Laundry advice
Washing cloth diapers consists of 2 separate wash cycles. First, run a separate pre-wash/rinse cycle, preferably cold, using a quantity of detergent for lightly soiled laundry. Ensure that the washing machine pumps out all the dirty water after this cycle so that the main wash is washed with clean water. Next, run a 60-degree main wash. Use a quantity of detergent for heavily soiled laundry for this.
Follow the instructions on the packaging when dosing the detergent. It is also important to take into account your water hardness and the size of your washing drum. Instructions regarding this are often found on the detergent packaging. Harder water means that more detergent is needed. And if you have a large washing drum, it is also necessary to dose extra. For instance, many detergent packages are based on a 5 kg drum, but most washing machines are (much) larger.
Ensure that the washing machine is filled to at least three-quarters capacity; you can always top this up with other 60-degree laundry, such as towels. The friction created in the drum ensures that the reusable cloth diapers get thoroughly clean.
Washing cloth diapers properly is essential to ensure a long lifespan for your washable diapers. Therefore, always check and calculate the correct detergent dosage.
After washing, reusable diapers are best dried on a clothesline. To protect the elastic, it is best to hang the diapers over two lines. They will also dry quickly this way. Many diapers can be tumble-dried at a low temperature. Always check the washing label first for this. However, using a tumble dryer will cause reusable diapers to wear out faster. Do not hang the diapers to dry on a heat source such as a radiator.
For very detailed washing advice, including calculation examples for the correct dosage, it is best to read our blog.
Before the first use
All absorbent materials such as reusable diapers, inserts, boosters, training pants, nursing pads and reusable cloth menstrual pads need to be washed at least three times before use. Natural materials such as cotton and bamboo absorb optimally after ten washes. The first time, wash these products with laundry detergent, the other times, laundry detergent is not necessary. They do not have to dry between washes. This pre-washing gets rid of substances that have been used during the production process and also makes cloth diapers and boosters absorb better. Products that do not absorb, but are worn against the skin, should be washed once before use. Such products include covers and swim diapers.
In exceptional cases
If it is absolutely necessary, like with a bacterial infection, most reusable diapers can be washed at 95 degrees Celsius once. Do be careful and check the care label before you do so. Cotton pre-folds can always be washed at 95 degrees Celsius, but will get clean at 60 degrees Celsius too.
Laundry detergent
Many laundry detergents are suitable for washing reuseable nappies. Reuseable nappy producers prefer that you use a detergent without enzymes, bleaching agents and optical brighteners. In practice, however, most laundry detergents are good enough. We recommend detergent with less than 5% soap and containing surfactants. A detergent for colored laundry is better than for white, because of the bleaching agents and optical brighteners. Eco-friendly laundry detergents are generally weak, but if you want to use them, please take additional care about the dosage for reuseable nappies. If the dosage is too low consitently, they are not powerful enough to deep clean your reuseable nappies, which causes quicker wear and could cause skin irritation. Homemade detergents and things like soap nuts are also not suitable to wash cloth diapers.
At this moment, we also advise against Formil. In the past couple of years, we saw a remarkable amount of warranty claims of leaking or delaminated covers that were washed with Formil. Without a clear, other cause. This is why we recommend a different laundry detergent.
Suffering from smelly diapers?
It can happen that your reuseable diapers will start to smell after some time. They smell like ammonia when your baby has peed in it. This is usually caused by a flawed laundry routine, like using too little detergent. Cloth diapers that smell like ammonia also tend to absorb less than before. To get the diapers clean, you can try to wash them in the right way a couple of times in a row. Please check the recommendations above. If this does not suffice, you can consider stripping your diapers. There are several ways to do that. Please contact us for an extensive stripping method.
General tips & tricks
Start your diaper laundry with a pre-rinse cycle. Use laundry detergent in this cycle and make sure the washing machine gets rid of the dirty water afterwards.
Do not use the eco mode and automatic dosing of the washing machine.
Use the amount of laundry detergent that is described above. With too little detergent, the cloth diapers can start to smell, and with too much, you can get detergent buildup, which will also cause them to smell and absorb less.
Hang the diapers out to dry, if possible. Cloth diapers with stains will get dazzling white if they are hung in the sun to dry. Moreover, the sun works like a disinfectant!
Inserts/boosters do not have to be taken out of the pocket diapers, they will fall out during washing.
Keep dirty diapers in a diaper pail with a mesh laundry bag, bucket liner or wet bag. The diapers can be placed into the washing machine together with the bag. Do not soak the diapers before washing! This will damage your diapers.
Breastmilk poop will dissolve in the water of the washing machine. Use a liner for babies who are formula fed or start to eat solids. The stool can be thrown away on the liner. Most liners can be reused by washing them a couple of times, unless they have been soiled.
Better not to use
- Bleaching agents/ stain removers
- Vinegar
- Borax
- Fabric softener
- Home made detergent
- Automatic dosing of the washing machine