The best tip that I can submit for the velcro diapers and covers - Buy some velcro at your local fabric store, or Walmart. When you launder your diapers, attach the loop part (the soft side) of the velcro that you bought to the hook part (the rough side) on the diaper. When you wash, the velcro on the diapers or covers won't stick to ANYTHING. Leave the extra velcro stuck to the diaper or cover until you use it. After the diaper has been used, stick the extra velcro back to the diaper. This sounds like a lot of steps, but it is really a lot easier than unsticking all of your diapers and covers everytime you take them out of the washer AND dryer.
from Missyt

I have found that an hour soak in cold water followed by the prewash cycle on my washing machine does wonders for getting stains out and keeping my diapers clean.
Blithe

My daughter Gracie will be two months old tomorrow, and already I have learned so much about diapering her! Before she was born I purchased prefolds and Dappi Velcro wraps, with some pins and Dappi nylon covers "just in case." I found from the start, though, that the combination of a skinny baby and explosive poops overwhelmed both the Dappi Velcro wraps and my best efforts at pinning. I just couldn't get the fit right around her skinny little thighs. On a week-long trip away from washing facilities, I had Gracie in Tushies disposables, and found that disposables also could not contain my little girl's poops. Finally, after much reading and searching on various diapering lists and websites, I found the Snappi. This one little gadget has revolutionized our diapering experience. With the fit the Snappi allows us to achieve on her prefolds, we've gone from a blowout or two every day to a blowout MAYBE once a week -- sometimes not! I would recommend the Snappi to anyone using prefolds. They're cheap, too!
Lvzqz

The most important thing to know about cloth diapers is to buy quality. Don't bother with the ones in the store; go mail order. AIO's, fitted or prefolds are your choice. The second thing to know is to try a variety of wraps. Baby's come in different sizes and, more importantly, shapes. Different wraps fit different babys so buy, beg, or borrow a variety before you buy. Plain old heavy duty wash clothes make great wipes but there are lots of others available. I buy white & keep colors for our face use.

Cleaning cloth diapers is really easy. Don't soak in the toilet like your mom did. I put my diapers and wipes in one pail & my covers in another. I do not add any water to either pail. I do put about 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar in the bottom of the pail and a tissue with a few drops of lavender oil in the deoderizer container in the pail. I wash a couple of times a week (more often for newborns; less often later) and own two dozen diapers. First I run a rinse cycle. Then fill the washer & leave the diapers to soak overnight (but only a few hours are necessary) & drain in the morning. Then I run a long wash with hot water (hot sets stains, but the sun gets rid of them), detergent/soap, and a water softner (as our water is very hard resulting in dingy clothes.) Do not use fabric softner as it will decrease the absorbency of the diapers. Bleach should be used sparingly, if at all. It is hard on the fabric & the sun works just as well. Your diapers will last much longer if you don't use bleach. Douple rinse, then dry. I hang mine year round. But, in the winter I only hang the stained ones until they are bleached then dry them in the dryer. A breezy day will leave the diapers fairly soft or you can soften them up by popping them in the dryer for 5-10 minutes when you bring them in.

The wraps can be rinsed in the sink & hung to dry unless stinky or poopy. Wash them on a gentle cycle following the same procedure above. DONT bleach. Drying them in the dryer will greatly shorten their useful life. Air drying is always prefered. Velcro should always be firmly stuck to it's self hook if the wrap has one. If not, you can buy velcro loops at a fabric store & cut them to the right length. I zig-zagged the ends & keep them in a small dish near the diaper pail. Just stick these on the velcro hooks on the wraps. This cuts down on the wear & tear on the wraps, extends the velcro life & minimizes tangling in the wash.

Breastfed poops wash right out & require no soaking or rinsing. Just pop them in the washer. The yellow stains *will* come out if you hang them in the sun for a couple of hours. At the other end of the spectum, children eating lots of solids create solid stools that will fall right out into the toilet & flush away. No scraping or dunking required.

