Click here to read about our Cloth Diaper Care Recommendations

Click here to read about our Cloth Diaper Stash Recommendations

Click here to find some other cloth diaper information

General washing tips for cloth diapers.

Creams

We suggest that you use a safe for cloth diapers rash cream when needed. We offer our own homemade cream which will not build up on your cloth diapers, nor will it cause them to stink.

Prevention is the key, so change your baby frequently, and use a barrier cream such as our Bum Magic Lotion.

While our Rash Magic may stain in very hard water conditions our Bum Magic should not stain.

Most mass produced diaper creams are bad news for cloth diapers. Many contain cod liver oil which will make your cloth diapers smell like fish. If you must use a cream that you are not sure is safe for cloth diapers we suggest using a liner to protect the diaper.

What to do immediately after changing a soiled cloth diaper.

After you change your child's diaper, dump all solid waste into the toilet (if your child is exclusively breastfed you will not have to do this). If need be use a diaper sprayer to rinse off what will not shake off. There is no need to dunk or swish your cloth diapers.

Once cleared the cloth diaper should be stored in a dry pail. You may use a pail specially made for diapers, or a trash can with a closing lid works well also. It will make keeping your pail clean easier if you line the pail with a large wet bag or pail liner. To help with odor you may want to use baking soda, or another form of pail freshener. Remember that many pail fresheners are made with baking soda, you do not want to use the baking soda in your wash if you have soft water.

Water tips

A rule of thumb to remember is if you have soft water to avoid baking soda, and any other water softeners. If you have hard water you will want to avoid vinegar.

Washing

To wash your diapers, I have found the following method to work best for us. Your water conditions will vary, so you might have to tweak this method a bit to work for you. It's a good starting point though.

Cold rinse soiled cloth diapers with nothing added to water
Hot wash with detergent only use 1-2 tbsp, if you have hard water you may find you need more. This amount is based on a regular sized washing machine, if you have an extra large or small washer you will want to adjust the amount.
cold rinse, check for suds while its going.

For detergents we suggest powders, they are less likely to cause build up:

Allens Naturally which is available at JMBS.

Tide- please note, Tide does have enzymes in it that may cause problems for babies with sensitive skin.

Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin

Wind Fresh/ Sam's Glacier - available only at Sam's Club

Country Save

Planet Ultra

Oxy Prime

Sun Free

 

Detergents to avoid:
Dreft or any Baby detergent the fabric softener in them will cause your cloth diapers to repel the urine, leading to leaks.
Purex is known to cause build up and rashes
Free and Clear detergents are also known for causing build up.
Bleach
Fabric Softeners

All cloth diapers can be dried in the dryer or hung out on the line. When in doubt check the care tag on your diapers. We suggest hanging diaper covers to dry or drying them in the dryer just long enough for them to dry. When your cloth diapers are done drying allow them time to cool before folding them, your elastic will thank you!

Wool should always be hand washed in wool wash
To wash wool:
Fill sink with room temperature water, add wool wash. Gently swish soaker or cover in water, and allow it to sit for an hour or so. At this time you can drain the water and dry your soaker or remove soaker from sink, refill, add melted lanolin and then soak inside out overnight.

To dry soaker:
Lay a bath towel out flat. Place soaker on it, and roll gently. Apply strong, firm, even pressure to the towel to soak up the water. Never wring or rub.
Unroll towel, and place soaker on a sweater rack to air dry.

Stinky cloth diapers.
Stinky diapers are usually caused by detergent build up. To remove build up try the following:
Toss clean diapers back into washer, soak in plain hot water overnight.
The water will cool as time goes on and that is fine.
Run full wash cycle, and watch for bubbles.
Repeat until no bubbles remain.

If this does not solve your stinky problems you can also try the following.
Wash clean diapers with a squirt of plain blue Dawn Dish soap.
The dish soap will remove oils from creams, and build up from detergent.
Sometimes the stink is caused by to little detergant, if you think this might be your problem increase the amount you use and keep a close eye out for left over bubbles in your second rinse.

Tea Tree Oil can work wonders for stinky diapers. Add 2-3 drops to your wash as needed. Remember a little goes a long way.

Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) is great for killing germs and fungi like yeast. We use 2-3 drops per load.

Make sure your dirty cloth diapers are not sitting for to long. I suggest washing at least once every 3 days.

Please, never ever put your cloth diapers in the dishwasher. This has quickly become a popular way to remove buildup on diapers, however it is a fire hazard. If a cloth diaper falls to the bottom of your dishwasher it can easily catch fire, there are much safer ways to strip your diapers.

