon

 

[danemodsandy]

Baking Soda Use:

There is a job at which baking soda excels - getting finger marks and kitchen schmutz off of a chrome toaster, or other chrome appliances.

Sprinkle some on the appliance and rub with a dry cloth - no water needed. Magic!

 

[stan]

Thanks

for the tip Sandy,
I tried it on a stainless steel tea kettle and it worked perfectly.