The Washing Dilema

After reading around on the various boards and having lots of customer questions, we thought it would be good to address washing instructions as well as issues that people often have keeping their cloth diapers clean AND residue free – the later probably being the most difficult, but oh so important. The instructions that we include with each purchase at our store include these very important points:

• Try to wash every 2-3 days
• Set the washer on the highest water level (usually large load on most washers)
• Wash 10-15 diapers at a time
• Do an initial cold rinse with no detergent – then a full hot wash with 1/3 the normal amount of detergent – then follow that with one last extra cold rinse

In the final rinse cycle, people often like to add something - a splash of vinegar (we don’t recommend this for people with hard water) or even a couple drops of tea tree oil, for its disinfecting properties and fresh scent. Adding a bit of baking soda to the hot wash along with the detergent also helps to release soap buildup as well. As for drying, it really varies depending on the diaper. Obviously, the less you use a clothes drier, the longer your diapers will last regardless of their type. Diapers with PUL lining (that is the waterproofing inside of covers, pockets and usually AIOs) should be dried on hot about once a month even if you don’t on a regular basis as this helps re-seal any cracks or holes that occur as part of normal wear. Other than that you should refer to each diaper’s separate instruction to see which ones recommend drying and which recommend hanging.

We get requests for detergent brands from customers all the time. At our retail store we sell this – and it is what most of our employees use, since it’s locally made right here in Maine. The most important things to look for in a diaper detergent is actually the absence of these ingredients (which is more difficult that you would think to figure out just from reading the labels on the detergent containers!) - the following ingredients will leave buildup on your diapers and over time their absorbency and often their quality will decrease exponentially.

• Artificial brighteners, whiteners and softeners
• Enzymes
• Artificial scents
• Pure soap

This chart is actually a great resource. It contains just about every detergent on the market and rates it based on the presence of all these ingredients as well as a few other things.

There are so many things that we have heard customers and friends tell us about their personal perils with cloth diapering. I thought I would pick a few and talk about them – that is, typical mistakes people make.

1. Using fabric softener or sheets: This is a really bad idea! These products stick to your diapers and essentially prevent them from absorbing wetness. Also, I recommend not using them on your regular laundry as well as they tend to build up on the insides of the washer and drier and then are deposited on the diapers. Before you wash your first diaper, if you have used softeners in the past, give the insides of your machines a good wipe with a cloth and a bit of white vinegar just be on the safe side.

2. Washing other things such as rags with your diapers: A lot of things like cleaning product and certain types of spills contain oils and residue that can be deposited on your diapers during washing and drying and will decrease or prevent absorbency. We recommend washing just your diapers by themselves – I have heard people ask about washing cloth wipes with a solution that is part oil – personally we have not had not any issues with this, our wipes go right in the pail and then in the washer along with the diapers. Of course if you feel like you put an excessive amount of oil in your solution then that might be something to take into consideration.

3. Using rash creams with fleece, suede cloth and microfiber: It is so hard to avoid this sometimes – I can’t say I haven’t done it but will warn that it is very difficult to remove from these fibers. What we recommend would be either a paper liner or when your babe has a rash that requires cream, use prefolds. These can be boiled if the cream doesn’t come out in a couple of hot washes and the natural fibers are so much easier to clean.

Lastly we thought it important to talk about residue removal or what most people call “stripping” the diapers. Depending on your water type and the quality of your detergent, you may need to do this anywhere from twice a month to every other. The best method that we have found is using about a tablespoon of plain old blue Dawn original dish liquid. Add this to your normal hot wash instead of your normal detergent and then follow up with as many rinses as it takes before you don’t see bubbles. This will vary – soft water will take more rinsing, hard water less. The other way that many people strip their diapers is to just do a couple hot washes in a row with no detergent, you will need to experiment with this as each person’s situation differs slightly.

These points really just touch the surface of issues and questions people have. We welcome any other questions or comments right here on the blog, by email or by phone (1-866-586-MCDC). Thanks – and happy diapering!