Maintaining your Cloth Diapers well will make your investment worthwhile. But to find out yourself how to get the most out of them can be time-consuming! So we have put together 9 easy tips. That can help you maintain them and make them work for a very long time!
9 Easy Tips To Maintain Cloth Diapers
- Use Powder Detergent.
- Use Dry Feel Liners.
- Wash in Cold or Plain Water.
- Use Cotton 30 or Cotton 40 mode.
- Sundry the cloth diapers.
- Storing Used Diapers.
- Do not rinse & store.
- Add Water Softener.
- Clean your machine.
1. Use Powder Detergent
Powder detergents work relatively well in lifting off dirt. It has the highest cleaning power. Your baby’s used cloth diapers are heavily soiled laundry. So you shouldn’t treat them as regular baby laundry. Baby detergents are extremely gentle and are fine for baby clothes. But it does not have enough cleaning power for cloth diapers. Try to use powder or commercial detergents like Surf Excel, Ariel etc., for cleaning cloth diapers. You also need to use the right amount of detergent to prevent detergent buildup and maintain your cloth diapers.
2. Use Dry Feel Liners
Poop stains are troublesome. Although it is not harmful, it can make your diapers look dull and not clean. You will also have to spend some time for removing the stains apart from Sun drying the cloth diapers. So using dry feel liners can come in handy when it comes to cleaning poop. You can spray off or dump the poop and rinse them. So Your cotton pad will be stain-free and stay soft for a long time this way.
3. Wash in Cold or Plain Water
If you repeatedly wash the reusable diapers at a higher washing temperature, the heat will damage the diapers. High washing temperature will delaminate the waterproof covers. So you will observe leaks in such cases. It will also cause wear and tear in delicate fabrics like Bamboo. Although Cotton pads can withstand high temperatures, the pads will start degenerating after some time. These days, detergents are formulated to work in cold water as well. So washing in plain water or cold water or plain water is best. You can also save water, energy, and electricity consumption this way.
4. Use Cotton 30 Or Cotton 40 Mode
Choosing the right washing mode in your machine is essential to maintaining cloth diapers. If you choose the wrong mode, it can lead to unclean diapers, buildup issues, and stinky & smelly cloth diapers. You should be moving to Cotton 30 or Cotton 40 mode if your clothes or cloth diapers are made of cotton. This mode not only has the right cleaning power but also the right temperature and is highly environmentally friendly. It is also recommended by detergent brands as well as washing machine manufacturers. And count us in too!
5. Sundry The Cloth Diapers
If you think Sun drying the cloth diaper is so cliché, you need to change your perspective. Sun Drying the diapers is beneficial to the diapers, babies as well as you. Sun Drying will naturally bleach the stains, and dry the diapers well so they are fresh. And kills bacteria and helps in preventing mold growth. Don’t use the dryer option in washing machines or dryers. It contradicts the idea of Cloth Diapering to be Eco-Friendly.
6. Storing Used Cloth Diapers
The Way you store the used cloth diapers impacts their performance and durability as well. If you have been storing used diapers in closed pails, baskets, buckets, or Wet Bags and in dark spaces, consider changing your storing method. Because dark, closed spaces and wet diapers are the perfect combination for Mold Growth and bacterial development. Although you can discard the mold growth by bleaching, the risk of wearing it on the baby without confirming is enormous. Furthermore, the mold stains will never go away. Repeated bleaching will cause the diapers to degenerate. It is also harmful to the environment. Storing the Cloth Diapers in an open, dry, and airy pail will help you to maintain cloth diapers for a long time.
7. Do Not Rinse & Store Used Diapers
You should not rinse and then store the used cloth diapers till the laundry day. If the diapers stay soaking wet for a long time, the natural fibers will start disintegrating. This will cause holes and tears in the pads making them less absorbent. It will also lead to buildup which will cause leaky diapers.
8. Add Water Softener
If you plan to Cloth Diaper your baby, one of the things you need to prepare for is the hard water issue. Hard Water and Cloth Diapers are archenemies. Hard water will destroy your Cloth Diapers. So test for Hard water at your place. If you have high levels, then you need to incorporate water softeners in your wash routine. Adding water softener will prevent mineral buildup. Your Cloth Diapers will work great for a long time even when washed in Hard Water.
9. Clean Your Machine
Incorrect detergent, hard water limescale, dirty clothes, storage location everything can make your machine dirty. Not to mention the fuzz and microplastic from your microfiber & synthetic clothes. These can clog the draining pipes and the drum. So washing cloth diapers or any other cloth in the same machine without cleaning it properly will leave them unclean. Your dirty machine can prevent cloth diapers from getting cleaned well. So make sure to regularly clean your washing machine.
I hope you found all these tips useful!
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