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Washing Instructions
General Washing Tips
No Chlorine Bleach.
No fabric softener, free & clear detergents or baby detergents (such as Dreft). We highly recommend Allen’s Naturally, FuzziBunz Detergent by VASKA, Charlie’s Soap and regular Tide (not Tide Free) for washing diapers and organic clothing.
Prewash all items before use. Prewash and dry hemp and unbleached cotton items separately from other items 3-4 times on a hot cycle with detergent to remove the natural oils.
Turn organic clothing with graphic designs inside out when washing as this will help preserve the design.
To help reduce stains, keep prefold and flat diapers wet until washing and run a cold pre-rinse with no detergent right before washing.
Use your washer’s highest water level setting when washing diapers.
Fasten all Velcro before washing.
It is important to wash all your cloth diapers, covers and inserts a couple times prior to use. The following are the recommended washing instructions from all the manufacturers whose diapers we carry.
**If you're having trouble with smells in your cloth diapers (highly ammonia smells after baby wets the diaper) or with diaper rash from the prefolds and stripping the diapers isn't working, try a cold pre-wash cycle with 2-3 squirts of Bac-Out before washing the diapers as usual.
Dream-Eze All-In-One
Because of the organic cotton inners your Dream-Eze AIO must be washed/dried on hot 3 times prior to first use and WILL NOT reach it's full absorbancy until approximately 6-8 washes.
FuzziBunz
In order to ensure long-lasting quality and utility from your FuzziBunz™ diapers, it’s important that you wash and care for them as instructed by the manufacturer. Please keep your receipt – it will guarantee that you get swift and uncontested service provided that you need to return your diapers. FuzziBunz™ diapers are an investment – please keep all of your paperwork.
Caring for your FuzziBunz™:
FuzziBunz™ diapers are single use diapers. Wash both the FuzziBunz™ and insert after each use.
Most babies will experience little to no diaper rash after using FuzziBunz™. Do not use any rash or diaper ointments or creams with the diapers.
When wet, separate insert and FuzziBunz™ and store in a dry diaper pail.
If soiled, simply knock solids into toilet. Small solids stuck to the fleece will dissolve in the wash. Use a mini-shower toilet attachment to rinse off soiled diapers over the toilet (optional).
Washing/Drying your FuzziBunz™:
First, run a cold rinse or soak cycle with no detergent.
Second, run a hot cycle with detergent. Do not use bleach. Recommended detergents are FuzziBunz Pocket Diaper Detergent by Vaska, Allens Naturally, Charlie's Soap and Tide.
Third, if your hot wash is not automatically followed by a cold rinse, run a cold rinse cycle. This step only necessary with a particularly dirty load.
Tumble dry the diapers in dryer on low or hang to dry. Do not use fabric softener or pure soap*. Never dry on high heat.
Gro Baby Organic Soaker Pads
Gro Baby Organic Soaker Pads must be washed/dried on hot 3 times prior to first use and WILL NOT reach it's full absorbency until approximately 6-8 washes.
Remove as much solid matter as possible.
Place soiled soaker pads in a dry diaper pail - no soaking is necessary.
Wash every 2 days.
Start with a cold rinse.
Wash in hot water with half the amount of recommended detergent.
Do an extra rinse if desired.
Tumble dry or hang outside for extra freshness and to remove stains.
Do NOT use bleach, enzyme cleaners or fabric softeners.
Kushies
Creams and moisture barriers should be used sparingly with Kushies diapers. Excessive use of creams can adversely affect the absorbency of the diaper by creating a coating build-up.
Presoak Kushies diapers in a diaper pail of cold water and add 1/4 cup of baking soda, vinegar, or Amaze. Make sure to fold the fastening tabs on the diaper before presoaking or washing. Never use a PURE SOAP (such as IVORY SNOW) or DETERGENT in your PRESOAK as they will cause the premature breakdown of the fibers and wear down of your diapers.
