More diaper stuff
May. 4th, 2005 07:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
library_mamaYes, I was asked, so I wrote up how we wash diapers. But to spare you non cloth-diapering types, I investigated the lj cut feature.
Setting Up
First, get a diaper pail and a washable liner.
OK, there are variations – you can get a liner that will hang up on a doorknob and doesn’t need a pail. And I’ve heard of people using a regular garbage bag, but that seems more likely to get icky to me. We use a regular kitchen trash can with a step-on lid, and a PUL liner from Mother of Eden.
Dump all your wet and dirty diapers in the diaper pail. Shake the stuffing out of the Fuzzi Bunz before dropping them in. If a PUL cover is dirty, turn the Velcro tabs back, or fasten it inside out so the Velcro doesn’t get tangled in the washer. (After the baby starts solids, you’ll want to shake any solids off into the toilet before putting the diaper in the pail.)
When your pail is full or you’re close to running out of diapers, it’s time to wash. We do it every other day on average.
Washing and Drying
Now, take your liner bag and turn it inside out into the washing machine.
Do a cold rinse or soak, followed by a hot wash and an extra rinse.
Use ½ the recommended amount of detergent for the load size. Keep in mind that if your diapers only fill up half the machine, you’ll be using a quarter scoop of detergent.
PUL covers and FuzziBunz need to be line dried. (Bummis don’t, but remembering to pull out all covers is probably easier.) Everything else gets put in the dryer. Our little tips for faster drying: Put a fan on your laundry rack to have the stuff hanging there dry by the end of the dryer cycle. Put a clean dry towel in the dryer with the diapers if they seem to want more than one full cycle to dry.
Wool Covers
Wool covers, as you might guess, should not be washed on hot. They need to be washed every two weeks, or when soiled. You just follow the instructions given with the Eucalan wool wash. You are also supposed to re-lanolize them every so often, or if they start leaking. I’ve never had problems with leaks, and the Eucalan does have lanolin in it, so I haven’t done this yet. Maybe next time I wash them.
Notes on Stains and detergents
If you get stains and you don’t like them, sunlight is supposed to work wonders. (I have yet to bother with this, but I haven’t had stains that lasted through more than two wash cycles, either.)
I hear diaper cream with fish oil – like Desitin – is supposed to stain. We use Burt’s Bees when we need it, which isn’t often.
Advice on detergents varies widely – we use Tide (unscented if possible) to prewash new diapers, then whatever natural detergent we pick up at the grocery store. Just be sure you’re using a detergent, not a soap, as soap is supposed to build up on the diapers and leave a non-absorbent coating on them.
Setting Up
First, get a diaper pail and a washable liner.
OK, there are variations – you can get a liner that will hang up on a doorknob and doesn’t need a pail. And I’ve heard of people using a regular garbage bag, but that seems more likely to get icky to me. We use a regular kitchen trash can with a step-on lid, and a PUL liner from Mother of Eden.
Dump all your wet and dirty diapers in the diaper pail. Shake the stuffing out of the Fuzzi Bunz before dropping them in. If a PUL cover is dirty, turn the Velcro tabs back, or fasten it inside out so the Velcro doesn’t get tangled in the washer. (After the baby starts solids, you’ll want to shake any solids off into the toilet before putting the diaper in the pail.)
When your pail is full or you’re close to running out of diapers, it’s time to wash. We do it every other day on average.
Washing and Drying
Now, take your liner bag and turn it inside out into the washing machine.
Do a cold rinse or soak, followed by a hot wash and an extra rinse.
Use ½ the recommended amount of detergent for the load size. Keep in mind that if your diapers only fill up half the machine, you’ll be using a quarter scoop of detergent.
PUL covers and FuzziBunz need to be line dried. (Bummis don’t, but remembering to pull out all covers is probably easier.) Everything else gets put in the dryer. Our little tips for faster drying: Put a fan on your laundry rack to have the stuff hanging there dry by the end of the dryer cycle. Put a clean dry towel in the dryer with the diapers if they seem to want more than one full cycle to dry.
Wool Covers
Wool covers, as you might guess, should not be washed on hot. They need to be washed every two weeks, or when soiled. You just follow the instructions given with the Eucalan wool wash. You are also supposed to re-lanolize them every so often, or if they start leaking. I’ve never had problems with leaks, and the Eucalan does have lanolin in it, so I haven’t done this yet. Maybe next time I wash them.
Notes on Stains and detergents
If you get stains and you don’t like them, sunlight is supposed to work wonders. (I have yet to bother with this, but I haven’t had stains that lasted through more than two wash cycles, either.)
I hear diaper cream with fish oil – like Desitin – is supposed to stain. We use Burt’s Bees when we need it, which isn’t often.
Advice on detergents varies widely – we use Tide (unscented if possible) to prewash new diapers, then whatever natural detergent we pick up at the grocery store. Just be sure you’re using a detergent, not a soap, as soap is supposed to build up on the diapers and leave a non-absorbent coating on them.
