BOISE CLOTH DIAPERS A Reference Website for the Treasure Valley in Idaho
Laundry Tips
For most of us, doing the laundry is the biggest challenge of using cloth diapers. I don’t find it to be a
very difficult task. In fact, it’s probably one of my favorite chores around the house (okay, maybe I’m just a little
bit weird). I get a definite sense of satisfaction after I fold the cute little diapers, and then admire them as I stack
them up on the changing table. I love hanging the diapers out to dry on a sunny day, and gaze upon them with a smile
as they dance around in the breeze, soaking up the delicious sunshine.
If you talk to twenty different people, you’re sure to get at least twenty different methods of washing diapers.
And collectively they will probably rule out every possible laundry method known to mankind. But there are a few things
that they will most likely agree on:
No Bleach! This will break down the fibers of your diapers and greatly shorten their
life span. Some people like to use a tiny bit of bleach occasionally, but go real easy on it if you do!
No Fabric Softener! Not even dryer sheets! This will coat the cloth with unnecessary
chemicals and make your absorbent fabric less absorbent, your waterproof fabric less waterproof, etc. It might also
make your diapers smell bad.
Use Less Soap/Detergent! This was hard for me to believe in the beginning,
I thought the more soap, the better. Not true, the soap leaves residue on your diapers and makes them function
less and smell more. You should use about half your normal detergent and do an extra rinse, if possible.
It can be daunting to try to find a laundry method that works for you. Try to start with something simple and change
your system only if needed. If what you are doing right now is working, don’t fret it. Just keep doing what you are
doing. If you start to notice a problem (your covers are leaking, your diapers smell bad, etc.), then you’ll want to
try something different.
THE BASICS
1. Rinsing Out the Soiled Diaper
Rinsing out a poopie diaper in the toilet is the part of cloth diapering that makes most people decide NOT to use
cloth diapers. It is also highly debatable. Diaper services don’t rinse out their diapers, they just let the washing
machine do the work for them. Some parents have followed their example and throw the dirty diaper right in the wash.
If you prefer to rinse out the diaper before you throw it in the pail (I always rinse first!), here are some tips that
will help make this loathsome task more bearable. Try using
diaper liners that can be
lifted out of the diaper and easily rinsed and thrown away. Some brands are even flushable, making this job a breeze.
Another helpful tool is a hand-held sprayer attached
to your toilet. No more dunking, just hold the diaper over your toilet and spray it out. These wands are sold on
many diaper websites, including
www.clothdiaper.com. And tell your friends! They’ll be amazed to find out that this job is not as bad as they think.
2. The Diaper Pail
You don't have to buy a special diaper pail, any garbage can with a lid will work.
If you have any items that require special care (i.e. wool, waterproof PUL, etc.), you might find it easier to store
these separate from the diapers (rather than dig through a stinky pail on wash day).
I put my soiled covers in a mesh bag next to the diaper pail. You can wash & dry PUL fabric with diapers, but I like to
wash them separately since they are not washed as often as the diapers. I also like to wash them without any baking soda
or vinegar, which I use on my diapers. I also dry them separately. Wool covers are washed by hand, not with the diapers.
There are two basic methods for diaper pails: the wet pail and the dry pail. Whichever method you use, be sure to get a
diaper pail with a lid!
Wet Pail
Fill the pail with enough water to cover the diapers (you might need to add more water as the pail fills). It’s also a
good idea to add some baking soda, and maybe some washing powder, tea tree essential oil, or anything else to help soak
the stains out and combat the smell. The advantage with this system is that your diapers have already soaked when you
put them in the wash, eliminating the need for a pre-soak. You can also go longer between washings, the smell shouldn’t
be as bad as a dry pail. The disadvantages are that it’s more difficult to dump the diapers in the washer (heavy, yucky,
diaper soup) and the danger of young ones drowning in the pail (be sure to keep that lid on!)
Dry Pail
This is usually the preferred method. It’s a good idea to sprinkle baking soda in the pail to help with the smell. Some
people like to use tea tree oil. Another useful item is a waterproof
diaper pail bag.
When using a dry pail, you might find it useful to soak your diapers in the washer in cold water before running the wash
cycle (I like to soak mine overnight). This helps to keep stains from setting in. When using a dry pail, don’t go longer
than three days without washing or the smell might be unbearable.
Washing Machine as a Wet Pail
This third method works great for some people. If you don’t have a lot of laundry and your washer has a lot of down time,
just use your washing machine as your diaper pail. Fill it with cold water (and any desired potions) and toss your diapers
in. Then when you’re ready to wash, spin the cold water out and start a hot wash cycle. If you time it right and do your
other laundry immediately after you wash your diapers, this method could be the easiest and your best bet.
