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Washing Cloth Diapers
Regular wash routine:
There are many opinions about washing cloth diapers, and
many people have developed additional steps and routines
based on their individual needs. Here is a simple routine
for washing cloth diapers that has worked for us. We
recommend starting simple and adjust only if necessary for
your baby or water-type.
Here are some things to avoid:
There are many opinions about washing cloth diapers, and
many people have developed additional steps and routines
based on their individual needs. Here is a simple routine
for washing cloth diapers that has worked for us. We
recommend starting simple and adjust only if necessary for
your baby or water-type.
- If soiled, use the mini-shower to remove poop from
diaper. Leave the diaper wet enough that it almost
drips. Keeping the diaper wet until it is washed will help
reduce stains. - Toss into a dry pail; wash every day or every other day.
- Wash no more than 12 - 18 diapers at a time.
- Use your washer's highest water level.
- Pre-rinse with cold water and no detergent.
- Use a regular hot water cycle and Tide (not Tide Free).
- Dry diapers in the dryer or hang dry or a combination of
both.
Here are some things to avoid:
- No chlorine bleach. It will break down fibers and
noticeably shorten the life of your diapers. In
addition, it will most likely irritate your baby's skin. - No fabric softeners, which coat fabric and reduce
absorbency. This includes 'baby' detergents such as
Dreft.
Here are some things that you can do to help your diapers last longer:
|
How do baking soda and vinegar work?
The baking soda neutralizes acidic odors, removes acid and protein based stains, and softens the diapers.
The vinegar neutralizes alkaline odors and removes alkaline based stains.
Rather than adding the baking soda to your washer on wash day, you can add it directly to the diaper pail
before you begin to fill it with diapers. This will help keep your diaper pail smelling fresh.
Note: if you have hard water, use borax instead of baking soda.
Do I HAVE to use a mini-shower for dirty diapers?
No! If your baby is solely breastfed, you can just throw the diaper into your diaper pail. The initial cold rinse will
remove the poop. This is because the poop of breastfed babies is water soluble. However, stains will occur.
After your baby starts solids, you should shake off what you can into the toilet before placing the diapers into
the diaper pail. Another option is to use biodegradable, flushable liners. Just remove the liner, poop and all,
and drop into the toilet.
However, if you want your diapers remain stain-free, we recommend using the Mini-Shower and leaving your
diaper almost dripping wet when placing it into the diaper pail. Keeping it wet until wash day will minimize
staining.
Choosing a detergent
There are many opinions about which detergents are best for cloth diapers. We believe you should use what
works for you and your baby. Remember, if you feel your detergent isn't working, you can always strip your
diapers and start over. Some recommended detergents are Tide, Cheer, Sunlight, Era, Allen's Naturally,
Charlie's Soap, and Sensi-Clean. Do not use any baby detergents such as Dreft, since they contain fabric
softeners. Click here for more information on detergents and stripping your diapers.
The baking soda neutralizes acidic odors, removes acid and protein based stains, and softens the diapers.
The vinegar neutralizes alkaline odors and removes alkaline based stains.
Rather than adding the baking soda to your washer on wash day, you can add it directly to the diaper pail
before you begin to fill it with diapers. This will help keep your diaper pail smelling fresh.
Note: if you have hard water, use borax instead of baking soda.
Do I HAVE to use a mini-shower for dirty diapers?
No! If your baby is solely breastfed, you can just throw the diaper into your diaper pail. The initial cold rinse will
remove the poop. This is because the poop of breastfed babies is water soluble. However, stains will occur.
After your baby starts solids, you should shake off what you can into the toilet before placing the diapers into
the diaper pail. Another option is to use biodegradable, flushable liners. Just remove the liner, poop and all,
and drop into the toilet.
However, if you want your diapers remain stain-free, we recommend using the Mini-Shower and leaving your
diaper almost dripping wet when placing it into the diaper pail. Keeping it wet until wash day will minimize
staining.
Choosing a detergent
There are many opinions about which detergents are best for cloth diapers. We believe you should use what
works for you and your baby. Remember, if you feel your detergent isn't working, you can always strip your
diapers and start over. Some recommended detergents are Tide, Cheer, Sunlight, Era, Allen's Naturally,
Charlie's Soap, and Sensi-Clean. Do not use any baby detergents such as Dreft, since they contain fabric
softeners. Click here for more information on detergents and stripping your diapers.
| Lengthening the Life of Your Cloth Diapers |
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