Machine Washing
Washing cloth diapers can seem like a daunting task at first, but once you figure out the basics you'll understand it's worth the effort. First you'll need to pre-wash any new item you have. If you're trying a new product, it would be best to try it on your child first to insure a good fit before washing incase you need to return it. Inserts, liners, fitteds and other diaper products with natural fibers (hemp, bamboo and unbleached cotton) will need to be washed and dried at least 4 times to remove natural oils and waxes.
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Basic Washing Routine:
1) Hot or Warm Rinse 2) Hot Wash with Detergent 3) Two Cold Rinses 4) Dry on Low |
Once you have new, clean diapers, you'll get to enjoy the fun part of showing off your little one in their cute fluff. When their diaper has been used, dump any solids into a toilet and toss the diaper into a dry pail. Exclusively breastfed babies have water soluble waste that does not need to be dumped into a toilet and is removed during the first rinse cycle. Solid and formula-fed baby waste is harder to dissolve in a washing machine and may leave remnants you'll have to pick out later (who wants that?). If you have a safe area to hide a wet pail, it can be a good idea to let your diapers soak in between washes. A dry pail is another alternative, which can safely hold your diapers until laundry day.
Your basic routine will depend on several things like your water quality, washing machine, and detergent. A good wash load size can be anywhere from 12 to 24 diapers (again, this depends on your washing machine's size). Too small of a load and your diapers won't agitate enough and too big of a load will prevent enough access to water and detergent. Having a decent sized diaper stash allows you to wash your diapers once every 2-3 days, which means less trips to the laundry room!
To help prevent staining, rinse diapers with hot or warm water. Soiled items are best cleaned at the temperature they were added at. (Except with stains like milk, egg or blood, which hot water can set in the protein stains.) Your second wash on hot will include your detergent. Avoid any products that include Bleach, Dyes, Enzymes, Fabric Softeners, Perfumes, Stain Guard Ingredients, or UV Brighteners because these all can either cause build up in your diapers or deteriorate your fabrics. Also be careful with pure and home made soaps; they can leave buildup in your diapers, causing them to repel over time. |
For your last washing steps, you'll want to rinse your diapers. The last two rinses are a personal preference on if you would like to use cold or warm water. Cold water uses less energy from the water heater, but warm water cleans your diapers more effectively and releases more water from fabrics during the spin cycle, shortening drying time in the end. You can run a full wash cycle with an extra rinse (on cold or warm) to prevent running back to the machine between cycles, or if your machine does not have that option, you can run the rinse cycle twice.
Once your diapers have been thoroughly cleaned, it's time to dry them. If you have the space to hang a clothes line, try sunning your diapers. This saves energy, bleaches out stains, naturally sanitizes your diapers and also prolongs the life of the fabrics. You can also use an automatic dryer on low to dry your diapers, or even fluff them up a bit after they've been drying in the sun.
And remember, never use fabric softeners on your cloth diapers! Both liquid and sheet fabric softeners leave residue on your diapers causing them to repel. If a sheet ends up in the dryer with your diapers, you may need to wash them again with a HOT wash and several cold rinses. To cut back on clingy diaper loads, try using wool dryer balls. |
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