Fact 1- open storage is the best storage
Storing your diaper pail or wetbag/pail liner open will allow the fumes to evaporate. The smell is in the room for a short time, but after 20 minutes at the latest you won't notice it anymore. But make sure that the room has a window or the possibility of ventilation so that you can do a quick ventilation once a day.
Never store cloth diapers for more than 4 days at a time, then wash them at the latest.
Fact 2 - Where is the best place to store diapers
Make sure the diapers are stored in a relatively cool place or that the heater is not nearby or that the bucket is on underfloor heating. Because the heat makes the climate a very bacteria-friendly climate.
Fact 3 - Washing is easy with these tips
Program selection
Before you get to the wash cycle itself, put all the diapers in the machine and run them through the "rinse and spin" (or sometimes just "rinse") program once so that your diapers don't get washed through in your own urine or stool become. You can then put other 60 degree laundry into the machine.
I always use the “cookies and coloreds” wash cycle, the main thing is that it is a VERY long program with LOTS OF WATER. The best thing to do the first time is to keep looking at your machine to see whether the diapers are really being spun around nicely in the water. It's best if you activate "Extra rinse" or "Water+" or prewash during the wash cycle (all 3 options if available).
Spin speeds between 1000 and 1200 tours are the most ideal, as they put the least strain on your material.
temperature
We generally recommend washing at 60°C, which is perfect for getting the diapers clean. 2-3 times a month add approx. 1 tablespoon of oxygen bleach to disinfect. (only with kit detergent, otherwise oxygen bleach is included and you don't have to add anything)
stains
Yes, stains in the diaper are also an issue. Just as babies mess themselves when they eat and these stains are sometimes difficult to get out, the same is true with diapers.
But as long as it's just stains from breast milk stool, it's not all that bad. All you have to do is put the diapers directly in the sun after washing and that will take care of everything else.
But when the babies start to eat, it's not always that easy. Some stains need multiple “sunlight treatments” and others even need some stain remover.
I recommend:
- Dr. Ulrich stain remover spray
- Dr. Ulrich Gall soap
- Stain remover / oxygen bleach from the washing campaign (or any other oxygen bleach - not chlorine bleach)
If I have stains on my diaper, my routine looks like this: Put the chair with paper fleece in the trash, rinse off the residue with a hard shower jet. Let the diaper dry and then do the rest of the diaper wash. If there is still a small residue left after washing, the sun will do the rest.
The stains that remain in the diapers are not dirt in that sense, but rather discoloration of the fibers. You also have to be aware that the diapers will never be as beautiful as when you bought them. AND they are there to catch our baby's excretions, not our Sunday shirt ;-)
And yes, the sun thing really works!
Additional tip, if this happens to you with stains on wool, hang it in the full moon or anything, because the full moon actually has a better stain removal effect.
laundry detergent
So that's definitely the most controversial part when it comes to cloth diapers. Briefly summarized the most important things you should pay attention to:
- no fabric softeners
- no optical brighteners
- no harsh stain removers or cleaning agents such as vinegar, chlorine or similar
- Soap content less than 5%
→ these things damage the fabric of your diapers in the long term
no fabric softeners → the diapers can no longer absorb moisture as well, liquid “beads off”
I also searched for a long time and put together a list of diaper detergents for you:
- Totsbot's Potion
- Ulrich, of course, detergent
- Washing campaign detergent
Personally, I think powder detergent is better for the laundry and the machine. Above all, you don't need any preservatives with powder detergent.
Since I live in an area with very hard water, I always had the problem of my diapers getting hard or having to use so much detergent that it was just too expensive. That's when I came up with this great detergent that I can use for all my laundry:
- The detergent of the washing campaign
Fact 4 - Drying the diapers
Diapers prefer to dry on the line in the fresh air! The wind makes them nice and fresh and the sun has a disinfecting effect. If you don't have a leash outside, it doesn't matter, the clothes horse will do just fine.
If you're in a hurry, you can put the diapers in the dryer at the lowest temperature or on the gentle program. However, the lifespan is drastically reduced if you constantly put the diapers in the dryer.
Fact 5 - Overtrousers do not have to be washed at 60°C
If you have PUL overpants, it is best to wash them with your colored laundry, because PUL does not like oxygen bleach and high temperatures.
Wool overpants should be washed by hand or using the 30°C wool washing program.
Always make sure to close the counter Velcro on overpants and diaper pants with Velcro to avoid wear and damage.
Fact 6 - what about stool residue?
Breast milk stool can be washed directly with the washing routine mentioned above because it is water-soluble. With PRE food you should pay attention to the consistency or, best of all, use a diaper fleece so that the stool can be disposed of directly when changing the diaper.
However, if there are stool residues from complementary feeding stools on your diaper, please scrape them off the insert into the toilet when changing the diaper or wash them off by hand
TIP: Do not wash leftover stools by hand in the sink without placing a container underneath, as these can settle in the siphon and cause odors to form.
And here is the promised quick guide for you:
- Close the Velcro fastener on the counter Velcro (if available)
- Throw diapers into the open diaper bin and wash after 1 to 4 days
- Detergent (see above)
- Insert prewash (rinse and spin) or short program, then “cooking and colored laundry” program, extra rinse or water+ or prewash to the program
- Set 60°C
- Spin out at 1000 - 1200 rpm
- If necessary, pull the diapers back into shape while they are still damp
- Line dry (preferably in the sun)
- take it off and put it in the cupboard ;-)
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