There are many apprehensions in the mind of a new mother as she prepares for motherhood. Amongst these is a worrisome batch of how she will manage diapering without disposables being handy! Mothers who have been there, done it will hasten to reassure you that cloth diapering is not as difficult as it is made out to be. It just takes a few extra minutes at every diaper change and the burden keeps become lower as your baby grows. And as with everything else you can have an occasional cheat day with disposables if you are not being able to cope with all the jobs that define motherhood!
How to wash poopy diapers?
Pee soaked diapers are easy to handle. Just remove the inserts and drop the highly convenient Fig-o-honey cloth diapers in a dry diaper pail. Just make sure that you rinse them well before you put in the washer on the high water cycle and you are done. Poop needs a little more attention.
While your baby is solely breast fed, the poop will be easy to handle. Just swish to rinse and put it in the washing machine. The poop will naturally breakdown and your job is done. If you have issues putting poopy diapers in the machine, just rinse and soak before the cycle. Once your baby is on solid foods, take the time to scrape off the poop into the toilet. Using a hand shower makes the task quite easy. Plop the diaper into your diaper pail and wash as usual.
Take care to wash the diapers on normal to warm water as hot water will ruin the elastics. It is also advisable to use a gentle spin cycle and then air dry the Fig-o-honey cloth diapers. The hot dryer will damage elastic and snaps. It might help if you soak the diapers for a while before washing.
Choosing a detergent
Most gentle detergents will do the job and you don’t need any special detergents to do the job. Do remember NOT to use fabric conditioners or softeners as they will reduce the life of your diapers and inserts. If you feel that detergents are irritating your baby’s skin, it is alright to use home made mild detergents also.
A monthly soak in vinegar and baking soda will reduce staining and keep your diapers smelling fresh. Borax soaks work well if you have hard water in your area. Air drying in sunlight also reduces staining. If you feel that the diapers are getting stained you may bleach them once in a while. In extreme cases you may need to strip the diapers with a stripping agent. You must bleach the diapers after stripping. Wash normally and you are ready to diaper again.
The diapers and inserts need to be washed at least 3-4 times before first use to make them absorbent. Once you get the hang of it, cloth diapering is almost as easy as using disposable diapers, and is healthier and greener too!
