Diaper Washing - Yes, It's EASY!Feb 08 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Using cloth diapers doesn't have to make you feel like Cinderella! Here is an easy way to wash your diapers and still have time to play with your baby.
As the mother of 7 children, 3 of whom are currently in diapers, I can empathize with those of you who want to make the switch to cloth diapers, but aren't sure if you can handle the extra work. But you can! Cloth diapers are EASY! Okay, not quite as easy as disposables, but they are also fulfilling in a way disposables aren't. Here's my process. When baby needs changing, I take the cover off and check it. If it's wet or smelly or even if it's been riding around on baby for a while, I throw it in the pail. When I take the diaper off, if it's poopy I shake the extra out into the potty (this is especially easy if I have used a disposable liner like Gerber's EZ Liner). Then, whether the diaper is wet or poopy I throw it in the diaper pail (I only use one pail). On washing day (which is pretty much every day for me since I have 3 kids in diapers) I turn the washer on cold (cold water reduces staining), set it for an X-large load and put in a scoopfull of detergent. I don't use a special kind, just the regular stuff I use for the rest of the laundry. I then load the diapers/covers into the washer until it is "mostly full but not packed in." You want the diapers/covers to have plenty of room to agitate. I then run the load the regular way. When the first load is done, I add another scoop of detergent and wash the diapers/covers again in hot water (the hotter the better). When this load is finished, I wash the diapers again in hot water - no detergent this time. I just add a cup full of vinegar (I usually put this in where the fabric softener goes) and about half of a small box of baking soda. The baking soda and vinegar Ph balance the diapers which helps prevent ammonia smells and rashes. This is the most important step for my kids. If I forget the baking soda or the vinegar they get rashes. When this load is done I throw the diapers in the dryer (I separate out the covers and hang those on my cabinets to dry). Drying covers over and over will shorten the life of the covers. That's it. That's all I do. My diapers come out white and smelling good. I don't presoak, I don't separate the poopies from the wets and I don't bleach. (Bleach is hard on your diapers and on your baby's skin) And there's something immensely satisfying about pulling a load of warm, fresh smelling, clean diapers out of the dryer. Yes, you can "do" cloth diapers!  |
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