The Basics - Wash Routines

So after the “Why would you ever put yourself through that?” question, most cloth diapering moms usually get, “Ewww, are you going to put poopy diapers in your washing machine???” The answer is, yes, I put diapers in my washing machine. Yes, you can put poopy diapers from breastfed babies directly in the washer without rinsing, it’s water soluble. Washing diapers is really not that difficult – and this from someone who HATES laundry.
There is a lot of talk in the cloth diaper world about the best way to wash cloth diapers. If you read from just a few sources, you are bound to get conflicting information. All I can share is what works for us and what else I have pieced together from various conversations with other cloth diapering mamas. I will discuss diaper spraying and storage of soiled diapers in future posts. Also, wool diapers have a completely different set of washing instructions that I will consider addressing another time.

1. KEEP IT SIMPLE! – Soak, pre-wash, rinse, add detergent, double wash, extra 3 rinses, strip and rinse again. Who can maintain a wash routine like this?? I sure can’t. My advice is start with the most basic routine you can come up with and if you have problems, then change it up. My routine is: Rinse on cold, “Baby Wear” cycle (long hot wash/cold rinse), extra cold rinse. That’s it. On my washer, the cycle takes about 2 hours. Then we hang covers to dry on a drying rack and throw the inserts and prefolds in the dryer. Piece. Of. Cake.
2. Use a cloth diaper safe detergent. It doesn’t have to be a special cloth diaper detergent, but should be safe to use on cloth diapers. In general, you want it to be free from anything that could cause skin irritation such as dyes, fragrances, enzymes and optical brighteners. There is actually some debate about this and many people report that the "safe" detergents don't clean well enough. Some cloth diaper companies actually recommend original tide. The rule of thumb is, if it is working for you, GREAT!
3. Hot washes, cold rinses. When you wash with detergent, you want a nice hot wash. Not extra hot, just hot. It will clean and sanitize the diapers (don’t use the sanitary cycle if you are washing PUL shells or covers, it’s too hot), but won’t damage the diaper. Rinses should be cold or warm, never hot.
4. Go easy on the detergent. Use about half the recommended amount for your machine unless you are using a detergent specifically designed for cloth diapers (which is totally unnecessary and expensive). HE machines use small amounts to begin with, but you still want to use about half what you would on clothes.
5. Bubbles are bad. If you still see soap bubbles at the end of your rinse cycle, you need another rinse cycle. The diapers get wet and sit next to the baby’s skin, you don’t want left over soap in the diaper causing irritation. It will also build up in the diapers and inserts over time and make them less absorbent.
6. Make adjustments. If you are having lots of staining or poop smells stick around after the wash, up the amount of detergent (a little). If you smell ammonia after washing, decrease the detergent. If you have hard water, you should use a hard-water formula detergent or Calgon Water Softener.
7. Stains be gone! Babies poop in their diapers (shocking I know) and occasionally there will be stains. An easy way to get the stains out is to “sun” the diapers by putting them in direct sunlight to dry. This can be done outside on a line, through a window and even on cloudy days. Want to do something to be really really sure, spray on a little lemon juice.
8. Drying options. Like I said, I hang dry just about anything with PUL and machine dry inserts and prefolds. Occasionally, I will throw all the covers in the dryer to soften everything up a little.
9. NO SOFTENERS! Don’t use fabric softener. Don’t use detergent with fabric softener in it. Don’t use dryer sheets. Don’t use the liquid softener. Don’t even use it on your clothes. There are two reasons for this. First, fabric softener, however good it smells, breaks down fabric. That’s why they are soft. The second reason is that the coating that it puts on fabric causes them to repel water, something you really don’t want your diapers to do. You can use dryer balls, and I recommend you do. If you are dying to have that fresh from the dryer smell, use wool dryer balls with scents added.
10. Strip when necessary, but only when necessary. “Stripping” diapers is doing something to strip any build up of detergent or anything that may have gotten on the diapers causing them to repel. Three common methods are washing with RLR Laundry Treatment, running them through 4-5 hot wash cycles with no detergent or washing with a tiny bit of blue Dawn dish soap. If you choose to wash with Dawn or RLR, make sure you do several extra rinses and that there are no soap bubbles left. It shouldn’t be necessary to do this very often. In cloth diapering forums, I see a lot of people jumping right to stripping if there is any hint of a problem. Try to solve the problem without stripping first as it does put more wear and tear on your diapers.

