I’m going to cover my exact routine of how to process and wash your cloth diapers step by step as if I’m standing right there with you. You don’t have to be scared of this part of cloth diapering once you are equipped with the right tools! I’m going to show you what you really need to make this a breeze.
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How it all works together
Step 1: The Change Station
When you get your first dirty diaper this is what you are going to do. You will obviously need to change your baby. Your change station not only needs to have a place for your clean diapers, but also a place for the dirty wipes to go. I recommend a Small Step Garbage Bin with a lid next to your change area for easy disposal of used wipes.
Tip: If you are cloth diapering, you might start thinking of using Cloth Baby Wipes for wet diapers, which is a great self-sustainable and cost-saving idea! You could store them ready wet in a small container with a lid, wipe warmer, or use a spray bottle to spray your wipes when you need them.
Step 2: Rinse Off Your Diaper
Next you will carry your dirty diaper to the bathroom. Wash off the dirty contents of your cloth diaper into the toilet (because you can’t throw that into your washer). I highly recommend investing in a Toilet Diaper Sprayer (also works as a bidet) that hooks up to your toilet. It will make your experience sooo much faster and more enjoyable! (I honestly think I would have given up cloth diapering if it weren’t for the diaper sprayer!) You could get a Diaper Sprayer Shield to contain the overspray, or DIY your own, but you don’t have to use one. You’ll need to pull out the inserts from your pocket diapers. After rinsing, throw it all into a diaper pail, or designated garbage bin with a lid and wet bag. This is where your diapers wait for you until you are ready to wash them.
Tip: This is a great time to wash up your toilet area really quick. I like to leave a spray bottle and something to wipe up the bathroom.
Step 3: Washing Your Diapers In The Washer
When you are ready to wash your cloth diapers, grab the entire pail, and dump the contents straight into the washing machine, then remove the wet bag. Do one cold rinse, then one hot wash with your diaper safe detergent, and then two more rinse cycles without detergent. If you’re diapers are not smelling right, you can do an extra wash and rinse cycle. You can rinse and air dry your pail outside for awhile if you need to. What’s nice about having two wet bags is while one is in the wash, your other is ready in the pail for the next diaper change. (Please note that wool diapers are a very different process to wash than your typical cloth diaper.)
Don’t feel like adding extra soap will help wash your diapers better. Adding too much soap, or harsh detergents and softeners (even vinegar) can damage the elastics, PUL fabric, and gunk up your diapers’ absorbency. Also you must wash your cloth diapers every two to three days, but sooner the better to keep the ammonia from building in your diapers. Some like to wash at the end of every day, and grab their diapers from the dryer in the morning. Whatever works for you, even if you forget an extra day, it’ll be okay and they will wash out.
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Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe (Cloth Diaper Safe)
Step 4: Drying Your Cloth Diapers
After washing your cloth diapers, you can dry them by air drying on a laundry rack, putting them on the line in the sunshine (which helps get stains out), or on a low temperature in the dryer. I would opt not to use any fragranced static dryer sheets because babies’ skin is so sensitive, but wool balls and a shorter dry time could prevent static. Just remember that high temps might damage your diaper’s leg elastics and PUL fabric over time. The PUL fabric is the thin material acting like a shield in your diaper cover, keeping your baby from soaking through.
Step 5: Storing Your Diapers
Storing your diapers is completely up to you. Some love to display all their colourful diapers in an open shelf, while others like to store them away in a drawer. I have a third option, that might just speak to the busy moms out there. I find doing laundry hard to stay on top of, so fast and easy is what I need to make it happen. Not only is my laundry room the family closet, but I like to keep my diapers in a special laundry bin, unstuffed. As soon as they are washed, they go into their special hamper, ready for me to pick and choose what my babies need for that moment. If you are often on the go, I recommend having your cloth diapers stuffed beforehand. I could imagine it wouldn’t be fun to stuff diapers out in public!
How To Strip Your Cloth Diapers
If you buy your diapers second-hand, have used them for 6 months, or notice they are not coming out smelling as fresh, you’ll want to strip your cloth diapers. This is a long soaking process where you submerge all your inserts and cloth diapers in hot water, either in your washing machine if it has a soaking feature, or in the bathtub. You can use Rockin Green Diaper Laundry Detergent to do this or any product made for stripping cloth diapers. I would stay away from anything too harsh, especially bleach because your diapers sit next to your baby’s delicate skin and there are more natural options. Soak your diapers overnight and then wash them out thoroughly, until there are no suds.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Natural Soap Brands Safe For Cloth Diapers
Here are a few non-toxic natural laundry brands you could try out to wash your cloth diapers.
Molly’s Suds Baby Laundry Detergent Liquid
Molly’s Suds Baby Laundry Detergent Powder
Rockin Green Diaper Laundry Detergent
Charlies Baby Laundry Detergent Liquid
Essentials for Washing Cloth Diapers
This list has everything I mentioned that is essential with processing your dirty diapers.
Nora’s Nursery Travel Wet Bags
Small Step Garbage Bin (for disposable wipes)
Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail (or any medium or tall-sized garbage bin with a lid will work)
Summary
You can wash and dry your cloth diapers in whichever way suits you best! Your cloth diapers will wash out after a few cycles in the wash, just don’t oversoap or use harsh detergents. Try to wash your diapers every two days, and don’t forget to get yourself a diaper sprayer for your toilet to make cloth diapering quick and easier! My motto for anything with diapering kids, is if it helps get the job done joyfully, and it’s fine for baby, then do that!
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If you are new to cloth diapers check out my post “All About Cloth Diapers Made Simple”, where I cover the basics of what kind of diapers and inserts to choose from, their benefits, and answer a few basic questions people have about diapering with cloth.