In between, you have the child who is eating a moderate amount of food and a lot of breastmilk. These are the hardest stools to deal with since they are too chunky to wash out easily & too runny to dump out easily. My (lazy) solution is to use disposible liners (not to be confused with doublers. Doublers are used to increase absorbancy.) which are fairly inexpensive & pretty easy to find. They can be just pulled out of the diaper & disposed. While this does create some waste, it's so much less than disposable diapers that I can live with my choice. Some are flushable (most convienient); some are not. Check the box. I only use these for this transition time period. If they aren't poopy I wash them with my diapers & reuse. Do NOT dry; they will melt. These are also available in a reusable product, which I haven't tried.

I use plain water on my wipes & wet them with warm water from the sink before changing the baby or I'll wet several in the morning & put them in an open warmer near the changing table. There are lots of recipies for wipe water if you prefer. My changing table has everything in easy reach & is surrounded with pics of babies that I've cut out of magazines & pics of family. Changing time is a game. I tickle, kiss or "eat" toes, blow rasberries on tummy's. Making it fun has helped make it easy.
dawnwick

I have to admit, I didn't go to cloth willingly for all the great reasons most people will probably say. I didn't choose cloth because it was good for the environment or better for baby. I choose them for one simple reason - our pocketbook. After all, two kids two years apart are expensive! But, once I committed to using cloth diapers, I stuck to it! My husband doesn't like them, but even he will change them because we made this decision.

The first order of business was the diaper pail. I fill it with warm water, a squirt of my dishwashing soap, and a drop of bleach. Then it goes into the bathroom closest to the kids' rooms. It gets changed every couple of days - I run out of diapers and wraps about then. I don't rinse the peed on ones, just the poopy ones, before putting them into the pail. I wish I had one of those Diaper Ducks that allows the diaper to just hang in the toilet and not be flushed down (no fingers involved!) and still be rinsed. But I don't so I grab the part that is cleanest and swish and flush a few times. Then it jumps into the pail. If the wrap is not poopy, I hang it up to dry on the towel rack over the heater vent and use again before washing. If it is poopy, it gets turned inside out, velcro stuck together, and swished and flushed and into the pail.

I use the pre-folded diapers and a liner by Gerber called "E-Z Liner" to help wick away the wet and keep the poop from getting too embedded in the diaper and leaving those nasty stains. This is really nice for the poopy diapers because I can usually take the liner and throw it in the diaper genie along with the wipies I've used and then rinsing the diaper is much easier. If she is going down for the night or a nap in a cloth diaper, she also gets something called "Diaper Doubler" to help keep her bum from getting too wet overnight. I fold the diaper in thirds, the long way, put on a liner, and lay it down into the wrap, liner side up. I put her bum on the back half and then fold the front part down so the ends are underneath, not against her skin, and that seems to double up the part where she pees most.

I also use some diaper wraps called "Dappi", a few that are the knockoffs, one from Eco-Kids (it has the very best velcro), and a few that are homemade with much love. Most of my wraps have been thru the wash more times than I can count and thru one previous kid. They are well used! If the velcro has lost some of it's holding power, I will use a few diaper pins to hold it in place. The pins also keep the velcro corners from working their way loose and rubbing against the tender belly or leg skin. I always put my hand between the wrap and the baby to keep from accidentally sticking her. Those wool liners are good, I've heard, for keeping the wet away from the baby but they are rather pricey for me. I use some regular ole' fleece from the fabric store (the edges don't unravel so there's no sewing involved!) cut just a bit smaller than the wrap to help keep from leaking.

To wash the diapers, I run them thru a soak and prewash cycle with bleach and laundry booster using hot water. Then I run them thru a regular heavy cycle with 1/2 cup of vinegar in the final rinse to remove irritants from the diapers. Into the dryer then, but not the wraps - they air dry to preserve the plastic parts.

