Tap to Read ➤

Tips to Clean Cloth Diapers

Snehal Motkar
Have you decided to use cloth diapers for your baby, but afraid about its washing and overall hygiene? This story will provide you certain tips to wash cloth diapers in an easy way.
Going for cloth diapers or disposable ones is a personal choice of parents. Although many parents today prefer disposable ones, there are some who believe that the cloth diapers are a better choice. Cloth diapers are better because they are made out of cotton and other such skin friendly fabrics.
Plastic ones, on the other hand, are made using chemicals and dyes. Though the baby is not allergic to the material in the diaper, it can cause rashes to baby skin because toxic chemicals are used to absorb the dirt in the diaper.
Another important factor to be considered is the cost. If you calculate total number of diapers that you will use for the baby and their total cost, you will find that disposable diapers and cloth diapers vary a great deal in their costs.
Assuming that you have decided to use cloth diapers for your child, we will move on to our next important section of washing them. Many mothers want to use cloth diapers, but avoid it because of the inconvenience in its cleaning. Let me tell you that washing or cleaning these diapers is not that difficult. The following paragraph tells you how to wash them with ease.

Washing Cloth Diapers at Home

Always follow manufacturer's guidelines before undertaking the task of diaper washing. You can make use of flushable liners to prevent stains on the diapers and also to have easy cleaning procedure. The flushable liners are biodegradable cloth sheets that can be placed between the cloth diaper and the baby skin.
The liners allow urine to pass through the cloth and prevent the solids from passing through and producing stains on the cloth diaper. These sheets are convenient because they can be flushed when dirty.
Liners should be flushed in the trash otherwise flushing into any sensitive septic tank can cause blockage. Liners that are wet can be rinsed and dried, and used two to three times more.

How to Wash Diapers Without Flush Liners?

  • Some fabrics need to be washed before using them, to increase their absorption capacity. So wash them till you get softer feel of the fabric than it was before.
  • When you are washing a stained diaper, flush the solids in the toilet and rinse the diaper to get stains and odor out of the diaper.
  • Then soak the diapers in a bucket full of water containing ½ a cup of white vinegar for sometime. It is advisable to use warm water for soaking as it helps removing stains and dirt faster.
  • While actually washing, give a cold rinse first and then wash the diapers with hot water. Use ¼ amount of detergent as recommended by manufacturer. Do not use bleach or fabric softeners.
  • Use highest level of water that your machine allows.
  • Rinse the diapers in warm water for at least five to six times.
  • Do final rinsing and let them dry in the dryer. You can also hang them outside in fresh air, to get rid of the detergent smell.
  • There is a cover over the cloth diaper which has to be washed separately for its longer life. It can be only dried in the air unless it has strong urine smell or any solid dirt.

Chemicals to be Strictly Avoided

I have already mentioned a couple of chemicals that should not be used while washing cloth diapers, but there are a few more listed below:
  • Chlorine bleach
  • Detergents containing coconut and citrus based products (It can make the baby highly susceptible to allergies.)
  • Detergents with whitening enzymes (They can cause severe rashes to the baby skin.)
  • Soap (It can create a waxy build-up on the diaper reducing its absorption level.)
Henceforth, there is no need for you to hesitate in using cloth diapers for your little ones because problems related to their cleaning are addressed in the story. All the guidelines will definitely help you in washing cloth diapers conveniently.