Washing Cloth Diapers May Not Be As Easy As You Thought!

So you've decided to use cloth diapers! Fabulous! Now are you ready for all of the washing involved? While it may seem a no brainer and fairly easy, here are a few things you'll need for the cleaning process.

• You'll need a mini shower/diaper sprayer for the not so solid poo,  that your little one has so graciously left for you.
• A spray Pal to keep the mess from splattering all over the toilet and bathroom.
• A waterproof wet/dry bag, preferably one with a zipper or draw string to close it off, so that the smell of soiled diapers doesn't linger in your home.

Now for the process! You have your first dirty diaper! Lets say that it's a solid poopy diaper. It's as simple as just shaking it into the toilet and flushing it away. Then toss the diaper or just the inserts depending on if you used the pocket or not, into the dirty diaper bag.

Now lets change things up a bit! Your little one has an upset tummy and things aren't exactly solid when you go to change his/her diaper. This is where the sprayer is needed! So here's what you do:

• Clip the diaper into the spray pal over your toilet. If you don't have the spray pal then just hold the diaper against the side of your toilet. Without the spray pal it could get a little messy!
• Spray off the icky poo and flush.
• I tend to take the wet diaper/inserts after the spraying is done and spray them with spray and wash to prevent stains while the diaper sits waiting to be washed.
• Then either toss it in the dirty diaper bag or the washing machine if you're about to wash a load.

You may wonder if the sprayer is really necessary? YES!!!!! It is very necessary! Your washing machine may be amazing and do wonders on your clothes but trust me, you do not want to toss a dirty diaper into it without getting the icky poo off! If you have a front load washer like I do, the rubber around the door will catch it and you'll have to clean it or your regular clothes will have a dirty smell no matter how many times you wash them!

So you have your diapers in the washing machine and you're about to wash your first load. If you have a top load machine I recommend that you use your highest settings and do a cold rinse or pre wash prior to the main wash. If you have a front load machine be sure to set your prewash and extra water settings! You'll need the extra water to insure everything is properly rinsed and the pre wash helps keep the odors down and any tiny pieces of poo you may have missed get washed away instead of floating around during the main wash. I recommend setting the soil level to heavy or between normal and heavy. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• I've read where people advise against using fabric softener as it supposedly ruins the absorbency of the inserts. I find that to be false! I add fabric softener to every load!
• Using bleach shortens the life of your inserts and diapers!?! However I wash the inserts once a week with bleach to insure that everything is clean. It just makes me feel better!
• Pre wash and extra water are important!
• Spray and Wash or Resolve help keep the inserts and diapers looking new.

Well you've successfully washed your first load of cloth diapers! Congrats! Now lets get to the drying!
You can machine or line dry. Whatever suits you. I do a combination of both. Sometimes I'll hang a few up in the house to dry if my dryer is preoccupied at that time. But mostly I just machine dry. So there you have it. Happy Washing!