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Cloth Diaper Wash & Care
So you've
learned about all the different options when it comes to clothing diapering,
now you need to know how to wash and take care of them. Here are a few
things to keep in mind.
Wash before the first use:
I know you're excited to try out your new cloth diapers, but it is usually
recommended to wash and dry them first before putting them on your little
bundle of joy. This ensures that they are clean from the manufacturing
process and that any little pin holes are sealed in the PUL layer from the sewing of the diaper.
Hemp:
If you are using any hemp diapers,
inserts, or prefolds, they usually are not pre-washed and should be washed
separately from any other diapers and inserts. Hemp fabric contains
natural oils that need to be stripped and may cause problems with your other
diapers, inserts, etc. if you wash them together. For the initial wash,
use lots of hot water and a small amount of detergent. A squirt of dish
soap is also a popular way to get the oils out. After the first wash,
just use hot water and no detergent. It is best to wash hemp 4-5 times before
the first use. It will continue to become more absorbent after each
washing. It is not necessary to separate hemp products after the initial
washing cycles.
Cotton Prefolds:
Cotton prefolds will shrink or "quilt up" the first several times
you wash them. They will continue to become softer and more absorbent
with the next few washes.
Diaper Pail:
I think the majority of people who cloth diaper these days are using a dry
pail for storing the used diapers until laundry day. I just use a regular
diaper pail like you would buy at Wal-Mart and a cloth diaper pail liner.
You could also use a large trash can. Just
toss in the used diapers, then on laundry day, simply pull out the pail liner,
dump the dirty diapers in the washing machine and then toss in the pail liner
too!
Wet diapers can just be tossed in the diaper pail. Shake the contents of
a soiled diaper into the toilet before tossing into the diaper pail. A
diaper sprayer can be handy in removing the contents of a soiled diaper if they
do not just "roll" into the toilet.
Detergents:
Probably the most important decision you will make about the care of your cloth
diapers is the detergent. It is best to use a detergent that has no
whiteners, brighteners, enzymes, phosphates, dyes, fragrances, or softeners. It is hard to find detergents without any of
these things at your local stores, but the most important thing to avoid is a
detergent with softeners because they will cause your diapers to be less
absorbent and will cause pocket diapers to repel.
Some
popular choices are Allen’s Naturally, Astra, Country Save, Mountain Green, Oxy
Prime, Planet Ultra, Publix Free & Clear, Purex Free & Clear, Sam’s
Glacier, SensiClean, Sun Free, & Whisk Free & Clear. Generally, the store brand detergents have
less additives in them so they are a popular choice by many cloth diapering
moms.
Washing:
It is
probably best not to go longer than two days before washing cloth diapers. My routine is to dump the dirty diapers into
the washing machine along with the cloth pail liner and do a cold rinse with
just a tiny bit of detergent. Make sure
the water level is on the largest load setting.
Using a water level that is too low may lead to stains… I found this out
the hard way.
I prefer
to wash and rinse on Warm for a cycle with 1/4 to 1/2 the recommended detergent and a scoop or two of Oxy Boost,
then I rinse with just hot water until I don’t see any suds in the water. Rinsing with Hot water seems to keep my
diapers from getting any build up.
Sometimes I dry them in the dryer and sometimes I hang them to dry. Do NOT use dryer sheets when drying diapers
for the same reason you don’t want softeners in your detergent. In my experience, diapers that are hung to
dry will look nicer longer, but it is a good idea to dry them in the dryer
occasionally to refresh the PUL and Hook & Loop (if that’s the type of
closure your diapers have).
The
routine that you decide to use will ultimately depend on how hard or soft your
water is. You may need to experiment
with using Baking Soda in the wash or Vinegar in the rinse. I would caution you to also go by the
manufacturer’s recommendations as Baking Soda and Vinegar can be hard on PUL.
Whatever
you decide to use, just keep with it until you find what works for you and your
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