The Different Types of Cloth Diaper

Back in the not so distant past, cloth diapers were the norm, not the exception. Also in the not so distant past, the only option for cloth diapering was a prefold or flat diaper fastened with pins and a waterproof cover.Today, there are many options and moms new to cloth diapering get easily overwhelmed by the choices. Since I began cloth diapering and love it, I also love to help moms get started and sort through all the info.  Today I will focus on the different types of diapers and the pros and cons of each.

Covers Needed

• Prefolds – When people think of cloth diapers, they usually think of prefolds and plastic pants. These are the “old” style diapers that are sewn into three sections with the middle section being thicker with more layers. Prefolds are usually made from cotton or hemp, have a quilted look when they are prepped for use and are extremely absorbent. They can be folded several different ways depending on the shape of the baby. While pins were the standard fastener of the old days, a snappi is the more popular choice today. Prefolds do take some practice using and finding the right fold for you, but are very inexpensive. Some areas still offer diaper services for prefolds, allowing you to not worry about the laundry (although, they are some of the easiest diapers to launder).

• Flats – They work the same as prefolds in function, but instead of being sewn into sections, they are the same thickness throughout. Flats are also very inexpensive and can be a real space saver in the diaper bag.  They tend to be less bulky than prefolds.
• Fitted – Fitted diapers are shaped like a diaper already – no folding necessary. The entire diaper is absorbent, so they can hold a lot. They can even be worn for shorter periods of time with no cover, allowing the diaper area to breathe a little. Because they often have elastic at the legs, it is easier to get a good fit without leaks. The problems that may arise with fitteds are that the moisture does stay close to the skin, possibly causing irritation and they can develop stink problems over time if not washed properly.
• Hybrid/Ai2 – Hybrids or all-in-2 diapers are rapidly gaining popularity.  They use 2 parts – a cover and an insert. The appeal of the hybrid is that it has a cover that can be reused until soiled, cutting down on cost and volume of laundry. Many hybrids also have a disposable insert option that makes the transition to cloth less scary for those that are used to disposables. The cloth inserts are fairly inexpensive, making them a potentially money saving alternative to pricier all-in-ones or pockets. They also can be very trim under clothes and take up little space in the diaper bag. However, the disposable option does take away most of the benefits of using cloth: the health benefits of cloth next to baby’s skin, the cost and the environmental impact. Some people have reported that the flushable inserts tend to clog toilets and septic tanks. Another aspect about them that some people dislike is the fact that most of the covers have the PUL (the waterproof coating on the fabric) exposed to the baby’s skin. In general, people either really love the hybrids, or really hate them.






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• Covers -Just in case you have no idea what a cover is, it is a waterproof shell that a baby wears over the actual diaper. They come as simple as the old plastic pants of the 1970′s or as fancy as designer wear.