3. Washing the Diapers
Our ancestors had to wash their diapers by hand; aren't we lucky to have washing machines?
It's a good idea to start your wash with a cold soak (unless you use the wet pail method). Fill your machine
with cold water and let the diapers soak for an hour or more (I like to throw them in at night to let them soak all night
long). Then spin out the water and start your machine on a hot wash cycle. Your detergent goes in at this point. Remember to
use about half the suggested amount! Try to use a laundry detergent that has as few additives as possible (we want to wash the
diapers clean, not add weird chemicals). Many detergents have additives of dyes, perfumes, enzymes, fabric softeners, and
optical brighteners. All of these should be avoided when washing diapers! If you are unsure about the additives in your
laundry detergent, check out this excellent detergent
chart at PinStripes and PolkaDots. The Bummis Diaper
Company suggests using only Sensi-Clean
Detergent. I have not been
able to find this detergent in local stores, but I have found
Sport Wash,
which is the exact same product, marketed to deer hunters rather than mothers with babies. I have found this at Walmart in
the hunting section, also at Sportsmans Warehouse in the rain gear section. It costs about $3.00 for a bottle that washes
18 loads, so it may be less expensive than the detergent you are currently using. Sport Wash claims to remove all odors,
which is very helpful for diapers! It's a good idea to add an extra rinse on your wash cycle, if possible.
4. Drying the Diapers
I like to dry my diapers on hot in the dryer. Remember, do not use dryer sheets!
A good alternative to using fabric softener is to use dryer balls, if you feel the need.
They are bouncy balls that bounce around in your dryer and soften
your clothes without using chemicals. Try
Nellie's
Dryer Balls . Although dryer balls fluff
up the diapers, they don't do much to control static. If you want your diapers to be static-free, try reusable
Static Eliminator Dryer Sheets or
Non-Toxic Dryer Sheets. They both are chemical free
and can be used 500 times before they need to be replaced. (Tip: if your diapers are made from all natural fibers like hemp
and cotton, you shouldn't have any static problems in the drier.)
I like to dry things like fleece and waterproof PUL for about 15 minutes on low heat. It doesn't take them long to dry, and
I think that drying them too long will decrease their effectiveness. That said, many people wash them and dry them in the
same load as their diapers without any problems. For best results, follow the manufacturer's instructions when drying. One of the best ways to dry diapers is on a clothesline in the sun. This will lengthen the life of your diapers and
helps to remove stains and odors naturally. It also lowers your utility bill. Your diapers might feel kind of crunchy
after drying outside; a quick tumble in the dryer will soften them up.
5. Washing Wool Covers
You might think that using wool in a diapering system would be a laundry nightmare, but the extra care you need to give
wool is not that bad because you don't have to wash it as often. Wool has special anti-bacterial properties that
neutralize the smell. After a cover is used once, just hang it up to air out and you can use it again a few hours later.
Some people claim to go a month or more before they need to wash their wool covers! I will put a wool
cover in the wash pile (not in the diaper pail!) for one of three reasons: if it gets soiled, if it starts to smell like
a wet dog even after being aired out, or if it starts to leak (time for more lanolin).
For best results, follow the washing instructions that came with you cover. If you have no instructions (or you made it
yourself), follow this routine. Wash the covers by hand as you would a wool sweater. Fill a bucket or sink with luke-warm
water and some gentle soap.
Sport Wash is a good
gentle detergent that's
safe on wool. Some people like to use Dawn dish soap or shampoo (wool is hair, right?). An excellent choice would be
soap made especially for wool, like Sheepish
Grins Lanolin Bar Soap,
Lana Care Lanolin Soap, or
Eucalan Wool
Wash. (Most yarn stores will carry wool wash, call your local yarn shop to see if they have some.)
These soaps add lanolin to the wool while they clean. If you use a lanolin soap, DO NOT rinse the covers!
Toss the cover(s) in the water to soak for a half hour or so, then swish them around gently and rinse in cool water (unless
you are using lanolin soap, then skip the rinsing). Roll up your cover in a towel and gently squeeze to remove water.
Or you can gently place your cover in the washing machine and spin out the water (this is easier and more effective).
Your cover now needs lanolin to be waterproof. (If you used a lanolin soap, you can skip this part too, unless you want
your cover to be REALLY waterproof.) Lanolin occurs naturally in wool, but it eventually wears away as urine combines
with lanolin to chemically create a new product called wool soap. Pretty cool, eh?
