Wash and Care Instructions

Honestly, when it comes to washing your cloth diapers you’ll end up coming up with a routine that works for you. Here are some guidelines to get you started. As time goes on I’m sure you’ll tweak it to make it work for you based on your washer and water type.

• Prewash all diapers and wipes to remove any chemicals or oils from the fabric manufacturing and diaper making process before using them. For the pre-wash we recommend washing on hot with a small amount of blue dawn dish soap (one tablespoon for a full load of diapers) rinsing on cold until NO bubbles are present in the rinse water (typically 2-3 rinses), and drying on hot to seal all holes made by the needles in the PUL. For prepping your inserts you will need to wash on hot 3-4 times before initial use. It can take washing up to 10 times on hot for them to reach maximum absorbency.

• Wash diapers at least every 2-3 days with diaper safe detergent (one that is free of perfumes, bleach, dyes, or enzymes such as Rockin’ Green, Charlie’s, Tide Original Powder, or Planet). A typical wash cycle for me is the following: COLD rinse, HOT wash, COLD rinse, and another COLD rinse. Sometimes I’ll add in a HOT SOAK with detergent after the first COLD rinse if I feel they need it (stinkies, stains, etc.). You can throw them in the dryer or hang to dry. If you hang to dry and they feel stiff just toss them in the dryer to tumble them and it will soften them right up.

• Now, how much soap do you need to use? That depends on who you ask. Some will tell you only to use ¼ of your normal soap needs, others will tell you to use the full amount of soap for your load size. I’m going to tell you to start with ¼ of the amount and see how that works for you. If you feel like you need more then start using more. If you use more and then notice repelling or absorbency issues start using less as it’s likely you’ve used too much and it’s causing build up in your diapers. Diaper washing is NOT an exact science and what works for you may not work for me. Once you get your routine down though it’s pretty fool proof.

• DO NOT USE Harsh detergents, fabric softeners, or dryer sheets on absorbent diapers. You can use distilled white vinegar in your rinse cycle to soften up IF you don’t have hard water as it can combine with the minerals in your water causing damage to the PUL or causing stinkies.  

• To remove stains from your diapers or insert try laying them in the sun after washing. Sunning is AMAZING. I didn't believe it myself until I tried it, but it really does remove stains. It's best to sun while damp, you can even spritz with a little bit of lemon water to encourage the stains to lift.

• Fleece only items (soakers, longies, covers etc.) can be washed with “regular” laundry. Fabric softener is recommended for fleece as it helps them repel moisture. 

• For best washing results, remove as much solid waste as possible from the diaper before the first rinse. Also you should use more water in your load that you think you need (ex. run small loads on medium). This allows the diapers to move freely in the wash therefore getting them as clean as possible.

• Diapers can be stripped once a month for maintaining build up or as needed for any odor issues. We touched on this earlier in the prewashing instruction. Just as before you’re going to use a small amount of blue Original Dawn Dish Soap in the hot wash followed by several extra rinses.

• DO NOT USE rash creams or ointments with cloth diapers as they can damage your diapers. An example of an alternative would be coconut oil found at a natural food store. I LOVE coconut oil for rashes. If you find that coconut oil or another diaper safe cream is NOT working and you need to use “regular” rash creams you can use fleece liners to prevent the creams from getting onto your diaper.