Diaper Washing Routines

Washing diapers can be easy.....it can also get complicated. Especially with the more expensive diapers and front loading washing machines. More expensive diapers are made from various fabrics, such as bamboo, hemp, microfiber and these may be blended with cotton and/or polyester fibers. In my opinion these fabrics are harder to keep clean than 100% cotton. Below is my normal washing routine that works very well for my 100% cotton prefold diapers.

First rinse/spray off all solid waste into toilet.

Cold Rinse: to remove urine and any lingering solid waste.
Very Hot Wash: With cloth diaper recommended detergent. I have used Allens Naturally, Bio-kleen liquid and Country Save with good results on cotton diapers. (more on detergents to come). Make sure the water is at least 120 degrees. I have to turn off my cold water to the washer to achieve this.
Cold Rinse
Extra Cold Rinse to remove any lingering detergent.

This routine works well for 100% cotton diapers and those who use a top loading washing machine. Top loaders (not the newer energy efficient washers) make cloth diaper washing easier because they use plenty of water. Diapers need to have plenty of water to "swoosh" around in, in order for them to become clean. Variables like microfiber diapers and front loading washers will change the wash routine somewhat.

Diapers made with fabrics other than cotton, i.e. microfiber inserts that come with pocket diapers, are harder to wash in my opinion. Synthetic fibers tend to "hold on to" detergents and seem harder to rinse clean. Over time the inserts will stink like ammonia when the baby urinates. These inserts then need to be "stripped" or sent through several hot wash cycles with no detergent to remove build up. There are various methods and opinions on stripping diapers, but I think using plain very hot water works well. The inserts made of microfiber may also need to be bleached occasionally to remove smell that doesn't improve with hot water washes.

Each diaper manufacturer has there own specific recommendations for washing there particular diapers. If you plan to use pocket diapers with microfiber inserts, like Bum Genius, Fuzzi Bunz, Knickernappies or others.....consult the specific brand website for instructions on washing. I have used Fuzzi Bunz diapers with great success, but I do not use the microfiber inserts that come with them, I use plain cotton prefolds as inserts. I personally have had problems with Bum Genius pocket diapers. I found the suede cloth very hard to keep clean. My diapers started to repel urine (urine just ran off the diaper instead of soaking in). I contacted Bum Genius (http://www.cottonbabies.com/) and they suggested that it was my detergent (I was using Bio-kleen liquid at the time) that was causing the problem. They have specific detergent that they recommend for there brand. I switched detergents and still had a problem. They replaced the diaper that was giving me problems (very good customer service). I have since removed most pocket diapers and synthetics from my daughters stash. I do have some cotton diapers that have a blend of polyester in them. I have had problems with these diapers as well. It seems that any amount of polyester in the diaper can cause problems with smell. That being said I did love my newborn size Kissaluv diapers. These are a cotton/poly blend. When in the newborn stage, washing tends to be easier because the baby's urine is not very concentrated, they are being changed more frequently and washing usually takes place more often. I have found that presoaking the diapers and washing smaller loads more frequently really helps to eliminate stinky diapers. I also suggest keeping your diaper pail open to some air. This will eliminate the overpowering ammonia smell that is caused if dirty diapers are left in an airtight pail.

For more information on washing cloth diapers check out these links:

Bum Genius: http://www.bumgenius.com/help.php
Fuzzi Bunz: http://www.fuzzibunz.com/care_and_use.php
http://www.fuzzibunz.com/faq.php
Detergent comparison chart: http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html Remember your choice of detergent depends on your type of water (hard, soft) what is available to you and your baby (babies can be allergic to various ingredients found in mainstream detergents, such as colors, perfumes, enzymes etc...) This detergent chart is just for your information.

In general it is good to choose a detergent that is free of pure soap (like Dreft), dyes, fragrances, brighteners, softeners, and bleach. Enzymes do help with cleaning, (they "eat" organic matter) but some babies are very allergic to them. So I would recommend a detergent that is free of enzymes as well. If your baby gets a bright red rash after being in a wet diaper, switch to an enzyme free detergent. One additive that I do recommend is some type of oxygen bleach (like Oxo-brite which is found at Trader Joes or Oxy clean free). This helps to whiten the diapers and also disinfect them. Regular laundry detergent cleans but doesn't disinfect. This can be used with each wash in a lesser amount than recommended on the package, or you can use it occassionally. One more important thought that I want to include is: use the sun, when possible, to dry your diapers. Not only is the sun a natural way to disinfect your diapers, but it is also great at removing stains. Hang your wet diapers outside (even if its cold) on a sunny day and you will be amazed at its stain removing power.

I hope these thoughts well you with your adventures in washing diaper laundry. Let me know if you have any questions.