There are a few different ways to lanolize your wool. The Dry Method: Put a small amount of lanolin on your hands and rub to coat your palms evenly. Take your freshly-washed
cover and massage the lanolin into the fibers. Repeat with more lanolin until the entire cover is evenly coated.
Continue to massage the wool until the lanolin has soaked in as much as possible. Lay the cover flat to dry completely. The Spray Method: Use a spray-on lanolin, like
Creamy Spray Lanolin from Sheepish
Grins. After you wash a cover, evenly spray on the lanolin and gently massage it into the fibers. Lay the cover flat to
dry completely. The Soak Method: Mix half a teaspoon of lanolin and a few drops of baby bath or wool wash in about two cups of
boiling water. (The soap will break up the lanolin, spreading it evenly through the water.)
Stir to combine. (Alternatively you may mix lanolin and boiling water together in a jar with a tight lid. Close the
jar and shake vigorously until the water is cloudy.) Add this mixture to a bucket or sink filled with enough warm water
to immerse your cover.
Soak your cover in the water for at least 15 minutes. You may also let it soak overnight if you
wish. Do not rinse the cover after you treat it
with lanolin. The more lanolin you add to
your wool, the more waterproof the cover will be. Roll up the cover in a towel and gently squeeze to remove
excess water, then repeat with second towel to squeeze it as dry as possible. Alternatively, you can gently lay the wet
covers in the washing machine and spin the water out. (I've started to do this because I was tired of using every towel in
the house when I washed covers! You might not want to spin your hand-knit soakers, but wraps and covers that have already been lightly
felted should be just fine.)
Lay the covers flat to dry, away from heat and sunlight. About Lanolin: There are two different types of lanolin: solid & liquid. Liquid lanolin is not sticky because it
has had the waxy portion removed. Both will work for lanolizing wool, but the solid lanolin makes it even more waterproof.
If you are using liquid lanolin, I would suggest using solid lanolin every once in a while to make your covers more
waterproof.
Lansinoh is an example of solid lanolin. You can also find
liquid lanolin at health & nutrition stores like GNC. The best
price I have found for solid lanolin was at iHerb.com.
For more information about lanolin, read
Diaper Ware's Use & Care Guide.
For more information about washing wool covers, read
e-bay's comprehensive guide to wool cloth diaper covers or
this article from Natural Family Online.
TROUBLESHOOTING
1. Diapers Smell Bad
This is one of the most common problems with cloth diapers, but it is easily solved. First, make sure you are not using
too much detergent and that you are not using any fabric softener. Make sure that your diapers are getting properly
rinsed. You might want to use more water in your washing machine and run an extra rinse at the end. If you can tell that
the diapers smell bad after the wash cycle, try running a second wash cycle in hot water, this
time with very little or no detergent. The best way
to remove odors from diapers is to dry them in the sunshine. You might also try a cold soak with 1/2 cup baking soda
before you wash the diapers. If you use baking soda in your pre-wash, make sure you use vinegar in the rinse cycle. You
can pour vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of your machine, use vinegar in a downy ball, or just make sure you
pour some in the water during the rinse cycle. The vinegar restores the Ph of your diapers, otherwise they may cause
diaper rash. Vinegar also helps to whiten and soften the diapers. If you try all these steps and your diapers still
stink, you may need to try a new detergent. I have had good luck with
Sport Wash, it really helps to remove odors.
If your baby's diaper smells unbearably strong in the morning (after being wet all night), you probably have build-up in
your diapers. Strip your diapers (see below) and make some changes to your washing routine (hotter water, extra rinses,
switch detergents, etc.) to avoid build-up in the future.
2. Diapers Aren't Absorbing
Build-up of chemicals and soap can cause the diapers to be less absorbent (it can also cause smells and rashes). If you think you
have build-up, try stripping the diapers. Most people need to strip their diapers every six months or so. To strip diapers, wash them
without detergent in HOT water (you might want to turn up your water heater, or boil a pot of water on the stove to add to the wash).
Do repeated hot rinses until there are no suds in the water. You might also try adding a little bit of dish soap or Simple Green to the initial
wash to help strip the diapers. Or add ½ cup baking soda to the first rinse and ½ cup vinegar in the last rinse.
Another way to strip diapers is to boil them; this can be a messy and time-consuming. I've also heard of people that run
them through the dishwasher. After you wash your diapers, arrange them in the dishwasher racks and run a cycle with the
hottest wash setting available. The diapers will be dripping wet when they are finished, just run them through a spin
cycle in your washer before you dry them.