No Covers Needed

• All-in-one – All-in-ones, abbreviated aio, are just what they sound like, a diaper that is one piece. They go on exactly like a disposable and are a very easy option for daycare and those skeptical of cloth diapers in general. They consist of a shell much like any other cover, a cloth inner liner and an absorbent soaker. The main complaint about aio’s has been the long drying time that results from so many layers. However, many of the new designs attempt to solve that problem by having the soakers unsnap or fold out for faster drying.  They are usually the most expensive option in cloth diapering and do create more laundry than 2 part diapers.
• Pockets – Probably the most commonly used diaper today is the pocket diaper. Like aio, they go on in one piece just like a disposable, making ease of use one of the major benefits. The difference is that the soaker is an insert that needs to be taken out of the pocket between the lining and the outer shell and re-stuffed before wearing. There are endless options of cute prints available as well and many different brands and styles, making it almost impossible to not find one that works. You can also stuff with different kinds of inserts or multiple inserts to customize the absorbency for your needs. They vary greatly in price – from about $5-$25 each. The common complaints about pockets are that it can get annoying having to stuff them after each wash and that you do need to change the entire diaper at each diaper change leading to more laundry.
• Wool – Wool diapers have been used for centuries. They absorb very high volumes of liquid and do not require frequent washing (only when soiled). The fact that they are made of a natural fiber makes them very breathable, warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Diapers can come in the form of leggings, skirts, or other bottoms, making bulky diapers a non-issue. Sweaters can be re-purposed or “upcycled” into diapers. They can also be used as a diaper cover over a fitted. Wool does have a very different care cycle than other diapers. The diapers do occasionally need to be lanolized to prevent itch and maintain the waterproof quality the wool naturally has. Some babies may be sensitive to it and it can be quite expensive compared to other options.

My Cloth Diaper Journey Part 1 ~ Why!!??

I'm probably not what you picture when you picture a cloth diaper mom. I'm not "green" or "crunchy." I don't save bottles and cans for recycling and my family vehicle is an 8 seat SUV. I'm not a stay - at - home mom and have no intention of homeschooling. My kids are fully vaccinated. I did want an unmediated birth, but was induced twice. I use a wrap for baby wearing, but it's mainly because I hate carrying the car seat around, not from any parenting philosophy. I make pretty good money and can "afford regular diapers." So, if I don't fall into the stereotypical categories of people who are likely to cloth diaper, how did I become such an advocate for cloth.

My first stash!

 My cloth diaper journey started like many others. I was pregnant with my first child and reading pregnancy message boards when someone said something about using cloth diapers. Cloth diapers? People still do that? Why? Why in the world would I make more work for myself, especially when that work includes a bunch of laundry. Then someone mentioned that it saves money. Hmmmmm, how much money are we talking? I mean, let's face it, no one gets excited about buying thousands of dollars worth of trash.

From there, I went into research mode and found out exactly why people choose cloth.

1) Cost - Yep, my reason is the #1 reason. You can spend as little as around $100 and cloth diaper multiple children. Disposables for one child can cost anywhere from $1500-$3000. Now, of course, most people spend more than $100 on cloth, but I think that setting a budget of $300-500 is easily achievable. Realistically, disposables cost $40/month and another $10 for wipes.

2) Health - Many moms find themselves switching to cloth because disposables contain chemicals that can cause severe irritation and even burns. As it turns out, diaper rash is not nearly as common with cloth diapers. Cloth is also breathable and cooler than disposables.

3) Environmental impact - Disposable diapers create tons of trash. Literally. Also, they can take hundreds of years to decompose. Cloth does use more water both in production and use, but the overall impact is significantly less.

4) Cuteness - Let's face it, cloth is MUCH cuter. Who can resist a fluffy butt with an awesome print? Cloth diaper companies are constantly coming out with cute new diapers that make all of us into addicts.

5) Effectiveness - Cloth diapers are much better at containing mess. "Blowouts" in which poop escapes the diaper through the legs, up the back and gets all over everything requiring both a bath and lots of laundry are apparently fairly common in disposable diapers. In cloth, they are virtually unheard of.

6) Less Smell - You'd think it would smell more, but no, cloth diapers are much less stinky than disposable. While you may still get stink in the diaper pail, it is nothing compared to opening a diaper genie. Why? Well, for one, you don't have festering poop sitting around. You rinse it off. Also, there aren't any chemicals to mix with the pee giving off that odor that is commonly associated with diapers. Let's face it, babies are kind of gross, and cloth won't get rid of all that, but I will take spraying poop off a diaper for 10 seconds over the foulness of disposable any day.

Ultimately, my decision came down to this: do you want to pay less for something that is better quality, works more efficiently and is more fun? Now I look at it and wonder how and why people would ever choose disposables!

Up Next . . . The Evolving Cloth Diaper Stash