Cloth Diaper Washing

I have lots of people ask me how we wash our diapers.  Finding a good wash routine is probably the most challenging part of cloth diapering, and can make or break your experience!  Getting detergent build-up can cause leaking, and the wrong amount of detergent can cause some seriously nasty smells! After experimenting with many different detergents and cycles, this is what works for us:

1.  Short COLD cycle, with NO detergent.  This gets rid of the "nasties" before trying to get them really clean...and the cold water will help prevent stains from setting.
2. Regular HOT cycle, with two Tablespoons detergent.  We alternate using Rockin Green and Tide Original Powder.  I swear by this!  The Rockin Green is gentle and natural and prolongs the life of your dipes.  The Tide gets them CLEAN.
3. Extra COLD rinse, with NO detergent.  This is to make sure you get all of the detergent out, to prevent leaks.  If you peak in and there are still bubbles...you need to do another rinse. 

Washing every other day is the best way to prevent problems.  We occasionally go every 3 days, but try to avoid that on a regular basis.  We do not have a HE washing machine...if you do, you may need to alter your wash routine.  It's important to have enough water in your machine...we usually set it to "medium." 

We try to dry our diapers in the sun whenever possible...even in the winter! The sun is a natural disinfectant, and takes stains out better than any product I have found on the market. 

Happy washing!