How Do I Wash My Cloth Diapers?

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You finally decided what diapers you want and your cute pile of fluff is sitting there staring at you, now what? The thought of figuring out a wash routine can seem daunting. I remember with my first baby I was so nervous that I was going to wash my diapers the wrong way and they would be ruined. There is no one size fits all for wash routines, you may have to make some adjustments along the way but after a little trial and error, you will find a routine that works for you.

If your diapers are new you will need to wash them before the first use, most companies will tell you how many times you need to wash your diapers in order for the diapers to reach their maximum absorbency. Some diapers and inserts need to be washed up to 10 times before they are at their maximum absorbency! You do not have to wash your diapers 10 times before you use them, I usually just wash once or twice before I use mine.

If you bought preloved diapers you will need to strip and sanitize them, We will go over stripping and sanitizing your diapers in another post. There are tons of cloth diaper Facebook groups that have lots of great info on stripping your diapers.

What Do I Do With The Poop?

I think this is what makes parents hesitant about cloth diapering. Yes, it is gross and not glamorous at all, but kids are messy. Cleaning baby poop off of a diaper is one of the easier messes you will have to clean up during your journey through parenthood. There will be a day when you will catch your child's vomit with your hands just to keep it from getting on the carpet. I know that all you new parents are thinking I would never do that...You will, it is a rite of passage.

If your baby is exclusively breastfed you don’t need to do anything special with your diapers, just throw them in the wash as is.

If your baby is formula fed or once they start solids you will need to clean off the diaper before being washed. There are lots of ways to deal with cleaning poop off your diapers:

1. If you are able you can just plop the poop into the toilet, this may be hard to do if your baby’s stool is not firm.

2. Spray off your diapers into the toilet with an attachment like this. They also make shields that you clip your diaper on so you do not splash dirty water everywhere.

3. Use disposable liners. Just place a liner in the diaper before placing it on your baby, you can just throw the poop and liner away when it is time to change your baby’s diaper.

4. I keep a bucket in my bathroom and use my detachable shower head to spray off the diaper and then dispose of the dirty water in my toilet.

What Detergent Do You Use For Cloth Diapers

Many families use Tide powder, which I use, and I have had no problems with build-up or stink. Natural detergents usually do not have the enzymes needed to break down human waste, so make sure to keep that in mind when picking out a detergent. A lot of families use Tide free and clear for babies with sensitive skin, but I have heard from a few people that they have changed their formula and it is not working as well. Fluff love University has a great detergent chart and lots of other useful articles about cleaning your diapers. If you have hard water you may need to add a softener like Calgon.

Washing Your Cloth Diapers

You have successfully used cloth diapers for a few days (yay) and now you are standing in front of your washing machine with a wetbag full of dirty diapers contemplating all your life choices that led you to this moment. Don't panic, washing your diapers is easier than you think, I will walk you through the process.

Disclaimer- I am not a wash expert! Everyone must do a few things when washing diapers, but a lot of it depends on your water hardness and washing machine. Fluff Love University has a lot of great info on cleaning your diapers and I highly recommend checking them out.

Prewash

No matter what your water hardness is or what detergent you use, you have to do a prewash! The prewash removes excess soiling from your diapers so that the water in your main wash is not dirty.

You will want to do a short cycle for your prewash. Most washers have a speed or quick wash, you want your wash to be about 30-45 Minutes. There is a debate on if you should use hot or cold water. I have used both and have not noticed a difference, again this is a preference thing, find what works best for you and go with it. Make sure your soil level and spin speed are up as high as they will go. I use a small amount of detergent in my prewash, I fill the detergent to line 1 for my Tide powder.

Main Wash

This is the cycle that will deep clean your diapers. You want the water to be hot for this cycle. I have a top loading HE machine, so I make sure I remove my diapers from the sides of the drum. If you have an HE machine and do not have an agitator you will need to add extra bulk to your main wash, you will want to add smaller items like baby clothes or kitchen towels. You want your machine ⅔-¾ full. You will want to pick the longest cycle like heavy duty or power wash. Always pick the highest soil level and spin speed, I have a deep clean option on my machine and I select that as well. For my main wash detergent, I add a little less than the full recommended amount, some will add the full recommended amount, but this works for me so I have just stuck with it.

Drying Your Diapers

You can hang your diapers to dry or use your dryer. During the summer I put my diaper out on my clothesline. Putting your diapers out in the sun will help get rid of stains. If you want to use your dryer, do not dry anything with PUL on high heat. If you are drying diapers with PUL in the dryer just select the lowest heat setting. If using the dryer I will do one round of low heat, then remove all my diapers with PUL and finish drying my inserts on high heat.

A Few Things To Remember

-Do not use vinegar, this can damage your PUL

- Do not use fabric softeners or dryer sheets, this can leave build-up on your diapers. Wool dryer balls are a great alternative to dryer sheets.

- If you have hard water I encourage you to check out this article from Fluff Love University, they also explain how to test your water.

- Most importantly do not overcomplicate or stress over your wash routine! Many generations before us have successfully used cloth without complicated routines and wash worksheets. If you find that your current routine is not working for you make some adjustments or see if you can find another family that has the same washer and ask what their routine is. Before you know it you will have a routine down and washing diapers will be one of the easier things you encounter during parenthood!

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