Washing cloth diapers is easy, but there are some steps you will need to take to keep them clean and fresh. Remember, many different babies can use the same set of cloth diapers, but to do so, you need to care for the diapers. These instructions show you how to do that!

What NOT to do - There are some things you never should do with your cloth diapers:

1. 1.Never use chlorine bleach. It will eat up the diapers, rendering them useless.
   

2. 2.Never use fabric softener – either the dryer sheets or the liquid kind. They make diapers much less absorbent, rendering them useless.
   

3. 3.Never take our advice over the manufacturer’s directions. Most diaper companies have websites with advice - look for a tag in your diapers, google it, and check out their information.
   

Washing diapers before first use

You should wash ALL diapers before using them. If your set of diapers has some brand-new pre-folds, you will need to wash them twice before you use them: wash in cold, dry on medium, wash in cold again, and dry on medium. This fluffs and quilts them to make them absorb wetness well.

Changing your baby

1. 1.After you change your baby, shake out any solid material into the toilet (note that newborns’ poop is not usually solid, especially if you are breastfeeding your baby). Rinsing poopy diapers out in the toilet will keep most stains from remaining on the diapers.  
   

2. 2.Put the diaper (and the cloth wipe if you’re using those) in your wet bag or diaper pail. If you are using cloth wipes, you should put the wipe in there, too. If your diaper has velcro, make sure those are closed, so they don’t stick to everything else in the wash.
   

3. 3.If the diaper cover is not soiled or stinky, you can reuse it. If the cover is soiled, rinse it out and either place it with your baby’s dirty clothes or with the dirty diapers.
   

Washing your diapers

1. 1.You will need to choose your detergent carefully - as some can damage your diapers. A great list can be found here. Some good laundry detergent options can be purchased locally at stores like Kroger and Target: Bi-O-Kleen Liquid (in health food section of the store), All Free and Clear, Vaska Lavender or Non-Scented, and Arm & Hammer Essentials Free.
   

2. 2.Wash your diapers (the bag if you’re using one, and fabric wipes if you’re using them) in your washing machine in cold. Run them through a full wash and rinse cycle on the highest water level setting. The cold water prevents stains from setting and reduces energy costs. You should always use less detergent than you would for a normal load of clothes.
   

3. 3.Then, wash them again (again, with less detergent than you would use for clothes) with a full wash & rinse cycle in hot water and add 1/4 cup of white vinegar during the rinse cycle. The hot water naturally whitens your diapers and helps kill germs. The vinegar will help remove urine deposits and restore pH. If your machine doesn't have an automatic rinse cycle softener dispenser, a "Downy Ball" is handy for this purpose and can be purchased at local grocery stores, Target, K-Mart or Walmart.
   

4. 4.Dry on medium/high heat or line dry to save on energy costs. If you line dry, you may want to fluff in the drier for 5 minutes.
   

Stripping your diapers

If you find that your diapers are smelly even after washing them or there is hard water or detergent build-up, you should “strip” your diapers. This isn’t something you should have to do often, especially if you follow the instructions above. Some folks never even have to do this!

To strip your diapers, wash clean (but not necessarily dry) diapers 2-3 times in hot water without any detergent. While they are agitating, peek at the water. You want to run cycles until you see NO more suds. Then dry as usual.

**Much of the information provided here was modified by instructions from The Diaper Jungle and Peapods.