Do you bleach your homemade diapers?

[brinalicious]

Hi, I am totally new to this "make your own diapers" thing, but I am super excited to get to work on making some diapers before my little one arrives (in about 9 weeks). So, in my excitement, and because of an awesome sale at JoAnn's, I bought about 12 yards of flannel in different brightly colored prints. I have found a few patterns online that I like, that use flannel, and I am all ready to get started. However, when I showed my very forward-thinking DH all the cute prints I bought (for $2.66/yard!!!), he said, "Well, are we going to be able to bleach these diapers, what with the bright colors and all?" Darnit!!! I hadn't given that the slightest thought. I have used Chinese prefolds with my last two kiddos, and we bleached them every now and then, but am I going to be able to bleach these??? I'm totally new to this, so forgive my ignorance, but I would appreciate any help you have to offer here? If I don't bleach them, how should I wash them?

[jrabbit]

you should hang out in the diapering forum. we don't recommend using bleach on diapers. It's late, or I'd give you more info, but no bleach! The cute fabrics will fade and pill, but it's not that big of a deal, IMO.

have fun!

(me, personally, I'd rather sew clothes, blankets & toys!)

--janis

[sewchris2642]

Don't use bleach. Beach + ammonia (as in urine) = chemical burn. Not good for baby bottom. I use Borax and vinegar and hang on clothes line in the sun. The Borax goes in with the soap and the vinegar goes in the rinse cycle. The Borax will help whiten. The vinegar will remove soap and reacts with the borax to make hydrogen peroxide; which also whitens as it disinfects. It also softens the water.

To answer your question, bleach will fade the prints. If the baby gets a yeast infection, one wash with bleach won't hurt. But do extra rinses to make sure the bleach is not left in the diapers. I make diapers with printed flannel/knit on the outside and white flannel/knit lining. What has faded the prints more was the Phoenix sun. Not the very occasional bleaching. I have never bleached my diapers. Not even the prefolds I used 30 years ago. Neither dh nor dd #2, Erica, could stand bleach on their clothes or skin.

[Carol/GA]

I don't use bleach, it's too harsh. I soak the diapers in a solution of Dreft and water.