Regular Care of Cloth Diaper

The method described below is for a basic system consisting of cloth diapers and diaper covers.

Additional instructions for common accessories are described below.

For dirty diapers, first dump as much poop as you can into the toilet and flush. Some people like to squirt a little enzyme-based stain remover on the dirty diapers at this point. Then place the dirty diaper in your diaper pail. Don't worry if you can't get all the poop out of the diaper--infants have runny poop and most toddlers have semi-solid poop for a couple of months, or years.

It's okay if some poop runs through your washing machine, as the wastewater will go to your local water treatment plant, who will be equipped to deal with it just as they would the wastewater from your toilet. You don't need to wash the cover unless it has poop on it, or if it smells bad. Just hang it to dry, preferably in a sunny spot.

For wet diapers, just place the wet diaper in your diaper pail. You only need to wash wet diaper covers if they smell strongly of urine (let your nose be the judge).
When your diaper pail is full, empty it into your washing machine and soak for 8 hours or overnight in cold water. Or, for diapers with very little poop on them (if you use rice paper diaper liners and/or have older children with solid stools), you may just run the diapers through a cold rinse cycle.

Wash the diapers with an eco-friendly laundry detergent, in hot water on the longest cycle of your machine with a cold water rinse, followed by an extra rinse in cold (this helps remove soap residue to prevent rashes). If desired, add a few squirts of an enzyme-based stain remover to the wash cycle, and/or 1/2 cup white vinegar to the first rinse cycle to help soften your diapers and remove any lingering urine odors.

Hang the diapers and covers to dry in the sun to naturally "bleach" away stains and reduce electricity usage. Once dry, you may wish to dry the diapers in the dryer on a no heat (fluff) or low heat cycle for 5-10 minutes to soften and fluff them up. Some people prefer to completely dry only the diapers in the dryer on high heat. Always air dry your diaper covers-they'll last longer. Note that prefold diapers will dry faster than fitted diapers.

Some people also like to use:

Diaper doublers:
these may be washed and dried with your diapers as per the instructions above.

Diaper pail liners:
we recommend washing these every time you wash your diapers. For best results, please line dry your diaper pail liners. You may wish to have two diaper pail liners so you will have one to use while the other is in the wash.

Flushable diaper liners:
for dirty diapers, just flush the poop and the liner in the toilet. For wet diapers, the liner may be reused if it is still in good condition. Just wash it with your diapers and air dry. Liners that have not had poop on them can usually be re-used 2-3 times before they fall apart.

For best results, do NOT:
Use borax when washing diaper covers. It can break down their water-resistant coatings.
Use bleach. It can reduce the absorbency of cloth diapers.
Use fabric softener. It can reduce the absorbency of cloth diapers.
Dry your diaper covers in the dryer. They will wear out sooner.

But please DO:
Periodically remove lint from the tabs of diaper covers with hook and loop closures so they will stick well. We have found that an eyelash comb or other fine-toothed comb works well for this task.

Use an eco-friendly detergent. Not only is it better for the environment, but it will reduce the incidence of rashes in your baby.