Rockin’ Green Detergent Review and Giveaway!

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One of the hardest parts about cloth diapering our little guy has been finding a detergent that works well for us.  If you’ve ever delved into the wash routines and detergent preferences of cloth diapering parents you know that it can be so confusing.  Everyone has a different opinion about which detergent works the best and which ones will leave a residue that makes your diapers repell (i.e., non-absorbent).  Unfortunately, after reading hundreds, and possibly thousands, of parents’ experiences with various cloth diaper detergents, I can only conclude that what works for some may not work for others.

When we began our cloth diapering journey I didn’t realize that you can’t just use any old laundry detergent on your diapers.  Many detergents have additives that cause build-up on the diapers leading to repelling/absorbency issues.  We were using an eco-friendly detergent which I assumed would be great for our eco-friendly diapers.  It turned out that my logic was not very sound.  Little Brother’s diapers quickly developed horrible ammonia buildup which could be smelled immediately after he peed.  Using the trial and error method to find the correct detergent can be very expensive.  I had no idea how to determine if a detergent would be appropriate for cloth diapers until I ran into a must-read article like this one.

A few months ago I lucked out and won a bag of Rockin’ Green from a fellow cloth diapering blogger.  Rockin’ Green has 3 different formulas, Soft Rock, Classic Rock, and Hard Rock, to choose from according to your water quality. I got Rockin’ Green’s “Hard Rock” formula.  –Side note: the Rockin’ Green website has a cool map that shows you which formula you’ll likely need according to where you live.–  Each formula comes in a variety of scents (each scent cleverly in keeping with the “rock” theme).  All the scents are 100% natural.  I chose their unscented formula “Bare Naked Babies”. 😉 Gotta love the name.  Little Brother is sensitive to so many things that I didn’t want to take a chance on a scented formula.

When I started using Rockin’ Green the diapers were in need of a good stripping.  I didn’t do the full stripping that they needed (it is a pain in the neck!).  I just boiled the inserts with a little vinegar (for the ammonia), drained, and then “rocked a soak” per the instructions on the Rockin’ Green bag.  I put the diapers in the washing machine with the recommended amount of soap and let them soak overnight and then ran the wash in the morning.  When I got the diapers out of the washing machine they didn’t smell perfect, but they smelled much better than they did before.

Each time I washed the diapers got a little better.  Reminder: I never actually stripped the diapers, Rockin’ Green did that for me.  However, I was never able to completely get rid of the ammonia smell.  Until very recently…

Rockin’ Green recently came out with “Funk Rock,” a formula specifically for getting ammonia odor out.  I was surprised when the bag arrived, it was much smaller than I had anticipated.  It ended up lasting me a month.  At $12.95 per bag it is definitely pricey, but after 3 soaks with Funk Rock we have no more ammonia!

So many parents LOVE Rockin’ Green detergent that it was recently awarded the “Parent Tested, Parent Approved” (PTPA) Award.

So, here is a little break down of the pros and cons:

Pros:
Works for many cloth diapering parents without a hitch.
Washes very clean; no residue.
No need to strip the diapers.
Rockin’ Green is currently developing a hypo-allergenic formula!
You can purchase samples so you can see how it works for you.
Works in standard and HE machines
Free of brightners, phosphates, enzymes, and dyes.

Cons:
Price! If you’re like me and still have ammonia issues, buying both detergent and ammonia bouncer can be very pricey.

Buy It!
Rockin’ Green retails for $13.95-$15.95 for a 45/90 load bag and can be found at many online cloth diaper retailers.  To purchase with the option of free shipping check out Diapers.com.  Rockin’ Green can also be purchased on the Rockin’ Green website.  *I was just informed that Utah County CDing parents can now purchase Rockin’ Green and Funk Rock at the Provo Quilted Bear Booth L-12! Wahoo!*

Win It!

Rockin’ Green wants to give you the chance to win a 45/90 load bag in your choice of formula (hard, classic, or soft) and scent! 

 Here are the rules:

*Please leave a separate comment for each entry so if it says 2 entries please leave 2 comments. If your email address is not visible in your profile, or if you do not have a blogger profile please leave your email address in a form similar to amy at ohsosavvymom dot com (this will reduce spam).*
Mandatory Entry (must be done before the extra entries):

1.  Follow via GFC and visit Rockin’ Green and tell me which formula (hard, soft, or classic) and scent would choose if you won.  (1 entry)

Extra Entries (after the mandatory entry has been completed): If you already do these things that counts too!
2. Subscribe to Oh So Savvy Mom by email. Submit your email address in the box on the upper right of the page.  You must confirm your subscription. (1 entry)
3. Like Oh So Savvy Mom on facebook. Please leave your facebook name–first name & last initial (2 entries)

4. Like Rockin Green on facebook. Please leave your facebook name–first name & last initial (1 entry)

5. Follow Rockin’ Green on twitter. (1 entry)

6. Follow me on twitter (be sure to leave your twitter name), and tweet the following (1 entry):

Enter to #win a bag of @RockinGreenSoap from @Ohsosavvymom ! http://bit.ly/ikaSrX Ends 2/4 #giveaway #clothdiapers

May be tweeted 1x per day for an additional entry each day.

7. Refer a friend to enter.  In order for this to be a valid entry your friend must enter (make a comment) and let me know that you referred them.  You must then come back and leave a comment stating that you referred that person. (2 entries per referral)

8. Put my “Baby’s 1st Birthday” button on your blog. Button must be on your main page. Please leave the link.  (3 entries)

Giveaway is open to residents of US and will end 2/4/11 at 11:59 MST.  Winner will be chosen via Random.org, will be notified by email, and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I was provided with 3 sample sizes of Rockin’ Green at no charge in order to provide and accurate and honest review of the product.  The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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About Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom

Amy is mom to three, wife to one, and a sister and aunt to many. Her family is a former military family now settled in Lehi, Utah. Oh So Savvy Mom began as a way for Amy to share parenting and product advice with others. Just as she has evolved, Oh So Savvy Mom has evolved into a resource for Healthy Living for Families, Food, Parenting, and Family Travel.

Comments

  1. Shannon Reed says
    I love rocking green detergent- - it's the only brand that doesn't give my daughter a rash =)