by Thriving Mama

Created on: July 23, 2009

Purchasing cloth diapers for your child is an investment of money. To properly care for your diapers is an investment in time. First and foremost it is very important to follow the directions provided by the manufacturer for your specific diapers. Any tips provided in this article or by other cloth diaper user that contradict your manufacturer's instructions should be disregarded. There are as many methods for laundering cloth diapers as there are cloth diapered babies, but here are a few tips that are effective no matter which method you choose.

Rinse & Rinse Again

The first tip for the cloth diapering launderer is to rinse and rinse again. Whether you are storing your dirty diapers in a wet or dry pail, it is very important to rinse the soiled diaper as soon as comes off your child and your child is out-fitted with a new diaper. The purpose of this first rinse is to loosen and remove most solid waste and will rinse away an initial amount of urine from the fabric. This will minimize pail odors and the need for stripping diapers later due to odor buildup. The second rinse, you leave up to your washing machine. Once your pail is full and it's time to wash diapers, start with a 3-minute, or shortest wash cycle, cold wash/cold rinse cycle on your washer without any detergent. This will loosen and remove a lot of the soil from your diapers.

Soak & Sun

The next cycle in the washer will sanitize and further clean your diapers. Set your washer for the longest wash cycle, usually 15 minutes, and hot water wash. Use 1/4-1/2 of the recommended detergent for your load. If you've had problems with staining or wish to pre-empt stains, consider adding 1-2 tablespoons of an oxygen based whitener, like baby OxyClean. Allow the wash cycle to run and then let your diapers soak 1-3 hours. Most washers without a soak option will stop the cycle after the agitation if you leave your lid up. Once your diapers are done soaking, switch to a warm rinse, close the lid and allow the cycle to finish. Diapers that are still showing signs of stains, would do well to spend some time outside in the sun. As is evidenced by the lightening of our hair when we spend a lot of time outdoors, the sun has natural bleaching properties and does a beautiful job on our little one's diapers.

Ditch the Dryer

The life of your diapers can be increased if diapers are air-dried on a drying rack or outdoor clothes line. While some diaper covers do need to go through a hot dryer cycle occasionally to reestablish their waterproof properties, most diapering supplies will do better air-dried. If you find that air-drying your diapers make them a bit stiff, simply put them in the dryer for a quick, five minute, fluff cycle and the stiffens will soften right up.

Finally, it is important to never use fabric softeners or dryer sheets on your cloth diapers as it can reduce their absorbency and cause leaks. Clean diapers, happy baby and better for the environment. Who could ask for more?

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