What do you do with dirty cloth diapers?
My personal favorite is using a wet bag. Wet bags are made of the same waterproof PUL that is used for many cloth diaper covers. Smaller sizes are convenient for dirty diapers when you’re not home. Larger bags can hang on their own or line a lidded garbage can or diaper pail. The poop of babies who are exclusively breastfed washes out easily and these diapers can go directly in the wet bag. Scraping, dunking, or rinsing is needed for poop-filled diapers once solid food has been introduced. When it’s laundry time, just throw everything into the washing machine (including the wet bag). You can turn the bag inside out over the machine and not have to touch any dirty diapers.
*Make sure all velcro tabs on diapers are closed before they go in the wet bag. Velcro tabs that are not closed will quickly pill elastic and can make diaper chains.
How to wash dirty diapers?
When I started cloth diapering, I really just wanted basic instructions about how to wash my dirty diapers. Once you have a good wash routine, washing the diapers is really easy….but it might take some experimenting to find a wash routine that works for you. You can start by trying one popular method which is to first do a cold rinse (no detergent), then a hot wash (with detergent), then a hot rinse (no detergent). If your diapers don’t seem clean after doing this method, you can further explore other factors (water type, washing machine type, cleaning agents). If you’re washing cloth diapers with an HE machine, be sure to choose a setting that uses lots of water. It may be helpful to google a wash routine for your specific machine.
Sunshine is great for diapers! I love seeing clotheslines filled with diapers drying in the fresh air and sun. It’s not always practical though. I put my inserts in the dryer. The covers are dryer safe, but I usually let my covers air dry because they dry fast and the elastic will last longer that way.
Help! My cloth diapers are leaking!
After you put a fresh diaper on your baby, check around all the edges to make sure the soaker pads are completely tucked in to the cover, not touching the elastic, and definitely not sticking outside of the elastic. It sounds like common sense, but this simple check can easily be forgotten and lead to leaks.
It could also be that the diaper is too small for your baby. Sometimes switching to the next size is an instant fix. If the size is fine, consider adding more soaker pads. Also consider the type of absorbent material(s) used. Most leaks stem from problems with the absorbency of the soaker/insert. Use material that absorbs quickly.
If your diapers seem to be repelling liquid, it’s probably time to strip them and perhaps change your wash routine.
The covers are waterproof, but it’s possible they’re leaking through the thread holes. Toss the covers in the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes to reseal the holes.
More FAQs will be added soon! Please contact me directly with any addtional questions
