How to wash cloth diapers step-by-step

Diaper Washing & Care Instuctions

  1. Remove solid waste into the toilet.
  2. Rinse off any residue left on the diaper.
  3. Un snap the insert from the diaper shell.
  4. Pre-wash on cold.
  5. Main wash on warm (100°F / 40°C) using an additive-free detergent.
  6. Follow with an extra rinse.
  7. Tumble dry on low or hang to dry.
  8. Do not use bleach or fabric softeners.
  9. Use cloth diaper–safe creams only.
How do I get the poop off the diaper?

No cost poop removal :

Many poops are "plop-able" meaning they will just fall out of the diaper into the toilet.

You can dunk and swish a more sticky poop diaper into the toilet and use a designated "poop brush" or spoon.

Added cost poop removal:

A diaper sprayer, which is similar to a bidet spray gun toilet attachment - it's a handy tool to help rinse your diapers thoroughly.

What kind of detergent and how much do I use?

Any mainstream detergent that has no fabric softeners will do. Basically whatever you are already using for you baby is fine as long as it is free of additives.

Use to the first line on detergent dispenser cups. You no not need an excessive amount of detergent to clean you diapers - too much can cause detergent buildup which can cause repelling issues.

What wash cycle should I use?

We recommend one pre-wash cycle with or without a small amount of detergent. The pre-wash cycle does a great job of removing excess urine and soil so that the main wash can properly clean your soiled cloth diapers.

Main cycle - select the heaviest wash or soil level on warm with one extra rinse + first line of detergent.

The temperature should be warm water settings (this will provide a good clean with appropriate amount of agitation). You do not need the sanitize function, these extreme hot washes are hard on elastics and materials. 

Can I put cloth diapers in the dryer?

Yes - cloth diapers can be dried in the dryer on regular or low heat. High heat can ruin elastics and materials reducing the lifespan of your diapers.

Diaper covers tend to dry faster than inserts making them a great option for line drying.

How do I treat stains?

You can pause the washing machine once diapers have been in the soapy wash cycle and are thoroughly mixed.  Leave for a few hours for really deep stains. 

You can pretreat stains with Buncha Farmers natural stain stick.

You can also sun!!  Stains clear up great with a little sunning - hang damp, clean diapers out side and sun for a few hours.  Do not leave diapers out in the sun all day - the sun is wonderful but can be harsh and fade prints and colour.

Can I use fabric softener?

You can use natural plant based fabric softeners such as Seventh Generation or Unicorn Baby Beyond Soft to keep your diapers super soft and fluffy.  Use in moderation - 1oz per load of 12-16 diapers.

Wool dryer balls are also a great way to naturally soften and fluff diaper materials.

Can I use bleach and Oxi Clean on my diapers?

No - We do not recommend bleach, Borax or Oxi Clean. These are harsh detergent additives and can breakdown elastics, fade prints and weaken materials.

Diaper stink / Odor Support

Diaper stink can be unpleasant but it's usually pretty easy to solve. The two main diaper stink issues that occur is either ammonia or barnyard. 

Ammonia happens when cloth diapers aren't getting properly cleaned. This can be due to detergent buildup, urine residue, hard water and lack of agitation. 

Possible causes of Ammonia Build Up on Cloth Diapers: 

Detergent Build Up: Detergent build up can coat the fibers of your diapers and prevent the new detergent from properly agitating and cleaning your diapers. Decrease the amount of detergent in each wash cycle. For many families 1-2 tablespoons is a great place to start. You may also consider adding a second rinse to your wash routine to prevent future build up. 

Hard Water: An excess of calcium or magnesium mineral deposits in your water supply can make it “hard” — these minerals can also make it harder for your detergent to do its job effectively. Consider adding a water softener to your laundry routine. Calgon is a popular laundry additive that can soften water so that your laundry detergent can clean more effectively. Unicorn Baby Beyond Clean also works well in hard water but it is more pricey.

Urine Residue: It is also possible that the ammonia build up is coming from a wash routine that simply isn’t cleaning your diapers enough.

Some things that can help better remove urine residue : 

  • Rinse all pee diapers after wear and allow them to air dry before adding to your dirty laundry storage. 
  • Use an open pail.  Do not fear, open pails do not stink because you are rinsing the diapers and the air flow is great for cloth diapers.
  • Look at how frequently you are washing.  Washing your diaper diapers every more regularly such as every 2-3 days is prefered.
  • Add a pre-wash cycle to your wash routine. We recommend washing all dirty cloth diaper laundry twice. Once on a pre-wash and second as a main wash. The pre-wash cycle does a great job of removing excess urine so that the main wash can properly clean your soiled cloth diapers. 

To remedy ammonia odor on cloth diapers, you will need to perform a reset or “strip” your diaper laundry first. A cloth diaper reset should always be performed on “clean” diapers. You’ll want to ensure that the diapers have been laundered before resetting. 

You can reset you cloth diaper with a strip using either Grovia Mighty Bubbles or Unicorn Baby Beyond Clean.  

Beyond Clean Strip: Put clean diapers into the bath tub or washing machine. The washing machine is definitely easier, but you have to have time available to occupy your washer. Using HOT water add 2oz Beyond Clean to the water, swish around well.  Add the clean diaper and mix them well making sure they are fully saturated. Let sit for several hours and then run through a hot heavy duty wash with extra rinse and dry as usual. DO NOT use the Sanitize feature as that water is too hot it will damage elastics. If the ammonia is still present repeat the above process a second time.

Mighty Bubbles: Add clean diapers to washing machine, add mighty bubble pod in with the diapers.  Run a heavy duty hot wash with extra rinse. If diapers still have ammonia repeat process. 

Barnyard smell is usually present when the diapers come out of the dry or as soon as your child pees. It happens most often when the poop particle are not being fully clean out of the fibres of the cloth diaper. In order to get rid of barnyard try increasing detergent a little, make sure you are avoiding fabric softeners, dryer sheets and detergents with fabric softener built in.

After changing the wash routine and if the diapers are still coming out of the dry smelly, it’s a good idea to try one more wash cycle. This is often enough to have your diapers back to normal with zero smell. If barnyard reoccurs you will need to revisit your washing routine adjusting it slightly until you have the right detergent balance.

Common causes of Barnyard Build Up on Cloth Diapers: 

Detergent Build Up: Excess detergent can build up can coating the fibers which prevent the wash cycle from cleaning your diapers properly. You don't need more detergent to clean cloth diapers than you do regular clothing.  Decrease the amount of detergent in each wash cycle and consider adding a second rinse to your wash routine to prevent future build up. 

Hard Water: An excess of calcium or magnesium mineral deposits in your water supply can make it “hard” — these minerals can also make it harder for your detergent to do its job effectively. Consider adding a water softener to your laundry routine. Calgon is a popular laundry additive that can soften water so that your laundry detergent can clean more effectively. Unicorn Baby Beyond Clean also works well in hart water but is more pricey.

Not cleaning enough: It is also possible that the barnyard smell is coming from a wash routine that simply isn’t cleaning your diapers enough.

Some things that can help better clean soiled diapers: 

  • Rinse all pee and poop diapers thoroughly after wear and allow them to air dry before adding to your dirty laundry storage.
  • Consider using an open pail to increase air flow
  • Look at how ofter you are washing. Usually regular washing every 2 to 3 days helps.
  • We recommend washing all dirty cloth diaper laundry twice. Once on a pre-wash and second as a main wash. The pre-wash cycle does a great job of removing excess urine and soil so that the main wash can properly clean your soiled cloth diapers. 

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