How to Wash Cloth Diapers

The questions I get asked most often about cloth diapers is, “How do you wash them?”

A common misconception is that washing cloth diapers is difficult. In my years of experience, I have found the washing routine to be quite simple.

I keep my wet bag, which is a lined, waterproof bag with either a zipper or drawstring top, close to my changing stations, whether that be a towel rack, doorknob, or the side of my changing table. When I take a diaper off one of my kids, I simply secure the laundry tabs and put it in a hanging wet bag until it’s time to do the wash. [Bonus to having all-in-one diapers like Thirsties, BumGenius  or Grovia : no need to unstuff dirty diapers before the wash or restuff clean ones before each use!] Breast milk is water soluble and will come out completely in the wash. Once your child starts eating solid food, or you supplement formula, you will have to dump any solids into the toilet before putting the diaper in the wet bag.  [A diaper sprayer comes in really handy for this part!]

I have a top loader washing machine which is GREAT for cloth diapers! Many people are choosing to get high efficiency front loading machines because they don’t use as much water, but that can cause a big problem when washing cloth diapers. Not using enough water to wash and rinse diapers can cause serious residue problems (think stink, leak and rashes – YUCK!) For this reason, you need to set your machine manually to the maximum water level before washing your diapers. If you can’t figure out how to do this, then call the manufacturer and they can help you get it all figured out! Or you can always just use the wet towel trick – reduce the number of diapers per load and add a wet towel or two to trick the machine into adding more water for wash. You want to make sure that there’s enough water to thoroughly rinse out all the detergent!

My washing routine:

• cold rinse with 1/2 the amount of detergent 
• regular wash with detergent (hot wash with cold rinse)
• cold rinse without detergent
• dry on low heat in the dryer or hang outside on a clothesline  (check with your specif diaper brand to see their drying policy, using a dryer can void the warranty on some brands)  Sunlight is a great natural bleacher and will get rid of any diaper stains!

It’s important to not use a sanitize cycle on any diapers that have Aplix enclosures or elastic. You also need to remember to use only a fraction of the detergent that you would use in your normal wash and choose a detergent that doesn’t have any of the following additives, as they can create residue problems:

• fabric softeners
• natural oils
• perfumes
• dyes
• uv brughteners
• stain guard ingredients
• enzymes (they will not affect the cloth diaper performance, but may cause rashes on some babies’ skin)

I use Allens or Selestial Soap - Soft Bottoms for my cloth diapers (and my clothes too!). Both great detergents, and are made in Michigan! [I love supporting local businesses!] 

If you have any questions about washing cloth diapers, please e-mail me at Marissa (at) EcoBuns (dot) com