dirty diaper laundry

One of the first things on your mind when considering cloth diapering your baby is how to get them clean. Most of us are self-described busy moms (whether working outside of the home, in the home, or full-time mommies), and don't need or desire to add a whole lot of fuss to our lives.

Two common misconceptions about cloth diapering are 1.) It takes a lot of time dealing with washing diapers and 2.) Diaper care is a gross and messy business. Neither is true. In fact, when I first shared with you my story about how I got into cloth diapering, I admitted that I did not do it to save the world or my baby's bum from the evils of disposable diapers. Without reiterating my entire "conversion" story, my point is that I am not the kind of person who likes to make my life difficult just for the sake of a cause. However, I find cloth diaper care very easy. Even, dare I say, fun. And let's be honest with ourselves here, what parent (disposable or cloth) has not had to deal with a little poop now and again? Can you say Potty Training?

Our Challenges: Moose has a sensitive bum. These issues are food- and weather-related, not cloth-related (we face the same challenges in disposables). I change him promptly every two hours or as needed in-between (can you imagine how much I'd spend on disposables?). Scented products - wipes, detergents, diapers, etc - exacerbate the problem, so we are careful to avoid all scented detergents, even those deemed cloth diaper friendly. As far as smell, we have never had ammonia issues but every so often we get The Stinkies (when diapers get a skunky smell after your baby urinates in them, caused by build-up) and I know at that point it is time to strip. I usually strip my clean diapers using Dawn dish soap. I also use cloth wipes with water instead of disposable wipes to cut back on rash. When rashes appear from certain foods I use coconut oil on his bum, which makes a wonderful cloth-diaper-friendly rash cream.

My washer: I wash with a High-Efficiency (HE) Front-Loading (FL) washer. This is key to note because your wash routine and results will vary greatly based on whether you are using a front-loader or top-loader. Top-loaders (TL) use more water, which can actually work to your advantage to get cloth diapers clean (although it makes a little bit more of a dent in your bill, especially if you have metered water). Some people I know who have front-loaders have actually turned to adding more water into their cycle to help keep away The Stinkies. I don't do this because...I'm lazy.

Detergent: The detergent that works the best for me is a simple homemade detergent. Vilate, mastermind behind Nifty Nappy diapers, recommended it to me one day on twitter as I was tweeting my dismay at the return of The Stinkies. So far this recipe has worked better than any other detergent at keeping The Stinkies away for longer periods of time, though I still find that I need to occasionally strip.

Recipe:

1/2 c Borax

1/2 c washing soda (I use regular baking soda, as it is supposedly gentler)

1 c grated fels naptha soap (I use plain Ivory)

Care Routine:

• Remove soiled diaper - If urine only, it goes straight into my wetbag. If poopy, it gets sprayed off with my diaper sprayer and then put into the wetbag. I use cloth wipes and water instead of disposables, so those go in with the diapers.
• When ready for wash, I dump the soiled diapers and wipes into washer along with wetbag. Two things of note here. 1.) I wash every day to every other day to help avoid The Stinkies. Many people don't have to, but I also prefer not to have dirty diapers sitting for days. This gives me about 6-12 diapers per load for one child. Any more diapers than that and I would have to switch to doing 2+ loads, as a front-loading washer does not (in my opinoin) use enough water to adequately clean a higher volume of diapers and 2.) I use fitteds, so there is no stuffing/unstuffing involved. If you use pockets you must remove the inserts before throwing your diapers in the wash. Once fully prepped, inserts and pocket shells can be washed all together.
• Cold rinse with no detergent. Hot wash with detergent. Cold rinse with no detergent.
• Move diapers to dryer. Dry on medium heat for 1/2 hr to 1 hour. Some people choose to line dry, but I don't like the crunchiness of line-dried diapers or clothing. However, line-drying will cut back on the frequency of The Stinkies and the sun works as a great stain remover.
• Fold dry diapers and put away

See? Not too bad. The nice thing about diaper laundry is that most of the work is done by your washer, so all you really have to do is fold/stuff your clean diapers. I actually find it therapeutic and relaxing at the end of the day to put away diapers. Plus it is a good activity for Moose to help me with. He hands me the diapers and I put them away. He also loves to choose which diaper he wants to wear, which makes it fun for him to get changed. Older children can get involved by helping to stuff inserts into pockets or folding.

Finding a wash routine that works for you will probably take as much trial and error as perfecting your stash. Enjoy the journey along the way and remember that most other cloth diapering mamas love to talk cloth, so never be afraid to ask others for advice if you need help with your care routine.