The care instruction below are courtesy of the Green Mountain Diapers website. Lots of great information for caring for your diapers properly.
Washing
Diapers
There are many ways to wash diapers. Washers vary, detergents/soaps vary, and
water conditions vary (hardness, acidity/alkalinity, etc.). Try different ways
to find out what works for you.
Here's our favorite method: Run a cold wash cycle first. Then hot wash on
regular cycle. Extra rinse. That's it. Easy!
Put the soiled diaper into a dry pail with a pail liner. On wash day, use the liner to
transport the diapers to the machine, and use the liner like a glove as you turn
it inside out putting the diapers into the machine. Throw the liner in the
machine, also. This way you never touch a thing! No soaking is needed (but you
can run a cold soak cycle if you want to). Doing a cold water cycle first
prevents stains and minimizes dunking. Don't do a hot cycle first, because if
you do that you will bake-in stains. Let you washing machine do the work!
Remember, breastmilk washes out like yogurt in the initial cold wash, so there
is no need to dunk anything until solid food is introduced. It really is
easy!
The No-Pail Method. Some people don't use a diaper pail at all, but simply
put all diapers directly into the washer and now and then run short cycles so
they have no odors, until the washer is full enough to run their regular diaper
washing washes. This works well when the washing machine conveniently located,
and is truly odor free since the diapers get rinsed out frequently. This is
great in small apartments or condos where there is a small small washer, since
it is so odor-free. Remember if you have a small washer, don't buy as many
diapers (2 dozen will be plenty, washing about 14 at at time and the rest for
spares and use during washtime). Just wash more frequently because you can't
overload the washing machine.
Washing Machines
A simple, inexpensive top loader cleans best. Some families actually buy a
second washing machine, and love having 2 machines for their growing families
long after the diapering years are over. That's not an option for everyone, but
if you do find yourself in a position to purchase a new washer, do NOT buy a low
water machine, unless you have a very real need to conserve water. A standard,
simple top-loader cleans best. Super-heated cycles on expensive washers are not
recommended for diapers since they will destroy the cotton, and the
super-heating is not necessary. From our experience, very expensive front
loading washers and automatic water level top loading machines make diaper
washing more difficult than a simple, inexpensive top loader. More expensive
does not mean "better at cleaning" when it comes to the price of washers. Except
however, if you can get a warm rinse that is nice to have, because warm water
helps rinse detergent residue easier than cold water.
So, if you were about to buy a $1,300.00 washer, buy a nice $300 or $400.00
top loader instead and you just came up with $900.00 to spend on a very fancy
cloth diaper wardrobe! If you already have one of those low water machines,
don't worry! It's ok! I have a Whirlpool Duet and my diapers are clean with
zero stains. You can make it work. More information on how to succeed with
low-water washers is found in the ll page Green Mountain How-to Booklet, which
is included with your order. Basically, what you need to do is run short cycles
to get additional water changes, because they use such a small amount of water.
Using the soak cycle can also help because time in water is helpful too. So you
see, there are so many, many ways to do all of this. You will come up with your
own method over time.
Detergents - not as simple as it used to be because of
recent "advances". You'll need to do some label reading, but not all labels are
honest in listing ingredients so read all the packaging. If the package says
"brightens colors" or has whiteners or brighteners, or "optical or UV
brighteners", avoid it. That actually eliminates many of the mainstream
laundry detergents, including both All and Purex "Free and Clear". Avoid
anything that says "keeps clothes fresh longer" or similar. That stuff, like
Gain, is not rinsing out and causes buildup and possibly rashes. Your laundry
detergent choice is important.
My favorite detergent is Charlie's
Soap Laundry Powder or Liquid. It isn't actually a soap
even though the name says soap, but it cleans very well and rinses easily.
Great stuff, as are their other products. I personally use Charlie's. I feel
that this is the best. Charlie's is the only thing that I have found that
works on synthetics without causing buildup and it's fabulous for cotton, too.
You've researched and carefully picked out which diapering supplies are best for
your baby, now wash them safely and completely with Charlie's Soap. Yes, it's
worth it! Sensi-Clean, also called SportWash another clean-rinsing choice.
