Cloth Diaper Washing Routine

[EcoIncon]

I see tons of information on washing cloth diapers and I'm sure we all have our own routines. Mine comes from about 10 years now of using cloth diapers the majority of the time and having a high efficiency washer. Here are my tricks but I am sure there are things I don't know about.

Pre wash... I run 2 pre-wash cycles with extra water and an extra rinse cycle. This gets most of the urine out. I used to pre-wash by hand... Even though this takes 3 hours in my washer it is so much easier!

Wash ... Just a single wash cycle with a normal detergent (detergent really doesn't matter much as I don't normally have dirty diapers and if I do, I wash them by hand).

Post wash - I've found this to be key. 2 more cycles of wash with extra water and an extra rinse. I've found that if I don't get all the detergent out, the diapers get FUNKY (and not in a good way)

Dry - I use AIOs and PUL covers that I used to hang dry. I've found that they last just fine if I dry them for 2 hours on ultra low heat (barely more than an airfluff)

While this routine takes about 8 hours to run every day, it takes almost zero time from me. I haven't had to strip diapers or throw any away for over a year now.

Would love to hear any tricks you have!

 

[newt]

Do you do this every day? Or do you do it every few days?

My cloth diaper experiment failed mostly due to my ADHD. There are way too many steps there for me to forget something, or leave it in the wash, or forget the second cycle.

If I had a dollar every time I go to bed, only to realize I forgot to put my comforter in the dryer, I'd be halfway to affording a first class trip to Italy for 2 people with only the finest accommodations.

 

[MarineJohn]

Thank you for the information. I am retiring in a couple of months and looking at going cloth pin on diapers and plastic pants to save money. I have been stock piling them for the last couple of years.

 

[SpAzpieSweeTot]

Thank you for the information. I am retiring in a couple of months and looking at going cloth pin on diapers and plastic pants to save money. I have been stock piling them for the last couple of years.

Pins worry me. I'm an uncoordinated mess, though. Some people like pins, but you have options. 2 sets of
Boingos, or adding Velcro, or adding snaps. I just don't like the idea of anyone getting poked.

 

[EcoIncon]

Do you do this every day? Or do you do it every few days?

My cloth diaper experiment failed mostly due to my ADHD. There are way too many steps there for me to forget something, or leave it in the wash, or forget the second cycle.

If I had a dollar every time I go to bed, only to realize I forgot to put my comforter in the dryer, I'd be halfway to affording a first class trip to Italy for 2 people with only the finest accommodations.

I do it almost every day. I make it part of my routine so I don't miss a step. It's like anything... once a habit is formed, it's second nature.

 

[EcoIncon]

Thank you for the information. I am retiring in a couple of months and looking at going cloth pin on diapers and plastic pants to save money. I have been stock piling them for the last couple of years.

Good luck! Pick an amount of time and stick with it. There will be adjustments but once you make the switch, you'll be happy to be saving soooo much money.

 

[daylight]

@EcoIncon here's my routine: I use vinegar in my one prewash (or a quick wash) to help break down urine. More so if I had to skip a day because of schedules, or summer vs winter. The main wash is with a setting of sanitize (extra hot water) and heavy soil, or I use the bulky selection which adds more water and agitation time.

Have you tried reducing the amount of detergent so an extra wash can be done away with?

 

[Eclectic]

I am not using cloth during the day at the moment, but I have for extended periods in the past. I use cloth diapers, cloth booster pads and plastic pants at night when I’m not traveling.

My routine for the last 3 or 4 years has been to throw wet diapers in our modern upright washer in the morning. I then run a speed wash cycle with vinegar and no detergent. This only takes about 15 min. Diapers are then hung up to dry for a day on a drying rack. I store previously dried diapers in a diaper pail.

After about four days, I’ll throw all the diapers from the pail into the wash. I do a deep wash on high heat, no dye or fragrance detergent, vinegar, extra water, a soak cycle, and an extra rinse cycle.

The initial speed wash before I do a full wash helps a lot, I think. I get the pee out much quicker and, if I’m busy, I don’t have to stress about when I do the full wash.

Forgot to say. I use pins.

 

[EcoIncon]

I use vinegar in my one prewash (or a quick wash) to help break down urine.

Have you tried reducing the amount of detergent so an extra wash can be done away with?

I would certainly use vinegar if I didn't use All-in-one diapers. I found vinegar is great for just cloth. If you wash elastic parts with it, I understand it can damage the elastic

I haven't thought of using less detergent but it is a great idea and I will experiment with it! Thanks!

 

[Zeke]

I’ve been using primarily cloth contours or prefolds with soakers and a folded terry bath towel as a soaker and a folded terry hand towel as a liner to make cleanup from my dual ic easier. When I change I do so in the shower and fill my diaper and plastic pants with water to rinse them out. They’re drained over the back of my shower chair before being thrown in a storage tub that I use for a dry pail. So my diapers have been rinsed and drained before being laundered. Then I wash in my conventional top loader with Tide powder, Borax, and a couple of cups of white vinegar. The vinegar is necessary to remove the “sizing” that’s sprayed on the fabric to protect it from stains and dirt during the manufacturing, wholesale, and retail process. The was cycle in hot water is followed by a double rinse cycle. Prior to using a double rinse I used to get an ammonia smell soon after the diaper was exposed to urine. I’ve got hard water from an excess of lime. The vinegar helps to remove the lime and prevent the ammonia smell occurring when urine combines with the trapped lime and residual detergent that wasn’t getting rinsed out of my diapers in one rinse cycle. Now if I can just get my clothesline put up so that I can dry my diapers in fresh air and sunshine to disinfect them naturally.

 

[EcoIncon]

I’ve been using primarily cloth contours or prefolds with soakers and a folded terry bath towel as a soaker and a folded terry hand towel as a liner to make cleanup from my dual ic easier. When I change I do so in the shower and fill my diaper and plastic pants with water to rinse them out. They’re drained over the back of my shower chair before being thrown in a storage tub that I use for a dry pail. So my diapers have been rinsed and drained before being laundered. Then I wash in my conventional top loader with Tide powder, Borax, and a couple of cups of white vinegar. The vinegar is necessary to remove the “sizing” that’s sprayed on the fabric to protect it from stains and dirt during the manufacturing, wholesale, and retail process. The was cycle in hot water is followed by a double rinse cycle. Prior to using a double rinse I used to get an ammonia smell soon after the diaper was exposed to urine. I’ve got hard water from an excess of lime. The vinegar helps to remove the lime and prevent the ammonia smell occurring when urine combines with the trapped lime and residual detergent that wasn’t getting rinsed out of my diapers in one rinse cycle. Now if I can just get my clothesline put up so that I can dry my diapers in fresh air and sunshine to disinfect them naturally.

Thanks Zeke! Just changing a cloth diaper in the shower is a great idea! Changing at least four times a day I'd be the cleanest person in the world too ;-).

I totally forgot about hard water. Great point. I am lucky to have moved to a place where I don't have to deal with that anymore.

I can't say I'd be bold enough to line dry adult diapers but if you're up for it, that would be a great way to dry them!