Norwex Ultra Power Plus features a solid mineral-control and oxygen bleach system with multiple builders and a true primary surfactant. However, the absence of enzymes significantly limits its ability to break down biological soils like urine and feces which makes it largely ineffective and not recommended for washing cloth diapers. It may perform adequately for general laundry but is not ideal as a cloth diaper detergent.
Even with a strong detergent structure, wash routine plays a critical role in cloth diaper success. If you are new to cloth diapering, we recommend reviewing our Cloth Diaper FAQ and our step-by-step Wash and Care Guide. These resources walk through proper load size, water levels, and wash cycle structure to help prevent buildup, odors, and leaks. Pairing the right detergent with a consistent, well-balanced wash routine will provide the most reliable long-term results.
QUICK SCORE
★★★☆☆3.0/5
Problematic: No enzymes. More sensitive to hard water, dosing, and rinse performance. This formula lacks strong mineral control and may struggle in hard water. Proper dosing and wash strength are especially important.
Surfactants: Pass. Strong primary surfactant signal found.
Enzymes: Not found. No enzyme signal found. Some powders can still work, but this is often a performance gap.
Builders: Pass. Builder or alkalinity support signal found.
Chelators: Not found. No strong chelator. Does contain a mild mineral helper (example: citrate). Hard water may still cause residue.
Oxygen system: Pass. Oxygen bleach system signal found (especially helpful for stains and odors).
Red flags detected: None detected.
26 POINT DYNAMIC SCORING SYSTEM
9/26
The Kanga Care 26 Point Dynamic Scoring System evaluates how well a detergent is likely to clean cloth diapers without causing buildup or repelling. Each formula is reviewed across five key areas including surfactants, enzymes, builders, chelators, and oxygen bleach based on the maximum number of ideal ingredients a detergent can contain, and awarded 1 point each for a maximum score of 26. Higher scores indicate stronger cleaning systems and fewer risk factors.
Most US detergents score well below the top range. Scores above 22 are considered extremely high performance, often found in EU detergents.
Is Norwex Ultra Power Plus safe for cloth diapers?
Yes, it is safe, as it technically contains strong surfactants and builders, but the formula does not include enzymes, making it an insufficient cleaner. Enzymes play a major role in breaking down biological soils, cloth diaper routines require an enzymatic detergent. If this detergent is paired with an enzyme booster, like Dirty Labs Enzyme Booster, is can work as a successful cloth diaper detergent.
What are enzymes and why are they important for washing cloth diapers?
Enzymes are specialized cleaning proteins that break down different types of organic soil in the wash. In cloth diaper detergents, they help target the real sources of stains and odors such as urine, feces, milk, and food residues.
Each enzyme has a specific job. Protease breaks down protein-based waste, amylase targets starches, lipase helps with fats and oils, and mannanase helps remove plant-based residues. Protease is especially important for cloth diapers because it helps fully remove human waste from the fabric.
Without enzymes, detergents must rely much more heavily on surfactants and mechanical action alone, which can make it harder to fully clean heavily soiled diapers. This can lead to lingering odor, staining, or gradual buildup over time.
While some enzyme-free detergents can work in strong wash routines, enzyme-containing detergents generally provide more reliable and consistent cleaning performance for cloth diapers, especially for families dealing with heavy wetters or solid food stages.
What are chelators in laundry detergent and why do they matter for cloth diapers?
Chelators are ingredients in laundry detergent that bind to minerals in hard water, such as calcium and magnesium. These minerals can interfere with cleaning and leave behind residue in fabrics.
In cloth diaper washing, chelators play a very important role because they help detergent work effectively even in hard water conditions. Without a strong chelator, minerals can:
Reduce cleaning performance
Cause buildup in diaper fibers
Contribute to odors and repelling
Make detergents less effective over time
A well-formulated cloth diaper safe detergent typically includes a strong chelating system to keep minerals suspended in the wash water so they rinse away instead of redepositing into the fabric.
If your detergent does not contain an effective chelator and you have hard water, you may need to adjust your routine or add a water softening strategy to prevent buildup.
Cloth diaper safe water softeners include:
Sodium carbonate (washing soda)
Sodium citrate
Zeolite (sodium aluminosilicate)
Sodium polyacrylate (polymer dispersant)
Calgon
DO NOT USE the following water softeners:
Borax (sodium borate): Effective for fabric-only diaper styles (flats, prefolds) but should not be used on modern style cloth diapers containing waterproof laminates and elastics.
What would improve this detergent for cloth diapers?
The addition of a multi-enzyme system, like Dirty Labs Enzyme Booster, would significantly improve performance of a detergent like this when used for heavily soiled loads like cloth diapers.
Does Norwex Ultra Power Plus contain oxygen bleach?
Yes. The formula includes sodium carbonate peroxide, which provides oxygen-based stain and odor support. This helps with whitening and general cleaning performance.
Restore your cloth diapers with Mighty Bubbles. Learn the exact step-by-step stripping method, when to strip, and why it outperforms RLR for modern cloth diapers.