Once your pail is full and you are ready to launder your diapers, empty the pail right into your washing machine and spin them out. Note that the diapers should be washed separately. Then you can proceed on Normal wash cycle with the detergent of your choice. WE CAUTION NOT USE A PURE SOAP (such as IVORY SNOW) as it can leave a fatty, waxy build-up on the cotton fibers which make the diapers less absorbent. Remember, LESS detergent is better than more.
If you are concerned with soapy residue, we suggest that:
A) you increase the water level in proportion to the diapers
B) reduce the amount of detergent used
C) double rinse the load
NEVER use BLEACH (powder or liquid) when washing Kushies diapers. It weakens the fabric and is not safe for baby's skin.
NEVER use fabric softeners (liquid or dryer sheets) when washing Kushies diapers. It leaves a coating on the fibers in the diaper which will decrease their absorbency. It is also not healthy for baby's tender bottom.
Prefold Diapers
Don’t be surprised how these diapers look when you first receive them. They will fluff and soften after a few washings. You should wash and dry prefold and flat diapers two to three times before using them. Make sure to dry them between washings and wash with one of the detergents/soaps below. **Please see the section on Washing Unbleached Cotton and Hemp if your prefold or flat diapers are unbleached cotton.**
Shake, wipe and/or spray off poop from diaper into toilet. Slightly wet the diaper so that it is almost dripping and store in diaper pail. Keeping the diaper wet until washing will help reduce stains. Please note, some manufacturers recommend their diapers be stored dry until washing (FuzziBunz for example). Please refer to the manufacturers recommendations for soiled diaper storage.
Wash diapers every day to every few days with a good detergent. We recommend Allens Naturally, FuzziBunz Pocket Diaper Detergent by Vaska, Charlie's Soap or regular Tide. These are the detergents most commonly recommended by diaper manufacturers and the only ones we have had success with. Never use chlorine bleach, fabric softener, baby detergents (like Dreft) and Free and Clear detergents on your diapers. It will cause a detergent build up and the diapers will not work properly. Also, do not use "Natural Detergents" - even though they are earth-friendly, many of them contain essential oils that can make diapers leak. The only diaper-friendly "natural detergents" we have found are Allens Naturally and Charlie's Soap, as they do not contain oils or fragrances.
Run a cold rinse on your washing machine's highest water level with no soap/detergent. Wash no more than 2 dozen diapers at a time for best results.
Follow the cold rinse with a regular warm or hot water cycle with the detergents recommended above. Continue to use the highest water level.
If necessary, run an extra cold rinse or two after washing to completely removed suds from diapers.
Dry diapers in the dryer on no higher than medium heat or hang dry (or a combination of both).
Thirsties
Before Use
Thirsties cloth diapers need to be washed and dried once before you use them. This will fluff them up and make them absorbent. Hemp or unbleached cotton diapering products should be washed and dried 3x before use to rid the fibers of the natural oils.
Washing Tips
1. Shake solids into toilet. Newborn stools will be too loose to shake clean. In this case we recommend using a diaper sprayer or for the most simple solution, set your washing machine cycle for an extra initial short cleansing. Washing machines with a pre-wash cycle make diaper cleaning even easier and are the perfect solution to pre-rinsing. If you do not have a pre-wash cycle on your washer, then consider running your diapers through an initial short cycle followed by a heavy cycle. Use COLD water for the first pre-wash cycle to help lift stains.
Please note: Do not pre-soak your diapers for longer than 10 minutes. Presoaking will set the stink deeply within the fiber of your diaper and will also wear away the waterproof layer. Use a dry diaper pail for storing dirty diapers.
2. Collect soiled or wet diapers in a lined plastic dry pail. You can purchase a special made diaper pail, but we have found your basic plastic 52 quart garbage can and lid works just as well, is more affordable, and is available at your local department or hardware store.
3. You can optionally add a sprinkle of baking soda to your diapers and pail to help neutralize odors. Once mixed with water in your washer, the baking soda will help to lift stains.
4. For optimum cleanliness, limit the size of your load to no more than 24 diapers and wash every other day. As a general rule, the fewer diapers per load and the shorter the time between washes, the fresher your diapers will be.