To keep Katie happy during diaper changes, I've got a pet net up on the wall over the changing table (high enough for her not to reach) and have lots of colored stuffed animals up there. She's 8 months now, so I have also put some toys that hang down from the net for her to bat at, connected by those bright plastic chain link things that babies love. If all else fails, a small toy from the bin in the changing table never fails. That is, if I can keep my two year old from taking them all and putting them somewhere else!

I hope that I can help someone with this long description. When I first used cloth diapers on my first child, I was lost. Trial and error. Lots of wet clothes and laundry. I guess the saying that the first child is the guinea pig is true!
Sara

This tip isn't really mine, but something I learned from my sister-in-law. I predominantly use diapers with snaps, but occasionally use a pinned diaper. I'm always losing my pins though, especially when my husband changes the diaper. I'll take off the pinned diaper, put on a snap one, and the pins just get lost in the shuffle. What my sister-in-law does, is just put the pins in the baby's clothes. That way the next time I put on a pinned diaper they're right there, and when I get home I put them on the changing table. It's helped me quite a bit.
vgabhart

My diapering dip is for the diaper pail. I buy two nylon bags for my diaper pail. One to use and one to wash. This way I never have to wait until one is dry before I have to put diapers in my pail. I got two for 3.97 each at Walmart. They have made cloth diapering so easy. In fact today someone told me, " I would consider cloth diapering if I didn't have to touch those poopy diapers." Well I said, "I never touch a dirty diaper once I've removed it from my son. I put in the bag in the pail. When the bag is full, I pull it out of the pail and dump the contents, and the empty bag into my washer and let it do the work. The next time I have to touch the diaper to put it in the dryer, it's clean. I hang my bag to dry. Piece of cake. She was amazed!

I don't think this is very original, but you would be surprised at how many people haven't thought of it!
Trentmicki

I keep all my diapering supplies on a shelf mounted above the changing table. Everything is within easy reach and I have decorated the bottom of the shelf with pictures, stickers, a small mirror, etc. My daughter (2 yo and starting to learn about the potty) loves to play "Find the (fill in the blank)" or watch herself in the mirror. I change the items occasionally, and her favorite is when Mommy says "Find what's new on the shelf!"
Alynne

My husband and I decided on cloth diapers for environmental reasons---we just don't care to contribute to the 2 billion tons of disposable diapers being sent to landfills that will never biodegrade--as well as the fact that it's just better for your baby's skin.

Here's my helpful tips for cloth diapering mothers:

1. Make your own baby wipes. Purchase organic flannel, cut into 8 x 8 squares and serge the edges. If you're not a sewing mother then you can purchase these at earthbaby.com or ecobaby.com as well as other sites.
2. Make your own baby wipe solution. 1 teaspoon Weleda Calenda Baby Oil, 2 drops of Tea Tree Oil and 1 cup of distilled water. Pour over baby wipes or use a spray bottle to wet wipes (and/or baby's bottom) when needed. Goldfish.com makes an excellent concentrate of castille soap, tea tree oil and lavender oil for $10. The bottle lasts for 3 to 4 months of baby wiping. I do use tap water for my wipes as I only make enough for a few days at a time. I'd recommend distilled if you want to make bigger batches.
3. Use disposables until the meconium passes. It's black, tary, is difficult to clean and will stain your diapers. I prefer Huggies Supremes.
4. Use disposables for full day or longer trips (or least during the time that you're traveling back and forth). Be sensible---why tote dirty diapers around? Disposable diaper users do so because of convenience. Cloth diapers are only inconvenient when you're traveling so take that out of the excuse. Again I prefer Huggies Supremes and the Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes. (I've tried Tushies but the don't perform as well and they're 3 times the price). I keep my diaper bag stocked. I grab it and go. I have one ditty bag into which I put the cloth diaper that the baby was wearing when I left the house.
5. Establish a wash routine. I have a plain white diaper pail with two diaper pail liners (pail from The Natural Baby Catalog and liners from Choosey Diapers). I drop wet and dirty diapers into the pail along with my homemade baby wipes----no soaking and most importantly no toilet dunking! (Once you start solids you do need to toilet dunk off as the volume increases. Soon enough it'll be solid and this just needs to be shaked off into the toilet). Every other day I carry the liner full of diapers downstairs (putting the second liner in the pail) to wash. First step is a 20 minute soak cycle using warm water adding detergent (Bio-Clean Laundry Powder with natural bleach) and 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. Water level is set to high---this is important as the diapers need room to agitate. Second step is a 18 minute super wash cycle using hot water again adding the detergent and 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. Again, water level is high. Third step is to repeat to step two. Last step is drying in the dryer or on the clothesline. The diapers have stayed bright and I have very few stains. I always smell the diapers after the second wash cycle to ensure they're clean---I had planned on a third wash but I haven't needed it.

