Thursday, February 17, 2011

Washing Cloth Diapers

We have been cloth diapering for 3 months now and one of my biggest challenges has been trying to find a wash routine that works for us. My main issue was that the diapers were not getting clean enough. I found that the diapers would smell really bad when baby went pee, the kind of smell that reminded me of dirty wet towels. I played around with different wash routines, I even stripped the diapers more then a few times thinking the issue may be a build up of some sort. I contacted Rock n Green to see if maybe they could help. I tried using more detergent, I tried using less detergent but nothing seemed to work. Finally, one day I took the time to watch the wash cycle and noticed that the hot water would run out when the water level hit medium (I was using large) and by the time the water made it to a large load the water was cold. So with that being said, this is how I wash our cloth diapers:
  1. Cold rinse & spin
  2. Hot soak/wash (2-3tbs RnG, our washing machine offers a soak feature before it washes using the same water)
  3. Cold rinse & spin
  4. Extra cold rinse & spin
  5. Tumble dry the inserts for 30 minutes (just to that they are not soaking wet)
  6. Hang dry everything on a drying rack
I should also add that we use Rockin' Green detergent and use a medium water level.

After using this method for a few weeks now, I noticed that our diapers have become SO much cleaner but still not 100% clean. The reason I think is due to the fact that we have a very cheap washing machine that doesn't agitate strong enough. If only I could just go out and buy a new one :)

2 comments:

  1. How hot is your water heater set to? That could make a difference. I know with kids they say to lower the heater (no higher than 120ºF/~49ºC) so the kids don't accidentally burn themselves, but if you know how to adjust it maybe set it up higher an hour or so before you wash diapers (although I've also read that detergent is supposed to work optimally at ~125ºF)

    Is your washing machine HE? If so, don't spin after the cold rinse, and maybe throw an old towel in with the dirties to trick the machine to use more water.

    I've heard mixed feelings with RnG. I use Charlie's Soap and I haven't had a problem yet, I feel like the diapers smell clean as ever after about a month of use so far.

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  2. I've been going through the same thing lately. I'm using RnG and even though people rave about it, I'm not sold yet. What I did find worked REALLY well for me was Thirsties Pre-Wash. I didn't want to have to buy another product and was skeptical, but it worked and it worked the first time!

    Following you via GFC...found you on CD bloggers!

    Christy (a fellow Canuck!)
    http://changewashrepeat.blogspot.com

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