Cloth Diapers: Diaper Care and Common Myths

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This is part three of our cloth diaper series!  Please read parts one and two before you read this post, as they build on one another:

Part One - Cloth Diapers: Why Would You Even Bother?
Part Two - Cloth Diapers: Not Your Grandmother's Cloth Diapers

Today we will be discussing how to care for cloth diapers, as well as dispel some common myths about using cloth.  This information has the potential to be overwhelming, but do not despair.  It's really pretty simple - I'm just telling you everything I learned over time in one blog post.  Let's get started.

Caring for Cloth Diapers

One of the big selling points for using cloth diapers is the fact that you get to use them again, at no cost, for your future child(ren).  However, like anything, cloth diapers need to be properly taken care of in order to last.  There are several "dos and don'ts" that people who are new to cloth must be aware of.

1.  Storage.  After you change your little one's diaper, instead of throwing the diaper in the trash, you need to have a place to store your dirty diapers until washing time.  Most people these days prefer to use what is called a "dry pail."  All that means is that you have a bucket, like a trash can, with a loose-fitting lid to store your diapers in.  No water, no solutions, nothing.  Many people prefer to line their bucket with a wet bag, which is basically a washable, waterproof bag with elastic at the top.  When it is time to wash, you simply toss your wetbag and diapers into the wash.  I, however, am gross never bothered to get a wetbag so I just rinse out my empty bucket with vinegar each time I throw the diapers in the wash.

Solid waste can be shaken into the toilet. What does not shake off will clean up fine in the wash.  Something I have never bothered with, but many people swear by, is a handy dandy sprayer that you connect to the water line feeding your toilet.  This way, waste can be sprayed off directly into the toilet.  Click here to see one.

2.  Laundry.  This is a big one.  This is the number one reason that I hear people say that they absolutely could not use cloth diapers.  Well guess what?   There are some specifics you have to follow, but it is actually quite simple

First of all, you should know that most cloth diaper users wash their diapers just once every two or three days.  That means, you are only doing 2 or 3 extra loads of laundry per week.  Yes, it is one more thing to think about, but I personally don't think that laundry should be the reason to shy away from cloth diapers.

Here is my fine-tuned laundry routine:

1. Toss diapers in wash and set washer to largest load
(diapers are only a small load, but you need the rinsing power of lots of water to a little bit of diapers)

2. Cold rinse, no detergent.  This gets solids off w/o staining.

3.  Hottest, longest wash 1 to 2 T of detergent free of brighteners, additives, etc.

A list of how detergents rate can be found here.
I have discovered that my homemade laundry detergent works wonderfully!  I get my recipe from the Duggars, here: Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap (scroll down, it's the 3rd recipe), or my cousin has a very similar recipe (same ingredients, different amounts) found on her website Living on a Dime.

4. Rinse

5.  Rinse

6.  Maybe rinse one more time for good measure. :-)

7.  Dry in dryer (no fabric softener or dryer sheets), or hang dry.

The most important thing - and the thing that people are most likely to cut corners on - is making sure all of the detergent is rinsed out of the diapers.  This why you should never use more than 2T of detergent and why you must rinse 2 to 3 times.  Your diapers will smell like water when they are done.  If they still smell like detergent after the last rinse, you can be sure that you are using too much soap.  Cut back next time.  If you do not get all the detergent rinsed out of your diapers, you will get detergent buildup (guess what's in your clothes!) which will eventually cause the diapers to 1. smell weird when in contact with urine 2. be less absorbent, causing poor performance such as leaks, 3. lose softness and even become a bit stiff, and 4. cause diaper rash.

Yes, even though I am now a "pro" at this cloth diaper thing, I still always, always smell them before they go into the dryer.

Some other notes on laundry:

Even if you perfectly wash your diapers, and they always smell like water before you put them in the dryer, you are still bound to get some buildup slowly over time.  This is where the difference between natural fabrics (like cotton) and synthetic fabrics (like micro fleece) can really come into play.  Synthetic fabrics are just harder to get as clean and adequately rinsed in comparison to cotton.   With cotton, I have to "strip" the diapers of accumulated buildup about once per year.  With synthetic fabrics (which I used to use for Princess), I had to "strip" my diapers once every 3 months or so.   Before stripping, you could even try an extra hot wash w/o using detergent to help with this issue.