3. Diaper Rash
Rashes are not a normal part of diapering, they are a problem that should be solved. A rash on a cloth-diapered baby usually results from a problem in the
laundry department. If your baby experiences a rash, try the following steps to help it clear:
-Change your baby often, as soon as he/she is wet.
-Use a breathable cover (like wool) or no diaper cover.
-Strip your diapers thoroughly (see above); detergent build-up is the most common cause of diaper rash.
-Try changing detergents. Be sure to use one without harmful additives. (See this
detergent chart)
-Pay attention to your child’s diet. Certain foods like citrus and dairy can cause rashes.
-Some babies are allergic to polyester or other man-made fibers. Try using diapers (or liners) made from all natural fibers.
-Sometimes the baby wipes or the wipe solution is the culprit. Use cotton washcloths moistened with water.
4. Diapers are Stained and/or Dingy
Again, the best treatment for stained diapers is some good sunshine; it will bleach out the stains naturally. Soaking
your diapers in cold water before washing in hot will also help to lift some the stains. Although bleach is a no-no for
diapers, some people like to use a small amount (1/4 cup or less) every once in a while in their wash. This will quickly
remove most stains. Bleach shouldn't cause a big problem if you don't use it very often. The best advice I can give for
diaper stains is to ignore them. After all, it's just a diaper, and the stained part is usually not visible. Most of my
badly stained diapers have eventually come clean after several washings.
If your diapers are getting dingy, try using vinegar in the rinse (always paired with a baking soda pre-soak to
maintain proper Ph balance). Your problem might be that you have hard water: try using White King water softener in the
wash. Look for White King in Winco on the laundry detergent aisle.
5. Diaper Covers have Lost their Waterproofing
If you find that your PUL covers are leaking, you may not be washing them correctly. PUL should be washed without
baking soda, vinegar, fabric softeners, etc. The best detergent to use on PUL is
Sport Wash. To repair a leaky PUL cover, the best thing to
use is
Nikwax
TX-Direct Wash In. I treated my Bummis covers with this a few months ago, and they haven't leaked a drop since! They
used to leak so badly that I had to change the baby's clothes every time I changed a diaper. The wash in product will
only work on covers; do not use it on pocket diapers or all-in-ones, this will ruin the wicking and absorbing layers of
the diapers. Nikwax makes another product called TX Direct
Spray On, use that instead and spray it only on the outer layer of
the diaper. Both of these products can be found at stores like REI or at Sportsman's Warehouse.
If your wool covers are not as waterproof as they used to be, you need to lanolize them. See the section above called
Washing Wool Covers for more information.
6. Diaper Pail Smells Bad
I guarantee that your cloth diaper pail smells much better than a pail full of disposables!
To freshen the smell of your pail, try sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of your pail, then sprinkle a little more
after every 3-4 diapers that get deposited. Some people like to sprinkle a few drops of tea tree oil instead.
Or try using special pail deodorizing powder found at many cloth diapering online stores.
You can also try lining your pail with a
wet bag. Make sure you thoroughly clean
your diaper pail every time you wash your diapers, that will also help with the smell. I like to drop a few drops of tea tree oil on a
wet washcloth, then wipe the pail inside and out. The washcloth goes in the wash with the rest of the diapers.
If you let more than three days go by without washing the diapers, your pail will start to really stink! Wash your
diapers more often to control the smell. Another Tip: Try to keep the pail in a cool place. If your diaper pail is too warm, the smell intensifies. I
found this out when I moved the baby's furniture around and put the diaper pail right next to the heating vent on
the floor. Bad idea!
7. The Hook-and-Loop Closures (Velcro, Aplix, etc.) on my Diapers are Tearing Up the Wash
The hook side of hook and loop is always a challenge in the laundry. If you leave the hook exposed, it will create havoc
in the washer and dryer, ripping up the diapers and forming a "diaper snake" in the dryer. Besides being annoying, little
pieces of fuzz and thread will collect in the hook side and eventually render it useless and non-sticky. For this reason, it
is very important to keep the hook covered in the wash. Many diapers and covers with hook and loop closures
have special fold-back tabs to make sure the hook side stays firmly covered when it is not being used. If your diapers do
not have this feature, you can always make sure that you fasten the diaper shut before you throw it in the wash. This isn't
always effective; sometimes the diapers unfasten in the wash as they are thrashed about. A good solution is to cut a small
tab of loop to place over the hook side for each diaper. You can purchase hook and loop at any fabric store, or buy it
online at Very Baby;
it's much less expensive there. Buying it this way also means you can get just the loop side so that the hook side
will not go to waste. Just remember to cover the hook side with the tab before you throw the diaper in the pail.
