Cloth Diapers Laundry

Important laundry & detergent guidelines:

*You must wash ALL diapers & covers prior to first use 3-5 times: This must be done so your diapers can be at their full absorbency. Washing will remove the natural oils and waxes that will hinder your diapers absorbency. I recommend you wash 5 times with hot water and use a small amount of detergent.

*ONLY use cloth diaper safe detergents. Detergent can affect many aspects of your diapers: absorbency, odor, and how long your diapers will last.

Here is a Cloth Diaper Safe Detergents Chart: http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

*Wash cloth diapers regularly. I suggest every 2-3 days. This will keep stains from setting in and will discourage mold growth.

*Wool products hand washed every 2-3 weeks.

*No fabric softeners, no optical whiteners or brighteners, & no enzymes.

*Never use chlorine bleach on cloth diapers.

My Laundry routine:

Step 1– No detergent cold rinse & spin cycle

Step 2-Hot water wash on highest setting with a cloth diaper safe laundry detergent

Step 3-1 or 2 Extra rinse cycles to ensure no soap residue

Step 4-Separate out diaper shells/covers to air dry. Everything else dry on a medium setting with 6 dryer balls and two large towels to help reduce static and dry quicker.

*Stained diapers I line dry outside for sun to naturally bleach. For really bad stains I spray a little lemon juice and then line dry.   I use a portable clothes rack because I don’t have enough room for a traditional clothes line. The Household Essentials 3-Arm Portable Umbrella-Style Clothes Dryer works great for me and was not too expensive.

Helpful Websites and Resources:

Cloth Diaper Safe Detergents: http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

Washing Cloth Diapers Information: http://www.kellyscloset.com/Cloth-Diaper-Information_ep_34-1.html#washing