Cloth Diaper Care

• Why choose cloth diapers?
• I'm lost, how do I figure out what kind to buy?
• How do I wash my diapers?
• My diapers don't smell clean when I take them out of the wash, why is this?
• How do I get rid of stubborn stains?

Why choose cloth diapers?

We recommend this great article from the Real Diaper Association which answers this question much more in-depth that we possibly could, www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php.

Here are just a few reasons:

• cloth diapers are free of harmful chemicals that are found in disposables
• cloth diapers are reusable and can be used through several children
• cloth diapers keep a lot of plastic out of our landfills (the US alone throws out 18 billion diapers per year!)
• cloth diapers will save you money over the course of your diapering years

Please see our Why Cloth? page for more indepth reasons why cloth diapers are a good idea.

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I'm lost, how do I figure out what kind to buy?

Cloth diapering can be very overwhelming for first-timers, that's what we're here for! Feel free to shoot us an email at twincitydiaper (at) gmail.com. We are happy to help you narrow down your choices based on preferences and lifestyle. Many parents end up having a variety of brands and styles of diaper in their stash.

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How do I wash my diapers?

Most diapers can be washed together. We recommend washing every 3-5 days with a routine like this: cold rinse to get rid of the "ickies", hot wash with cloth diaper friendly detergent, then another cold rinse. Your diapers will last much longer if you sun dry them outside (plus the sun works wonders on stains!). Always follow manufacturer instructions when washing.

Diapers that should be washed separately include diapers with hemp, bamboo or organic cotton materials. The natural oils in these diapers can wash off and build up onto your microfleece, terry cloth, or prepped cotton, causing them to repel.

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My diapers don't smell clean when I take them out of the wash, why is this?

If your diapers begin to develop a stink to them, chances are you are using too much detergent, using the wrong detergent, not washing often enough, or using too little water in your rinse cycle. Detergents with enzymes, softeners and other additives can break down diapers and/or leave residue which causes them to repel liquid. That is definitely NOT a characteristic you want in a diaper! A few cloth friendly detergents are: Rockin' Green and Thirsties Super Wash.

One way to remove stink from diapers is by stripping. Stripping is simply done by running a rinse cycle (no detergent) repeatedly until no bubbles appear in the wash water. This removes any leftover residue that might be causing the stink. Some moms swear by adding a few drops of regular blue Dawn dishsoap helps to speed the stripping process, but some manufacturers recommend against this and some washer warranties can be void if dishsoap is used.

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How do I get rid of stubborn stains?

If you notice staining on your diapers after removing them from the wash, skip the dryer otherwise the stains might set. We keep a small spray bottle of lemon juice and water mixture in the fridge. We spray the damp diapers with the juice mixture and lay them in the sun on a portable drying rack. This is an all-natural stain remover! You will be surprised how white the sun can get your diapers.

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