Clean 'Em Up, Clean 'Em Up

When it comes to cloth diapers, there are many different ways to clean them. There's the overnight soak method, the pre-soak method, the no soak method, etc. If you asked 10 people how they wash their cloth diapers, I'm sure you'd receive at least 7 to 8 different answers.

If you're wondering how to clean your cloth diapers, I suggest you read the instructions provided by the manufacturer. 

Here's a few ways that I've found:

Many companies suggest you pre-wash your cloth diaper 5-10 times before the first use. This is to remove all the chemicals and oils from manufacturing. This may seem a bit extreme but it will help increase the absorbency of the diapers.

*none of these methods work for washing wool - I have no experience in washing wool so I haven't added any tips for fear of confusing myself and you! :) *

Overnight Soak Method:
* Prewash - Place all your cloth diapers in the wash and run a prewash in cold water. This will remove most of the loose particles from the soiled cloth diapers.
* Overnight soak - Rerun a cold wash, let it agitate for a minute or two then turn it off and let the diapers soak overnight. Now spin the diapers to remove the excess dirty water.
* Hot wash - Run a regular hot wash with 1/4 of the recommended amount of additive free detergent (we recommend Rockin' Green Soap!)
* Extra Rinse - Run an extra cold rinse to remove as much of the soap, as possible.

Pre-Soak Method:
* Pre-soak - Run a cold water pre-soak and let the diapers soak for an hour or two. Drain.
* Hot wash - Run a normal hot wash with 1/4 of the recommended amount of additive free detergent.
* Extra rinse - Run an extra cold rinse to remove all the extra soap.

No Soak Method:
* Cold wash - Run a normal cold wash cycle.
* Hot wash - Run a normal hot wash cycle with 1/4 of the recommended amount of additive free detergent. 
* Extra rinse - Run a normal cold rinse cycle.

There are also a few no-no's when it comes laundering cloth diapers:

• It's recommended that you DO NOT use fabric softener, vinegar, or any soap with whiteners, brighteners, softeners, additives, etc.
• It's also recommended that you don't use any rash creams as it could cause the diapers to start repelling.

As for drying, many companies recommend you tumble dry on low heat OR line dry. (Code bubbles) They're now starting to say that drying the PUL liners on HOT is good to re-seal the fabric, however, it's not good for the elastic. If you notice that the diapers are starting to get a little bit leaky, I'd throw them in the dryer on hot and it should fix it right up. Otherwise, I'd use a low setting or line dry them.


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