Hope these tips help!
smisner

We had planned to use a diaper service, but it turned out that none would come to our small town. We ended up with handed down diaper covers from friends at church and several packages of cloth diapers from a baby shower. I had researched different ways to wash the diapers and different soaking solutions, etc. I was prepared for dunking them in the toilet, soaking them in bleach, or other such tedious ways of prewashing. I ended up taking a risk with the first load and put them in a dry diaper pail, and then a washing machine on "hot" with just regular detergent. It worked great! No soaking, no chemicals, no bleach, and no dunking. My daughter is now almost 7 months old and we have spent almost no money on her diapering needs and the convenience is almost is good as it would have been with disposable diapers!
Sally

Cloth diapers are my passion! I have tried many, many styles and finally stocked up on my favorite, the Motherease Sandi's. They are so thick, soft, and absorbant AND they contain those liquid breastfed poops! I really like the fact that they snap closed, NO velcro, and they really customize to your babies shape, as do te arrika covers. I recently found a really neat addition to my heavy wetter's diaper, polar fleece liners. They are very thin and they wick the wetness away from baby.

The trick to tidy diapers that always look new is free... the sun! My son is 13 months and there is not a single stain on any of his diapers. We live in the country and don't have a dryer (or hot water to the washer!) so I discovered this fact of nature incedentally. I put all the dirty and wet diapers in a covered diaper hamper with a plastic bag liner and wash every third day.(you do have to own more diapers if you wash this infrequent but with so many other things to do, a few extra are well worth it!) When my son was younger and still in the liquid poop stage, the diapers went in the hamper as is. I found that no matter how you dunked that stuff doesn't come off! Now that he has semi-soild poops we just dump them in the potty. I don't presoak, but I do double rinse with a downy ball full of vinegar in the final rinse. Please don't bleach yor diapers, it eats the cotton up! After the final rinse, on the line they go and like magic, all the poop stains disappear! If we're going to grannies we do tke the diapers along and fluff them up to their softest in her drier. And by the way,I've tried alot of different detergents and none really seem to cleanany better then the other, so use your favorite and the vinegar will rinse out any remaining residue and sanitize them. So be good to your baby and the enviroment, use cloth!!
Wyattsmom

Thankfully, Max's and my cloth diaper experience has been wonderful. It's hard to believe we've been cloth diapering for almost a year now. I've found a few tips and tricks to keep my diapers smelling fresh and Max happy during changes. After about eight months of clean smelling cloth diapers we encountered a problem with smelly pee diapers. It wasn't the pee, though, it was the way the pee was reacting to whatever chemicals had been collecting in the diapers for those eight months. I had always washed my dipes in Arm and Hammer Free detergent with an added vinegar rinse. Once the smell was noticeable when Max peed I soaked the dipes in hot water with a small box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda after letting the machine agitate the water for a few minutes. Once I got up the next day, I drained the dipes and washed them like always. Now, we're smell FREE! I have also gotten pretty good at pinnng cloth diapers on a moving soon-to-be toddler. I have found that he's much happier during diaper changes if I let him stand up on the changing table while I work quickly to get a clean diaper on him. It works well for us, and I haven't stuck him yet :)
Wendy

