There are many different methods to washing cloth diapers. Most cloth diapering mothers have their own washing method that they swear by. However, I’m going to tell you this tidbit that will be so freeing:
There is no one, perfect method to wash cloth diapers.
Here’s the thing: there are way too many variables involved in washing diapers for there to be only one perfect way to wash diapers to get them clean and permanently stink-free.
What works wonderfully for me is possibly not going to work so great for another household. Water temperature, hard vs. soft water, detergent – these all play a part in the effectiveness of one’s wash routine.
So read through these wash routine variables and washing hints and figure out the system that works for you.
Remember that there are at least three factors in effectively cleaning clothes or diapers: wash cycle, water temperature setting and detergent.
Washing Machine Cycle
Pre-Rinse
The pre-rinse involves getting the initial ‘ick’ out of the fibers of the diapers. Usually a rinse cycle runs about 15-30 minutes or so on a washing machine. You do not need any detergent or additives in this pre-rinse cycle. Only water is needed.
Wash cycle
When choosing which wash cycle is best on your machine, choose the one that has the longest cycle of agitation. On many washers, it will be labeled as ‘heavy-duty’ or ‘extra heavy’ or ‘whitest whites.’ If you don’t have a setting similar to these, use the ‘normal/regular’ setting, but adjust the soil level to ‘heavy.’ This will ensure the cycle uses the maximum time of agitation. I recommend at least 12-15 minutes of agitation to really clean diapers well.
Rinse cycle
Most washers default to one rinse cycle per setting. I recommend using an extra-rinse cycle at the end. The setting on your machine will read ‘extra-rinse’ or ‘2nd rinse’. You will have to set the extra rinse manually and it will start as soon as the regular wash cycle is complete. The final rinse and extra-rinse cycles are literally trying to rinse any leftover detergent from the diapers. Since extra detergent often leads to stink, you don’t want to skip this step.
Temperature Settings
Your washing cycle will be most effective if you follow these settings. Remember that the hotter the water is that cleans the clothes, the more effective it makes the detergent.
Pre-Rinse
It is best to do this rinse on a cold temperature setting, which helps prevent staining.
Wash cycle
Use the hottest temperature setting on your washer. Yes, hot water can be damaging to elastic but it is more the dry heat of the dryer that causes this type of wear and tear in the case of diapers. Cloth diaper manufacturers know that the diapers need to be washed vigorously and in hot water to clean them effectively, so they make the diapers to be sturdy. Cloth diapers can certainly be washed in warm water. Fibers like microfiber tend to hold on to stink however, so they probably won’t be able to tolerate a warm cycle continuously. I definitely do not recommend using cold water during the wash cycle on diapers. Cold water just cannot be efficient enough to get diapers as clean as they need to be. (Yes, I know there are those that disagree!)
Rinse cycle and extra-rinse
It is acceptable to use cold water in the final rinse and extra-rinse. The machine is literally trying to rinse out any extra detergent that might be left over in the diapers.
Safe Detergents for Cloth Diapers
This is where things get a little trickier in the washing of cloth diapers. It’s the age-old question of: what is the best detergent for my diapers and how much do I use?
When choosing a detergent, it is often best to choose the one with the fewest ingredients. Avoid detergents with added fabric softeners, enzymes, bleach or oxygen-based cleaners. These additives are designed to not rinse out in the final rinse, and this is not the desired result in washing diapers. The goal is to have the fabric rinsed as cleanly as possible.
There are several comprehensive lists advising the best detergents to use for cloth diapering. Happy Heineys offers an excellent list on what to look for in a detergent and specifically those detergents to avoid. Pinstripes and Polkadots offers a comprehensive list of frequently used detergents and a list for high-efficiency detergents as well. Diaper Jungle also has a list of frequently used detergents and how they rate in the cloth diaper world as well as a chart for high-efficiency detergents.
Since you want diapers to rinse as cleanly as possible, it is recommended to use only 1/4 – 1/2 of the amount of detergent you would use in a load of typical laundry. If you find your diapers are not getting clean in the wash cycle with that reduced amount, slowly increase it until you find what is most effective while still rinsing out well.
Additional Products to Use in the Wash Cycle
The potential for smelly or repelling diapers increases with the amount of products that you use in your wash routine. Keep the routine as simple as possible, using only detergent if you can.
