Most purchases you make with Itty Bitty Baby Bunz include a "How to Wash" postcard in the shipment.  In addition, we want to help you in your cloth diapering adventures by including this useful information online, as well.  If you have questions you do not find the answers to here, please drop us an email - we're happy to help.

PREPARE TO WASH YOUR BABY'S CLOTH DIAPERS:

Need help deciding how to clean your cloth diapers?  Check out this chart located at The Diaper Jungle's website that details various detergents and their washing compatibility with cloth diapers.  If you're confused about the ingredients listed on your detergent, Itty Bitty has a Diaper Detergent Dictionary to help out.

4. Remove most solids from the diaper as soon as it is soiled. 

• This does NOT require dunking in the toilet!  Breastfed baby poo is fine to throw into the wash without rinsing.  If your baby is eating solids, simply knock the solid waste into the toilet bowl.  (Did you know you should do this even if you use a throw-away diaper?  Most people don't know it!  You don't want to send fecal material to the dump, do you?  It needs to be properly processed through our sewage system.  Sewage system = water disposal, NOT landfill!  ICK!)
• Some people like to install a diaper sprayer onto their toilet, but this is not necessary.  My family has been using cloth diapers for over 3 years and we have never installed one. 
  

PREPARING (OR PRIMING) YOUR NATURAL DIAPERS (HEMP, BAMBOO & COTTON) PRIOR TO FIRST USE:

TROUBLESHOOTING LAUNDRY ISSUES & CLOTH DIAPERS: 

minimizing mold & mildew stains - While most manufacturers recommend that you wash your cloth diapers every 2 - 3 days, sometimes that is just not possible.  Especially during warm, humid months, you might experience mold or mildew staining on your diaper fabric if your diapers are left in the bag/pail for too long. If this happens, it's time to grab your vinegar for a pretreatment of the mold spots. 

1.  Take an old toothbrush and your affected diaper outside.  Gently brush over the mold/mildew area of the fabric.

2.  Allow the diaper to hang or lay in the sun with the mold/mildew stain exposed to the direct sunlight for 1 - 3 hours.

3.  Vinegar time!  (*White vinegar is generally not harmful to most materials, however, it is an acid.  Please be sure to test an inconspicuous area on your diaper with vinegar and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before proceeding further.)  Use a cotton swab (Q-tip) for precise application and dab a sufficient amount of white vinegar onto the mold spots.  Alternatively, pour the white vinegar into a clean spray bottle (don't forget to label the bottle appropriately) and spray the mold stains generously. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. 

4.  Next, run a cold water soak in your washing machine.  Add approximately 1 cup of white vinegar and your affected diapers into the water and allow them to soak in the solution overnight.  If you have a front loading machine without a soak option, consider placing the diapers, water & vinegar in a bucket or even your bathtub for the overnight soak.

5.  Run as hot of a wash as your diaper manufacturer allows with detergent and launder your diapers as usual.  After the wash is finished, check to be sure the stains have been removed.

6.  If the stains are gone, dry your diapers on the highest heat recommended by the manufacturer. If the stains still linger, hang or lay your diapers in the sunlight for another 1 - 3 hours and soak/wash them again as directed above.

stripping cloth diapers - Most cloth diapering families have heard this term used with regards to regular maintenance of cloth diapers.  Some manufacturers recommend certain stripping instructions, while others warn against such harsh treatment.  On any cloth diapering forum you will likely see many options for this process - some of them are downright dangerous!  For those of you who may be new to cloth diapering, stripping diapers is the term used to describe the process of removing buildup caused by minerals or detergents.  This residue can cause repelling and/or stinking diapers - nobody wants either of those scenarios!  Yuck!  Although every other possibility should be extinguished first, occasionally, especially under certain washing conditions, the need to remove the buildup from the fabric will arise. Here is a compilation of steps for stripping your baby's diapers.

1.  Only use chlorine bleach as a last ditch effort to save your diapers.  Always check your manufacturer's warranty and washing suggestions before using bleach.  If you've fought the fight with stinky, repelling diapers and the diapers have won, adding bleach might fix the problem.  However, the use of chlorine bleach will void most manufacturer warranties on waterproof fabrics.  Occasionally using bleach on non-waterproof materials is permissible, just remember that chlorine is a harsh chemical and will be harsh to most any material with which it comes into contact.

2.  The jury is out on oxygenated bleaches.  Again, some manufacturers and moms sing its praises while others claim it eats holes in their diapers. Use these products, like OxyClean, with care and check your manufacturer's warranty before application.