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New Diaper Care
It is very important to wash and dry your new diapers and accessories
before you use them. During the manufacturing process, there is a natural, waxy
buildup that occurs on the cotton fibers. For maximum absorbency, you MUST wash
your diapers before use.
White Diapers – wash at least three times before using for the first
time
Unbleached Diapers - wash at least six to eight times before you
use them.
Ecobaby Diapers - wash only once before use.
Fitted Diapers – wash two to three times before use.
A great way to pre-wash your diapers is just to wash them with your regular,
colorfast clothes until the baby arrives!
Unwashed Prefold diapers are very "flat" and stiff.
Washed Prefold diapers are hilly, fluffy, and soft.
Basic Washing Instructions
Washing diapers is easy! It involves 4 steps:
1. Cold wash—this keeps the stains from setting in.
2. Wash on Hot with 1/4-1/2 of regular amount of detergent.
3. Run through an Extra Rinse.
4. Dry diapers in the dryer or line dry to make them last longer. Drying in
the sun helps remove stains.
Pail Methods
Following is a brief explanation of two basic methods; wet pail and dry pail.
Please note that you should always follow the manufacturer's care and washing
guidelines for your particular diapering products, if they vary from the
following!
WET PAIL METHOD (SOAKING)
This method allows you to soak your diapers until ready to wash. The
ADVANTAGE to this method is easier stain removal, and less frequent laundering.
HOW TO DO IT:
Fill your pail ½ full with cold water and 1/4 cup of vinegar, baking soda or
Hydrox (hydrogen peroxide liquid).
Dispose of flushable liner or shake off excess poop into toilet. No rinsing
is necessary (especially if your baby is breastfed exclusively).
After 3-4 days or at about 2 - 3 dozen dirty diapers - empty the contents of
your diaper pail into the washer and spin out the excess liquid.
Proceed with washing instructions.
- Please make sure if you are using this method that your pail is securely
fastened and inaccessible to curious children.
DRY PAIL METHOD (NO SOAKING)
*Recommended by Comfy Bummy Diapers(tm)*
HOW TO DO IT:
Sprinkle baking soda at bottom of pail and line your pail with a washable bag
for easy transport to washing machine.
Dispose of flushable liner or shake off excess poop into toilet. No rinsing
necessary (especially if your baby is breastfed exclusively).
Put wet or soiled diapers in the pail.
Do a quick cold-water rinse cycle before your regular wash cycle so as
not to set any stains in the hot water wash.
Proceed with washing instructions.
- If you use this method you will need to wash about every 2 days or your
diapers will begin to stink!
TIPS & TRICKS
Or
Do's & Don'ts
Or
All the Fancy Things You can do to Clean your diapers that get confusing!!
This is the part that confuses and overwhelms everyone! There are several
things you can do to get rid of stains or "strip" your diapers or make them
smell nice and clean! There are also several things you can do to shorten the
life of your diapers. I've tried to make this as simple as possible.
STAINS
Unfortunately, stains are a part of life! Some parents choose not to stress
about them and just accept that there are going to be stains on their child's
diapers. Others work very hard to keep their diapers looking as close to new as
possible. One thing you might want to consider is that unbleached or organic
diapers hide stains better because of their original color!
So, here is the list of things you can do to remove stains from your diapers:
1. Line dry your diapers in the sun. Sunshine is a great stain eraser!
If you live someplace that is cold during the winter, simply find a place in
front of a window that you can hang your diapers and let the sunshine do it's
trick.
2. Put 1/4 - 1/2 cup of baking soda in the wash load. Do this
occasionally, as too much baking soda too often will deteriorate your diapers
just like bleach.
Official Do's & Don'ts
1. Don't use Desitin diaper rash cream with cloth diapers. This cream
contains a fish-based oil which stains the diapers and will never come out. Try
a natural, earth friendly brand which will not do this like
Earth
Mama Angel Baby or
Weleda brand.
2. Don't use detergents with enzymes or whitening enzymes like Arm &
Hammer®, FabriCare® Advanced Detergent. Some babies are very sensitive to
the enzymes.
3. Don’t use Dreft®, or Ivory Snow®. These products can cause a
waxy build-up on your diapers making them less absorbent.
4. Don't use Fabric Softeners or any detergent containing fabric
softeners. Fabric softeners also cause a waxy build up and inhibit the
absorbency of the diapers.
5. Don't use Chlorine Bleach. Bleach is very harsh and will destroy
the cotton fibers very quickly.
6. Oxygenated Bleach is a better alternative to chlorine bleach,
however, you still must be careful to choose one that contains no additives
beyond sodium carbonate. Do not use Oxi-clean® it contains too many
additives. We recommend the Bi-O-Kleen brand.
7. Don't use detergents with perfumes, dyes, chlorine bleach or any stain
guard ingredients.
8. Use 1/4 - 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. Too much detergent will
eventually cause diapers to be stinky and ineffective. It also increases the
chances of your baby having skin irritations. When it comes to detergent, keep
in mind Less is Best!
