Cloth Diaper Wash Routine
Ever wonder how the heck you wash cloth diapers?? I mean they are full of human waste, but somehow there's a way to wash them and they come out clean!!
I am here to tell you more and share with you my experience as well as what resources I used to find the perfect wash routine!
The first important thing, that I ignored... Please don't do the same, is to know the hardness of your water. You can purchase test strips on Amazon! We had someone come into our home and do a little presentation on our water and she tested it for us.
Turns out we have REALLY hard water... Go figure. I was starting to experience an ammonia smell in the morning when I changed Luca AND he was starting to have a rash. I knew something wasn't right!
So once you know your water hardness then you need to ''study'' your washer. I say study, but just familiarize yourself with it. Is it high efficiency (HE)? Is it front load or top load? What are all the different setting options?
The other thing to note is whether your child is exclusively breastfed (EBF), formula-fed, or eating solids. If they are formula-fed or eating solids, you need to dump/spray the poop off the diaper and into a toilet. With EBF poop you can throw the diaper directly into your wet bag and be good to go for laundry day!
I wash every second day, but depending on the number of diapers you have, you may be able to go longer without washing!
The other very important thing is selecting a good detergent! That's where Luca's rash was coming from... I wasn't using a detergent that was strong enough to wash cloth diapers. As soon as I switched, the rash cleared up.
I personally wanted to use a detergent that I was comfortable with because these diapers are going on a very sensitive area on my baby.
Using Fluff Love Universities' Detergent Index I was able to find a detergent that would work and that I was comfortable using! I chose to use Attitude Laundry Detergent and I absolutely love it.
I wrote a blog post about different online resources to help you check the ingredients in your products because these are tools I used in this very situation and they were very helpful! You can read that blog post here.
Once you know your water hardness levels, you may realize you need a water softener. There are different options out there, the BEST (in my opinion) would be a filter that cleans the water that comes into your home.
We looked into this option and it simply wasn't feasible at the time, but it is my goal someday to have one!!
For now, I have settled on using washing soda when I wash my diapers and so far I am happy with the results.
Here is my step by step wash routine:
1. Add half the cap full of laundry detergent into the washer.
NOTE #1: I have a HE top load washer; this will vary depending on your washer.
NOTE #2: the specific amount of laundry detergent needed changes with what laundry detergent you are using. Be sure to consult the Fluff Love University website to get the correct amounts.
2. Empty your wet bag into the washer and turn the wet bag inside out and drop it in as well.
3. First cycle: cold water, heavy soil, quick wash.
4. Put 1 1/2 caps full of laundry detergent with 1 cup of washing soda in the washer.
5. Unstick the cloth diapers from the side of the drum and bulk up your load with small towels and clothing items.
6. Second cycle: hot water, heavy soil, heavy-duty wash! This is when your diapers actually get clean. The first cycle is more of a rinse.
7. Hang wet bags and diaper shells and dry all the inserts, prefolds, boosters, wipes, etc.
NOTE #3: You can choose to hang everything, but I wouldn't recommend drying the actual diapers in the dryer because it can affect the PUL over time and cause leaks.
And that's it! Yes, there are variations depending on your washer and laundry detergent, but the general routine is the same for everyone.
Now I read A LOT about extra rinses, but it's actually not recommended. The reason being the extra rinses will add more minerals from the water onto your cloth diapers, leading to issues down the road.
If you feel the need for an extra rinse (aka your diapers come out slimy), check your wash routine first. You shouldn't need any extra rinses!
It's that simple folks. Cloth diapering does NOT have to be hard or complicated!
I am here to tell you more and share with you my experience as well as what resources I used to find the perfect wash routine!
The first important thing, that I ignored... Please don't do the same, is to know the hardness of your water. You can purchase test strips on Amazon! We had someone come into our home and do a little presentation on our water and she tested it for us.
Turns out we have REALLY hard water... Go figure. I was starting to experience an ammonia smell in the morning when I changed Luca AND he was starting to have a rash. I knew something wasn't right!
So once you know your water hardness then you need to ''study'' your washer. I say study, but just familiarize yourself with it. Is it high efficiency (HE)? Is it front load or top load? What are all the different setting options?
The other thing to note is whether your child is exclusively breastfed (EBF), formula-fed, or eating solids. If they are formula-fed or eating solids, you need to dump/spray the poop off the diaper and into a toilet. With EBF poop you can throw the diaper directly into your wet bag and be good to go for laundry day!
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The other very important thing is selecting a good detergent! That's where Luca's rash was coming from... I wasn't using a detergent that was strong enough to wash cloth diapers. As soon as I switched, the rash cleared up.
I personally wanted to use a detergent that I was comfortable with because these diapers are going on a very sensitive area on my baby.
Using Fluff Love Universities' Detergent Index I was able to find a detergent that would work and that I was comfortable using! I chose to use Attitude Laundry Detergent and I absolutely love it.
I wrote a blog post about different online resources to help you check the ingredients in your products because these are tools I used in this very situation and they were very helpful! You can read that blog post here.
Once you know your water hardness levels, you may realize you need a water softener. There are different options out there, the BEST (in my opinion) would be a filter that cleans the water that comes into your home.
For now, I have settled on using washing soda when I wash my diapers and so far I am happy with the results.
Here is my step by step wash routine:
1. Add half the cap full of laundry detergent into the washer.
NOTE #1: I have a HE top load washer; this will vary depending on your washer.
NOTE #2: the specific amount of laundry detergent needed changes with what laundry detergent you are using. Be sure to consult the Fluff Love University website to get the correct amounts.
2. Empty your wet bag into the washer and turn the wet bag inside out and drop it in as well.
3. First cycle: cold water, heavy soil, quick wash.
4. Put 1 1/2 caps full of laundry detergent with 1 cup of washing soda in the washer.
5. Unstick the cloth diapers from the side of the drum and bulk up your load with small towels and clothing items.
6. Second cycle: hot water, heavy soil, heavy-duty wash! This is when your diapers actually get clean. The first cycle is more of a rinse.
7. Hang wet bags and diaper shells and dry all the inserts, prefolds, boosters, wipes, etc.
NOTE #3: You can choose to hang everything, but I wouldn't recommend drying the actual diapers in the dryer because it can affect the PUL over time and cause leaks.
And that's it! Yes, there are variations depending on your washer and laundry detergent, but the general routine is the same for everyone.
Now I read A LOT about extra rinses, but it's actually not recommended. The reason being the extra rinses will add more minerals from the water onto your cloth diapers, leading to issues down the road.
If you feel the need for an extra rinse (aka your diapers come out slimy), check your wash routine first. You shouldn't need any extra rinses!
It's that simple folks. Cloth diapering does NOT have to be hard or complicated!
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