So, one thing that probably bums most people out, and makes them think they can't handle cloth diapering is the laundry. So I thought I'd share some tips, and tell you about our laundering cycle to help you readers out. It's REALLY not as bad as you think! Remember, you made an investment in your diapers. Protect that investment with proper washing care.
Here's my laundry/storage routine:
1.) Get a pail. If you aren't going to have a diaper service, I highly recommend a good quality pail like the diaper service quality pail diaper junction sells. This is one area that I say not to skimp in. The pail is made of a very thick, durable plastic, that helps keep odors in. Laundry hampers that most stores sell just aren't up to the task of stinky diapers. You can try a "diaper genie" type product, but they didn't look as high quality to me when I checked them out. And besides, the DSQ pails at diaper junction are cheaper than the diaper genies.
2.) Line that pail! For our diapers, we use a DSQ diaper pail like I mentioned above. We line it with a GroVia pail liner. They are very durable bags that you can wash with the diapers, which is what I like best.
How do I handle the yucky dipes? Like you, I don't want to be touching poop after a diaper change, or worse, three day old poop before I put it in the washer. But the poop has to go somewhere! So, if you are using a prefold, give it a quick dunk in the toilet, and flush it all away. Then toss the diaper in the pail, and forget about that yucky thing. If you are at the solid food stage, or not breast feeding, then you might be lucky enough to just give it a shake. Same thing goes for any other types of diapers you have. An AIO like bumgenius!, a Pocket diaper like FuzziBunz, whatever the case may be. If you have a cover, like Thirsties with a blow out, either wipe it out after the diaper change to get the poop off, or rinse it with a hose, or diaper sprayer if you are lucky enough to have one, or bath tub. Wherever you choose to do your hand diaper rinsing. After it's rinsed, throw it in the pail. If you have a diaper that has an insert, then take it out before you throw the whole thing in the pail. Before throwing anything in the pail, make sure all laundry tabs are secured, then you wont have to mess with it come laundry day. If you followed all of the above, then on laundry day, all you have to do is take that stinky bag to the wash machine and dump. No touching of smelly yucky diapers! Save yourself the trouble, and prepare ahead of time and you won't be miserable later! I promise, it's that easy!
3.) Get a wash routine. How often? I wash my diapers two to three times a week. I go every 3-4 days. Sometimes 5 if I'm busy. The GroVia pail liner that I use, acts as a barrier to keep the diapers from drying out. This prevents major stains from setting in. I have read about other women saying they can't go more than two days or else their diapers stink after washing. I am not sure what their systems are like, but I am telling you, we have no issues with our system. And trust me, we don't have the ideal situation for washing cloth diapers!
4.) Get the right soap. Soap is important!!! VERY important, you'll notice. The good news, you don't need much of it. First off, stay away from any soap that says "brightners, bright whites, color safe bleach, etc...." You do NOT want any type of chlorine bleaching agent on your diapers. It will eat away a the fabric, and drastically shorten the life of any type of diaper. Especially any diaper cover with PUL lining. It will eat it right off, so don't do it. No borax either ladies. No scented detergents either! That's bad for babies skin, and only covers up a problem. The best smelling diaper smells like......well......nothing!! Also, stay away from soaps that are geared towards babies, like Dreft for example. These detergents have added fabric softeners in them, and will only make your diapers start repelling, not absorbing. There's a lengthy and thorough list of good and bad detergents here. That said, I use Purex right now. It does have brighteners in it, so I am on the hunt for something better. However, I have yet to see a problem with it, and have yet to hear anyone reporting a problem with it. The reason I'm switching is because I fear that long term use of Purex will cause premature break down of my diapers because of the brightner in the detergent. I have heard rave reviews about Rockin Green, so I have some samples on the way! I'll update once I've used it several times.
5.) Now wash those diapers! So you probably heard all these long drawn out stories of washing diapers 6 different times, and then maybe washing them some more. Well, forget about that. I live in an apartment complex with a shared laundry room. I have to pay to use the machines, and I have NO control over the wash cycles. These are the options on my machine: Small/large load, Cold/Cold wash and rinse, or Hot/Cold wash and rinse. The speed is High or Low. That's it folks. That's what I have to work with. So here's what I do: I put my soap in, and start the water on the high speed, cold/cold setting. Let it fill up a bit so the soap has a minute to dissolve. Then I toss in the diapers, and let them go for one cycle. Then I run one more Hot/Cold cycle. That's it. No extended pre-soak because I can't do that. I have no problems with smell so far. It's been three months. I'll update you in 3 more months to let you know how this is working, but I bet you it's fine. You don't need to be a slave to your washing machine to cloth diaper your babes!
6.)Drying. I dry my diapers on medium heat, and let them air out to finish drying if they still need it. I line dry all of my diaper covers so the PUL lining doesn't get ruined. They dry fast anyways, so there's no need for them to go into the dryer. End of story. Don't use fabric softeners in the wash, or in the dryer. This will add an oily coating that will make your diapers and inserts less absorbent, and might actually make them start to repel if there's enough build up. The oily coating also makes a nice place for yucky odors to hang out on!
7.) Always follow manufacturers' recommended wash routines. What I mentioned above pretty much covers all types of diapers that I have seen so far, but if you come across one that instructs you to do something different, then by all means, follow the instructions.
That's pretty much it. This is just one example of what works, but this will give you a place to start. You may find you like to wash your diapers more often or less often. You might like to just throw them in the washer as you use them, instead of worrying about a diaper pail. The variations can go on forever, but the point is, it isn't that difficult to deal with. One last thing to help make your cloth diapering venture something that everyone in your house can be on board with, is to prepare all your diapers after they come out of the dryer. Get them all adjusted, snapped, all pockets stuffed, maybe even prefold your prefolds! When I am done with diaper laundry, I sit down on the couch while my little one sits in her swing, and we chat while I get the diapers all ready for use. This makes it easier for your hubbys to get on board because they won't have to mess with anything. I truly feel this simple step that takes roughly 15 minutes of your time will make your cloth diapering experience more enjoyable.
That's it! Really, it's not hard at all. It's basically just adding another load or two of laundry per week to the routine!
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