Baby Tips 101

You know it is possible to help reduce the amount of disposable diaper waste in landfills by using cloth diapers, but you are nervous about how to wash them. This is a common concern being raised by many young mothers who were raised with disposable diapers. You may be surprised to know that cleaning cloth diapers is not as hard or even as gross as you might imagine.

Gone are the days of soaking, pre-washing, bleaching and air-drying cloth diapers. In the past, this process was quite time consuming and full of work. Plain pre-folded diapers are still available and can be used with soft, washable, diaper covers, which are much nicer than plastic pants. Today’s generation of cloth diapers are 100% better than the old style. There are many all-in-one cloth diaper systems to choose from. One such brand is Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers, which are diaper and cover in one piece, with an optional insert. Everything can be washed together, including the “wet bag” which is used to contain the soiled diapers until laundry day.

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial for cleaning your soft and natural cloth diapers.

If your baby has dirtied, simply knock the stools into the toilet bowl and flush. No swirling and wringing of the diaper is necessary. Store the wet and/or dirty diapers in a diaper pail or your wet bags until laundry time. Leaving the diapers intact is ok since there is no longer a need for soaking them. Run the diapers first through a cool water rinse when you are ready to launder. The next step is to wash the diapers with detergent in a hot water wash. Using soaps to launder cloth diapers can leave an oily residue reducing the absorbancy of the diaper. To help your budget, you can experiment with the amount of detergent you use for all your wash, not just the cloth diapers you need to clean. Frequently, manufacturers suggest you use more detergent than is necessary. The. A good suggestion is cutting the recommended amount in half for starters to see how that works, and adjusting from there. Follow the hot wash with a cold rinse. It is common for today’s washers to automatically have the cold rinse, but it is a good idea to check the settings to be sure.

If you’re not sure how much detergent is too much, run the diapers through a second rinse. The water should be clear. If you see suds, or any soapy looking remains in the water, it means there was still some residue left on the diapers. Speaking of residue and deposits, do not use fabric softeners on your baby’s diapers. Fabric softeners leave a coating on fabrics which reduces the efficacy of the cloth diaper. The less absorbent your diapers, the more chance of diaper rashes and irritation, and the more frequently you’ll need to change the diapers.

Cloth diapers can be air dried or dried in the dryer. The dryer does provide softness, but the sun has natural bleaching and disinfecting qualities as well. Check the washing instructions on your particular brand. Fuzzi Bunz diapers tells its customers to use a low dryer setting, and some manufacturers recommend the hot dryer setting.

Washing soft cloth diapers helps preserve the environment and reduces the amount of waste from disposable diapers in landfills. And don’t forget you can and put the baby in your favorite Ellaroo baby carrier and go enjoy your world naturally as well!