9. Use the highest water levels of your washing machine. This ensures
complete rinsing of the diapers and covers.
10. Unfold diapers before soaking or washing so that no soil gets trapped in
any of the folds.
11. Use an extra spin cycle after washing to reduce the drying time. You can
also put a towel in the dryer with your diapers to help reduce the drying time.
12. Occasionally add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the first rinse cycle. It helps to
deodorize, sanitize, and brighten your diapers.
13. Powder Detergent is preferable to liquid detergent because
Liquid Detergents have additives to keep them in a liquid suspension.
Basically, you need to use the detergent with the least amount of additives in
it. We recommend Bi-O-Kleen.
14. Never soak Diaper Covers.
15. Aren't sure if you've pre washed your diapers enough? Do the drizzle
test. Turn your kitchen faucet on so that the water is drizzling or running
super slowly. Put the diaper under the water. If the water beads up, runs off,
or is slow in soaking into the diaper, you need to wash them some more.
16. Some moms boil their diapers on the stove for 15 - 20 minutes and then
wash them.
17. If you have soft water, you will have to wash your diapers more
times. Use the hottest water possible.
18. To Strip Diapers, simply wash in hot water 2 - 3 times without any
detergent. This should remove the build up of detergent that is causing the
diapers not to absorb.
Diaper Covers
Washing diaper covers is easy, too!
For Non Wool Covers:
1. Wash in warm water with small amount of mild detergent.
2. Air or line dry. This will help the waterproofing capability last longer
as heat in the dryer causes it to break
For Wool Covers:
Washing:
The lanolin in wool is a natural antibacterial and water resistant, which means
your wool soakers will not get smelly and they do not need to be washed as often
as non wool covers.
1. It is best to GENTLY wash wool soakers by hand in lukewarm or room
temperature water. We prefer Eucalan Wool Wash.
2. Place them on a towel and roll them up (just like you used to hand wash
your pantyhose!) then unroll them and allow them to air dry.
Lanolizing:
You will need to re-lanolize your covers about once a month or so.
1. Simply melt about 1/4 teaspoon of Lansinoh in a small amount of hot water
in the sink.
2. Add a little Eucalan and fill the sink the rest of the way with warm
water.
3. Place the wool soaker in the water and soak for a minimum of 15 minutes.
You can soak them overnight.
4. Place them on a towel and roll them up (just like you used to hand wash
your pantyhose!) then unroll them and allow them to air dry.
How To Prevent Leaky Diapers
If you follow the directions above for the proper care of your diapers, you
should be able to diaper your baby without any challenges! However, here is some
advice to the most common question - what about leaking diapers?
One of the most popular questions a new parent will ask is, “Why are my
diapers leaking?” There are a few different reasons why a diaper may leak. Here
is a explanation of the causes of leaks and how to prevent them, starting with
the usual culprit:
1. The diaper cover is too big or too small. If your baby is 18 pounds
and you are using a diaper cover meant to be used for a baby in the 9-14 pound
range, the diaper cover will simply not be sufficient and you will experience
leaks. Parents who purchase a cloth diapering layette in the newborn and small
sizes sometimes are frustrated when they have to buy the next size up right
away. Remember the newborn and small sizes last for about 3-5 months, and in
retrospect that is a small time period. When baby moves up to the medium size,
that size will last for at least a year, sometimes even up to two years. Your
baby will be growing, but will be going through the chunky stage and then the
lengthening stage. The biggest reason why baby will leak is because the diaper
cover is simply too big or too small. It is very important to use the correct
size of diaper cover for your baby.
2. There is not enough “diaper” for absorbency or the diaper has not been
pre-washed and dried effectively. If absorbency is the issue and you are
using the economy diapers from the super discount store, then you have been
experiencing leaks. It is simply not worth all the work of extra laundry to
purchase the cheaper variety of diapers. So what if you’ve saved $12.00? Chances
are those extra loads of laundry each week have eaten up any “savings,” not to
mention your frustration level. So invest in quality diapers and if you have a
heavy wetter, try using a doubler for added absorbency. One important note: when
you purchase new diapers it is very important to pre-wash and dry them many
times before using. If you are using unbleached diapers washing and drying are
even more critical. New cotton contains many oils which need to be removed in
order for the diaper to absorb. This is especially important for cloth diapers
because they contain so many layers of cotton.
3. The diaper is not contained fully in the cover and moisture is wicking
out onto clothing. Once in a while a parent will accidentally let the diaper
stick out the front or back of the cover and the moisture will wick out. To
prevent this use the correct size of diaper to ensure a perfect fit. Make sure
to place the diaper fully inside the diaper cover and you should have no
problems.
Preventing leaks will ensure a positive and long-lasting diapering
experience. If parents use high quality diapers and the right sized diaper
covers, baby should be comfortable and leak-free!
231 S. Washington Street
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 428-7900
CALL US TOLL FREE! - Ph: 866-475-4610
e-mail: questions@comfybummy.com
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