Cloth Baby Diapers ~ Washing Cloth Diapers

There are a couple ways you can start the process of washing cloth diapers. It begins before you even think about putting your cloth diapers in the washing machine.

Wet or Dry Storage of dirty cloth diapers?

There really is no need to soak your dirty cloth diapers in a pail of soap and water until you are ready to wash them.

You do want to make sure you knock of solid waste before you store them, but once you do that it's perfectly ok to just store them in a good wet bag.

If you are using pocket cloth diapers I do suggest you pull out the inserts and store them separately. I have found it will help decrease the funk in your diapers.

Now when it comes to washing cloth diapers it really is kind of a individual science. It depends on the type of washing machine you have as well as the kind of water you have.

I have a front loader and very hard well water. GEEZ, not a great combination. :(

The process of washing cloth diapers includes a few steps. It might seem excessive, but from the conversations I've had with other moms it seems this is basically most moms approach to washing cloth diapers.

Who knew there were so many things you can use when washing cloth diapers.

There is a wide range of opinions on this topic, what to wash your cloth diapers in, but I think it finally comes down to what works for you.

There are a couple absolute no-nos, but then it's whatever works for you and your little one's hiney.

NO BLEACH!

Bleach is an absolute no-no when it comes to washing cloth diapers. It breaks down the fibers and will weaken the waterproof lining so your diapers won't last as long and stay waterproof.

It can also interact badly with baby's skin. So stay away from bleach.

Fragrances, Dyes, whiteners, brighteners and all the other good stuff they put in detergent.

You want to stay away from all the additives they put in detergent these days to get your clothes all shiny and clean looking.

These additives can have a serious interaction with your baby's skin when in contact with urine.

Of course there is a lot of conflict about using the free and clear products, however, I have found Tide Free and Clear for Front Loader Machines works quite well. Here's a long list of the specific detergents and if they are recommended. (I just saw my tide free and clear for high efficiency machines has a couple no nos, but it's working for us for now)

We have been through MANY different products attempting to find one that cleans and doesn't irritate Hanna's skin. You may have to try a few different brands before you find the right one for your machine, water and baby.

Many people highly recommend and it worked quite well for us for a while, Charlie's Soap. It works great not only for cloth diapers but for adult clothes as well. In fact, it took hydraulic fluid out my husbands jeans quite frequently.">

If you are squeemish about touching or coming into contact with poo, never fear you can still cloth diaper your little one.

Just get a diaper sprayer. It connects to your toilet and you just spray the solid waste off into the toilet, hands never getting close to the poo.

I don't use one, but I know some squeemish moms who wouldn't cloth diaper without one.

You have your diapers waiting in your wetbag for washing.

Take them out and throw them in the washing machine.

First run a full cycle on cold, no soap, no nothing. This will get rid of any excess solid waste as well as giving them a good rinse.

Do not use HOT on the initial wash as it will help to set in stains.

Second run the load through again, this time with a little of your chosen cleaning agent. Use hot water to wash this time.

For my front loader I put it on the long cycle, which includes a stain soak, and an extra rinse.

Third ~ yes, there's a third. I run them through one more time on hot again, no soap, a couple drops of tea tree oil, to make sure they are rinsed well and all the soap is out.

If at the end of the wash cycle I see ANY suds I run them through again.

It may seem like a huge effort ~ and it is, but it is what I have to do with hard water, a front loader and a kid with seriously sensitive skin.

You may find you don't need to do as many run throughs depending on your machine, water and kid.

If you have a top loading washing machine you can probably just soak them for a little while for the first cycle, then do two washes. That should be good enough.

Whenever you can it's great to dry your cloth diapers outside in the fresh air and sun.

The sun will magically erase stains and get rid of any funky smell. It kills germs and is just pretty amazing. I watched one day as the sun bleached my prefolds flapping on the line. It was quite amazing to just watch the stains disappear.

If you do dry your diapers outside you may find they get kind of "crunchy". NO worries. Just throw them in the dryer with a damp towel and they will be soft again.

You can also dry your diapers in the dryer. Most diapers with PUL (waterproof material) can not be dried on hot. I do mine on medium for an hour. They are good to go.