Need Advice on Cleaning Cloth Diapers

I don't use cloth diapers, but my mom did on us and I remember cleaning them. She used vinegar where you would use fabric softener in the wash and that did two things. It acts as a natural bleach when the diapers are dried in the sun, she never had stains and hers went through 6 kids. It also will eliminate any soap residue left in the fabric after the wash. I have several friends who use soaps their family members are sensitive to, but if they use the vinegar rinse, it doesn't bother them. It's just the regular white vinegar, I buy it in the gallon jugs. Good luck!

Hi K.,
Good for you for using cloth diapers. I too am a cloth diaper mom. We use Shaklee laundry detergents. With the tougher stains, we would soak them in the stain solution. All of the products are environmentally friendly and really work. I cloth diapered my oldest son (now four) and now my 1 year old and we are still using the same diapers that we bought in January 2004.

I have also heard of boiling them, but I haven't done that.

For nighttime absorbancy, we use 7th generation diaps.

If you'd like more information on Shaklee, please let me know. In honor of Earth Day this month, I am running some specials.

B.
www.shaklee.net/maximumwellness

As both of my children were born in the 70's, we only used cloth diapers. once in a while if we were on a long car trip it was more convenient to use Pampers (just about the only brand at the time..and expensive) It was not always possible to get all stains out..but I have had very good luck nowdays using Oxyclean for getting out pretty much all stains in everything. Even stains that were set in.

Hi K.,

We've been using cloth diapers for about a year & 1/2, but did not use them when our daughter was a newborn- I've read that newborn breastfed poop does stain cloth diapers.

You can try Bio-Kleen Bac-Out- it has worked for stains on some of our diapers. You can squeeze some directly onto the diaper stains, and then wash with your next diaper load. Hanging them to dry in the sun also naturally "bleaches" them, although we're obviously not getting much sun around here these days! Perhaps wait until the warmer weather to try that! Some stains are just too stubborn, and as long as the diaper is clean, as gross as it may look, you may have to put up with them.

We use mostly Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers. We did have a heck of a time getting them clean for a while. When our daughter would pee, the diapers would reek like ammonia right away. After much trial and error, we've discovered a method that works well enough to eliminate the stink totally! (We also occasionally use prefolds with a Bummis Super Whisper Wrap)

This is our cleaning method:

After changing a diaper, (if poopy) I use a mini-shower that is attached to the toilet to rinse the poop off.
Then, I shake the pocket insert out of the diaper, directly into a hanging, waterproof, cloth diaper sack (that has a little tab sewn into it where you can add a couple drops of tea tree oil to mask the odor in the bag)

When it is time to wash diapers, we use a cold wash, always on LARGE load, the longest wash option, with one rinse, and NO DETERGENT!

After this wash, we do another on HOT, with a second rinse, and only 1 tablespoon of powdered Charlie's Soap.

Then, we dry everything but the Bummis Wraps on low heat in the drier. In the warmer weather, I sometimes hang everything to dry, depending on how soon I need to use the diapers!

I think switching to the Charlie's Soap is what has eliminated the stink! There is no more stink!

As for Bio-Kleen Bac-Out, I've purchased it at Whole Foods. I may have seen it at another health-food store, such as Fruitful Yield.

I have tried a couple Gdiapers that a friend gave me, and while they were easy to use, I guess I just didn't like having that papery material on my daughter's skin- it is much like a regular disposable diaper, just flushable. My husband was also very skeptical about flushing it, and worried it would cause problems in our plumbing. I ended up giving them to Good Will, and just sticking to what already works for us. They are available at Whole Foods as well.

Good luck! :)

J.

I keep my cloth diapers in a bucket of cold water with a cup of vinegar in it to keep stains from setting. (I also immediately wash out poopy diapers b4 putting them in pail)
Then I put 3/4c of baking soda in the soak cycle. Perhaps you are missing one of these steps. Also, I know some people are really big on getting all stains out but these ARE diapers after all, a few light stains aren't the end of the world--I mean, they're for pooping in! :D
NOTE: If you do the wet diaper pail method, make SURE that once your baby starts crawling you either get a tight fitting lid and keep them AWAY from the pail or switch to the dry pail method to prevent drowning! Blessings!!!

Don't worry about the stains. That's what dipes are for. When the sun comes out (and it will ;)), just wash the dipes and put them out in the sun wet. It gets out old stains just fine. The sun worked better for my CPFs than even bleach. The bf poop will come out in a heartbeat with the sun.

H.

Diapers.com has gdiapers as well as several others. If you use the code MOTHER on your first purchse, you get $10 off (I think your total has to be $50 though) BUT you also get free shipping. There are some specific bumgenius products on the site - cleaners, sprayer, etc.

Charliesoap.com has a soap that was recommended to me & I hope to try. (Natural)