K.Y. asks from Mokena, IL on April 11, 2008
Need Advice on Cleaning Cloth Diapers
I am very new to cloth diapering. It has only been less than a week. I have the bum genius 3.0 and the AIO 2.0's. Both seem to work great for holding leaks. My only problem is getting them clean. I have done as they suggested. Run a cold rinse w/ detergent, then wash again in hot w/ degerent. The poopy diapers still have a little stain to them. (My son is breastfed). I've heard putting them in sunlight will help, which I will try when the weather is warmer and sun actually comes out! I've heard of bacout but what retailer sells it? But is there another way or another stain remover that is safe for the cloth diapers to keep their absorbancy?
Also, if anyone has any more input/advice on gdiapers. How you use them and are you happy with them? I've used those for a short time as well. Any local stores carry them or can I only purchase through the gdiapers website?
So What Happened?™
Everyone's advice has been so helpful. Thank you to everyone who posted as well as everyone I contacted directly with questions. Cloth diapering is going much better now .I appreciate mamsource more than ever. It's wonderful to have a community of mom's to ask and offer advice.
More Answers
B.F. answers from Chicago on April 12, 2008
Diapers.com has gdiapers as well as several others. If you use the code MOTHER on your first purchse, you get $10 off (I think your total has to be $50 though) BUT you also get free shipping. There are some specific bumgenius products on the site - cleaners, sprayer, etc.
Charliesoap.com has a soap that was recommended to me & I hope to try. (Natural)
H.S. answers from Chicago on April 12, 2008
Don't worry about the stains. That's what dipes are for. When the sun comes out (and it will ;)), just wash the dipes and put them out in the sun wet. It gets out old stains just fine. The sun worked better for my CPFs than even bleach. The bf poop will come out in a heartbeat with the sun.
H.
K.L. answers from Chicago on April 12, 2008
I keep my cloth diapers in a bucket of cold water with a cup of vinegar in it to keep stains from setting. (I also immediately wash out poopy diapers b4 putting them in pail)
Then I put 3/4c of baking soda in the soak cycle. Perhaps you are missing one of these steps. Also, I know some people are really big on getting all stains out but these ARE diapers after all, a few light stains aren't the end of the world--I mean, they're for pooping in! :D
NOTE: If you do the wet diaper pail method, make SURE that once your baby starts crawling you either get a tight fitting lid and keep them AWAY from the pail or switch to the dry pail method to prevent drowning! Blessings!!!
D.F. answers from Chicago on April 12, 2008
As both of my children were born in the 70's, we only used cloth diapers. once in a while if we were on a long car trip it was more convenient to use Pampers (just about the only brand at the time..and expensive) It was not always possible to get all stains out..but I have had very good luck nowdays using Oxyclean for getting out pretty much all stains in everything. Even stains that were set in.
B.M. answers from Chicago on April 11, 2008
Hi K.,
Good for you for using cloth diapers. I too am a cloth diaper mom. We use Shaklee laundry detergents. With the tougher stains, we would soak them in the stain solution. All of the products are environmentally friendly and really work. I cloth diapered my oldest son (now four) and now my 1 year old and we are still using the same diapers that we bought in January 2004.
I have also heard of boiling them, but I haven't done that.
For nighttime absorbancy, we use 7th generation diaps.
If you'd like more information on Shaklee, please let me know. In honor of Earth Day this month, I am running some specials.
A.B. answers from Dallas on April 11, 2008
I don't use cloth diapers, but my mom did on us and I remember cleaning them. She used vinegar where you would use fabric softener in the wash and that did two things. It acts as a natural bleach when the diapers are dried in the sun, she never had stains and hers went through 6 kids. It also will eliminate any soap residue left in the fabric after the wash. I have several friends who use soaps their family members are sensitive to, but if they use the vinegar rinse, it doesn't bother them. It's just the regular white vinegar, I buy it in the gallon jugs. Good luck!
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