Caring For Your Cloth

You've done all the research on different types of cloth diapers. You've spent your hard earned money to buy the ones you want. Now the question is...how do I care for my cloth? Let's face it, while cloth saves you money in the long run, it's a big investment up front. That can make washing it a scary proposition for the uninitiated.

Luckily, cloth diapers are as easy to care for as any load of laundry. Most diapers, covers, cloth wipes, and even pail liners and wet bags can be thrown into the washer together with no problem. Good cloth diapers are made from fabrics that are able to take a bit of a beating. Otherwise, what would be the point;)!

In the day-to-day care for diapers, you should keep soiled ones in a dry diaper pail. Wet pails are not only unnecessary, unwieldy, and a bit on the gross side, but more importantly a drowning hazard for small children. Poop from babies that are exclusively breastfed is water soluble. This means you don't really need to do any toilet rinsing, just throw the dirty diaper in the dry pail. Once your baby starts on solids, you'll want to get rid of the formed stool. You can use the toilet dunking method, a mini shower type toilet attachment, or disposable liners to do this. A diaper pail liner or two is a nice extra, as well. When it comes time to put the diapers into the washer, you can just pull out the liner and all. Then push the diapers out of the liner until it is inside-out. Throw the liner in the washer with the diapers and wipes, and you are ready to wash.

Most diapers can be washed in your preference of hot, warm, or even cold water. I prefer a hot wash with a cold pre-rinse for my diapers. The pre-rinse gets rid of the bulk of the mess, allowing for a more efficient wash after. The detergent you use with your cloth diapers is probably the single most important thing about caring for them. You need to make sure that your detergent is free of dyes, perfumes, fabric softeners, and actual soap. These things will leave a buildup on your diapers that will actually repel urine, rather than absorb it. This will lead to leaks. Also keep in mind to use ¼ - ½ the recommended amount of detergent.  I do an extra rinse to get rid of any residual detergent, but this isn't strictly necessary. Follow this with a spin in the dryer or some time out on the clothes line (this has the double bonus of saving energy and sun-bleaching stains!) and your diapers are ready to go another round.  Also be sure to avoid diaper creams made with lanolin, fish oil, mineral oils, and petroleum products, as they can repel urine as well.

As far as the initial care for new diapers, bamboo, pockets, and all-in-ones are the easiest. Just wash once before wearing and you are good to go. For your cotton and hemp diapers, especially prefolds, you need to wash and dry them at least three times in hot water with ¼ detergent before use. That's wash/dry, wash/dry, wash/dry. This strips the cloth fibers of their oils, making them able to absorb urine. If you are using unbleached cotton, then add at least one more wash/dry cycle. These diapers haven't gone through the bleaching process, which strips some of the oil away. To see if your diapers are ready for use and eliminate the possibility of a wet lap, pour a cup of water on a diaper to see if it absorbs it quickly. If it does, you're ready to go. If not, try another wash/dry cycle or two. Remember, too, that washing cloth diapers can be a bit of trial and error, depending on your water type. Also be sure to always follow the manufacturer's care instructions so you don't void any warranty they may offer.

So, as you can see, with a little knowledge you can easily keep your cloth diapers working well and in great condition through all of your children. Here are links to the manufacturer's care pages of some of the brands we carry at Denver Diaper Co. Feel free to Contact Us! with any questions.

Bumgenius

Bummis

Cloth for Your Angel (CYA)

Diaperaps

DryBees

Play All Day

Rumparooz

Stacinator

Thirsties

Need help finding a detergent?  Checkout Diaper Jungle's Detergent Guide!

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