That being said, there are other additives you might want to consider in your diaper washing regimen:
- Baking Soda
Baking soda is an excellent cleaner in and of itself. Because of its pH, it neutralizes odors and doesn’t just cover them up. If you have continuous ammonia stink issues, baking soda may be a good choice in getting to the root of the problem. - White Vinegar
If you use vinegar, make sure it goes in the final rinse of the diapers in the wash cycle (not the extra or second rinse). Vinegar also helps neutralize the pH which aids in reducing smelly dipes. It also helps eliminate detergent build-up on fabrics. Caution: Vinegar can also contribute to smelly diapers which I’ll cover in a later Cloth Diaper Care post. Just be careful with it. - Bleach
The use of bleach in relation to cloth diapering is fairly controversial. Bleach weakens the strength of fabrics over time, simply because of its chemical makeup. However, there are times when a small amount of bleach is needed (ie: sick laundry and diapers). Bleach should never be a routine part of your cloth diaper washing regimen if you want your diapers to last. - Essential Oils/Grapefruit Seed Extract
Essential oils and Grapefruit Seed Extract have bacterial-cleansing properties that can be helpful in sanitizing diapers. And they smell wonderful which can be a nice perk. However oils and water definitely do not mix, so only a few drops are necessary. Do not be heavy-handed! - Oxygen Bleach
Oxygen bleach can be used in a load of heavily stained diapers to prevent set-in stains. Oxygen bleach works wonders on protein-based stains, which is what urine/poop stains are made up of. Don’t be heavy-handed with oxygen bleach either, as it can also cause diaper build-up.
Top-Loaders and Front-Loaders
Both types of washing machines have their pros and cons. However, in the cloth diaper world a top-loader wins hands down in my opinion. Top-loading washers use triple the amount of water than a front-loader in a typical wash cycle. While this is bad for the water bill, it is great for cleaning diapers. Diapers need a lot of water to get clean during the agitation cycle and then a lot more water to rinse the detergent out well.
If you have a front-loader, you might need to ‘trick’ your machine into using more water. At the very most, your front-loader uses 14-15 gallons of water per cycle – that includes rinsing too! Remember that a front-loader has a sensor to determine the amount of water needed in each load. So if you have a small load, the amount of water will be even less.
To trick your front-loader into using more water, add in an old towel to the wash load. Or two towels if your load is fairly small. The machine will sense that more is in the drum and increase the amount of water used. Designate an old towel just for this purpose if needed.
Drying Cloth Diapers
It is best to hang-dry cloth diapers. By allowing diapers to air dry, you save the wear and tear that the dryer heat causes on the elastic. Over time, dryer heat will cause the breakdown of elastic in your diapers.
Cloth diapers and covers can certainly be dried routinely in the dryer if that is your only option. There are no contraindications except the whole elastic issue.
If you do decide to dry your diapers in the dryer, use a lower heat setting. While the drying cycle will last longer, it will be easier on your elastic.
If you suspect you have any pinpoint-size holes in the PUL of the diaper, the heat from the dryer can actually seal them up in certain cases.
Do you have specific questions on washing your diapers? Feel free to ask in the comments or shoot me an email.
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What if your diapers already have stink issues. What do you do then? I have 20ish pockets and 7 AIOs that have stink. I need to know how to fix it before my new baby gets here in July. I have a completely different set of diapers for the baby. But I’m afraid to wash them because I don’t know if it’s something I’m doing in the wash or not. I wash every 2 days. My wash is a cold wash cycle with nothing in it, a hot wash cycle with a cold rinse because my washer doesn’t have a hot rinse with 1/8 cup home made detergent, then another hot wash cycle with a cold rinse with 2Tbs detergent sometimes the 1/8 cup cause I just don’t think they’re getting clean enough, then a Hot wash cycle with cold rinse with nothing. The home made detergent is made of 1 cup Borax, 1 cup Washing Soda, and 1/2 cup oxyclean. This is a new wash routine because I just moved and got my own washer but it doesn’t seem to be doing any better than the old ones. I really need some troubleshooting help. I’m about ready to just throw out my inserts and buy all new one.
Eliza, no definitely do not throw them away!! With some work you can definitely get them to smell good again.
First, I would try stripping the diapers.
Also, this may not be want you want to hear, but I would use a detergent made for cloth diapers for awhile. It’s not that there is a problem with your homemade detergent necessarily, but it may not be effective for your diapers with your water in your machine. You can try Rockin’ Green or Country Save or HE Tide. But try going to a bought detergent for awhile and see if that helps.
Part of the problem lies in the fabric of the pockets and AIOs. Unlike prefolds (ie: cotton), the fabric just doesn’t rinse as cleanly. I constantly battle stink with my pockets and inserts. It’s just the nature of the fabric.