Find that or other residue-free washes in the camping section of a
superstore.
Pick up some Bi-O-Kleen Bac Out at a great price at Good
Humans. (We have no affliation with Good Humans, but just
notice that they have good prices). Bi-O-Kleen Bac Out is wonderful! Get some
and use it in the initial cold cycle if you need extra deodorizing power in
addition to your Charlie's or other detergent. This is usually not needed for
cotton items, but can really make the difference if you are using synthetics or
anything not 100% cotton (Fuzzi Bunz, Kissaluvs, AIOs).
If you can't get Charlie's Soap and must use a store-bought detergent, there
are some detergents which are ok, but some are not. For a store-bought
detergent, usually the store brand least expensive one, powder if possible, has
the least additives and is best. Sams Choice (Wal-mart's store brand) or Sun
powder (by Huish brands) are examples of good ones. Powder is preferred because
then you avoid the additives that are required to keep the detergent in a liquid
suspension, but liquids are ok. Bi-O-Kleen Premium Plus Laundry Powder is good
(if you are not using stay-dry items such as Fuzzi Bunz or any polysters, not
even Bummis Super Whisper Wraps). Read the label- do not use anything
containing "whitening enzymes". Above all, DO NOT use Arm and Hammer Fabricare
Advanced Powder Detergent. It has whitening enzymes in it which apparently
"eat" skin causing severe rashes. Avoid whiteners and brighteners.. Tide,
Ivory Snow and Dreft are considered harsh and are not recommended for regular
use. Tide Free cleans really well, but some babies are sensitive to it. Always
rinse very well. Complete rinsing is very important. Oxi-type cleaning products
are good when added to the hot cycle but not Oxi-clean unless it is Oxi-Clean
Baby. Choose Sun brand oxygen cleaner or other less expensive and simple one.
The versions of OxiClean that are not the OxiClean Baby have too many additives
in them. Simple oxi-products are great for whitening and killing bacteria,
but don't use as much as the package says. A very small amount does the job.
I use Sun Oxygen Cleaner in my hot wash with my Charlie's soap all of the time
with great success.
You don't need much detergent, perhaps only 1/4 of the recommended amount
(except for Charlie's Soap, which is honest about the amount needed and has a
properly sized small scoop.)Look in the machine during the wash cycle to
determine the correct amount of detergent for your water.
How do you know if your diapers are clean? Put your nose right up to a clean
diaper and breathe in. If it doesn't smell like nothing at all, or smell "clean"
, it isn't. Wash it again. Be sure diapers are thoroughly rinsed to prevent
irritations. If baby gets redness on his bottom, try cutting back the amount of
detergent you use and/or rinsing more thoroughly. Look in the washing
machine for suds during the final rinse.
Vinegar can be added to the first rinse to help get the detergent rinse out
easier. The vinegar is acidic and it breaks up the bubbles and the detergent
rinses out easier. Then rinse out the vinegar. Try different ways to see what
works for you and your water conditions. Vinegar is fine for regular diapers,
but it is better not to use vinegar on the all-in-ones or the covers because it
is an acid and will damage the waterproofing. Don't use fabric softener on any
of the diapers or covers. It decreases the absorbency of the diapers.
Don't use whiteners, bleach or BIZ. Bleach greatly shortens the life of your
diapers, and whiteners damage the waterproofing on the all-in-ones and covers.
But sometimes adding a tiny bit of bleach occasionally is useful if you run into
odor problems. Hanging diapers in the sun really works. Try it!
Hard water? (that means your water has a lot of minerals in it - if you get
soap scum easily in your bathtub then your water is hard), try adding some
Calgon Water Softener or RLR.
If you experience detergent buildup or repellency which can happen on
stay-dry items, handwash in Ivory or Dawn dishsoap, but Ivory rinses out much
easier than Dawn. This is called "stripping your diapers". This is not needed
if you use Charlie's Soap in the first place. Rinse completely. Dish detergents
cut buildup just like the cut the grease on your dishes. We do not recommend
using dish detergent in your washing machine because you'll likely have
oversudding and the product is not designed for laundry use.
