All Free & Clear Liquid uses a basic surfactant system with builder and chelator support, but it does not contain any enzymes, which are essential for breaking down diaper soils. The inclusion of sodium cocoate (soap) increases the risk of buildup and repelling in cloth diapers over time. This formula is not recommended for consistent cloth diaper washing.
Even with a gentle detergent, your wash routine plays a major 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 explain proper load sizing, water levels, and cycle structure to help prevent buildup, odors, and leaks. Choosing a detergent with a complete cleaning system and pairing it with a consistent routine will provide the most reliable long-term results.
QUICK SCORE
★★☆☆☆2.0/5
Avoid: High risk for cloth diapers due to red flag ingredients that often cause repelling or buildup.
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 moderate mineral control (example: polyacrylate or zeolite). Performance may vary in very hard water.
Oxygen system: Not found. For tougher stains and odor control, consider adding an oxygen bleach booster (sodium percarbonate).
Red flag ingredients detected:
Cocoate (natural soap) can cause repelling/buildup
26 POINT DYNAMIC SCORING SYSTEM
5/26
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 All Free & Clear Liquid safe for cloth diapers?
No. This detergent does not contain enzymes, which are necessary for breaking down biological soils in cloth diapers.
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 is an oxygen system in detergent and why is it important for cloth diapers?
An oxygen system in laundry detergent refers to oxygen-based cleaning agents (often called oxygen bleach or sodium percarbonate) that help break down organic stains and odors. When activated in the wash, these ingredients release oxygen that lifts and removes soils from fabric.
For cloth diapers, an oxygen system is especially important because diapers contain heavy biological soils like urine, feces, and ammonia. Surfactants alone can loosen dirt, but oxygen boosters help fully break down and eliminate deep-set organic waste that can otherwise lead to lingering odors, staining, or buildup over time.
Detergents that include a properly balanced oxygen system typically provide:
Better odor removal
Improved stain lifting
Deeper sanitation for heavily soiled diapers
Reduced risk of ammonia buildup
While not every effective cloth diaper detergent must contain oxygen bleach, formulas that include it often perform more reliably for families washing full-time diaper loads, especially in warm or hot water.
For best results, the oxygen system should be paired with strong surfactants and proper wash routines.
Why is soap in detergent a concern for cloth diapers?
Soap ingredients like sodium oleate can leave residue on diaper fibers, especially in hard water. Over time this may reduce absorbency and contribute to leaks.
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.