If you try these things and still have trouble, let me know and I’ll help you troubleshoot some. 🙂
-Lauren
I’ve tried Rockin Green before and it only seemed to make the problem worse. When I lived with my sister-in-law she used Charlie’s. It worked better than anything else but there was still alittle bit of a stink. I’ve stripped my diapers a billion times. I’m getting ready to do it again. I need to go buy some dawn. That seemed to work the best. Other than boiling them. But that’s a very hot all day process that I don’t know if I’m up to right now at 34wks pregnant. Next I guess I’ll try country save or tide. I know it needs to be powder tide. But does it absolutely have to be the HE tide or can I buy tide original? I’m really trying to do this the cheapest way possible but it’s SO HARD sometimes.
Eliza, it doesn’t have to be powder Tide (in my opinion) but it definitely needs to be HE Tide. I use HE liquid Tide with great success.
But again, the trick is figuring out what works in your water and in your washing machine with your specific diapers.
-Lauren
My sister-in-law had some Rockin Green. I’m going to try it out again. I’m doing the soak right now.
I also went to walmart earlier and found Classic Sun detergent. I was wondering how you feel about it. The only ingredients are, anionic and/or nonionic surfactants. I really have no clue what that means. But I figured it has to be good because it has so few ingredients in it. I bought a box because it was only $.97. Also on the side with directions it has a part about diapers and baby clothes. It says, “Diapers & Baby Clothes: Sun makes the tough stains disappear, yet leaves baby’s apparel soft and fluffy. That’s because Sun is powerful in the washer and rinses out thoroughly.”
Just wondering how you feel about Sun detergent. Or what you know about the ingredients. I’ve never had someone to ask all these questions to. Sorry if I’m going overboard.
Ask away! I’m happy to help if I can.
As for Sun detergent, I’m not a huge fan. It doesn’t get the best reviews in detergent testing.
Did you try the Rockin Green? How did the soak go?
-Lauren
After the soak the ammonia stink isn’t as bad. It’s still there though. But I read on Rockin Green’s site that it can take a few soaks if there’s ALOT of build-up and I’m sure there is. So I’m soaking them again this morning. I’m REALLY wanting this to work. At least to get the stink out. Then I can switch to tide because that’s easy to get at the grocery store when I need it.
The list at DiaperJungle is old and outdated. I have contacted the site owner and asked for an updated list, or to have the list removed altogether because it’s inaccurate and not thorough article overall…there is so much more to cloth diaper detergent than whether it has enzymes or brighteners in it. Over a year later it still remains, unchanged.
My suggestion, based on my experiences going through “highly rate” detergents and doing all the research and experimentation I have done is NOT to follow that chart. Go for powder detergents over liquid and ALWAYS check your diaper manufacturer’s recommendations for detergent and washing instructions. Using certain detergents may void warranties.
Crunchy, I appreciate your input on the detergent chart. I revised the post and added a few more charts to give readers more reviews.
I couldn’t agree more – check first with your diapers’ manufacturer to see what they recommend and what voids their warranty. This post was already {too} long so I included those details in a future post I’ve written.
But you’re right – those are critical pieces to consider and I should have included them here. Long post or not. 😉
-Lauren
Excellent post!
I live in an apartment building, so I’m stuck using washers that don’t have much in the way of options. When I get my own house with my owner washer and dryer, though, this information will be awesomely helpful.
Thank you!!
Dave, so you wash your family washes dipes in the washer/dryer in the apartment building? Does that work ok? I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions on washing diapers when you don’t have a W/D in-house.
-Lauren
Dave,
I lived in an apartment that I wasn’t allowed to have a washer/dryer in. I ended up washing my diapers in the tub and hanging them to dry. I’m honestly considering switching back to that method. I NEVER got stink. It’s so much more stressful owning your own washer and dryer. Especially if they were just given to you and you didn’t really have an option on the cycles the washer has.
I have been using Rockin’ Green for hard water (my water is very hard) and it doesn’t wash out to my liking. I have to rinse the diapers 3-4 times to get them feeling clean and rinsed.
So… my water bill doubled since I started cloth diapering. It’s become a big expense. I have been putting them through a full wash cycle with no soap before the normal wash cycle, so I’m going to stop doing that and just do a single pre-rinse. Thanks, Mama!
Yowsa – doubled?? Yeah, that’s not good.
Hard water is hard to deal with on so many levels when it comes to laundry. And it makes using cloth diapers a little harder than for those of us with softer, more manageable water.