I've found that if you wash a poopie diaper out right away with hot water and, preferably, one of those multi-stream, hard pressure sink nozels, you will eliminate staining of your diapers. The hotter the water, the better, so I wear rubber gloves. If you rinse them in the toilet (which is cold water) it seems to actually set the stains in more. This tip goes for breastmilk and/or solid poops.
Carrie

Hi! I keep my 8 month old son happy during diaper changes by letting him choose one *washable* stuffed animal or toy from a pile that I keep near all his diapering supplies. Since he gets to grab the one he's interested in he usually stays content during his changing. It has worked out really well for us. I didn't realize that it had become a "ritual" for us until dh asked me why ds cries so much when he changes him and stays relatively happy when I do it. I had to think about it and then it clicked. "Do you let him pick a toy?", I asked? I had forgotten to tell dh the addition to the diaper detail! After that...smooth sailing. =) Hope this helps someone struggling with a squirmy baby!
odrade

I used a diaper service for the first five months. I do NOT recommend the cheap Gerber diaper wrap covers available at discount stores. They leaked and never stayed closed. At five months I switched to the one size mother-ease, which I love. Our next baby is due in April and I do not plan on using the diaper service at all this time. When my daughter outgrew them at around eighteen to twenty four months we ordered the MotherEase sandy style. Her body shape has changed and now at twenty-eight months can fit into the one-size diapers again, but I still prefer the sandies style because they can be pulled up like underwear. This is helpful when diaper changes become wrestling matches. I will be ordering the newborn small size sandies for the next baby and using the one-sizers later. I have loved using cloth diapers and can't think of any negative issues besides the smell when tossing them in the washing machine. We even used cloth diapers on a twenty-four hour road trip from Virginia to Colorado. We washed them in a Laundromat when we got to Colorado. Everyone had told us to just use disposables, but we really didn't have any problems, just had to keep the bag sealed tight in the back of the van!

I guess my tips would be to add a little lavender essential oil to the final rinse when washing. I do a soak cycle then two wash cycles every three days. Also just skip Velcro diaper covers all together and get the ones that snap. Friends who use all-in-ones with Velcro tabs have told me they have to pin the Velcro down once their babies get active. This seems to defeat the purpose of buying the more expensive style diapers. Also the best diaper cream I have ever used is Weleda Calendula cream. I prefer it over their rash care or diaper care. Its so gentle and really effective. Finally, never go anywhere without a plastic bag to put your dirty diapers in until you can get home to the diaper pail. I have been stranded and actually left a pee soaked diaper under my mother's car seat for several days. This was not a pleasant experience for grandma. Absolutely my best diapering advice to make life the easiest is to just let baby go bare-bottom as much as possible (but be sure to wait until the breast milk mustardy poopy stage is far behind!) Good luck to all moms using cloth diapers. Do whatever works for your family
Ishy

My daughter has a sensitive bottom and would break out in a rash after using most of the diaper wipes on the market. Of course the gentlelest ones cost quite a bit. We solved that problem and saved money by using a wet baby washcloth for all wet diapers. We used wipes only for the poopy ones (then followed up with the wet washcloth to remove the wipe solution from her bottom). We kept the washcloth next to the sink on a soap dish and rinsed it before and after each time with hot water. You can use the same washcloth most of the day this way! Also no need for a 'wipes warmer' this way either!
Jerilyn

