Diaper pins, pre-soaking…who needs another pain in the rear end? Well, cloth diapers are not nearly as high-maintenance as their reputation might suggest. For those who are considering cloth diapering, here are a few ways to speed up diaper maintenance:
Laundry, laundry. There is a lot of laundry when you have a baby, and there is more laundry when you are using cloth diapers. Think about how often you want to wash your diapers. This will partly depend on the size of your stash. We washed every two days, since we had a stash on the low end, about 24 diapers. Getting down to those last four felt a little dicey.
Before your baby wears the diapers, try one on him for size. When you are sure that you’re satisfied, then wash the diapers several times before your baby wears them. This removes any chemicals and allows the diapers to become fully absorbent.
Do you need to pre-soak the diapers before washing? A lot depends on what went into them and how often you do laundry. For diapers that are going to head to the laundry within hours and contain only pee, I often avoid pre-soaking and throw them directly in the wash. Some swear by a wet pail. If you are using a wet pail to pre-soak the diapers, make sure that any solids go into the toilet before you throw the diaper into the pail.
Do diapers need chemicals to keep clean? While some bleach their diapers, I prefer to maintain the integrity of the cloth and minimize exposure to chemicals by keeping the diaper wash au naturel, with some zero-scent soap. Although we normally wash in cold, we do wash diapers on hot if they contain baby poop. It is possible to do a cold wash, then a hot wash cycle to remove the need to pre-soak. Add vinegar and baking soda to the wash to remove stains and odors.
Some hang-dry diaper covers to keep them from getting old fast, and wool diaper covers do need to be hand washed and hung to dry. However, line drying diapers also depends on the speed with which you need them. For most diapers, a few times in the dryer is not going to damage them. If you’re using diapers without a cover, then by all means throw them in the dryer. Some will take a long dryer setting to dry completely – they are very absorbent, after all! Very fluffy cloth diapers like Under the Nile should be the only items in the dryer, since they will expand as they dry and will also need the full strength and air flow of the dryer to dry properly.
Do you have any cloth diaper washing tips to share?