I
have been using cloth diapers since I had my first child, about 4 years ago. In
that time, I have learned a lot about using cloth diapers, but I never felt
like I mastered how to keep them clean until just recently.
Let
me share what I have learned about cleaning
cloth diapers.
As
my diapers get dirty, I throw them either directly into the washing machine
with water or into my wet/dry bag. When I am ready to do a load of diapers, I
wash them once in the hot cycle and rinse. Then, I add a little bit of my
diaper safe detergent and run them through the heavy wash cycle again. When
they get to the rinse cycle, I add 1/3 cup of baking soda. The baking soda
really does the trick in getting the urine smell out and neutralizing the acid
in the diapers. If you want, you always rinse them out a third time after the
baking soda cycle.
After
they are all clean, I try my best to hang them on the clothes line in the sun,
instead of putting them in the dryer. This helps bleach any stains out and is
gentler on the fabric than the dryer.
One thing to note: if you don't have any baking soda or want
an alternative, you can also use vinegar, but I wouldn't recommend using both.
I did try cloth diapers when my children were babies. I wish I had some of your helpful ideas back then. I didn't think about baking soda use.
ReplyDeletetwinkle at optonline dot net
Baking soda can be such an awesome tool for so many things!
Delete