I always do everything as easy as possible. I often use cloth and this is how I do them. First off, I bought really great diapers. (high quality ones with snaps on them) I also bought them one size fits all (which is true ESPECIALLY for me, because my babies are at least 10 lbs when they are born) and so they last a long time. I didn't have to worry about buying different size diapers, only covers. That can really cut the cost. Then because I don't like toilet water (I am sure the people who use it don't either) I buy these flushable liners. So, when baby poops then I flush the liner and set the diapers next to the washer in a bucket. My bucket has nothing in it. . .except dirty diapers. I have 3 dozen so that I don't have to do too much wash. I do them about every other day. Then when I wash them, I let them soak overnight in borax and spin it off the next morning and start them as a normal load of wash. SIMPLE AS CAN BE! (Oh yeah, I do have a downy ball with vinegar in it) I know that some people do this and that but I just do what is easiest. If I am going out, I do use disposables. I always fold the top in front down, because for some reason they always poke my kids and give them an irritating rash.

To keep diaper rashes away I just use bag balm. I have found Lanolin to work really well too, and it seems to wash out nicely. My cloth diapers are clean. . .and I was surprised, because I don't do the bleaching etc that I have heard about.

As far as disposables go, we LOVE huggies, because they don't leak. (our cloth are mother-ease and they don't leak either) We tried all the other brands. . .too bad luvs wasnt' offering money back when we tried all the other brands, because we would have gotten a lot back.

While I am changing diapers I hold a toy in my mouth. I have a teething ring and a rattle hooked to some material and I hold the material in my mouth while my kids chase the toy. The other thing I have done with my older son is I sing "Pop goes the weasel" and pop his bottom up to take him off the diaper and to put him on a new one. HE LOVES IT! I also name body parts with both kids to help them learn while they are laying there. It's a great learning opportunity. Wow, I never realized how much time I spend changing diapers!
Luvbug

The best advice I can give on diapering is, make use of sunlight! My first thought on seeing a bright blue morning sky is, "oh - this would be a good day to wash diapers!" Sunlight does wonders for stain removal. It's also a great freshener. And if the diapers happen to get dry, well, that's a good thing too! We are fortunate to live in arid Colorodo where there are sunny days year-round, but I've found that even on an overcast day there is enough sunlight filtering through the clouds to be beneficial to the diapers. Even an hour or two outdoors helps with freshness and stains. My son's diapers are spotless and as bright-white as organic unbleached cotton can be, and the only stain treatment they have ever had is being hung out in the sun.
Margaret

Nothing beats cloth diapering. No other method is better for your baby's delicate bottom, saves bundles of money, and helps the environment like cloth diapering. Because cloth diapering is so rarely practiced by the mainstream, many new parents inclined to do so automatically use disposables because of a lack of information from mainstream parenting sources and a lack of support from family members.

The most paramount part of cloth diapering is choosing the right diaper. Though there are many styles to choose from, always purchase diapers made from 100% cotton only. Upon finding a cotton diaper, inquire about the nature of the fiber. The longer the fibers of cotton are, the longer the diaper will last. Avoid flannel diapers. The soft fluffiness may be irresistable, but that wonderful softness will soon end up in the lint traps of your washer and dryer making the diaper useless. As for styles, nothing beats the tried and true chinese prefold diaper secured with old fashioned diaper pins. For new parents, a chinese diaper is a rectangular diaper with a thicker middle. Avoid the diapers available at discount stores. They are often of inferior quality and are sometimes aren't even 100% cotton. Only buy diaper service diapers from from a reputable source. Some diaper services sell diaper service diapers. Mothering magazine has many sources of diaper service diapers listed in the back. When purchasing your baby's diapers, inquire about the number of layers of fabric in them. A good diaper service diaper has four layers of fabric on each side and six to eight layers in the middle (4x6x4 or 4x8x4) always inquire. The more layers present, the more absorbant the diaper. A well built and amply layered diaper will last a long time and will easily diaper two 2 or more children. A reasonable price for diaper service diapers averages around $2 each. Upon purchasing prefold diapers, they will be flat; upon washing and drying, they will quilt up. I recomend keeping 2-4 dozen. The fewer diapers you have, the more frequently they will need to be washed and, thus, the quicker they will wear out.

