[Phoebe]

I just posted a question earlier today on this thread. I was looking for encouragement towards cloth diapering since everyone I talk to is against it for some reason or another. I got lots of great feedback on this thread so I'm hoping yall can help me with this one...

Well, dh is concerned because someone told him (and I've had others tell me as well) that people can't get water hot enough at home in their washers to properly disinfect cloth diapers and that's why you have to use a diaper service. I told him that the diaper services probably use a ton of nasty chemicals and how the hell does he think our moms did it...and their moms??

He wants proof of sorts that this is sanitary or what not. How DO you clean them anyway? Just like the rest of the laundry? With a special detergent? If so is the special detergent as bad as the chemicals from the diaper service?

Lot of questions...
Amy

 

[Quindin]

Don't worry! Think about diapers as you think about regular underware. Why do people make such a big deal about washin dirty diapers and NOT about washing dirty grownup undeware? If you think about it, the "stuff" on diapers and underware is pretty much the same - is only the quantity of "stuff" that is different

I wash my diapers with regular detergent (Tide Free and Clear) and I do is this:

1. Cold rinse with some baking soda
2. Hot wash with 1/4 of the recommend amount of detergent
3. Another cold rinse
4. MAchine dry

See - it is VERY easy and the diapers are perfectly clean and smelling fresh after this.

Other people have posted about the hygiene issues, and yes, IT IS SAFE to wash the diapers as home. The heat from the water + heat from the machine kill the bacteria that might be on the diapers.

I would only be concerned about washing diapers of MANY kids from different families together, but that's why Diaper Services have special methods anyways...

 

[USAmma]

I don't know how hot my water heater heats, but I turn it all the way up before washing dipes. There is steam in the water and it would scald me if I were to bathe in it.

You can also a couple other things to make sure germs are being killed if your dh is that worried about it:

1) tea tree oil
2) Oxiclean type products

I know there are other things (besides bleach-- will kill your dipes) but can't remember them right now.

Darshani

 

[mistisa]

you can turn your water heater up to 120 degrees, but that is also considered a safety hazard, I believe. The heat from your dryer will also kill any "buggies" your dh is worried about. or, you can line dry, the sun is the best disenfectant. I live out in so cal, so that is what I do.

 

[spirit19]

Don't quote me on this but I am sure I read some where that hemp has natural disinfectent properties. We use hemp but we started using it for absorbancy and then it seems to agree with my Ds.

I am sorry you are getting that response. When I told people we were going to Cd they said "well that is how I did it" or "that is what my mom did and I survived"

Give your Dh some research from the web on what is in disposables

that should chang his mind. I don't remeber the site's I went to but it was enough to get my Dh FULLY on board with cding.

Good luck

 

[tippytoes26]

Hmm.. well, in my opinion, the same temperature that you use to wash your hands is just fine. I mean seriously.. you eventually get poop and pee on your hands right? Does he boil his hands to get any bacteria off? No way. You have lots and lots of bacteria and other buggies in your underroos and have no problem feeling safe washing those in the washing machine. And if you choose to use disposables, you WILL have a blowout here and there... what does he suggest you do with the baby's clothing if it gets poop on it? Wash it in the washing machine right? The thing I think that really makes a difference is either doing a rinse cycle to begin your wash to rinse away the majority of the pee and poo.. and then do a wash, or, what we prefer to do is two washes. We do the first wash on hot .. it's not so hot I can't touch it, but hot enough I wouldn't want to bathe in it.. with 1/4 the recommended amount of detergent.. then we do a second wash on warm with just a tiny drizzle of detergent. Sometimes I do a secnd rinse. If you use vinegar in your first rinse cycle it's usually a good thing. Vinegar is a VERY good way to kill any lurking yuckies. Sunshine is also a very good way if you like to line dry. Dryer heat will also take care of a lot. Even when we only washed on warm, we never had any problems and I don't recall ever hearing anyone else having any problems from washing their baby's dipes. The difference is, in my opinion.. if I'm going to get diapers from a service that could have been used on a very sick infant, or used to scrub a bathroom floor for all I know.. I WANT every tiny littly thing in there taken care of... hence, the boiling hot water through about four washes (so I hear) and harsher chemicles. But, if I'm using the same diapers on MY baby and I know where they've been and what's in them.. a couple of hot washes get the job done. There are extra precautions you can take if you feel the need to. But, I can totally say that EVERY laod of diapers that comes out of my dryer.. I always touch and cuddle and put my face right into them and take a big wiff of clean laundry smell. I figure I wash my underwear only once and wear them again.. if I wash diapers twice, I shoudn't have anything to worry about.

Amber

 

[nikirj]

Well, just as an anecdotal kind of thing, our hot water is set so that we wash dishes in pure hot water without hurting our hands, and I usually shower in pure hot water. My son has had one rash in his life (1.5 yo) and my daughter has had two (3.5 yo). We are generous with the tea tree oil when we wash diapers, though! My mom says she washed them in cold when I was a baby and I clearly did not become retarded from the experience ;-) And she line-dried - I use the dryer, which definately works up enough heat to kill just about anything (well, certainly anything you'd find in my kids' poop).

Besides, I am of the view that human waste is a normal thing and is NOT = infection as long as it isn't mishandled. And I like what TippyToes said - he doesn't boil his hands when they get soiled, right?

 

[Trishy]

Certain front loading washing machines heat water too. Maybe you can talk him into a new washing machine? :LOL

 

[tippytoes26]

*LMBO*.. yup.. I like the new washing machine idea. That's a VERy good angle.

Amber

 

[wawoof]

The ony thing I would worry about is dipes with too many layers sewn together in the soaker, because I worry that the inner layers don't get clean. But otherwise, I agree with everyone else's ideas, especially the notion that diaper services have to use harsher processes to avoid spreading infections between kids.