Got stinky diapers?

One of the most disadvantages of cloth diapers over disposable ones is washing them. Many families end up stinky diapers and staining. While here are some tips for washing them. Do not use baking soda or brightener on fleece cloth diapers, it will destroy the fiber and cause leaking issues.

1. Run a rinse cycle first on cold. This loosens soils and replaces the dunk and swish. If you have some really bad poopy stains, you can soak in the washer with a little well-dissolved Oxiclean before running the wash cycle.
2. Wash on hot with ¼ to 1/3 the normal amount of detergent. Try to use a detergent with the least amount of additives, such as optical brighteners. The cheap store brands often work well since additives cost money. Steer away from baby detergents which tend to be heavily perfumed, and exercise caution with free and clear detergents. Some people find F&C detergents to be acceptable, while others get buildup.
3. If you have particularly hard water, you may want to add a small amount of a water softener laundry additive such as Calgon.
4. Use the extra rinse setting if your washer has one. Check your final rinse every once in a while to be sure there are no suds from detergent buildup. You may add vinegar to the final rinse if you desire, for its disinfecting and fabric softening properties. Do NOT use commercial fabric softeners as these coat fabrics in a way that repels water.

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