Cloth Diaper Laundry Information, Tips, Troubleshooting

I have been cloth diapering now for over a year, and I have learned so much about CD laundry, so I'm dedicating a post to all of the things I've learned, what I would do differently, and my tips for being successful with cloth diaper laundry. I told you guys about a month ago in this post that I attended a webinar on CD laundry through the Real Diaper Association. They still haven't released the info on their website, but I'm going to share some of the things that I took away from it. I will continue to check RDA and link to their laundry info once it's posted.
Update 3/30/12: RDA has the info up HERE! But keep reading because I have some other things to add in this post.

I think laundry is the biggest challenge to cloth diapering, but I honestly think the biggest problem about it is that there's too much information out there about it. When I start having issues, I go right to google (this is not unique to CD issues!), and there are all these boards and websites and whatnot that give all kinds of advice about how to solve your laundry problems. Since everyone has a different opinion, product, or experience on what worked for them, it becomes this huge mess of information and advice, and nobody knows who to listen to. I think RDA recognized this problem, and they went to the professionals. They talked with laundering professionals, and their recommendations are based on expert advice. This is an incredibly important point.

Laundering Info

Professional laundering operates on the "WATCH" formula:

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Water (i.e. amount of water)

Agitation (friction, rubbing the dirty cloth against other cloth or the agitator)

Time

Chemicals (detergent)

Heat

 

Think of each of these components as a slice of a pie. The pie slices are not necessarily equal in size for every laundering situation, but they must all add up to one whole pie. Depending on your type of machine, you can adjust certain components to make up for weaknesses in other components. Some examples:

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·    In an HE machine, there is less water, so you may need to add more detergent or a longer cycle.

·    In a home washer (i.e. not a professional machine), there is less heat, so you may need to use more water or more time, etc.

Here's what is recommended as the wash routine that is most likely to be successful:

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1. Dry pail storage (safer, less potential for spills/grossness)

2. Hot rinse, no detergent (If you can’t do a hot rinse, just do any rinse.)

3. Full cycle with detergent (longest and hottest cycle your washer allows)

4. Extra rinse

5. Air dry when possible (sunning occasionally). Otherwise dry on low heat.

That's it. We don't need to do a full cycle through twice. We don't need 25 rinses, etc.

Choosing a detergent:

The most important decision you make about your CD laundry is which detergent to use. Make sure it is free of enzymes, scents, additives, etc. I love Pinstripes & Polkadots for detergent info. There is also a good chart at Diaper Jungle. Use the same detergent for all laundry that is done in your machine. Switching back and forth between detergents can cause buildup in your machine, which can create problems with your diapers. Also, do not use fabric softeners, dryer sheets, or any of these other things once you start washing diapers. I think they're sort of a waste of money anyway and just serve to make big companies rich and add more unnecessary chemicals to our environment. But I digress. Use wool dryer balls or tennis balls if you want to soften your clothes and reduce drying time.

I have to confess that I was not always a believer in this idea of using one detergent for everything. I thought it sounded like a waste of money, but a year later, I am convinced. Just buying one detergent will simplify your routine, will make you more likely to succeed with your CD laundering, and it doesn't actually have to cost you more money. Some CD laundry detergents are quite pricey, but in my opinion there's no reason to buy them. I am using Grovia's Tiny Bubbles which works out to 19 cents/load if you buy it in bulk (17 cents if you buy through Costco). Charlie's soap is 15 cents a load or 10 cents if you buy it in bulk. Before I switched, I was buying a generic eco-friendly laundry detergent at Costco that cost 12 cents/load, so Charlie's is actually cheaper than that! If you can find a local Charlie's retailer, you can sometimes return your container for refill at an additional discount. This is greener too–reusing instead of recycling. For comparison, Tide at Walmart costs 19 cents/load, while some of the specialty diaper soaps can run upwards of 30 cents/load. Do some comparison-shopping and choose a detergent that is safe and cost-effective. You might also consider choosing a powder detergent. Powders are easier to travel with, and you don't want to have to mess around with new detergents when traveling with your dipes. Once you've decided on something, stick with it. Switching to a new detergent can cause problems, so if you do decide to switch, do a couple of loads of towels or other laundry before washing dipes in your machine. Charlie's has instructions for prepping your machine for new soap.

Drying Methods

I was lackadaisical in the beginning about drying my dipes on low heat. It is now glaringly obvious which diapers I used high heat on–they look so much more worn than my others. I personally have always used the dryer for mine, but I read a blog post once in which someone was talking about how she and two friends had all dried their diapers in different fashions. I can't find it now, but if anyone knows what I'm talking about, please comment with or send me the link! Anyway, one person always used the dryer, one person air dried indoors, and one person line dried in the sun. The post said that the sun-dried diapers were by far the most worn, the dry ones were second, and the air-dried inside ones were in the best shape. Interesting to note. With that information, you might want to only sun your diapers occasionally. 

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Troubleshooting:

• The number one mistake people make is using too little detergent. We all hear not to use too much detergent in order to avoid buildup, but the pendulum has swung too far, and people are not using enough. Diapers are your dirtiest laundry. It is easier to troubleshoot too much detergent, as you can tell when there are still soap bubbles in the washer after the cycle is over. If there are too many bubbles, do an extra rinse. It is difficult to know when you’ve used too little detergent, so err on the side of using too much.
• If you are having difficulty, contact the manufacturer of the diapers. Whether you purchased them new or used, you should still contact the manufacturer, as they have a responsibility to help you.
• If your child has a stubborn rash, you realize that you've made some laundering mistakes, or for whatever reason want a clean start, consider professional diaper stripping. I had a great experience with this.
• If you are concerned about CD laundering, consider purchasing diapers that are made from natural fibers (hemp, cotton). They are less troublesome. FYI- bamboo is not a natural fiber. Once it is turned into fabric, it becomes rayon. 
• As a last resort, you can try bleach. Oxygen bleach (i.e. oxyclean or hydrogen peroxide) tends to be a little easier on the fabrics. 
• If you're having any other issues, feel free to comment here or email me. I love to brainstorm ideas and help out other CDing mamas (and dads too!).
  

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