How do I wash my diapers?
I like to start with a cold wash cycle with detergent (I like Charlie's Soap) and sometimes some lemon juice to help with stains. Then I do another wash with hot water, 1/2 cup baking soda and vinegar in a downy ball with the extra rinse cycle on. Never use bleach on your diapers, it can break them down and irritate your baby's skin if not fully rinsed. I then separate the stuff that goes into the dryer and the stuff that gets hung up. Hanging your diapers in the sun to dry will help with stains and help them last longer. Although some diapers such as pre-folds need to be dried in the dryer to help fluff them up and make them more absorbent. Never use fabric softener on any of your diapers as it will create a film on them and prevent them from being absorbent. If you still have problems with stains and/or odors you can try using lemon juice on them and/or vinegar. If it continues you should try stripping your diapers. Most diaper rash creams can also create a build up on the diapers so if you are using something try a diaper liner with your diaper or treat diaper rash with just a little therapeutic grade lavender essential oil, breastmilk or honey are my favorite options.
What kind of detergent should I use?
This is a common question with many answers depending on who you talk to. You can use a regular detergent on your diapers but be sure to only use about 1/4 of the recommended amount. Do not use free and clear stuff and be careful of Natural soaps as most of them contain oils that will create a build up on your diapers. Beware of detergents that contain dyes and fragrance as this can irritate baby's skin. Also you may want to stay away from detergents with enzymes (which include most). These are designed to eat away at things organic when actived with moisture, if these are still in your diapers when your baby wets the first organic thing they will go after will be your baby's skin! Never use bleach on your diapers, it can break them down and irritate your baby's skin if not fully rinsed. Never use fabric softener on your diapers as it will make them less absorbant. Now that you know what you should stay away from you are probably wondering what you can use.
I prefer Charlie's Soap which is natural and will leave your diapers nothing but clean! Some are concerned with recent word of Charlie's causing burns on babies. Since we can not be sure on how the diapers were washed here are some suggestion to be sure Charlie's works as well for you as it does for me. First be sure your water is not too hard, hard water can affect how any detergent cleans fabrics. Also Charlie's soap does not claim that their detergent will fully kill all bacteria (as can many other detergents so be aware of this with any brand) so a build up of urine can irritate baby's skin, this is why I like to use a vinegar rinse. Vinegar is a natural disinffectant. Another thing is the difference between washing soda and baking soda. Washing soda is stronger than baking soda (although natural) and can cause irritation which is why I like to use an extra rinse cycle.
If you have a baby with very sensitive skin you may want to consider trying only lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar to wash diapers.
How do I wash my wool covers?
Start by rinsing your wool covers very, very well. Then fill the sink with wool wash and warm water and swish your covers around. Although the water to run through the as it runs down the drain and then rinse your covers well again. Hang or lay out to dry. If you used a wool wash with lanolin in it they should be well treated for a while. If not, spray with a lanolin spray. Wool covers can go a month or two in between washes if they have not been soiled with poop. Wool naturally repels bacteria and odor. If you go a while in between washings you may need to reapply lanolin sometimes to keep it water proof.
How do you prepare the trial diapers that are sent out?
We hope that everyone would return them to us clean since we include soap for free for you to use. But once they are returned we wash them again with detergent and vinegar to disinfect and then boil them to ensure they are sanitized.
I just bought diapers and they leak, why?
When you first get your diapers you need to wash them a few times to make them absorbent, especially hemp that has a natural repellant on them. If your diapers still leak after a few washes, wash them a couple more times and they should be fine.
What do you do with poop?
There are two options depending on what your baby eats. If your baby is only breastfed you can just run them through the wash and the poop will wash out and run through your washer. Once baby starts eating food simply scrap off what you can into the toilet and flush. Some prefer to rinse them more before running them through the washer. You can get sprayers that attach to your toilet that can help with this. Usually toddler poop will peel right off of fleece very easily. You can also use flushable liners that can remove the entire poop; you just flush the whole thing and throw the diaper in your pail.
