What do I do once I take my diapers out of the package?

Because all babies can possibly have sensitive skin I DO NOT pre-wash any of the fabrics I use before making your diapers. Flannel has a natural build up from the manufacturer and will need to be washed several times to remove it. In order for your diapers to work the best pre-wash them 4-5 times before using them.

I am so excited about my new diapers I just can’t bear to wait 4 loads to use them. If you are like me. You can use them right out of the box. (not recommended) But please be aware they will not absorb as well and may leak after an hour of use.

What to do right after you take the diaper off?

There are several methods you can use and most is personal preference when it comes to how to rinse, and store until your next washing time. There is a wet pail method: fill a bucket with water and a little vinegar to help with odors. This method is not recommended by me. The smell is hard to keep away and can be hazardous if you have small children who are curious about the pail full of waterJ

The dry pail method: Plastic tends to really hold onto odors, so I recommend a stainless steel garbage can. You can line it with a regular garbage bag (not recommended), a mesh bag or a pail liner. If you line it with a mesh bag or pail liner you don't ever have to touch the diapers. You just throw the whole bag in the wash - but use the bag like a glove where you push the diapers into the washing machine through the bag. Don’t leave them in the bag to wash. You generally don't need to rinse cloth diapers. Breastfed baby's solid waste is completely water soluble, kind-of like yogurt, and the solid waste of older babies can be removed by gently shaking the diaper over a toilet. Another option is to use flushable liners if you aren't on a septic system. Are you a little hesitant to deal with the mess at all? Try a diaper sprayer. These make cleaning even the messiest diapers very easy.

Tip from personnel experience:

I myself have toilet issues. They are just so dirty! Because of this I have a line set up right outside my door. Over my flower bed. (great fertilizer) I hang my soiled diapers up with a clothes pin and spray them off with the hose. I purchased a cheap sprayer nozzle from my local store and it works great. I usually leave my diapers out there until they are no longer dripping and easily taken to the laundry without dripping through the house. Now this won’t work if you are on the 3^rd floor of an apartment complex. Your neighbors below may not like itJ

How do I wash my new diapers?

1. Wash in cold water with ¼ cup detergent - this helps a lot in preventing stains. If you have a HE front loader, decrease the amount of detergent to 1/8 of a cup. If you do an initial wash with hot water, you will have a much harder time getting any stains out because the hot water sets the stains. If you decide to use vinegar to help with smell you can put a ½ cup in this wash. Baking soda is not recommended.

2.Wash in hot water with ¼ cup detergent and an extra rinse . If you have a HE front loader, decrease the amount of detergent to 1/8 of a cup. That's it! If there are still lots of suds from the cold wash, I don't put any detergent in with the hot wash.

How to dry them?

Putting your diapers in the dryer is the easiest way to get them dry fast. Tumble dry on the medium setting. Because of the vinyl waterproof liner I use. Drying at least until just the insert is damp is recommended. This will help the liner to stretch back out and not rip. 

What detergent can I use?
You should only use detergents that are free of dyes, enzymes, perfumes, whiteners and brighteners. Using detergents containing these ingredients will cause damage to your diaper including elastic failure and leaking. Unfortunately you don't want to use natural soaps because they have oils in them that will cause your pocket diapers to repel. So STAY AWAY from detergents like: Dr. Bronners Soap, 7th Generation and Bio-Kleen, baby detergents such as Ivory Snow, Dreft and "free and clear" detergents. Good detergents to use include: Tide (not the “free” Tide), Allen’s Powder or liquid detergent, Asta detergent (made by Alda), Country Save Detergent, Ecos Laundry Detergent, Mountain Green Ultra Laundry Detergent, Nature Clean Detergent, Planet Detergent, and Clout (Costco brand).

Personnel tip:

I do not recommend this if you want to use your diapers with more than one child or want them to last for quite sometime. I am only telling you this to let you know my diapers will hold up for at least a year that I know of if not longer.

I personally wash my diapers with my other clothes in regular detergent. I use Purex. I don’t usually have to strip them that often and have not once had a diaper come apart or stop absorbing from using regular detergent. I have had the same diaper for a year before giving it away because it was to small. I have not thrown away any of my diapers because they tore up. Like I said if you want to use them with multiple kids the best possible way to prolong there life is to wash in the recommended detergents but if this is your last kid in cloth and don’t want to do separate washes or detergents they will last more than likely the entire time your child is in that sizeJ

General diaper care no-no's

Never use fabric softeners of any kind on diapers. Liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets both leave a waxy residue on diapers which causes diapers to repel, decreasing the absorbency. Diaper rash creams can also have the same effect. If you do use a diaper rash cream, use a flushable liner or a fleece liner.

Problems? There are three major problems that come up with cloth diapers: smell, wicking and repellency.

1. Smell 

This is actually pretty common. You’ve been doing great with your cloth diapers and then all of a sudden you start to smell this funk from your child’s bum! And she hasn’t even had a bowel movement. And it happens immediately after they have peed for the first time in a freshly laundered diaper. What the heck can be the problem?

Answer: Detergent or mineral buildup. No detergent actually rinses completely clean. Most brands leave a residue behind that can coat the fibers in the diapers and this coating will begin to retain odors. This either leaves them smelly even after just washing them or causes the urine to interact with the residue thus releasing a funky odor.

Solution: Strip your diapers (see below)

2. Wicking

If the diaper is leaking from the tabs or the legs, change the diaper and check the sewn in soaker. If it is saturated then your baby definitely needs an additional insert or a more frequent diaper change. If the insert isn’t saturated, then the diaper may not be the right size for your child or, if you are using a detergent that contains additives, your diapers may also have detergent buildup which can cause leakage. They may need to be stripped.

The outside layer of my diapers are cotton and cotton absorbs moisture. Even if the insert is enough to absorb after your child wears it for a little the outer layer may start drawing up the moisture. To prevent this I recommend a waterproofing spray. www.atsko.com  Nikwax also makes a spray on waterproofing treatment that can sometimes be found locally in sporting good stores. You may find the waterproofing spray to be very beneficial to keep your diapers wick free. I highly recommend it.3. Repelling – are your diapers starting to repel urine instead of absorbing them?

Answer: Detergent buildup, fabric softener was used or dryer sheet was used. The repelling is caused by a buildup of waxy substances on the surface of the flannel.

Solution: Strip your diapers. You may also want to try switching detergents if you suspect it may be the detergent. And STOP using fabric softeners or dryer sheets if one was used.

Striping your diapers

1.Fill your washer with WARM water! Even if you're only stripping a few diapers, I usually use a large load setting for the water! 2.Put your diapers in the washer and let the cycle start moving for a minute. 3.Add a small amount of liquid dawn (dishwashing soap) to your wash. Make sure it is just plain dawn, no bleach or softening agents added. 4.Let the wash go for two minutes. 5.Add another small amount of dawn to the wash. 6.Keep adding soap little by little until you feel there is enough soap to wash the amount of diapers you are washing. You do not want to add too much soap at one time because it will make too many bubbles and this soap is not made for use in a washer, so you don't want overflowing bubbles in your house! 7.Once the first wash is finished, keep running the wash over and over again until you see no soap bubbles in the wash! 8.Once all the bubbles are gone, the stripping is done! Your diapers should be ready to go again like brand new!

 

 

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