Please Stop Cleaning Your Diapers with Unicorn Farts and Love

(Update/Revision to my original post on cloth diapers from long ago. I've lived and learned.)

I admit it. When I first started using cloth diapers, I read until my eyes almost fell out of my skull. I read about the different systems. I read about the different materials. I learned brand names. I pinned awesome stashes to my Pinterest and daydreamed. I saved recipes for homemade cloth wipe solutions.  I learned terminology like "gussets" and "soakers" and "woolies" and "wing droop". And of course, I read about cleaning them.

I read, and read, and read, and everything I read said similar things. It warned against the damage that improper laundry soap could not only do to your diapers, but do to your baby. It screamed, "NO ADDITIVES!" and made those who used Tide admit to it with a bit of defeat in their posts. It told me that bleach was the devil, and offered substitutes like vinegar and hot water and lots of sunshine! It reminded me that blue dawn was the solution to stripping my diapers of yuckies and that too much dryer time will be hard of my PUL and elastics.

I used my cloth diapers, some microfiber, some natural fibers, by following these rules for a while. More than a year passed and I had no issues. My diapers were washed according to the rules, dried in the sun, and looked and smelled like nothing- which is ideal.

And then suddenly, they didn't. No amount of washing or sunning was bringing my dingy diapers back to life. No amount of stripping was getting rid of that very faint odor. I went through my list of How-To's and attempted to get this 'blah' out of my diapers, and nothing worked. And then, my daughter's diaper area started getting red.

My older daughter used disposables and didn't have rashes, so this slightly raw skin was new to me, and not acceptable. I didn't let her sit in her diapers for long, because as any cloth parent knows- you really just can't do that. Their quickness to fill prevents cloth diapers from being on for too long even if you wanted. So even though the longest stretch she kept a diaper one was two hours, my poor baby was getting irritated.

This is when I realized that something wasn't right with the wash routine.

Against all advice from the professionals, I washed my diapers with All Free and Clear. I bleached them. And 'lo and behold, my diapers were back to actually feeling, smelling, and looking clean. Her rashes started clearing up.

So here's my advice. I'm no professional, so take this as you will.

WASH YOUR DIAPERS. Actually wash them.

First, it has to be noted that all washers are different. But despite that, you have a routine that works for your washer for your normal clothing. It may not work for someone else with a different washer, but it works for you.

Wash diapers with whatever laundry soap you use for clothing, so long as there is no fabric softener in it because that WILL affect how your diapers work. But the rest of it? No problem. Your diapers are only made of cloth, like your normal clothing. Clean them like you would clean really dirty laundry. use the correct amount of laundry soap. If your normal laundry soap doesn't irritate your baby's skin when they wear the clothing washed in it, use it on your diapers, too.

And use bleach. BLEACH your diapers. Bleach, bleach, bleach. Do not fear the bleach!  You are dealing with feces, people. Regular bleach, not color-safe bleach, when used properly, will not ruin your diapers. Color-safe bleach will not disinfect. Here's how you can do it:

1.) Start filling your washer with cold water. Bleach is not as affective in HOT water, so make sure you use cold.
2.) Pour about half a cup of bleach into the water. Let it disperse. If you have a big stick, or hanger, or something similar, stir the water around like you're making a giant pot of diaper soup. If you're scared to bleach, start out smaller and try a little less. Once you see that the diapers are not ruined, add more the next time around.
3.)Once the water is almost full, start dumping in your diapers. The bleach will be diluted enough not to affect the colors of your diapers- minky or PUL.

*Note- Some diaper manufacturers will void a warranty if you use bleach. That's something to consider. However, the cost of not bleaching a diaper that NEEDS to be bleached may be more than losing a warranty. That is your choice completely, however, it's becoming well-documented now that bleach is NOT going to harm your diapers when used properly.*

I know that that diapers are huge investment, so we're hesitant to do anything that may affect them negatively. I know it's not our fault, because we hear different wash routines from different sources. Diaper manufacturers say one thing, our washing machine manuals say another, detergents will tell you another, cloth diapering websites will tell you something else, our grandmothers who also used cloth diapers have an entirely different idea of proper cleaning.

Here's what it comes down to. If you diapers smell dirty, look dirty, and perform as if they are dirty--- they are dirty. Your teaspoon of "cloth diaper safe" detergent is NOT cleaning your diapers. The reason for the stink you are confused about? You're not washing your diapers well enough. The reason your baby is getting ammonia burns? You're not washing your diapers well enough. The reason your diapers are looking dingy or stained? You're not washing your diapers well enough. Although stains alone don't mean that your diapers are actually dirty or needing to be disinfected, you most likely don't enjoy putting a diaper back on your child with the remnants of a skid mark still on it. You can get rid of those!

Please. If you're struggling with your diapers, try throwing all the rules out the window for a week or two. Try PROPERLY disinfecting your diapers with bleach, and then thoroughly washing them with effective laundry detergent. Add a laundry booster to your cycle. Rinse well. And dry, either line drying in the sun, or the dryer if you really just don't want to be bothered with hanging them up that day. Your diapers will handle it. They won't self-destruct or fall apart in your hands any more than they would have otherwise.

Think about how many times you wash and dry your clothes--- and how often you find that your clothes fall apart because of it. If your clothes fall apart, it's because they're cheaply made, not simply because they were washed and dried. The same will apply to diapers.

Here's a very short run down of some products that you can find in your local Walmart, food store, wherever it happens to be that you buy your laundry products from, and some other ideas for cleaning and stripping. They are all OK to use on your diapers.

1.) Bleach. Disinfect your poop-catchers, people. PLEASE.

2.) Washing Soda. AKA- RLR laundry booster. Sodium Carbonate, and the base for probably every laundry detergent known to mankind ever. Will help strip your diapers and keep them from stinking.
*Side note- I've heard that the sodium carbonate you can find in the pool section of the store is actually more effective/stronger, and you'll be able to use less and achieve even better results. But many people use plain old washing soda and are able to keep their diapers smelling fresh.*

3.)Borax- Laundry booster extraordinaire. Helps clean and bleach your diapers, and works better in hot water.

4.) Oxi-Clean- Stain remover. Add some to your laundry to brighten and remove tough stains.

5.) Other stain removal techniques: Sunning, Hydrogen Peroxide, Lemon Juice

6.)Get Bi-O-Kleen Bac Out if you have stink or stains that really won't go away. This is natural, gentle, and contains live enzymes that will eat away at organic waste and bacteria. You may not find this at your local store but tons of online stores sell it. It works for stripping diapers and helps fight stains and odors.

In conclusion, take this information, go forth, and actually get your diapers good and clean. Disinfect those puppies like there's no tomorrow. Reclaim your love of cloth diapers again and lose the frustration and the barn yard smells from hell. Watch your little one's rear-end clear up and no longer suffer from ammonia burn rashes. Be excited for diaper laundry again. Clean your diapers!!!