There is a lot of conflicting advice going around about using detergent on your nappies. I find parents don't really know what to do. This small factor, is a cause for a large lot of confusion.
I've met parents who claim they use NO detergent in their nappies. I've met parents who use totally normal detergent, the full amount if not a tad extra.
So, how much detergent should you really use?
This is a tough question. It's like you asking me how much detergent to use on your coloured load. I can't see how big the load is, what your detergent is, how dirty it is, what sort of machine you have etc. But I can give some general guidance - I find it's good to start with some guidance and work from there.
I use a plant derived detergent, I use about 1/2 - 3/4 of a cap (depending on whether the load is really full or just average) of my liquid detergent. I have found it makes my nappies squeaky clean. I then do a rinse cycle at the end to rinse out excess detergent.
I've never had to strip wash my nappies and they still work really well.
The fact is, detergents clean your nappies. You wouldn't put your clothes through the wash with no soaps of any kind, so why would you put nappies in that are full or poo and wee? They need detergent to get them clean. Modern Cloth Nappies are pretty awesome, but they aren't magical. They live under the same laws of science as the rest of your washing.
Smelly nappies I have found are more often caused by not being clean enough, then by a build up of detergents. The advice from smaller amounts of detergent has been around since before we had such a range of eco/plant derived alternatives. But with these products available and being used, I encourage you to consider your washing routine.
My best advice is play with the detergents. Get a good balance for you. And always rinse, it will help remove any residual soaps at the end too.
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