Machine dry or hang dry, or some of both.
Washing
Diapers
There are many ways to wash diapers. Washers vary, detergents/soaps vary, and
water conditions vary (hardness, acidity/alkalinity, etc.). Try different ways
to find out what works for you.
Here's our favorite method: Run a cold wash cycle first. Then hot wash on
regular cycle. Extra rinse. That's it. Easy!
Put the soiled diaper into a dry pail with a pail liner. On wash day, use the liner to
transport the diapers to the machine, and use the liner like a glove as you turn
it inside out putting the diapers into the machine. Throw the liner in the
machine, also. This way you never touch a thing! No soaking is needed (but you
can run a cold soak cycle if you want to). Doing a cold water cycle first
prevents stains and minimizes dunking. Don't do a hot cycle first, because if
you do that you will bake-in stains. Let you washing machine do the work!
Remember, breastmilk washes out like yogurt in the initial cold wash, so there
is no need to dunk anything until solid food is introduced. It really is
easy!
The No-Pail Method. Some people don't use a diaper pail at all, but simply
put all diapers directly into the washer and now and then run short cycles so
they have no odors, until the washer is full enough to run their regular diaper
washing washes. This works well when the washing machine conveniently located,
and is truly odor free since the diapers get rinsed out frequently. This is
great in small apartments or condos where there is a small small washer, since
it is so odor-free. Remember if you have a small washer, don't buy as many
diapers (2 dozen will be plenty, washing about 14 at at time and the rest for
spares and use during washtime). Just wash more frequently because you can't
overload the washing machine.
Washing Machines
A simple, inexpensive top loader cleans best. Some families actually buy a
second washing machine, and love having 2 machines for their growing families
long after the diapering years are over. That's not an option for everyone, but
if you do find yourself in a position to purchase a new washer, do NOT buy a low
water machine, unless you have a very real need to conserve water. A standard,
simple top-loader cleans best. Super-heated cycles on expensive washers are not
recommended for diapers since they will destroy the cotton, and the
super-heating is not necessary. From our experience, very expensive front
loading washers and automatic water level top loading machines make diaper
washing more difficult than a simple, inexpensive top loader. More expensive
does not mean "better at cleaning" when it comes to the price of washers. Except
however, if you can get a warm rinse that is nice to have, because warm water
helps rinse detergent residue easier than cold water.
So, if you were about to buy a $1,300.00 washer, buy a nice $300 or $400.00
top loader instead and you just came up with $900.00 to spend on a very fancy
cloth diaper wardrobe! If you already have one of those low water machines,
don't worry! It's ok! I have a Whirlpool Duet and my diapers are clean with
zero stains. You can make it work. More information on how to succeed with
low-water washers is found in the ll page Green Mountain How-to Booklet, which
is included with your order. Basically, what you need to do is run short cycles
to get additional water changes, because they use such a small amount of water.
Using the soak cycle can also help because time in water is helpful too. So you
see, there are so many, many ways to do all of this. You will come up with your
own method over time.
Detergents - not as simple as it used to be because of
recent "advances". You'll need to do some label reading, but not all labels are
honest in listing ingredients so read all the packaging. If the package says
"brightens colors" or has whiteners or brighteners, or "optical or UV
brighteners", avoid it. That actually eliminates many of the mainstream
laundry detergents, including both All and Purex "Free and Clear". Avoid
anything that says "keeps clothes fresh longer" or similar. That stuff, like
Gain, is not rinsing out and causes buildup and possibly rashes. Your laundry
detergent choice is important.
My favorite detergent is Charlie's
Soap Laundry Powder or Liquid. It isn't actually a soap
even though the name says soap, but it cleans very well and rinses easily.
Great stuff, as are their other products. I personally use Charlie's. I feel
that this is the best. Charlie's is the only thing that I have found that
works on synthetics without causing buildup and it's fabulous for cotton, too.
You've researched and carefully picked out which diapering supplies are best for
your baby, now wash them safely and completely with Charlie's Soap. Yes, it's
worth it! Sensi-Clean, also called SportWash another clean-rinsing choice.
