Wash with only ¼ or ½ of the recommended amount of washing powder. Do not use fabric conditioner as it will reduce the absorbency of the diapers, in place of this you can use ½ cup of white vinegar (natural antiseptic/antibacterial and actually soften the diapers if added during rinse cycle) and 2-3 drops of tea tree oil (natural antibacterial/antifungal).
Every so often it’s a good idea to do a final extra rinse, this gets rid of any excess detergent from the diapers.
***Remember to fold up Velcro/ Aplix tabs before washing to reduce damage to the diapers and other laundry as well as prevent diapers entanglement***
Don’t…
- Don't use bleach.
- Don't use fabric conditioner (it will reduce their absorbency and causes leaks).
- Don't regularly use chemical sanitiser, it is not necessary.
- Don't use diaper sanitiser or high temperature washing/drying with your wraps.
How do I deal with stains etc?
There are a number of ways to deal with stubborn stains or smells, Drying your diapers in the sunshine is great to 'bleach' out stains and it will also help with smells too, also the most 'green' way to do it. It even works with indoors sun (i.e. leave on a window sill). You could try using a little pre-wash stain remover before you wash the diapers. You could also try soaking or rinsing your diapers in water with a dessertspoon full of bicarbonate of soda. However, if this does not shift the most stubborn stains or smells you could try the occasional soak in a diaper sanitiser such as Nappy Fresh. It does contain a bleaching agent (though non chlorine-based) and is very effective for the most stubborn smells.
Drying
It’s as easy as hanging your diapers on the line with the sunshine acting as a natural whitener/ bleacher & brightener OR throwing them all in the dryer OR inside on a clothes drying rack (make sure they get a lot of air circulation though). Line drying your nappies will prolong their life and is much better for the environment.
Washing Examples:
If you have approximately 12 cloth diapers you will need to wash every day. An example: 6 for the day and 6 spare for the next day. If you have approximately 18-24 diapers (most common & easiest choice) you can wash every 2 or 3 days. Example: 6 for the day, 12 in the wash & 6 spare.
The ‘Ammonia’ Issue
Ammonia is a natural breakdown product of urine but it should not form on a diaper in such a short time as overnight. If this happens it is likely to be because there is something left in the fibres of the diaper causing the urine to break down too quickly i.e. washing powder or stale urine, or bacteria. Babies can be sensitive to ammonia and it may slightly burn the skin. To stop this from happening make sure your diapers are really clean and well rinsed.
Either soak in a chemical diapers sanitiser like Nappy Fresh (according to directions) or wash on hot (90 degrees) or simply soak them in hot water if your diapers will take it. Then wash on a cold/warm cycle without any detergent. And finally rinse until they are suds free.
This should get your diaper really clean and prevent ammonia forming. To prevent this happening again make sure you do not overload your machine and that it is rinsing properly, and that you are not using too much detergent. Also do an extra rinse cycle every few washes to prevent an excess of detergent building up.
This method is popularly known also as the ‘Stripping’ method and is useful to prevent
leaks in the diapers due to powder residual build up.
If you are getting a pre loved, or gently used diapers, I strongly recommend you use this method also for hygienic reason.
Diaper/ Nappy Rash
Whatever diapers you use, (cloth or disposable) most babies are likely to get nappy rash if they are not changed frequent enough. It’s a good idea to wash your diapers (but not wraps) on a 90ºC cycle if your child has persistent nappy rash or thrush until a few days after it has cleared up. Alternatively use the method above to make sure that no microbes or excess detergent is left in the diapers.
Remember to use ONLY diaper friendly rash cream if you need to.
Caring for Wraps
You can use your wraps several times unless they become soiled, this is why you only need approximately 4 wraps to every 15 diapers, and you may find that a hand wash and hang dry will be sufficient to clean them some of the time, especially if only wet. Hang drying will also prolong the life of the wrap.
Although it is just as easy to include your wraps in with your diapers, do not soak them, it is not necessary and may damage them.
All the best with your cloth diapering journey and do contact me should you require further assistance on wash and care of your cloth diapers!
