Sanitizing Pre-Loved Cloth Diapers

How to sanitize Pre-Loved cloth diapers:

Firstly please note the potential risks of using bleach to sanitize your cloth diapers before you begin.

The most common risk of using bleach is skin irritation. If baby's sensitive skin it may be irritated by any excess bleach. Ensure that diapers are thoroughly rinsed and washed after sanitizing to minimize the risk of irritation. 

Secondly, bleach is a strong chemical that can wear down fabric if not used as intended. Be sure to follow all manufacturer instructions for proper dilution and use of bleach and other laundry products. It is important to use bleach sparingly when sanitizing pre-loved diapers and it is not needed as part of your regular cloth diapering routine. 

1. Ensure that your diapers have been washed and rinsed thoroughly before sanitizing. Note that sanitizing is not a remedy for detergent build up, please see how to solve detergent build up here. 

2. Dilute bleach in cold water. Use a bleach that is labeled as a disinfectant for effective sanitizing of your modern cloth diapers. Ensure that the bleach you choose is at least 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. You can find this information on the packaging.

3. Soak the cloth diapers in your diluted bleach solution for at least 15 minutes, but no longer than one hour. Excessive soaking for long periods of time, such as overnight, is not necessary and may cause unnecessary wear on the lining or elastics of your diapers. Be sure that each diaper is fully submerged for best results.

4. Rinse with warm water, followed by a warm wash cycle in your machine to remove any excess bleach. Sometimes bleach may irritate your baby's delicate skin—be sure to rinse all cloth diapers well to ensure that all of the bleach is removed. 

5. Dry as desired. We recommend air drying or tumbling dry on low or no heat. 

Precautions to follow when sanitizing used cloth diapers at home: 

  • Protect your skin by wearing gloves. 
  • Never mix bleach with another cleaning agent. Bleach is a strong chemical and should be used only as directed on the product packaging.  
  • The waterproof lining of most pocket diapers is made of a PUL which is colour fast, and will not fade in a bleach solution. However, knits and cottons may fade, even in a properly diluted bleach.