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If you find you need to strip your diapers, I recommend using RLR.  To be perfectly honest, I'm not quite sure what it is, but you can read about it here: RLR.  I use as little as half a packet for a load of diapers.  Just put it in the wash with your diapers in place of detergent, and when you are done rinse, rinse, rinse, maybe 10 times or so until you don't see any more suds in the rinse water.  This part is a pain, but like I said, with natural fabrics, and proper laundry techniques, you should only  have to do this once a year.  We are about due for an RLR treatment at our house, since it has been over a year since our last one, and I can tell it is time because we are getting the stinkies...   And by the way, RLR can also be used for your regular laundry.  (I like it to help with deodorant buildup in shirts.)

3.  Rash cream.  Never use rash cream with cloth diapers if your child develops a diaper rash.  There is one exception:  if you use a barrier (such as a wash cloth) between baby's bottom and the cloth diaper so that no cream comes into contact with the diaper.  If my baby has a rash bad enough to require diaper rash cream, I will occasionally just use a disposable insert (for the Flip diaper) or a disposable diaper for one to three diaper changes when the rash typically clears up.  If you have reoccurring rash problems, please see the section on laundry (and RLR) or consider consulting your child's doctor regarding possible food allergies or a yeast issue.

4.  Stains.  The cold rinse prior to the hot wash should prevent most staining from solid waste.  However, some staining is bound to occur, especially with natural fabrics.  To get stains out of your diapers simply thoroughly wet the stain and set in the bright sun.  It is like magic!   This is one of the reasons some cloth diaper users love to hang dry their diapers outside.   If the stain is bad, you might have to repeat this process.  Re-wet and do it again.  (Side note: cloth diaper care has taught me so much about the care of clothing in general.  This idea of "sunning out" stains has worked time and time again for my daughters' shirts as well.  Sometimes, I can even convince a stain that has accidentally been through the dryer and is "set," to fade away.  Try it!)

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(I kind of want to try the above diaper.  Looks so cute, and is similar to the Flip in theory.)

Common Cloth Diaper Myths

Myth:  Cloth diapers don't really save much money because the extra laundry costs add up enough to cancel out any money saved. 

Truth:  People who say this usually think that cloth diapers must be washed daily, creating 7 extra loads of laundry per week.  The fact is that 2 - 3 loads of laundry per week does not add up nearly as quickly as daily disposable diaper use.  That is about the amount of water that a potty-trained, toilet-flushing toddler uses each week.  If you're really concerned about the electricity, hang-drying with just a "fluff" in the dryer will help with that. 

Myth:  Cloth diapers are unsanitary.

Truth:  Hot water (make sure your water heater is turned up high enough) kills bacteria better than most people realize.

Myth:  Storing cloth diapers in a "dry pail" is a terrible idea because of the odor.

Truth:  Storing any diapers is a terrible idea because of the odor.  Having experienced both, I can attest to the fact that disposables - even in a Diaper Champ or Diaper Genie - smell like death.  In fact, because of what is in disposable diapers, I think they smell even worse than cloth.  Sometimes when we travel, if I have Sunshine in a disposable diaper, I think she pooped when she did not just because the urine smells more offensive in a 'sposie to me.  With cloth, at least it gets washed every 2 to 3 days.  I don't think the odor is really noticeable until day three - it smells like ammonia - which is the latest possible wash day anyway.  If this really bothers you, using a sachet of baking soda in or near the pail can be a good idea.  Or just wash every two days instead of three.  Just like you can take the trash out early in the case of a terrible, explosive diaper, you can always wash the diaper laundry early if your child has had an extra-offensive diaper.  We keep our diaper pail in the laundry room rather than in the bedroom or bathroom, and I think that helps too.



Hopefully after reading this, someone considering cloth diapers has a very accurate idea of what is involved in diaper care, and has also had some of their cloth diaper fears alleviated.  I think the hardest part is all the unknowns involved in trying something new.  I hope this helps you move forward in confidence.