When you have set your cloth diaper laundry routine, it can make your diapering journey smooth and easy.
You can establish your washing routine according to your needs and diaper’s availability.
Washing your cloth diaper laundry every two days or a maximum of three days is a good laundry routine. If you keep your diapers longer than this, it will help stinks and stains to grow.
Cloth diapers require extra care and time. Moreover, you are saving your environment by using cloth diapers. Cloth diapers are cute, but when you see a bag full of smelly diapers, all cuteness may subside.
Some parents make diaper laundry routine complex and use different wash methods on different days. However, you don’t have to make things complex.
Cloth Diaper Laundry Routine
A cloth diaper will be one of the dirtiest pieces of laundry in your home. Cloth diapers require special care for cleaning. Otherwise, you might face the issues of odor retention, ammonia build-up, and diaper rashes. Cloth diapers are made of different fabrics, so they require attention accordingly.
Cloth diapers contain elastic for comfort and PUL waterproof covers, so you can’t let them stay in high heat under the sunlight. They also include a central absorptive core that helps to keep babies dry. This internal fabric is made of different materials, such as bamboo, cotton, hemp, microfiber, or a combination of these fabrics. So, now we will discuss how to set a diaper laundry routine for each diaper type.
Prepping Diapers
You can’t use cloth diapers straightaway after buying from the market. You have to pre-wash them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The instruction for the pre-washing of natural fabrics will be different than for synthetic fibers.
These diapers are mainly made of microfiber, and you can wash them only once before their first use. So, the process of getting started is much quicker than natural fibers. Synthetic cloth diapers are less absorbent than natural fabric, but they tend to soak urine quicker. For babies with a heavy stream, you can use these diapers.
Natural materials like cotton, hemp, and bamboo contain oils that reduce absorbency. So, you will have to wash and dry these diapers 4 to 6 times before their first use. When you do this, it can help to get rid of oils and enhances absorbency. If you want to use synthetic and natural fabric cloth diapers, then wash them separately if possible. It will avoid the mixing of natural oils into the synthetic fabric.
You may notice an increase in the absorbency of natural and synthetic fabric cloth diapers as they go through washing and drying cycles.
Accessories for Cloth Diaper Cleaning
You need to have the following accessories along with a set diaper laundry routine.
You need to get rid of the poop and waste from diapers before washing them with another laundry. You can use a diaper sprayer to get rid of waste quickly. It is the best method for modern parents. You can install it in the washroom where you can smoothly perform rinsing. After rinsing, place the cloth diapers in a wet diaper bag or dry diaper pail until washing.
If a small number of solids are left behind, it will dissolve when you rewash them. If your baby is taking breastfeed, then you wouldn’t have to take tension of rinsing the diaper because it will magically disintegrate during the pre-rinse cycle.
Almost all the cloth diaper brands recommend buying at least one diaper pail in which you can store dirty diapers until washing. You don’t have to soak modern cloth diapers. If you do this, they will promote stink and wear. If you soak them in caustic liquids, it can destroy the material. When you are using a dry pail or bag, it is better to keep the lid or zip open. In this way, air can flow and prevents ammonia build-up. It is much-needed practice during the summer months.
When you have removed waste from diapers and kept them in a dry pail until washing, you can wash them along with another laundry. You don’t have to buy a separate washing machine for washing cloth diapers.
How to Set Diaper Laundry Routine?
It isn’t difficult to purchase cloth diapers; however, it is difficult to wash and maintain them. So, if you want your diapers to last, then you have to choose specific products and cleaning processes. Once you can set a good diaper laundry routine, it will make your life easy.
When to Wash Cloth Diapers?
It is better to wash your cloth diaper laundry every two days or a maximum of three days. If you don’t do this, it will help ammonia and other microorganism build up in diapers. As a result, you will have to face issues like consistent odor and diaper rash. Once ammonia lock-in, it becomes difficult to remove it.
Washing your cloth diaper laundry depends on the instructions of manufacturers. Instruction for washing diapers varies from brand to brand. So, it is important to set a proper wash routine for sanity. While washing cloth diapers, make sure that each washing cycle contains enough washing load to generate sufficient agitation to make the soiled diapers clean.
For a standard-sized drum, you can put 20-30 cloth diapers at a time. If you don’t have that amount of dirty diapers, then it is better to use dirty towels along with diapers. When you put more load, it can help to achieve the desired agitation and high spin.
Conclusion
Every parent wants to know how often they should wash cloth diapers.
So, it is better to set a diaper laundry routine, so that you can have enough clean diapers in hand that can be used for a couple of days. Cloth diapering is never a smooth experience, and it demands time and effort. You can make this journey easy by setting a diaper laundry routine.