Cloth Diapering 101: Washing

Washing cloth diapers is really no more difficult than washing regular laundry! Here are some tips to get you started on the right track.

Prewashing

Prewash all new diapers at least once in hot water with a small amount of detergent before use. Unbleached cotton, organic, hemp, and bamboo diapers must be prewashed at least 5-10 times (for at least the first few times, they should be washed separately from your other diapers). Diapers will not be fully absorbent until prewashed adequately. 

Washing your diapers

• Before placing in pail, remove any solid poop using a diaper sprayer or flushable liner. The poop of an exclusively breastfed baby does not need to be rinsed - it will be rinsed away in the first step of washing.
• Set your machine to the maximum water level.
• Run your diapers through a cold pre-wash or rinse cycle.
• Wash diapers in hot water with 1/2 (top loader) to 1/4 (HE machine) of the recommended amount of detergent. Detergent should be free of dyes, perfumes, fabric softeners, and enzymes. We recommend Rockin' Green or The Laundry Tarts Detergent.
• If desired, run your diapers through an extra rinse to avoid detergent buildup.
• Tumble or hang dry. Hang in the sun to remove stains naturally. Many people prefer to hang their covers or empty pocket diapers to dry to extend the life of elastics, water-proof materials, and hook-and-loop closures.

Detergent and Urine Residue

Detergent or urine residue can cause your diapers to lose absorbency, cause diaper rash, and/or cause your diapers to retain an ammonia odour. If you are experiencing these problems, wash your diapers normally, then run your diapers through a few hot wash cycles without detergent, with your machine set to the highest water level. Adding a couple of squirts of Original Dawn dish liquid or Calgon Water Softener to the first detergent-free cycle will help remove residue. Continue hot wash cycles until you no longer see bubbles in the wash water.

Using a zero-residue detergent such as Rockin' Green and using lots of water will prevent residues from causing problems with your diapers.

You may also need to adjust the amount of detergent you are using. Too little detergent can result in urine residue (diapers not getting clean enough), while too much can result in detergent residue. When your diapers are clean, they should smell like nothing! If they smell like detergent or like urine, adjust the amount of detergent you use accordingly.

Storage of dirty diapers

Most cloth diapering families use the dry pail method, which involves storing dirty diapers in a waterproof diaper pail liner or hanging wet bag (which are machine washable), then just dumping the diapers into your machine on laundry day along with the laundry bag. We recommend owning two pail liners or hanging wet bags so that you have one to use while the first is in the wash. To use a pail liner, simply use a large garbage bin or hamper with a lid, line it with the diaper pail liner and you are ready to go!

When you change your baby, simply toss the used diaper into the dry pail. An exclusively breastfed baby’s poops do not need to be rinsed or removed in any way. If your baby has solid poops, shake the excess into the toilet, and then place the diaper in the pail. The washer will take care of the rest. For the "in between" stage of poops, consider using flushable diaper liners or a diaper sprayer to remove solids from the diaper before washing. Both are easy to use and you never have to touch ANY poop!

If using a diapering system with covers, the cover can be re-used until soiled, and just the flat, prefold, fitted, or soaker pad can be tossed in the pail. If you are using pocket or all-in-one diapers, remove the insert (if there is one), fasten the laundry tabs, and throw it all in the pail. If you are using a wool cover, see below for wool care tips.

Buying a wet-bag for when you go out makes taking cloth diapers along easy! A wet-bag is a waterproof bag with a zipper that you can stick in your diaper bag and use to store your dirty diapers while out. Just toss it in your pail when you get home and wash the wet-bag along with your diapers on wash day!

Laundry day

Most people wash their diapers every 2-3 days. Usually 2 dozen diapers is a good sized load, without being over-full. Too many diapers in a load may not come as clean and can cause friction and pilling of the fabrics. After a few loads you will figure out what works for you in terms of length between washes and how full to fill your machine.

Dump your diapers and the diaper pail liner/wet bag into the machine. Do a cold or warm rinse cycle before washing to avoid setting stains or smells. Then do a hot wash cycle with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of detergent you would normally use for clothing. After washing either tumble-dry or line dry. Line drying outdoors in the sunlight will save energy, plus remove stains and make your diapers look new! Try it and see for yourself! To avoid stiff diapers, set them out on the line during early morning or late afternoon hours when they will not dry as fast. Line drying your diapers will also extend their life - although everything can be thrown in the dryer together as well if you cannot line dry or just don't have time!

Many people like Rockin Green, Allen’s Naturally detergent, Original Tide, Country Save, Sunlight, other biodegradable detergents, and many others. Find what works for you!

Avoid using detergents with whitening agents as they can break down diapers and cause skin irritaion. Also avoid using baby detergents such as Ivory Snow or Dreft, and avoid ultra concentrated detergents as they can cause build-up..

If you find your diapers are holding a bad odour, try doing an extra, hot rinse cycle after washing to remove detergent build-up, which is often the cause of odours. If odours or rashes persist, consider switching to Rockin' Green Detergent which is free of residues which cause laundry issues! Visit our Smelly Diapers FAQ for more info!

Avoid using bleach on your diapers as it will eat away at the fibers of your diapers leaving holes and affecting absorbency. It also can irritate your baby's skin.

Avoid using fabric softener as it can cause your diapers to repel liquid rather than absorb. Really, when it comes to washing diapers, keep it simple! Using more than one product can lead to buildup or other laundry problems, plus it can make it hard to troubleshoot if you do have issues down the road.

Wool Care Instructions

Using and caring for wool diaper covers can seem intimidating but is quite simple in reality! Using wool has many advantages which you can read about here. Most wool covers will come with washing instructions from the retailer, however here are some general instructions for wool care.

Wool covers only need to be washed when they are soiled – wool has natural self-cleaning and anti-bacterial properties due to the lanolin it contains. If your wool cover is wet after use, just hang it to air out before using it again. If the urine smell does not fade when dry or if the cover is soiled, then it’s time for a wash. Plan to wash your covers about once a month.

Wool covers also need to be lanolized about once a month (with regular use). You can wash and lanolize at the same time. Follow these instructions, but omit the lanolin if you want to wash only.

• Rinse your wool cover in cold water if you need to remove any poop.
• Run your sink water until it is HOT.
• Plug the sink and put a small glob of Lanolin at the bottom along with a small glob of wool wash or baby shampoo. Lanolin is available in most baby stores/Walmart in the section for products for nursing moms. You can also purchase Eucalan no-rinse wool wash which replaces both products.
• Run a bit of hot water over the Lanolin and soap to melt it. Mix well.
• Fill the sink the rest of the way with lukewarm water. Add the wool, gently squeeze the water through the wool, and then let it soak for 15-20 minutes.
• Drain the water and roll the wool up in a towel to squeeze out the excess liquid. Then hang or lay flat to dry. That’s it!