This is a worrying subject for many users. How do I know if they are clean? How do I wash them properly without damaging them? Does every stain mean that I have to wash them again? What should I do if they smell bad after washing?
While being cloth diapers' parent, you can use many absorbent solusions, i.e. Butterfly fitted diaper, cotton flat birdseye diaper, cotton flat diaper, cotton birdseye "Airplane" diaper and wide-back insert / doubler.
Today's washing machines and detergents are so advanced that there is no need to worry too much about the cleanliness of diapers. We want the diapers to be clean, not sterile, to get rid of dangerous micro-organisms, bacteria and viruses that we don't need in our everyday life.
Clean diapers in a few steps:
STORAGE: after removing the diaper from your baby's bottom, store it in a bucket or zip-lock bag. If your baby has solid poop, empty the diaper into the toilet.Babies who are not yet eating solids will have poop that does not have to be emptied into the toilet but can be washed away and dissolved by RINSING.
RINSING: before washing your diaper put it on a short spin washing without any detergents, or if your washing machine has such a function put it on a spin rinse. This is an important step to get rid of most of the urine and poo residue.
PROGRAMME: always choose programmes that last no less than 2 hours (usually pre-wash and main wash). Try to avoid ECO programmes as they usually give too little water to properly wash your diapers.
TEMPERATURE: it is recommended to wash at 60॰C (140॰F).
POWDER: try to choose white washing powders containing TAED and use the amount recommended by the manufacturer. It is worth knowing the hardness of the water (you can measure it yourself or call the water supply company).
INSERT: it is worth paying attention that the washing machine is filled in 2/3 of the amount of the load specified by the manufacturer for a given programme (usually this information is given in the instruction manual).
DISINFECTANT: optionally we can add disinfectants such as Nappy Fresh to the laundry, which will also help to keep the diapers clean. However, you should pay attention that it does not irritate your baby's skin, especially if it is poorly rinsed.
SMELL: after washing, diapers should not smell too strongly of washing powder, nor should they have an unpleasant smell of wetness, urine or feces.
DRYING: Hang to dry or use a tumble dryer (but remember that using a tumble dryer can shorten the life of the nappy).
Properly cared for cloth diapers usually serve us longer, are odourless and do not leave stains. It is worth taking care of it for our baby's health.
However, if the above-mentioned hints do not work and the diapers are not completely clean or they smell bad, it may be one of the following reasons.The first is that the baby may be teething or have an infection, which can cause the baby's urine to have an intense smell or cause irritation. The second reason could be a washing machine that isn't working properly. In that case, clean it thoroughly, descale it and run it on the hottest cycle. Some washing machine models have specially dedicated programmes for this purpose.
Sometimes it can happen that the cloth diapers smell fine but still have stains on them. How can you deal with this? Simply place the wet liners or diapers in the sun, the sun will naturally remove the stain and keep the fabric white.