Re: the photo of diapers hanging from hangers…
Where, oh where did the diaper second from the left come from? With the lavender thread?
I don’t know – wish I did! Those aren’t my dipes. It’s a beautiful color though. 😉
-Lauren
That diaper with the lavendar thread looks like a Babykicks. They are 55% hemp, 45% certified organic cotton. The lavendar thread ones are their size small, intended for babies 7-13 pounds. The can, of course, be used as super absorbent inserts. Hope this helps!
Yes! Thank you! I wrote those weren’t my diapers in a previous comment…but I thought she was referring to the dipes on the line. I missed the part about the ones on the hanger. 😉
I bought that diaper in a pack at a consignment sale. It was a workhorse and I used it as an insert. Loved it!
Thanks again for your ID!
Hi! So what do you do when your top loader does not have a rinse cycle or pre rinse cycle? Its an older/cheap whirlpool machine. I just recently started using cloth diapers part time and they quickly made the entire area where the cloth diapers touches my sons body turn red and they smelled awful the next morning. I tried washing several different ways, etc. but I keep reading on different places about using a rinse cycle, but my washer only has the options of a small, medium, or large load size, and then 3 wash settings of gentle, normal, and casual. There is not an option to have another rinse cycle, or is there? Sorry if this is a dumb question, the cloth diaper washing is so confusing and new to me! Thanks so much for your help!
Courtney, diaper washing CAN be so confusing! There are so many variables: washing machine cycles, temp of water to use, hard vs soft water.
You don’t have a dumb question at all! If I were using your machine, I’d use the ‘large load’ setting every single time. Also, I’d always set it to the ‘normal’ cycle because it will give them the most agitation and you WANT to have the most with diapers to get them as clean as possible. Since it doesn’t look like you have a rinse option, I would do another wash on the cold setting.
Let me know if you have further trouble and I’ll try to help you. 🙂
I am having a problem washing my diapers. They are still coming out stinky and when I put it on the rinse cycle I still see bubbles in the water. I live in NY so the water is hard. How can I get off all the stuff and get my diapers back to their non smelly self? This is my wash cycle so that way you can tell me exactly what I may be doing wrong here.
Pre-wash Cold (no detergent)
Wash on Hot (We have extremely hot water) with detergent (7th generation-natural and free of dyes and fragrances and no fabric softeners)
Another wash on Hot but without detergent
Rinse on Cold.
Hi,
My question is I wash my diapers just like you suggested it is a front load washer and when I take them out they smell good, but when I put them in the dryer and take them out they have a slight stink smell to them, any suggestions?
I live in an apartment and have to pay to wash and dry laundry. So I was wondering what the best option would be to wash my laundry in the most cost efficient way. The only option on the washer is the temperature and I have to pay 1$ each cycle. I much rather not spend 3$ on one load of diapers when I would have to wash every other day! Would hand washing be a better option? How do I hand wash them?
This post is old but still informative to me!
I know that microfiber tends to cause the most problems with stink, but I’m curious if you find that bamboo and/or hemp have the same issues? Cotton seems like the simplest route but I’m concerned that my heavy wetter would laugh in the face of only a cotton prefold. I’d love to know your thoughts!
Oh I had a heavy wetter that DID laugh in the face of cotton prefolds!! Agghhh! I used microfiber and stripped often, because you’re right that they do cause the most problems with stink. I never tried hemp (they weren’t around back in the day!) but I did have one bamboo that did really well at repelling the stink and was more absorbent than cotton.
xo, Lauren
1) Is it recommended, or it is alright to at least spin dry the cloth diapers before hanging them out to air dry?
2) What type of wash setting should I use? Many places have recommended using the heavy duty or stain care setting. But the recommended from the diaper company I bought from is saying use gentle wash.
Can I use tide powder free & gentle HE for my cloth diapers? My son has sensitive skin. I had cloth diapers passed down from 2 other babies so I recently ordered new diapers online. I don’t want to ruin the new ones. The old ones had an old wet cloth smell with every pee so I gave them away and upgraded. I don’t know if what I was doing was wrong. I rinsed in cold by hand and washed in hot and my washer automatically does the extra rinse in cold. Seems like I was doing what the article said. But I dried them for 30 minutes on low heat. Maybe I will hang my new ones to dry and only dry my liners in the dryer.
Thank you so much for this post !
I am new to your blog and you reference “Vinegar can also contribute to smelly diapers which I’ll cover in a later Cloth Diaper Care post.”
Can you direct me to that post as well? Please and thank you!