If you are still having stinky diaper issues please feel free to email us. We are happy to help.

Specific Wash Instructions to use before first use and hints:

PREFOLDS
When you receive your prefolds they will be thin and stiff. Once they are washed they will quilt up and become absorbent. The more they are washed the more absorbent they become. You will need to wash and dry your prefold at least 5 times to start. Wash on hot and dry on hot 4 times. Using only 1 tsp of detergent. The 5th time do not use any detergent at all. Use our general washing instructions for follow up washes.

FITTED DIAPERS and ALL IN ONES
If your fitted diapers or all in ones (AIO) do not contain hemp then they just need to be washed once as per our general washing instructions. If they contain hemp then wash and dry at least 2 times before use. With each wash your diapers will get more absorbent.

Types of Fitted Diapers are:
Cricketts, Kissaluvs, Thirstie Fitteds, Dream Eze

Types of All In Ones are:
Bumkins, Thirsties

COVERS (excluding wool)-
You do not need to prewash your covers if you do not want to. Covers also do not need to be washed with each use, unless they are soiled.

Types of Covers are:
Bummis, Polar Babies, Thirsties, Wonder Wraps

POCKET DIAPERS
Pocket diapers do not need to be prewashed unless you choose. We recommend removing the insert before putting your pocket diapers in the diaper pail. This will help keep your diapers less stinky.

Types of Pocket Diapers are:
 bum Genius, Fuzzi Bunz , and Happy Heinys

Stash Recommendations

Everyone's diaper "stash" is unique because every baby is unique, as is every family. Depending on your income, the amount of ease you want, how much of a wetter your baby is, how your baby is shaped and what you prefer will decide what you want your stash made of. We will just list some recommendations and options.

Amount
You will want enough diapers to get you through 2-3 days. That's about 10-15 diapers a day for newborn and infant and 8-12 for and older child.

Basic
Prefolds and Covers. You can't go wrong with prefolds and covers. They are not as easy as other cloth diapers but they are affordable and reliable and you can lay a wash cloth in them to give them extra absorbency if you don't have diaper doublers. Infant and Premium Prefolds get the most use. If you fold them the right way you can use premiums for the entire time your child is in diapers. You can scroll down the page to find a link on how to fold prefolds. We recommended 2-3 dozen prefolds and at least 6 covers. Diaper pins or snappis are handy to fasten the prefold but not needed. You can fold the prefold in thirds and just lay it in the diaper cover.

Movin' On Up
Your next option is fitteds and covers. This is a bit more expensive then prefolds and covers but easier. Fitteds have velcro or snap closures so they are easy to fasten and put on. They come in cute prints, great fabrics and there are many that work great for overnight use. Wool covers and soakers are great to use over fitteds. We recommend having 2-3 dozen fitteds and 6 covers.

Easy and Reliable
Pocket diapers. Pocket diapers are easy to use and very reliable. They have waterproof outers so you don't need a cover and they have an inner that wicks wetness away to keep baby dry. There is an opening where you stuff it with the absorbent layer. You can make it as absorbent or trim as you like. That makes these diapers a great choice. You can stuff your pocket diapers with infant prefolds, microterry inserts or hemp inserts. You can get creative and use dish towels and washcloths to add extra absorbency and be frugal. They are moderately priced and now there are one size options which makes them even more frugal. We recommend 2-3 dozen pockets and at least 2-3 dozen prefolds or inserts to stuff them with.

Daddy's Favorites
All In Ones or AIOs. These are everything you need in one diaper. You don't need covers or inserts. They are a lot like a disposable except you don't throw them away and they are not filled with nasty chemicals. That's why Daddy's LOVE AIOs. We Recommend 2-3 dozen AIOs.

Our personal Recommendation
Create a stash of a little bit of everything. There is a diaper for every situation. Don't limit yourself, unless it doesn't work for your child.
1 dozen prefolds
1-2 snappis
6 fitteds
6 covers
6 pocket diapers
6 microterry inserts
6 hemp inserts
6 All In Ones
2 dozen wipes
6 doublers
6 fleece liners
1 rash magic wipe solution
1 Rash Magic Diaper Salve
1 Bum Magic Diaper Lotion
1 box of Allens laundry powder



Many people wonder why they should use cloth instead of disposable diapers. Here you will find some links that will answer that question.



Diaper calculator

The Truth about Disposable Diapers

Caring for Cloth

Here are some great cloth diaper resource sites:

Real Diaper Association

Diaper Hyena

Cut of Cloth

Diaper Pin