Another option in cloth diapering is the contour diaper. Unlike the chinese prefold, no folding is required to get them on your child. They just pin or snap in place. Though convenient to use, they are more expensive than the prefolds and not as absorbant. For the ultimate in convenience, the all-in-one diaper combines a contoured diaper and a cover. Simply put it on, as if it were a disposable, and put it in the diaper pail after use. Unfortunately, at $10 apiece or higher they are not feasible for everyday use. It is nice, however, to have a few handy for babysitters.

To diaper a baby with a prefold, place the diaper under the baby's bottom with a shorter edge at waist level. Fold each of the longer edges towards the middle and bring up through the baby's crotch and fold the excess diaper over towards the baby. Bring one corner of the diaper around and pin it onto the front. Repeat with the other side and the diaper will be secure until the next changing. Place a cover over the diaper to prevent urine from soaking through to the baby's clothing. If velcro secured diaper covers are being used, fold the prefold diaper into thirds (preferably along the long edges), stuff it into the wraparound cover, and secure it like you would secure a disposable. Always keep the velcro secured in place or it will stick to everything, especially when being washed. If velcro is too unbearable, the Motherease Air-Flow cover and the Alexis snap on cover are excellent alternatives. Both snap on but are looser fitting and require pins to keep the diaper secured. The big advantage is that snaps don't wear out like velcro can, they are not noisy to disassemble, and there is no velcro to stick to everything. Avoid the cheap, pull on vinyl covers. They fall apart quickly and tend to drag poop down your baby's leg after he/she has had a very large bowel movement. Wool covers sound nice, but at ~$20 apiece, are very expensive and require more painstaking care. While being changed, give you baby a little toy to hold . They focus their attention on the toy and not on wrestling with mom.

The thought of washing diapers scares many people into using disposables. The trick is to let your washing machine do your work for you. I don't soak diapers in a pail after changing. Hauling a pail of soaking diapers to the machine is horrible on the back and a disaster in waiting if you have a curious toddler. I rarely toilet dunk. I shake the poop into the toilet and treat the immediate area with Bio-Kleen Bac Out. The Bac Out degrades organic waste matter and is very helpful in fighting stains and odor. In cases of a nasty, sticky bowel movement (you know a toxic dump when your baby leaves one) I leave the diaper in the toilet for a while until the poop disolves. A cheap, sealable five gallon bucket available from hardware stores makes a great diaper pail. Every few days I wash diapers by placing them and their covers in the machine and start a cold rinse cycle. This gets the worst of the poop and urine out. After rinsing, I start a full cycle on warm or hot water using 1/2 cup of any laundry detergent. After this cycle, I start another full cycle using scalding hot water, 1/2 cup of detergent, 1/2 cup borax, and 1/2 cup of washing soda. I always double rinse in this cycle to remove all traces of soap. This cycle is imperative: if water and/or detergent is scarce, the first full cycle can probably be omitted but not this one. When the cycle is finished, always smell the diapers. They should smell clean and fresh. I prefer two cycles just to be sure the diapers are clean. Never use chlorine bleach in any of the wash cycles. In addition to ruining septic systems, chlorine bleach will deteriorate diapers. Borax has a whitening effect on diapers without damaging the fibers. Diapers can be tumbled dry or hung to dry. Always hang diaper covers to dry. The heat from a dryer will damage the laminate in the covers. Also, never follow the above steps if wool covers are being used or they will be ruined. Wool soakers must be hand washed in a lanolin based soap (Eucalan) and placed on a flat surface to dry. To the cloth diapering novice, the amount of money initially spent on diapers, covers, and pins may seem daunting, but ring, but rest assured that the money saved by not using disposables will pay for your cloth diapering supplies many times over. Email me if you have any questions and/or comments.
Joshismom at bio1@rmi.net