“You cloth diaper? Isn’t that disgusting?” Nine times out of ten, that seems to be the response I hear when I tell people that we cloth diaper. Once I explain that cloth diapers have come a long way in terms of absorbency, cuteness, and ease of use, the parents usually ask to see the diapers. The biggest question always remains: “how do you clean them?”. The following are tips on how to best clean cloth diapers.
1.Every 2-3 hours during daytime, the diaper should be changed.
2.Use paper towels to “scrape” out the bowel movement and place it into a used grocery bag to throw outside immediately (this saves money rather than buying special bags). (Most of the poop is on the wipe used on our child anyways!) You can also use a special sprayer that attaches to your toilet to wash the bowel movement into the toilet and flush.
3.Purchase a special wet bag that zips up to put any dirty diapers in. This bag will generally hold in any odor for the day.
4.Wash your diapers every night or morning. Many people wash every other day, but I have found daily to be much cleaner and less chance of staining.
5.Wash using a free & clear detergent following directions by cloth company for a small amount so that the absorbency isn’t affected negatively. (I use 1/4 of the typical amount for one load).
6.Wash in cold water always first (hot sets stains more), then I do the longest wash on warm/warm.
7.Bleach once a month, follow directions listed by diaper company. I use 1/4/-1/2 cup, depending on the amount of diapers, in the 2nd hot cycle.
8.To reduce stains, air dry in the sun every day. I hang mine on a clothesline, but laying them on the grass works as well.
9.Put a clothesline in your house for air drying-fresh air always helps with smell-in your laundry room or if you have a stove of some sort in that room.
10.If it’s a rainy day, the dryer will work (if your diapers are dryer friendly). I tend not to do this unless needed, and I always add a free and clear dryer sheet (as the heat locks smell into dryers).
Finally, a special “wetbag” as mentioned is to be purchased for traveling. I keep a wetbag with wipes in it. The entire dirty diaper goes into the wetbag until we get home, then everything gets washed at night! For one child, I recommend having 16-20 diapers if you plan to wash on a daily basis, which is planning for about 8 changes a day. I hope this tips prove useful to those on the cloth diapering adventure!