Preparing your Cloth Diapers for use
Diapers - Pre-wash your cloth diapers before use. Wash your diaper in hot water with ¼-½ the manufactured recommended amount of detergent.
Hemp Inserts/diapers - Hemp inserts & diapers arrive to you full of the natural oils present in the plant. These oils can cause your inserts to repel liquid so they must be "primed" before use. Wash all hemp inserts separate from any other diapering items. Wash and dry them 3 times on hot with ¼- ½ the manufacturer’s recommend amount of detergent. Hemp can take up to 8 washings to be fully absorbent. After your hemp has been fully primed you may wash it with all of your diapering products.
Microfiber Inserts - Microfiber inserts should be pre-washed on hot with ¼-½ the manufacturer’s recommended amount of detergent.
Storing your Dirty Diapers
The "wet pail" method has been shown to be a drowning hazard for young children so we only use and recommend the "dry pail” method. All you need is a trash can, diaper pail or wet bag or a combination. We use a Wahmies wetbag inside of a diaper pail. Simply dump any solid poop into the toilet and throw in the diaper pail where they will wait until wash day! Using a diaper sprayer attached to the commode can help spray any stuck on poop off the toilet. Remember that breastfed poops don’t need to come off the diaper. They are extremely water soluble and will wash right off in the washer.
Washing your Diapers
Washing cloth diapers is very easy!
- First, fold back any laundry tabs. This ensures that you won’t find the dreaded "diaper chain" after you wash your diapers.
Pull out the inserts of any pocket diapers. -
Throw it all in the washing machine! (we just ‘dump’ our drypail into the washer. Choose the water level that will completely cover all your diapers and use ¼-½ the manufacturer’s recommended amount of detergent. Wash on hot. You can use a second rinse to ensure all of the detergent is rinsed out.
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Dry your diapers in the dryer or outside on a clothesline.
Tips
· Avoid using "Free and Clear", baby detergent or cold processed (natural) soap based laundry detergents. These can leave a residue that builds up over time causing stinky dipes!
· If your diapers get a stain, simply lay them out in the sun, and the sun will bleach away your stains naturally!
· You can add a downy ball of vinegar to the wash if the diapers have a heavy urine scent. I recommend a downy ball because it releases the vinegar at the right time - no need to wait by the machine.
· Never use fabric softener of any kind on cloth diapers. Liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets both leave a waxy residue, which causes fleece to repel urine and decreases the absorbency of other diapers.
· Diaper rash creams can also cause repelling. For best results use a liner.
Stripping Diapers:
Build up refers to residue left by detergents, fabric softeners, and other substances used to clean diapers. In rare instances, baking soda will react with certain minerals in water and also cause build up. If you notice a decrease in the absorbency of your diapers, build up may be the culprit.
Stripping is the process of removing residue from your diapers. To strip diapers:
· Hand wash your diaper with regular dish soap to remove any oils.
· Put a small amount of dish soap on the fleece layer.
· Rub vigorously or use a medium bristle scrubbing brush to scrub the fleece.
· Turn pocket diapers inside out and repeat.
· Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.
You may use this method at any time you notice repelling or as a preventative measure once a week. If you are still having problems, try these special cleaning agents to strip your diapers:
· 2 scoops of Oxyclean in a very hot wash
· 1 pouch of RLR in a hot wash.
*Also remember there are no hard and fast rules for cloth diaper washing. What might work for you may not work for others. The water in your area plays an important role in diaper/laundry washing.