5. Then, use HOT wash and rinse with high water level. Use a mild detergent with no phosphates, and minimal additives. Add only 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent for top-loaders and 1/3 the recommended dose for high efficiency and front-loaders. Avoid all soaps and many "Free & Clear" and/or popular baby detergents. These detergents will leave a residue on your diapers that will affect the absorbency and may cause 'stinky' diapers and/or diaper rash. Below we have compiled a list of some commonly found detergents that are best for washing diapers and the most delicate on baby's skin:
- Allen's Naturally*
- Arm & Hammer Essentials Free
- Charlie's Soap*
- Country Save*
- Ecos Free & Clear Liquid*
- Maggie's Soap Nuts*
- Mountain Green Free & Clear*
- Planet Ultra Powder
*Indicates that these detergents are advertised as ideal for high-efficiency washers and top loaders alike.
6. Hang to dry or dry in dryer. Add a dry towel to the dryer to speed the drying process. Occasionally you may wish to dry in dryer on high heat to help with sterilization and to reseal lamination. Drying in direct sunlight is the very best method for drying and disinfecting. Hang drying also helps to preserve the textiles of your diapers and is great at getting rid of stains. Cotton and hemp diapers will be somewhat stiff when hung to dry. So to soften sun-dried dipes made from natural fibers, you may choose to use the dryer for the last 15 minutes.
7. Some parents like to add 1/2 cup vinegar to the final rinse to reduce residue of detergent or hard water. DO NOT use vinegar when washing cloth diapers made from synthetic textiles...this includes most all diaper covers and some brands of cloth diapers, including Thirsties® Fab Fitteds and Pocket AIOs. Synthetic fibers tend to hang on to the vinegar smell. In lieu of vinegar in the final rinse, we prefer plain lime juice. 1 Tsp lime juice will aid in naturally disinfecting and neutralizing, and is safe for all types of cloth diapers.
8. Even if you follow all the rules above, you still might end up with occasional stinky and less absorbent diapers due to detergent, diaper rash ointment, and/or water mineral residue. Simply replace your regular detergent with 1/4 cup Calgon® water softener (found at your local grocers) or 1-2 Tbs Dawn® or Ivory® dishsoap. This process is often referred to as diaper stripping. Strip your diapers as often as needed, but not at every wash.
9. Finally, if your diapers are in need of a thorough deep cleaning, you can use a bit of OxyClean Baby® in place of your regular detergent. Do this only when needed. If you hang in the sun, you will find you never need to use OxyClean Baby®.
Unbleached Cotton and Hemp Diapers & Accessories
All unbleached cotton and hemp products should be washed and dried two to four times before using. Please make sure to wash unbleached cotton and hemp items separately from all other items (including pocket diapers, all-in-ones, fitteds, bleached prefolds, etc). This is because the fibers have natural oils that can damage the other fabrics. Unbleached cotton and hemp can be washed together. Wash and dry unbleached cotton two to three times and hemp three to four times before use in hot water washes with approved detergents (Allens Naturally, Charlie's Soap, FuzziBunz Detergent by VASKA, or regular Tide are the ones we recommend the most). Make sure to dry the items between washing. For example, wash-dry-wash-dry-wash-dry. To test if they are ready to use, make a pocket and pour a half cup of water into it. If the water is not readily absorbed, then wash and dry them once more and try again. After the initial washings, hemp and unbleached cotton items may be washed with all other diapers.
Wonder-Fulls Hemp Inserts
Please note that Wonder-Fulls HEMP are no longer pre-washed before sewing. They will need to be washed and dried 2 to 3 times on hot prior to use. This necessary step will remove the natural oils in the hemp fabric, allowing it to reach maximum absorbency. Absorbency will continue to improve with the first several washes.
Fasten tabs to laundry tabs on the inside of cover.
Wash on warm or hot with 1/3 amount detergent. We recommend Charlie's Soap or any store brand (Tide, Gain, etc)
Tumble dry or line dry, whatever your preference is.
Upon removing from dryer DO NOT PULL OR STRETCH THE ELASTIC. Wait for the cover to cool before pulling on elastic.
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