I am so thrilled to have Cheryl from Adventures of a Somewhat Crunchy Mama as a guest poster today! If you cloth diaper, their are many laundry related questions that come up. Cheryl expertly answers a few of the basics in this post.
So you’ve decided to use cloth diapers. You’ve done the research and decided on just the right type of diaper for your lifestyle. Your next decision is to decide whether you would like to use a cloth diaper laundry service or launder them yourself.
The laundry service may be tempting, but the cost can quickly eat up any money you are able to save by using cloth. For me the decision was less about money and more about, shall we say, mommy brain. With a homeschooling teen and a sleepless newborn I knew there was no way I could remember to take a shower every day, much less set out the dirty diapers once a week for pick-up.
The decision was made for me.
And it worked out beautifully. I quickly found a schedule that worked for my family. Surprisingly, the cloth diapers only equated to two to three loads of laundry a week. Very manageable.
There are almost as many different washing methods out there as there are detergents. Feel free to experiment to find the method that suits you best. Here is what worked for me:
- Everything in the washer with HOT water
- Add 1/2 the recommended amount of your chosen detergent
- Allow to soak for 15-30 minutes
- Wash on normal setting
- Rinse in cold water with a few tablespoons of vinegar
- Everything except diaper covers in the dryer on high heat or line dry when the weather permits
Following this routine I was able to avoid many of the common diaper washing issues. But if you should run into problems, don’t give up! It may take a little while to figure out what works best for you, your diapers, detergent and water type.
A few tips:
- Some say laundering your diapers and covers will shorten their lifespan. And it may. So if you plan to use your cloth diapers for more than one child, it would be prudent to wash the diapers and covers separately.
- If your diapers release an odor when your child has wet them, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the hot wash cycle.
- If your diapers are repelling liquids you will need to strip them.
- If you’re diapers are heavily soiled, feel free to soak them in the washer overnight.
Cheryl is a self described somewhat-crunchy mama of two boys. You can find her blogging at Adventures of a Somewhat Crunchy Mama where she shares about her life, homeshcooling, faith, green living and more.
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