Washing Cloth Diapers

When I tell people I sell cloth diapers, I almost always get the same response. "Eww, do people even still use those?" Usually followed by some variation of, "I could never wash diapers!" They say this in a tone that indicates I said something like, "I build nuclear reactors from Twinkies and duct tape." (I do, but that is another lens....)

The great news for all of these people is that washing cloth diapers can now be done in a modern washing machine. No need to drag them down to the river and beat them on the rocks. Unless you are looking for a hobby.

I am a very, very busy person. I run three businesses, 50 blogs and several other web sites. I have a 14 month old who thinks that "down" is the new "bad." I am also lazy, er, I mean I am a minimalist. I don't even blow dry my hair because I think it is a collosal waste of time. These days almost all moms are super busy all the time. None of us have time to waste. The thing is, washing cloth diapers takes me about 18 minutes a week.

That's it. Honest.

Here is how I wash my daughter's diapers:

* Use cloth pail liner to transport diapers from both diaper pails to laundry room. Time elapsed: 1 minute

* Dump diapers into washer and turn diaper pail liner inside out. Close washer lid. Set washer to cold and select Autosoak/Prewash. Time elapsed: 1 minute

See, easy!
* When washer stops, add 2 teaspoons of Allen's Naturally laundry detergent. Set washer to hot wash/cold rinse and select second rinse cycle. Time elapsed: 47 seconds

* When washer stops, transfer clean diapers to dryer. Select More Dry. Push On button. Time elapsed: 2 minutes

* When diapers are dry, dump them into a laundry basket. I don't bother folding or sorting. (I told you I was lazy.) Carry basket to bedroom and place near changing table (ok, I am too lazy for a changing table either, I change her on our bed using a snazzy changing pad since she is working on her peeing for distance skills). Time elapsed: 1 minute 15 seconds."

I never, ever recommend a wet pail (aka a diaper pail full of water to soak dirty diapers). Some people swear by the wet pail method. I won't use it or recommend it for several reasons:

* A bucket of water is a drowning hazard for babies and small children. Little people are top-heavy and tend to fall head first. Once they are in a bucket they are not strong enough to lift themselves out.

* Most diaper makers recommend a dry pail. Standing water with pee (and worse) in it smells awful and grows bacteria (which also smell awful). That smell can set into the diaper fibers. Ick.

* I really don't want to risk spilling nasty diaper water on my carpet. Nor do I want to risk having my kid spill it.

* Carrying water is heavy, my diaper pail liner is light and easy to carry, even when full of diapers. Shown hers is a Little for Now self-closing pail liner with 2 dozen diapers in it.

There are many, many different ways to wash cloth diapers. Everyone has their own special way of doing it. As long as the diapers get clean and they are not getting ruined in some way, then it is ok to do it differently than the next mom. Heck, you can even do it differently than I do and it will all be ok.

Can I wash all of my diapers together?

Generally speaking, yes. The exceptions are for wool diaper covers or if the manufacturer recommends special washing instructions. The Real Diaper Industry Association is working with major cloth diaper manufacturers to streamline and standardize cloth diaper washing instructions. I wash all of my daughter's Chinese prefolds, hemp contours, pocket diapers, diaper cover and microfiber inserts together along with wet bags and diaper pail liners.

Can I put them in the dryer? Can I line dry them?

Yes. Unless the manufacturer states otherwise, you can use the dryer or line dry. Natural fibers will take longer to dry on a line and may need a few minutes in the dryer to soften them up. PUL (polyurethane laminate) a common waterproofing fabric used in cloth diapers is safe in the dryer. It is meant to hold up to high heat in the medical industry. An occasional hot and steamy tumble will actually help keep PUL waterproof. Elastic from some manufacturers may not do well in the dryer. If you are drying pocket diapers, wait until they cool off before stuffing them or you will overstretch the elastic.

What about detergent?

Detergent works differently in different types of water, so a detergent that works great for someone with soft water may not work at all for someone with hard water. We have the world's hardest water, so we use Allen's Naturally and it works great.

Most detergents contain optical brighteners and enzymes and other chemicals that leave a residue on cloth diapers. Detergent residue can lead to smelly diapers and diaper rashes. You can find a list of recommended cloth diaper detergents here. Whatever detergent you use, start with about 1/4 of the recommended amount. Diapers do not need a lot of detergent and since they are super absorbent so they are more prone to detergent buildup.

What about WAHM made or natural detergents?

If they are soap based, I do not recommend them. Almost all natural soaps and detergents contain oils. Oils can build up on the fibers, leaving you with leaky diapers. I also do not recommend detergents that contain borax, as that can weaken elastic. I use and love Allen's Naturally detergent because it does not cause buildup.

I have a high-efficiency machine. Can I wash diapers?

Make sure the water load is as high as you can get it. Some people add a towel to the diaper load to help increase the weight and trick the machine into useing more water. You may need to do an additional rinse or two since these machines use very little water. High-efficiency machines need less detergent. Start with 1 Tablespoon of most detergents or just 1 teaspoon of Allen's Naturally. Adjust up or down as needed.

What about bleach? Vinegar? Baking soda? Borax? Tea tree oil?

Most manufacturers recommend avoiding any diaper-washing additives. Only one I know of recommends bleach (Mother-Ease). Bleach kills elastic and bleach residue is not good for baby's skin. Vinegar can set odors into synthetics such as microfiber. I do use a few drops tea tree oil from time to time for deodorizing/disinfecting, and I do sometimes add a bit of baking soda to my rinse cycle. Borax can ruin elastic, so I do not recommend it. Be sure that any additives you use are approved by the diaper manufacturer or you could void your warranty.

What about fabric softener?

Nope. Never. Honest, you don't want to use fabric softener. Not only do most fabric softeners contain really toxic chemicals, they coat the fabrics and make them less absorbent. Over time that can lead to leaky diapers. Fabric softener residue is a real pain to remove too.

What about poop?

If your baby is still exclusively breastfed, don't even worry about it. Just use a cold rinse to help remove poop. If baby is formula-fed or has started solids, you can shake off excess poop into the toilet. Diapers with a stay-dry lining (such as pocket diapers) will usually not have much stuck to them. They can usually go directly into the diaper pail after shaking off the solids. For natural fibers, you may want to use a fleece diaper liner or flushable diaper liner to make cleaning easier.

Finally, you can use a cloth diaper sprayer to rinse diapers directly into the toilet without having to dunk.