What do I do with dirty diapers until wash day? We recommend the dry pail method. For exclusively breastfed babies, just remove the dirty diaper and toss it in the diaper pail, no special treatment is necessary. For dirty diapers with solid waste on them, shake the waste off into the toilet. Dunking is usually not necessary as your washing machine can normally take care of whatever can’t be shaken off into the toilet. You can use a mini-shower or similar diaper sprayer if you feel it is necessary. Then just toss the diaper into the diaper pail until wash day. Washing is recommended every 2-3 days to prevent stains and odors from setting in. Do not overload the washer – no more then 3/4 full is best.
Mommy’s Touch Easy Clean Pocket Diapers
Wash once when new. Both the diaper and insert need to be changed at each diaper change. When wet, simply put the diaper and insert in the diaper pail. The insert should come out of the pocket in your washing machine, so you should not need to remove it by hand. If soiled, solid waste will fall right off the diaper into the toilet. No dunking required. Whatever remains on the fleece will dissolve in the wash. You may use a Mini Shower or similar diaper sprayer to rinse it off if you prefer. Then just put the diaper in the pail until wash day. On wash day, first you can either soak the diapers in cold or do a cold rinse. The cold rinse is done first to prevent stains from setting. Then do a wash on hot (125 degress F max) to kill germs. Use 1/4 to 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. Finally you may want to do an extra rinse to be sure all the detergent is rinsed out. Check the water during the final rinse to make sure there are no suds. Pocket diapers can be dried on low to medium heat or hung to dry. Either way, they dry very quickly.
Mommy’s Touch All-In-Ones
Wash once before first use. When dirty, shake any solid waste off into the toilet. No dunking required. Whatever remains on the fleece will dissolve in the wash. You may use a Mini Shower or similar diaper sprayer to rinse it off if you prefer. If you are using an extra hemp snap in doubler you can leave it snapped for washing, but you may want to unsnap it before drying so it dries more quickly. On wash day, you can either soak the diapers in cold or do a cold rinse. The cold rinse is done first to prevent stains from setting. Then do a wash on hot (125 degrees F) to kill germs. Use 1/4 to 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. Finally you may want to do an extra rinse to be sure all the detergent is rinsed out. Check the water during the final rinse to make sure there are no suds. Then you can either dry them in the dryer on low to medium heat or hang them to dry.
Front Loaders
Washing cloth diapers in a front loader is basically the same as for top loaders, but you will need to use even less detergent than normal and use the maximum water possible. You may need to do a few extra rinses if you have trouble with detergent buildup. It is best to use a HE detergent because regular detergent may be harder to rinse completely out of the diapers.
Hemp Inserts
Hemp products contain lots of natural oils, so it will take several washings before they reach maximum absorbency. Washing them 3-5 times in hot water before use is usually sufficient. After that you can follow the same washing instructions as for pocket diapers and AIOs. Hemp is very absorbent and will continue to get more absorbent with each washing. Hemp can get quite stiff if air dried. If this is a problem, you can put any hemp products in the dryer for a few minutes when they are dry/almost dry to soften them up. Remember to never use fabric softener. Wash new hemp items separately so the oils are not deposited onto other items. After the initial 3-5 washings, hemp can be washed in with your other diaper laundry.
Microfiber Inserts
Wash and dry once before use, they will fluff up and become more absorbent. After that, you may wash them following the same instructions as washing pocket diapers or AIOs. They can be dried in the dryer on low to medium heat or hung to dry.
Stripping Diapers
If your diapers begin to have a strong ammonia smell, become less absorbent, or if fleece items begin to repel liquid it may mean you have a buildup of detergent. The best thing to do is to strip your diapers. Stripping refers to the removal of residue on diapers. Wash your diapers once with approximately one tablespoon of liquid Dawn (the dishwashing detergent). Rinse until you don't see anymore suds. Then dry your diapers in the dryer on medium heat. If you are still having issues with pocket diapers repelling liquid hand wash your diaper with Dawn (gets the oils out), add a bit of dish soap to the fleece, either rub the fleece vigorously together or use a medium bristle dish brush or hard bristle tooth brush to scrub the fleece. Turn inside out and repeat on this side. Rinse well, making sure that the water runs clear. If you are still having problems, special cleaning agents may be used to strip diapers. These options include a very hot wash using 2 scoops Oxyclean or you may also try a hot wash with 1 ball of RLR. You may use this method at any time you feel that the diaper may be repelling or as a preventative measure once a week.
Mama Pads
Presoak or rinse in cold water. Then machine wash and dry with your other laundry. If you are also washing cloth diapers, you may want to just wash your mama pads along with the diapers.
Wetbags/Pail Liners
Wetbags and Pail Liners can be washed with the diapers and hung to dry for best results. They can be dried in the dryer on low to medium heat. If you have problems with your pail liner holding water try turning it inside out, or you may want to wash it separately from your diapers if it causes a problem.
Other tips:
- Do not stretch elastic while it is warm from the dryer. Let the diapers cool completely before “stuffing” them with inserts or putting them on your child.
- Tumble dry on low to medium heat for the shortest amount of time necessary to get diapers dry. Pocket Diapers and microfiber inserts normally dry very quickly.
- Diaper Creams – Daily use of barrier creams are normally not necessary with cloth diapers. If your child develops a rash due to teething or a food allergy, you may want to use a fleece or disposable liner when using diaper creams. If you do get diaper cream on a diaper and it causes problems please see “Stripping” Instructions.
Detergent:
Avoid detergents with bleach or fabric softeners. Natural detergents and soap based products may leave a residue on cloth diapers that effects absorbency and are not recommended. “All” Free and Clear has been associated with build up problems on fleece lined diapers, so you may not want to use it on Mommy's Touch Products. Baby detergents, such as Dreft, are also not recommended for use on cloth diapers. Some babies are sensitive to detergents containing dyes, enzymes, optical brighteners and whiteners. If you find your baby is sensitive to some detergents, you may want to avoid detergents with those ingredients. Many store brands are just as good, or better, than name brand detergents because they do not contain “fancy” ingredients that may cause irritation. Some recommended detergents are: Tide, Tide Free, Cheer Free, Allens Naturally, Purex Free & Clear, Planet, and Country Save.
Usage Instructions:
