want to resume cloth diapering but struggling with stain lifting in regular laundry routine in new home, looking for help/tips
Moved to a new house recently and have hard water with a he top loader washing machine, I'm struggling lifting stains in my regular laundry with toddler food stains and nervous about resuming cloth if I can't get basic stains out.
Can anyone help me troubleshoot why stains aren't lifting, and also share any suggestions for a wash routine with an he top loader washer?
info:
hard water
top loader he washer
regular tide powder for diapers, tide oxi powder for other laundry
mostly food stains, not so much oil stains. we have a toddler and newborn. poop stains on newborn clothes have also remained
I'm assuming it has something to do with the hard water because aside from using less detergent going to a he top loader from a basic cheap top loader nothing else has changed in my wash routine.
any suggestions and advice is appreciated, especially pertaining to wash routines and stain lifting for diapering with the he machine and hard water! (other than getting a water softener which is just not in the cards for us financially at the moment)
Posted Aug 3, 2026, 1:58 PM UTC