If you are reading this note it is because you have chosen the best option for your baby and to generate an important change for the planet. Using cloth diapers is a thousand times better than disposable diapers. But well, your baby is already home and now you go through between 6 and 8 diapers every day so, do you know the best way to clean them?
There are two ways to take care of dirty diapers. The first one is to wash them at home, and the second one is to hire a cloth diaper service. In the next few paragraphs we will give you some information and useful tips about washing cloth diapers.
If you decide to wash diapers at home, the best option is to have a washing machine that allows you to wash more than 30 diapers in a single load and is equipped to use very hot water in order to guarantee a more efficient and better fabric cleaning.
Begin your washing cycle with cold water and rinse. This will help get rid of some of the more superficial residues on the diaper. Afterward you can start the main washing cycle adding detergent and hot water. It is recommended that you use odor-free detergents and no softeners. Some people apply antiseptic products such as bleach, we know that the use of chemicals sounds a little rough but sometimes it is necessary. We recommend you always read the manufacturer’s recommendations for the diaper of your choice since many of them do not recommend the use of bleach.
Make sure that the soap you use is for sanitary use only and that it is environmentally friendly. Also make sure that the programed cycle has two rinse cycles and an extra one at the end. This will help the diaper be the cleanest possible and free of soap residues.
If you have decided to use the all-in-one diapers it will take a good amount of time in the dryer to get every layer completely dry, otherwise just let the diapers dry on a clothes line. If you own a dryer we recommend you first hang the diapers until they are almost dry and then put them on the dryer for 5 to 10 minutes so the cotton softens and gets fluffy. If you have opted for the prefold diapers (the advantages of using a prefold diaper), the drying process will be faster and the fabric will not be as worn out after every washing and drying process as an all-in-one diaper. You should note if the diapers are not absorbing properly or irritating your baby’s skin, if so, your washing process is probably not the appropriate one.
Sometimes the diapers have strange or unpleasant smells. This could be a sign of bacteria or accumulated residues. In which case you will need another strategy to give life to your diapers. A possible solution could be stripping, a type of disinfectant washing process that will help to improve the appearance and absorbency of your used diapers and eliminate those strange smells.
But let’s admit it, washing at home can be very tiresome and possibly stressful for some people, especially when you are learning how to be a parent and so many new things are happening every day. A Cloth Diaper Service could be a good option.
A Cloth Diaper Service not only guarantees clean diapers to your doorstep once a week, but it is also a service that guarantees that the diapers your baby is going to use are not only perfectly clean but also sanitized which will prevent your baby from getting irritation or allergies.
A professional cloth diaper service will be using an industrial washing machine, like a “washer extractor”, instead of a domestic washing machine. These machines can wash a large amount of items in a single washing cycle and with low water use; so much less than even domestic high-efficient washers.
The “washer extractor” is a highly technological machine that can prevent any mistakes in the washing cycle since it is programmed by an expert to use the necessary detergents in the appropriate quantities.
Diapers are put through a washing process that lasts approximately an hour and a half. In each cycle the diapers are washed at high temperatures (above 169° Fahrenheit) and a combination of detergents are used.
The cleaning cycle contains different types of detergents that guarantee the complete cleansing, disinfecting and pH stabilizing of the fabric. The “washer extractor” is a high power machine and its centrifugation is similar to an airplane turbine, the diapers come out almost dry which reduces the drying cycle.
At Sun Sprout Cloth Diaper Service we rely on the highest technology and of course, we have our own “Washer Extractor” for the washing of our cloth diapers (the advantages of using a prefold diaper), we distinguish ourselves for the environmental benefits we offer.
We wash between 300 and 520 diapers in a single washing cycle. Due to the type of washing programming we use our diapers are perfectly clean and disinfected. We regularly use an inspection process in which we send samples of our washed diapers to an external lab that verifies whether the diaper is free of any external agents or bacteria and confirms the pH level is the correct for the baby’s skin.
All throughout our 5 years of experience, we have proven that the use of the prefold cloth diaper inhibits in a considerable amount the presence of allergies or skin irritations in babies. So do not hesitate in calling us and being a part of the Sun Sprout Cloth Diaper Service community.
