TIP: Diaper sprayers can get pretty expensive (I’ve seen them as expensive as $60 each!), but if you buy the cheapest possible kitchen sink sprayer at a home improvement store (ours was about $8) and a T-fitting to install it to the piping underneath your toilet, the diaper sprayer can cost as little as $10 and do an equally as thorough job.

You can also consider using disposable liners. Liners basically just catch the poo and prevent it from getting on the cloth of the diaper (they are also used to prevent non-cloth diaper safe rash ointments from touching the diaper). Most liners are flushable, so once they’re yucky, just flush it. One way to save money when using liners is to wash them after your child has only peed on them. Most liners will last several washes before disintegrating beyond usefulness.

Into the Diaper Pail

There are two methods of storing soiled diapers prior to wash day. One is the wet pail method and the other is the dry pail method.

Wet Pail Method

This was the preferred (and only known) method of the 80’s and before. You fill a pail with cold water, add some baking soda or other cloth diaper safe soaking agent, then toss the diapers into the water. The supposed pro of the wet pail method is that it prevents stains. But honestly, that is the only benefit (if it truly is successful). Otherwise, it’s stinky (the water gets very stagnant very quickly), gross to prepare for the wash (you have remove them from the water to wash, and maybe even wring them), and messy (water, water everywhere!). It is also a concern because having a pail full of water provides another drowning hazard for your wee ones.

Dry Pail Method

This, for obvious reasons, is the modern preferred method of storing soiled cloth diapers prior to washing. For this method, you purchase a waterproof diaper pail liner (or you can just use plastic trash bags, but a washable liner is so much nicer) and line a diaper pail or trash can with it. Dump your soiled diapers in there. Then, on wash day, remove the entire pail liner and toss the whole thing (diapers still inside) into the wash (well, unless you’re using a plastic bag then you have to remove them from it; hence the reason cloth diaper pail liners are so much nicer–no touching yucky diapers!)

Washing

I have heard of some die-hard cloth diapering moms who only hand-wash their cloth diapers. Kudos to those hard-working moms! I’ve done handwashing in one-week segments when I’ve done the Flats and Handwashing Challenge, but that’s as much as I want to do! I don’t like touching my baby’s poo any more than I absolutely have to, so machine wash it is. To wash your cloth diapers, remember these sets of word: Warm–Hot–Warm and Rinse–Wash–Rinse. Here’s how you do it:

If your diapers are especially odoriferous, you can add about 1/2 cup white vinegar to the wash. Some people will also mist their cloth diapers with a pre-wash solution to help with odors and stains or to help sterilize them. Personally, however, I have never used any of these products and have had no problems with odors or sterilizing (the hot water in the wash sterilizes them) that couldn’t be fixed with the vinegar. I do occasionally acquire stains on our diapers (which, honestly, I don’t really care because, well, he’s just going to poop on it again), but after setting them out in the sun, the sun bleaches them away. As far as what detergent to use to wash your diapers, the choice is largely up to your preference–just make sure it’s cloth diaper safe. You want to avoid soap as soap builds up and causes the diapers to repel. For purchased detergents, I prefer Molly’s Suds (works well with hard water and regular laundry, too, and lasts forever) or Eco Nuts soap nuts. However, I usually use my Homemade All-natural Cloth Diaper Detergent to wash my diapers. Be sure that your detergent of choice is free of any extras such as fabric softener or stain remover. These can cause a build-up on the cloth diapers and therefore cause repelling.

Drying

Stripping

1. Hot rinsing. Throw the diapers in the washer and set it to the hottest rinse setting. Do NOT add any soap. Let it do its thing. Depending on how badly your diapers are repelling, you may need to do this 4 or 5 times in a row (no need to dry in between).
2. Boiling. Fill up a big kettle with water and bring it to a boil then boil your diapers for 10 minutes or so. If your diapers are repelling badly, you may need to repeat with fresh water. Be sure to read what your cloth diaper manufacturer recommends or says about this. It’d suck if you boiled your diaper and something shrank, melted, or burned! Also, watch the pot closely in case soap bubbles start trying to overflow.
3. Additives. Try adding one of the following to a hot wash (and keep an eye out in case baby’s allergic; also note that the Bac-Out, Dawn, and RLR are not necessarily eco-friendly or natural):
   • Bac-Out – This odor and stain remover is made by Biokleen, sold through various cloth diapering retailers, and should be used according to directions (there are several different kinds).
   • Baking Soda – 1/2 cup per load
   • Dawn Original (Blue) Liquid Dish Soap – 1-2 drops per load (and I do mean DROPS; too much of this and you’ll have a sudsy mess, especially with front-loading machines); IMPORTANT NOTE: using Dawn in your washing machine might void its warranty (thanks to reader Stephanie for pointing this out!).
   • Baby Oxi-Clean – 2 scoops per load
   • RLR Laundry Treatment – Add one packet to the laundry with the diapers and run a wash cycle with warm or hot water. Alternatively, you can add one packet to a bathtub full of warm or hot water and add the diapers; allow to soak overnight, stirring around every once in a while.
   • White Vinegar – 1/4 to 1/2 cup per load

Check Manufacturer Directions

These are just the basics to cleaning your cloth diapers. Before cleaning any cloth diaper, be sure to first check the  diaper’s manufacturer’s laundering recommendations so you are sure not to do a big no-no and ruin your lovely fluff!

Free Printable

Here’s a free printable with a summary of this post that you can hang up in your laundry room for yourself or others to reference on cloth diaper washing day.

How to Wash Cloth Diapers Printable

More Cloth Diaper Posts

• Cloth Diapering Lingo
• Homemade All-Natural Cloth Diaper Detergent
• Homemade All-Natural Oatmeal Diaper Rash Cream {Cloth Diaper Safe}