Cloth Diapering: The Laundry

I think most people dread the laundry process the most when it comes to cloth diapering.  They picture having to touch a lot of dirty diapers and lots of extra work.  Hey I get it.  I was there once too.

We are still refining our laundry process as we are only about 6 weeks into our cloth diapering experience.  I'm sure as time goes on our routine will change as I learn more about what works best for our diapers and machine.  For example we are in the process of transitioning to cloth wipes.  I hate having two trash cans in her bedroom and the stink that comes out of the disposable one.  I think it will just be easier to throw everything into the same pail.  Heck I'm washing the diapers anyways.  Might as well the wipes too!


Anyways a usual diaper changes goes a bit like this:

I unsnap the dirty cloth diaper and shake the inserts into the diaper pail.  We line a basic stainless steel can (stainless steel doesn't absorb odors like plastic) with a Planet wise pail liner.  If I just did laundry the day before I usually spray them with Bio Kleen odor and stain remover.  This is supposed to help with stains as well as cut back on odor.

Our changing station

If its a poopy diaper I take the diaper to the nearby bathroom and spray it down with our diaper sprayer.  I know people say you don't have to with exclusively breast fed babies but I've found that it helps eliminate stains.  Then I shake out the liners and spray with Bio Kleen.  I always spray poopy diapers with Bio Kleen regardless of when I did the laundry.  Recently I have been rubbing them down with a special soap to help fight stains before throwing them into the pail too.

Mara gets a clean diaper and away we go with the rest of our day.  It may seem like a lot but it really doesn't take more work than a disposable.

Yes I have gotten poop on my hands but what mom hasn't?!  Even with disposables.  I think God just blesses you with a tolerance after awhile.  I mean isn't that what soap's for?

Laundry day is pretty simple too.

I take the whole pail liner to the washer and dump it.  While I dump it I turn it inside out so that my arm is inside the side that didn't touch diapers.  We have a top loading HE that requires nothing to be touching the small agitator.  I use the inside out pail liner to move around the diapers so the load is level and not touching the agitator.

From there I run a cold rinse.  (I've never tried a hot because my machine will only rinse cold)  After the rinse cycle I add a tbsp of Charlie Soap.  I originally tried Bio Kleen detergent too but didn't get great results with poop stains.  I set the washer to a hot regular cycle followed by a rinse and walk away.  Super simple.

When they are done washing, I throw all the inserts into the dryer (no dryer sheets) and let them dry.  I hang dry the diapers on a pop up drying rack right in my laundry room.  Come summer I am hoping to get a line outside so I can take advantage of the sun's UV stain fighting powers as well.

Diapers hung up to dry

After all is dry, I stuff.  I find that having a pre-stuffed diaper at the diaper change is better than stuffing while you have a squirming infant on the changing table.  Its really not too much more work and I have even got Josh to help me stuff every once in awhile.  The diapers go back into the drawer and a new pail liner in the can and we're ready for the next day!

Our diapers get washed every other day.  I could probably go longer but I don't like the idea of them sitting for much more than 48 hours.