Diaper Care - Storing and Washing
Storing and washing your diapers, covers, and accessories is simple. Once you do it a few times, you will be a pro!
So you've received your new diapers! Now what?
When you first receive your brand new diapers, we recommend you prep them by washing them at least once. This process makes the diaper more absorbent . Diapers and other diapering items made from natural fibres, like cotton, bamboo, and help should be pre-washed seperatly from synthetic PUL diapers as their natural oils that come out in washing may coat a residue on the other diapers and casue diapers to leak when your baby wear them. .
If you have any diapers, cover, or accessories made of hamp or bamboo fibres, you will need to prep them more than everything else in your stash before using. This will ensure that they are reaching their maximum absorbency potenital. These types of fibres need to be broken in with approx. 10 washes.
Anything that is made from synthetics such as PUL, fleece, and wool only need to be washed once and then you can try em on! Remember that wool needs handwashing and to learn more about how to wash wool items, click here.
You'll see a section about how to wash your cloth diapers below.
Storing Your Diapers
When storing your dirty diapers and covers, we reccomend a dry pail system. What this is is a diaper pail or garbage can with a lid. I bought mine at Walmart and it was very reasonable. About $6 and come with a locking lid. Then line your pail with a diaper pail liner. We use the ones from Drybees and they work great. When your diapers come off your baby, simply throw them in the ready lined pail. If you have just taken off a pocket diaper, shake or pull out the insert into the pail and throw both the insert and the diaper in. If your baby is still only nursing, breastfeed poopy diapers can be thrown in like everything else. Let your washer do the rest of the work.
If your baby is on solids or on formula, shake the poop into the toilet (generally poop is solidified somewhat by this point) and throw the diaper into the pail. You can totally rinse your diaper in the tub or in the toilet, but you don't have to. There are a couple of different ways to deal with poop that are easy peasy. You can use a dandy invention called a flushable liner which catches the poop and doesn't even have a chance to go onto the fabric inner. Simply open the diaper and either toss or flush the liner away. Another way is to use a diaper sprayer which is a small sprayer that attaches to your toilet, so you can spray off any mess into the toliet and down the drain.
Some Frequently Asked Questions About Washing Diapers
I have had many moms and dads ask me questions about cloth diapers and cloth diapering in general. I though it would be super helpful to compile a list of the questions that are asked of me on a regular basis.
1. So how do I wash my diapers?
It's actually really easy.
1. Put everything that was in your diaper pail in the washer. This includes cloth wipes, wetbags used to store diapers when out and about, and diaper pail liners. Basically everything that has touched a dirty/wet diaper or a bum.
2. Do a cold rinse and soak cycle with cold water without the detergent.
3. When the cold cycle is up, do a hot wash with one of the recommended detergent brands below.
4. Do two rinses.
5. Put everything in the dryer on a medium heat setting or hang to dry. Some diapers may not be 100% dry after one dryer cycle, but the covers/wetbags/pail liners will be because they are thinner and made from PUL most likely. Whatever is not dry, do another dryer cycle or hang them to dry. Sometimes when they are not totally dry I hang them on my daughter's crib or rocking chair in her room.
2. What kind of detergent should I use?
Here are some of the brands recommded by some of the leading cloth diaper brands:
Nature Clean Powder Version - you can get this at Save on Foods in the natural foods section.
Tide (the regular kind, not the Free)
Sunlight
Cheer
Country Save - you can get this in Canada at London Drugs
Avoid anything with softners, whiteners, or bleaching agents. Oxygen Bleach, like Oxy Clean are okay to use once and awhile.
3. YUK! How do I deal with poopy diapers?
Okay, take a deep breathe. No, really it's not that bad! You can do it!
First, shake the solids into the toilet. If you want, you can also rinse the diaper under the tap in the bathtub after all the solids are off, to get it a little cleaner. Alternatively if you don't want to rinse in the bathtub or in the toilet, a diaper sprayer is a good option. It is easy to hook up and very convienient. After you have rinsed the diaper, just plop it right in your pail until laundry day.
4. How often will I have to wash my diapers?
Twice per week if you have 3 dozen diapers. If you have less than that, you'll be washing a little more frequently.
A new baby will use approximately between 8-12 diapers per day, so you will need to count on at least that many. As they get older, the frequency of diaper changes is less and less.
5. How do I get stains out of my diapers?
This method has been resourced from Karen at New and Green Baby Co. in Vancouver. It works and is cost effective!
Stains can be a turn-off and it is commen for diapers to get some staining, especially during the newborn phase of a child's life. While stains do not mean something is actually dirty, some parents like to have the diapers LOOK clean. I admit that I am one of those parents.
You don't even have to use bleach with is a relief since bleach is a harsh chemical that may break down your diapers over time. Besides, do you want to use bleach on something that is going to touch your babe's bum?
UV light is something that can naturally brighten your dipes and may get those stubborn stains out. They can also "eradicate bacteria and spores that may be present after a yeast infection rash".
What to do:
1. Wash diapers as you normally would do so.
2. Take your clean diapers outside on a sunny day and lay the diapers stain side up or hang them on the line.
3. Let them dry outside for as long as possible. Go out and check them and when you see whitened, stain free dipes, they are ready!!
If you have any additional questions regarding the storage and cleaning of your cloth diapers, cover, and accessories please contact us. We would be happy to help!
