How to Wash Cloth Diapers
Note: Clean diapers should not smell. If your diapers
are stinky after you have washed them, you may not be using enough detergent or enough water. If you have stinky diapers, learn more about urine
residues here.
I
always recommend that you wash your diapers at least every three days, and preferably every two. If
you wait more than 3 days, stains can become more stubborn, urine can
weaken elastic and break down the material, and residues and smells can
become harder to wash out. Below is a standard laundry routine for
cloth diapers, but be sure to consider your cloth diaper manufacturer's
washing instructions so you don't void your warranty!
The Basic Laundry Routine
Dump your diapers, pail liner and all, into the washing machine
- Cold Water Rinse (to prevent stains from setting)
- Hot/Cold wash with amount of detergent recommended by detergent manufacturer
- Cold Water Rinse and Spin
- Machine dry on medium or line-dry
For more on how to wash cloth diapers, read our Laundry Tips for Cleaning Cloth Diapers.
How to Wash Cloth Diapers with a Front-Loader
- Set water levels to the highest settings (if you have
this option), or select the cycle that adds the most water. In mine, this is "whitest whites" but it varies by machine.
- If you find your front-load washer is not adding enough water, you may need to add a wet towel to the load... front-load washers gauge how much water to add based on the weight of the load, and a wet towel will add extra weight!
- In my high-efficiency washer, I usually run a delicate cold cycle with no detergent (which uses more water) instead of the cold water rinse, to make sure the detergent is all rinsed out.
- Adjust the dosage of detergent based on the detergent label recommendation. Many brands suggest about 1/2 of the amount you would use in a front-loading machine if you have an HE washer.
How to Wash Cloth Diapers with a Top-Loader
- Follow the detergent manufacturer's dosage recommendation.
- While less energy efficient than front-loaders, top-loaders are a great option for cloth diapers, since is much easier to manage the water settings in top-load machines.
- Use the maximum water setting and maximum agitation.
When might I need to change my laundry routine?
Did you know that hard water can have a major impact on your cloth diaper laundry routine? 85% of North American households are affected by hard water, and not every cloth diaper detergent is designed to work well with hard water.
If you’ve run into (or would like to avoid!) problems, this article on cleaning cloth diapers in hard water conditions will help you find out how choosing the right detergent, changing the amount you use, or adding a water conditioner can simplify your cloth diaper experience by eliminating or reducing stripping from your laundry routines, and extend the life of your diapers, too!
What kind of laundry detergent should I use?
Almost any detergent can work for cloth diapers. If what you are using is working, there's no reason to change it! Our favorite cloth diaper detergent is Nellie's Laundry Soda.
Please check out our article on cloth diaper detergents for more information on how to select a detergent that will work for you!
More in Our Laundry Series
 |
Overcoming Hard Water: An Understanding of How to Get Your Cloth Diapers Clean How to Store Your Diapers Until Wash Day Off on the Right Foot: Prepping Your New Diapers |
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Cloth diapers don’t have to be hard, but with so much information available, they can seem overwhelming! My name is Jenn, and I'm also the mom behind the site All About Cloth Diapers. I hope this site helps you easily find the information you need to start using (and keep using) cloth diapers! [More]
