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Diaper Washing/Care Instructions
There are many methods out there. The best diaper washing routine is a simple one.
Prewash
Pre-Wash diapers prior to using. If diaper is made with organic or hemp diapers/inserts can take several wash/dry cycles to reach maximum absorbency. Note from BeeGreenBaby.com:
- I personally hold this to be very true with my hemp and organic diapers, I found he longer I used them the more absorbent they became. They became my favorite diapers because they are super absorbent!
- I have found that it all came down to finding the perfect setting as my kids grew. I would adjust the tummy/legs in and out depending on their size (sometimes my kids shoot up in height before weight and vice versa). So play around with the fit. After awhile you adjust without even thinking about it because “you just know how the diaper should fit”.
- If you are new to this we recommend trying out one diaper/cover and seeing how it works out for you prior to washing a huge load of diapers.
- Wash only about a dozen or so at a time for the initial pre-washes.
- Wash and dry bright or dark fabrics on hot/high several times before mixing with lighter colored diapers.
Washing Routine
- How many diapers you wash at each time depends on what washer you are suing. But we recommend a full load (usually between 18-24 diapers)
- Rinse diaper to with cold water to remove any solids. You can purchase diaper sprayers that connect to your toilet. (BumGenius and carries one that works great and was easy to install myself)
- Toss dirty diapers into a dry pail; wash at least every 3 days. Using baking soda in diaper pail can help with odors.
- Pre-wash diapers in cold-water without detergent. This helps prevent stains and odor. Hot water can “set in” stains.
- Use hot water and ½ amount of detergent. For High Efficiency (HE) washer use ¼ amount of detergent.
- Veggie-based soap helps keep fabric soft, although its effectiveness depends on the hardness of your water. In any water, soap can coat fabric, so consider alternating soap and detergent to avoid decreased absorbency over time.
- Do not use bleach or fabric softener, they can leave residue and reduce absorbency.
- Do not use with diaper creams/ointments, they can leave a residue and reduce absorbency. Babies usually experience less diaper rash than with disposable diapers. But it can occasionally happen. Changing diaper more often and allowing baby to go “diaper free” for awhile can help a great deal.
Note from BeeGreenBaby.com:
If you need something for diaper rash I have found that using a mix of zinc oxide/cornstarch powder can help. If you think it could be a yeast infection talk to your pediatrician.
We recommend line drying diapers. Line drying will decrease the wear and tear on your diapers and can help freshen and reduce or eliminate staining. Drying diapers in a dryer is perfectly okay. We live near Seattle so “sunning” the diapers and covers is not always an option for me. We recommend using tumble dry or medium heat. Some diapers cannot be put through high heat.
We strongly suggest either laying the diapers flat to dry, or hanging them horizontally. Hanging wet diapers by the waist allows the heavy, wet weight to pull on leg elastic, which may reduce its useful life.
Laundry Detergent
This is a list of our recommended detergents* which we found to be enzyme/dye/softener/bleach free and are highly rated among cloth diaper users. We currently carry Allen’s Natural (In the future we hope to offer a wider selection of detergents to choose from.)
- Allen's Naturally Powder/Liquid
- Country Save Powder/Liquid (You can find at Whole Foods, Local Natural Food Markets)
- Tiny Bubbles – Natural Baby Company (Online at naturalbabyco.com)
- *Manufacturers may change their formulation without notice. BeeGreenBaby.com cannot make any guarantees to the effectiveness or results from the use of these detergents.