Otherwise, you'll have a really stinky job on wash day as you sort through the diaper pail looking for renegade diaper
closures. Not fun!
8. I Don't Have My Own Washer & Dryer
This is an obstacle that usually sends parents right to the disposable diapers, but washing diapers at a laundromat can be
done! Although the cost might seem prohibitive, try weighing out the costs to see how much money you will save. Examine your
grocery bill to see how much you are actually spending on disposable diapers and wipes. The usual estimation is about $15.00
per week, though you may spend more or less depending on what brand you use and how often you change your baby. When using
a laundromat to wash diapers, it's a good idea to run two wash cycles. First, run a cold wash with no soap for your
preliminary rinse, then run a hot cycle with soap. If it costs a dollar for each wash and a dollar to dry, you will be
spending about $6.00 per week if you wash your diapers every three days. You also need to figure in a trip to the laundromat.
It might be easier for you if you have a convenient community laundry room in your apartment building. If you have to haul
your diapers to the laundromat, you are probably going there once a week anyway to wash all your other clothes.
Some people stock up on a larger supply of diapers so that they only have to wash in the laundromat once a week. Whatever
you decide to do, you will most likely save money with cloth diapers, even if you have to wash in the laundromat!
You can also try using a diaper service that delivers clean diapers to your door! Tidy Didy Diaper Service in Boise costs
$12.00 per week, which costs a little less than using disposables.
For more information on washing diapers in a laundromat, see the following articles:
Rinsing out a poopie diaper in the toilet is the part of cloth diapering that makes most people decide NOT to use cloth diapers. It is also highly debatable. Diaper services don’t rinse out their diapers, they just let the washing machine do the work for them. Some parents have followed their example and throw the dirty diaper right in the wash. If you prefer to rinse out the diaper before you throw it in the pail (I always rinse first!), here are some tips that will help make this loathsome task more bearable. Try using diaper liners that can be lifted out of the diaper and easily rinsed and thrown away. Some brands are even flushable, making this job a breeze. Another helpful tool is a hand-held sprayer attached to your toilet. No more dunking, just hold the diaper over your toilet and spray it out. These wands are sold on many diaper websites, including www.clothdiaper.com. And tell your friends! They’ll be amazed to find out that this job is not as bad as they think.
You don't have to buy a special diaper pail, any garbage can with a lid will work.
Our ancestors had to wash their diapers by hand; aren't we lucky to have washing machines?
diapers clean, not add weird chemicals). Many detergents have additives of dyes, perfumes, enzymes, fabric softeners, and optical brighteners. All of these should be avoided when washing diapers! If you are unsure about the additives in your laundry detergent, check out this excellent detergent chart at PinStripes and PolkaDots. The Bummis Diaper Company suggests using only Sensi-Clean Detergent. I have not been able to find this detergent in local stores, but I have found Sport Wash, which is the exact same product, marketed to deer hunters rather than mothers with babies. I have found this at Walmart in the hunting section, also at Sportsmans Warehouse in the rain gear section. It costs about $3.00 for a bottle that washes 18 loads, so it may be less expensive than the detergent you are currently using. Sport Wash claims to remove all odors, which is very helpful for diapers! It's a good idea to add an extra rinse on your wash cycle, if possible.
I like to dry my diapers on hot in the dryer. Remember, do not use dryer sheets!
A good alternative to using fabric softener is to use dryer balls, if you feel the need. They are bouncy balls that bounce around in your dryer and soften your clothes without using chemicals. Try Nellie's Dryer Balls . Although dryer balls fluff up the diapers, they don't do much to control static. If you want your diapers to be static-free, try reusable Static Eliminator Dryer Sheets or Non-Toxic Dryer Sheets. They both are chemical free and can be used 500 times before they need to be replaced. (Tip: if your diapers are made from all natural fibers like hemp and cotton, you shouldn't have any static problems in the drier.)
For best results, follow the washing instructions that came with you cover. If you have no instructions (or you made it yourself), follow this routine. Wash the covers by hand as you would a wool sweater. Fill a bucket or sink with luke-warm water and some gentle soap. Sport Wash is a good gentle detergent that's safe on wool. Some people like to use Dawn dish soap or shampoo (wool is hair, right?). An excellent choice would be soap made especially for wool, like Sheepish Grins Lanolin Bar Soap, Lana Care Lanolin Soap, or Eucalan Wool Wash. (Most yarn stores will carry wool wash, call your local yarn shop to see if they have some.) These soaps add lanolin to the wool while they clean. If you use a lanolin soap, DO NOT rinse the covers!