After a long, cold winter, it seems like babies are everywhere. There have even been a few born to staffers here at C&EN, so the Newscripts gang decided to help out the new parents in our midst by wading into the surprisingly intense debate on cleaning cloth diapers. The argument centers on detergent residues left behind on a diaper after it’s been washed. Some additives, such as perfumes and color-brightening fluorescent dyes, are designed to stick around. Others, such as gels, thickeners, and enzymes, are meant to rinse away but can persist after washing. Some parents worry that the additives might affect how well a diaper absorbs waste. Another concern is that residues might cause diaper rash and bad—or worse—smells in the warm, moist, and sometimes nitrogen-rich conditions in a diaper. Pat Slaven, a research engineer specializing in laundry at Consumer Reports, says that dyes decrease the absorbency of cotton ...