You need a routine? You mean you don't just throw the diapers in the machine and turn it on? What's so different between washing diapers and washing regular clothes?
I had these questions when I was pregnant, too. I understood the changing diapers and even the storing dirty diapers in a wet bag until wash day. But I didn't really know the logistics of washing the diapers. My husband asked, when I first told him I wanted to use cloth diapers, "Won't poop get in the washing machine and then get all over my clothes?" I quickly answered, "Of course not", but at the time I wasn't so sure. So, I Googled. And I Googled and Googled. And I read so much about the subject that I was sure I knew how it would work, before Noah was even born. I even wrote it down, my "wash routine" and taped it to the front of the washer, in case my husband or Mom (who was staying with us for the first few weeks) decided to wash diapers. Again, Noah wasn't even born yet.
I was lucky. My routine that I "figured out" while pregnant worked out perfectly for me. In 6 months, I've never had an issue getting my diapers clean. I've never had detergent build up, and he very rarely gets a red bum. I perfected my routine based on others' experiences. Alot of them. I read stories/posts on the Cloth Diapering board on TheBump.com. I referred to a Cloth Diaper Safe Detergent chart, more than once. And I also specifically looked for what worked best with my HE front loader.
This is what my original wash routine looked like:
- No more than 24 diapers in one wash
- Use 1/8 cup of liquid Nature Clean detergent
- Diapers do not go in the dryer
1. Put diapers in the machine, close door
2. First wash is cold wash / cold rinse - short wash (no detergent)
3. Second wash is hot wash / cold rinse / extra rinse - regular wash (1/8 cup detergent)
Yes, I wrote it so my husband or my Mom didn't "screw up" my diapers. I didn't even know exactly why these things were important (no more than 24 diapers, small amount of detergent) but they were things I read over and over. Now, of course, I
know the reasons.
Smaller load (I try to do 20 diapers or less now) makes sure the diapers get clean enough. With my front loader, I sometimes trick it into putting more water in (works off of weight) by adding a towel or two in with the diapers hot wash. More water is always better when washing cloth diapers. Using a very small amount of detergent (half as much as the package recommends) is important because you want to make sure it all rinses out. The less you use, the less there is to rinse out. One of the most common problems with cloth diapering is stink caused by detergent bulid up. You definitely want to rinse until you don't see any suds. Also, you don't want the diapers to smell like anything when they come out of the machine. If they have a detergent smell, you should do another rinse.
The third point on my list (diapers do not got in the dryer) is definitely controversial. When I read that drying your diapers in the dryer can make them wear out faster, I immediately swore to never put them in the dryer. One of the reasons I gave my husband when I decided to cloth diaper was that my stash would make it through Noah and 1-2 more babies. Of course to him this meant never buying diapers again (after the initial stash was purchased), which was not the case for me. I still buy diapers to try out new brands/types and sell diapers that I rarely use. But that is besides the point. I do not put my diapers in the dryer to dry. I air dry everything. It's more out of habit now. I know lots of people who throw all their diapers in the dryer and they are fine. The only thing to remember is, generally anything with PUL (Polyurethane laminate) which is the waterproof layer shouldn't go into the dryer on hot because it can break down. If you want to use the dryer, maybe low heat would be the best choice for diapers.
The general rule for washing cloth diapers is:
Do a cold rinse or cold wash/rinse (no or little detergent). This is to initially get rid of the poop. Then do a hot wash/cold rinse with an extra rinse, with 1 or 2 tsp or 1/8 cup detergent.
Some of the popular cloth diaper safe detergents are:
Rockin' Green
Nellie's All Natural
Dropps
Charlie's Soap
And of course, the detergent I use:
Nature Clean
Many people also use "free and clear" detergents with success, such as Tide and All. I have no experience with these.
