Lessons From A gMum: Laundering Cloth Diapers

This cloth diaper blog series is meant to teach you everything there is to know about using gDiapers. I have already shared the following posts.
make sure each diaper stays as absorbent and clean as possible. You can use this method on all (most) cloth diapers, not solely gDiapers.
If you are exclusively breastfeeding, you can simply toss all soiled diapers in the washer. If you have added formula or solid foods to your baby’s diet, you must do an extra step and rinse the poop off the diapers before placing them in the washer. Breastfed baby poop is water soluble and will simply dissolve by your first rinse cycle.
First, I store all the soiled diapers in a large wet bag that zips shut. I simply take the cloth insert out of the gDiaper and place it in the wet bag. If the gPant pouch or the gPant is soiled, I place those in the bag too. It is important that you flip the gPants inside out and velcro them shut to prevent velcro wear during the laundering process.
For my first baby, I used a large wet bag made by Fuzzibunz that did not seal shut. It was convenient for washing diapers because I could toss it all in the washer but it made the nursery smell terrible. I do not recommend using this wet bag. I am currently using a large Planet Wise wet bag and I absolutely LOVE it. It has a waterproof zipper on top that works to seal in 100% of the diaper smells. This bag is attached to my changing table that is next to my bed. Unless I told you, you would not be able to tell that the bag is filled with soiled diapers.

The Planet Wise wet bag is $10.00 more than the Fuzzibunz wet bag but worth every penny!

Simple Steps to Laundering Cloth Diapers
After about 2-3 days depending on how many diapers you bought,  you will be ready to start your laundering routine.

1. 1. Set your washer options. Small load size (medium if necessary). Hot Water. Second Rinse. Soak. I use the gentle cycle too for all my laundering purposes but that is not a requirement.
   2. Place 1tbsp of cloth diaper friendly detergent in washer.
   3. Flip the wet bag inside out and empty diapers into the washer. Wash wet bag with diapers.
   4. Place everything but the gPant pouches into the dryer. I run our diapers on the hottest cycle to thoroughly dry them. The heat can wear on the fabric so I would encourage hanging them to dry in the sun after running a cool dry cycle if you can accommodate that. (I do not do that but I hear that the sun is excellent for ridding difficult breastfed baby poo stains!) The Planet Wise wet bag may collect water. After moving the diapers into the dryer, I empty any excess water into the washer before placing it in the dryer. It comes out dry every time this way.
   5. Be sure to allow the gPant pouches to air dry! 

Cloth Diaper Friendly Detergent
I use the recipe that has spread like crazy across the internet. I use the powder form and substitute the Fels Naptha Soap for OxyClean to make a soap free detergent. It is a very simple homemade detergent. You only need 1 tablespoon per load!

1. 1. • 1 cup Borax
      • 1 cup Washing Soda
      • 1 cup Oxyclean
      • (You can shred Fels Naptha and substitute the OxyClean with it. I use that version in regular laundry too. Only use that with whites that require hot water otherwise the Fels Naptha will not melt!)

I absolutely love these recipes. The diapers come out almost stain free and very clean. If you want an added scent, use a few drops of essential oils in your washer load. I have not done this because I don’t really mind the diapers being scent free.
I have also used Rockin’ Green Hard Rock Lavender Mint detergent with my first baby. That works wonderful too but tends to be a little too pricey for my budget.
If you have any more questions, please let me know in the comments below. Otherwise, that is all I have for today. The next post in this series will relate to cloth wipes.

Have a great rest of your weekend!