How do you get out stains?
Always wash your diapers in cold water for the first cycle, and then repeat a hot cycle. The cold water helps remove most stains. If they come out with some stains still remaining lay them in the sun to dry rather than throwing them in the dryer (the dryer will set in any stains). If you need more help you can also try some lemon juice on the stains or oxy clean. Never use bleach on your diapers!!! They will break down your diapers and if they are not rinsed well enough can irritate baby's skin.
How do I store dirty diapers?
You have two options for dirty diaper storage. You can do a dry pail where you simply place your diapers in pail without anything to treat them (sometimes I sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom to help with odor). When you are ready to wash simply dump them all in the washer.
Or you can do a wet pail which can be filled with water mixed with baking soda, vinegar, essential oil, lemon juice, and/or a little detergent. Never use Bleach on your diapers!!! When it is time to wash you can dump the whole thing into the wash machine and run your first cold cycle.
Some prefer to use a metal container rather than plastic to store diapers as plastic can absorb and hold onto odor.
How to I get rid of odor?
Sometimes an odor can build up on your diapers. This can be removed by adding some vinegar to the rinse cycle either with a downy ball or by hand. If it continues after that you may need to strip your diapers.
How do I strip my diapers and why would I want to?
Sometimes diapers can develop a build up or film and/or odor. To remove this simply strip them by hand washing them with a little dawn dish soap and rinse well. This should remove any build up that they have on them.
What is the average lifespan of a cloth diaper?
This really depends on a few different things, how the diaper is made, how often it is used (compared to how many other diapers you have to use) and how you take care of them, if they are left to sit soaked in urine longer it is going to affect how long it lasts. If you hang them to dry they will last longer than if you dry them in a dryer but keep in mind that even hanging them in the sun will cause more wear on them because of the UV rays of the sun. You can on average expect a diaper that is used and washed every day to last at least 6 months but probably longer. Will diapers last through more than one child? They certainly can, epsecially depending on how long your child is in a size and how many times it is used. It is suggested that you should think in terms of it you wore and washed a shirt every day and think of the wear that it would take.
Why are cloth diapers so expensive?
They really aren't if you compare them to disposables. Some are more expensive than others and remember you get what you pay for. Not to say that a cheaper set up is going to be any worse quality wise but may require more work on your part. Most of our diapers are made by work at home moms so you have to figure in their time and materials that go into making the diaper. Then you have to look at what kind of diaper you are using. AIO are more expensive than anything else but are super convenient, you simply put them on like disposables and change them the same way, and you just don't throw them away. So even if you figure every diaper is $25 (which is on the high end) you get to reuse it unlike disposables. So if you invest $300 that is 12 diapers, if you use disposables you will go through $300 in about 6 months or so. You can of course get a great set up for even less if you are willing to go through a few more steps when you change your baby. Most find that it is nice to splurge on some nice AIO for trips and visiting and have some diapers with more steps to use around the house. Check the diaper calculator to figure out just how much money you can save using cloth!
What are some recipes for the liquid used in cloth wipes?
Some like to have a wet container for cloth wipes with a mixture of water and essential oil that is safe for baby and will prevent mold from growing such as lavender or tea tree. You can also add some of your favorite baby soap and/or baby lotion or oil such as almond, Jojoba, or grapeseed oil. Or you can keep your wipes dry with a squirt bottle full of the mixture of your choice and squirt the wipe right before you use it. Dr. Bronners soap makes a baby safe one which is also nice for using on wipes, again dilute this with water.
Will my daycare center allow cloth diapers?
Most shouldn't have a problem with them especially if you show them how easy they can be. Most people like to have AIO or pocket diapers (already stuffed and ready to go) that way they will not be any different than disposables for them to use. Just have a wet bag for them to place the soiled diapers in and you can wash them when you get home. Ask them how many diapers they will go through in one day while your child is there so you know how many to send.
