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washing "new to me" used diapers and covers

post #1 of 5
Thread Starter 
I have been collecting an assortment of used cloth diapers from craig's list and ebay over the past months. We are planning to try them all and then purchase more of the style and brand that fits our babe the best.

How should I wash these diapers before using them? Some of them have some pretty severe stains while other look almost new. Is there anything I can do about the stains? What about the covers? Any help for a newbie is welcome!
post #2 of 5
i'm pretty new to CDing as well, but one thing i didn't know before i started was that you can't use just any detergent. it has to be natural, free of additives. most detergents don't have a list of ingredients, but here's a website that has a list of the most diaper-friendly detergents.

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.co...glancepspd.htm

to start off, i would just wash them a few times in hot water, a few times without anything, and the last time maybe with detergent. this way you can strip them of any residue they may have.

when you use the diapers, they need two washes per use. a cold wash, and a hot wash. the cold wash gets out stains and prevents the poo and pee from being "cooked" into the diaper (as any protein-based stain will in hot) and then the hot wash helps really get it clean.

as far as stains that are already there, i have no advice. that's something i'm trying to figure out! i heard you can use hydrogen peroxide, and i've used it a few times, but i don't know if it is too harsh for the diapers. you can also try oxygen bleach.

hope that helps! a couple things i wish i had known when i first started.
post #3 of 5
I received some pretty stained diapers for my lo, and I soaked them in hot water and baby oxyclean, then set them out in the sun all day. Stains all went away. I had to rinse a lot to get out the suds, but my diapers seriously look nearly new. With natural fibers, I wouldn't be afraid to use a little bleach on used diapers. I use about two table spoons every month or so in a hot wash, to kill nasties and keep everything fresh and bright.

PUL covers I would wash on warm and set in the sun for sanitizing and stain-lifting.

Detergents are tricky because some work really well for some people and not for others. Some mamas swear by Tide powder. The pinstripes and polkadot list is pretty extensive, but start with any additive-free detergent and go from there. If the diapers don't look/smell clean, you just have to tweak. There's a learning curve, but once you figure out what works for you, it's pretty easy from there.

I personally use my own homemade laundry detergent and it works really well for me. I do a cold rinse, a warm or hot wash with two tablespoons of laundry detergent, and a cold rinse. Once a month I add a tad bleach, and sometimes I have to do an extra rinse here or there, and occasionally I'll do a load with Tide if I feel like it. I dry my fitteds and prefolds and AIOs in the dryer on regular heat, and hang my covers to air dry.

If you encounter stinkies, don't get too frustrated! There are lots of troubleshooting techniques. I wish I had known about them when I was cloth diapering my son!

Hope this helps
post #4 of 5
Quote:
Originally Posted by leaves View Post
when you use the diapers, they need two washes per use. a cold wash, and a hot wash. the cold wash gets out stains and prevents the poo and pee from being "cooked" into the diaper (as any protein-based stain will in hot) and then the hot wash helps really get it clean.
Actually, that's not true. Your washing routine is entirely dependent upon the machine you have, the detergent you use and the type of water you have. I have never once washed my diapers twice in a row (without drying).

I've bought almost all my dipes used, and I just toss them in the wash with the rest of the diapers. Unless the previous owner used a scented detergent, that's plenty for us. If they still smell like perfume, then they go back in the basket for another round.

For the stains, I'd run them through the wash and then try sunning them out.
post #5 of 5
Quote:
you can't use just any detergent. it has to be natural, free of additives.
I would disagree with this. Lots of people cycle through all the oh-so-natural detergents in the world only to end up discovering that only Tide works.

(I make my own detergent, but I'm just saying.)

OP, I would just wash the diapers on hot with whatever detergent you plan to use on your diapers. For anything with stains, I'd sun them. Good luck!
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