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1. Shake solids into toilet. Newborn stools will be too loose to shake off. You can use a diaper sprayer to assist in this process. If your baby is exclusively breastfed it will all come out in the wash.
2. Collect soiled or wet diapers in a dry plastic pail. You can buy a “diaper pail” or you can use a tall kitchen garbage can with a lid. A pail liner is also handy and prevents you from having to wash out the pail after each use. The pail liner goes into the washing machine right along with your diapers. It is a good idea to have at least two liners. That way you will have one to use while the other is washing.
3. Limit the size of your load to no more than 24 diapers. This will insure that they rinse completely and stay fresh.
4. First run a COLD rinse. Then, use HOT wash and Warm rinse with a high water level. You can Do an extra rinse on COLD to make sure all the detergent is gone. Use only 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent for top-loaders and 1/3 the recommended amount for HE and front-loaders. Use a detergent that does not include fabric softeners, fragrance, dyes enzymes or brighteners. These things can leave residue on your diapers and cause repelling or stink issues. You will also want to avoid Natural Soaps as they will also leave a residue. DO NOT use regular Bleach. It is too harsh for the fibers and fabrics that diapers and covers are made of. If you feel like you must bleach your diapers and occasional use of Oxy Clean is acceptable.
For list of detergents you may want to try you can visit The Diaper Jungle's Diaper Detergent Chart. In washing your cloth diapers, there really is no right or wrong way to go about it. But there is a RIGHT detergent to use. Please take the time to find one that works best for you.
5. Hang diapers and covers to dry or dry in dryer. Occasionally you may wish to dry in dryer on high heat to help with sterilization and to reseal lamination. Sunning your diapers is great for lifting stains and sanitizing your diapers. Cotton and hemp diapers will be a little stiff when hung to dry. Put them in the dryer for the last 15 minutes to soften.
6. Even if you follow all the rules, you still might end up with occasional stinky and less absorbent diapers due to detergent build up, and/or hard water residue. Simply wash your diapers on HOT with no detergent and do a double rinse. This will “strip” the diapers of any residue.
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