Find that or other residue-free washes in the camping section of a
superstore.
Pick up some Bi-O-Kleen Bac Out at a great price at Good
Humans. (We have no affliation with Good Humans, but just
notice that they have good prices). Bi-O-Kleen Bac Out is wonderful! Get some
and use it in the initial cold cycle if you need extra deodorizing power in
addition to your Charlie's or other detergent. This is usually not needed for
cotton items, but can really make the difference if you are using synthetics or
anything not 100% cotton (Fuzzi Bunz, Kissaluvs, AIOs).
If you can't get Charlie's Soap and must use a store-bought detergent, there
are some detergents which are ok, but some are not. For a store-bought
detergent, usually the store brand least expensive one, powder if possible, has
the least additives and is best. Sams Choice (Wal-mart's store brand) or Sun
powder (by Huish brands) are examples of good ones. Powder is preferred because
then you avoid the additives that are required to keep the detergent in a liquid
suspension, but liquids are ok. Bi-O-Kleen Premium Plus Laundry Powder is good
(if you are not using stay-dry items such as Fuzzi Bunz or any polysters, not
even Bummis Super Whisper Wraps). Read the label- do not use anything
containing "whitening enzymes". Above all, DO NOT use Arm and Hammer Fabricare
Advanced Powder Detergent. It has whitening enzymes in it which apparently
"eat" skin causing severe rashes. Avoid whiteners and brighteners.. Tide,
Ivory Snow and Dreft are considered harsh and are not recommended for regular
use. Tide Free cleans really well, but some babies are sensitive to it. Always
rinse very well. Complete rinsing is very important. Oxi-type cleaning products
are good when added to the hot cycle but not Oxi-clean unless it is Oxi-Clean
Baby. Choose Sun brand oxygen cleaner or other less expensive and simple one.
The versions of OxiClean that are not the OxiClean Baby have too many additives
in them. Simple oxi-products are great for whitening and killing bacteria,
but don't use as much as the package says. A very small amount does the job.
I use Sun Oxygen Cleaner in my hot wash with my Charlie's soap all of the time
with great success.
You don't need much detergent, perhaps only 1/4 of the recommended amount
(except for Charlie's Soap, which is honest about the amount needed and has a
properly sized small scoop.)Look in the machine during the wash cycle to
determine the correct amount of detergent for your water.
How do you know if your diapers are clean? Put your nose right up to a clean
diaper and breathe in. If it doesn't smell like nothing at all, or smell "clean"
, it isn't. Wash it again. Be sure diapers are thoroughly rinsed to prevent
irritations. If baby gets redness on his bottom, try cutting back the amount of
detergent you use and/or rinsing more thoroughly. Look in the washing
machine for suds during the final rinse.
Vinegar can be added to the first rinse to help get the detergent rinse out
easier. The vinegar is acidic and it breaks up the bubbles and the detergent
rinses out easier. Then rinse out the vinegar. Try different ways to see what
works for you and your water conditions. Vinegar is fine for regular diapers,
but it is better not to use vinegar on the all-in-ones or the covers because it
is an acid and will damage the waterproofing. Don't use fabric softener on any
of the diapers or covers. It decreases the absorbency of the diapers.
Don't use whiteners, bleach or BIZ. Bleach greatly shortens the life of your
diapers, and whiteners damage the waterproofing on the all-in-ones and covers.
But sometimes adding a tiny bit of bleach occasionally is useful if you run into
odor problems. Hanging diapers in the sun really works. Try it!
Hard water? (that means your water has a lot of minerals in it - if you get
soap scum easily in your bathtub then your water is hard), try adding some
Calgon Water Softener or RLR.
If you experience detergent buildup or repellency which can happen on
stay-dry items, handwash in Ivory or Dawn dishsoap, but Ivory rinses out much
easier than Dawn. This is called "stripping your diapers". This is not needed
if you use Charlie's Soap in the first place. Rinse completely. Dish detergents
cut buildup just like the cut the grease on your dishes. We do not recommend
using dish detergent in your washing machine because you'll likely have
oversudding and the product is not designed for laundry use.
Machine dry or hang dry, or some of both.
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