How to Disinfect Your Diapering Products

 Simply washing your diapering items on hot with a good detergent will routinely help to wash away bacteria. If you are able to put your laundry in the sun to dry, that will also help to kill most germs. However, if your baby has an infection in the diaper area, your diapering items (diapers, covers, wipes, inserts, and liners) will need to be disinfected each time you use them until about a week after the symptoms disappear. Below are some remedies that may help. Please keep in mind that we are not scientists or doctors, and cannot diagnose or offer treatment for any medical condition. This is simply information that has been researched and compiled from various sources. Also, please be sure to check with manufacturer's washing instructions and warranty information before starting any disinfecting routine.   Remedy chart for disinfecting cloth diapers  

Remedy	Grapefruit Seed Extract	Distilled white vinegar	Tea Tree Oil	Oxygen Bleach Powder	Hydrogen Peroxide	Hot Water	High heat in the dryer	Sunshine
	20 drops in final rinse cycle	1 cup in final rinse cycle	20 drops in wash water. At least 5% cineole 35-40% Terpenin-4-ol	Use hot water. Soak for 2 hrs	1 cup in final rinse. 3% Solution	Killed after 25 minutes at water temps of	25 minutes	Hang until dry
Bacteria:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	140+	Yes	Yes
E Coli	Yes	Yes				160+	Yes	Yes
Influenza	Yes				Yes	167+	Yes	Yes
Mold	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes
Mold Spores	Yes	Yes			Yes	No
Norovirus	Yes		Yes		Yes			Yes
Rotovirus	Yes		Yes		No			Yes
Salmonella	Yes	Yes						Yes
Staph infections:	Yes		Yes		Yes	160+	Yes	Yes
Strep	Yes
Urinary Tract Infections	Yes						Yes	Yes
Yeast	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		122+	Yes	No
Yeast Spores	Yes	No	No	No		No		No
EPA registered?	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Colorfast	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Cautions		Do not pour directly on laundry.	Do not pour directly on laundry.	Do only as needed. Do not pour directly on laundry.	Do not pour directly on laundry.	Use with caution - we do not recommend temps over 140 F for any items with Aplix, elastic, laminates, or snaps, as it will void your warranty.	Do only as needed, as high heat will wear out the diapers more quickly.	Bring in when dry. Covers should not be dried in direct sunlight.

The most common disinfectant used in laundry is Chlorine Bleach, which kills 99.9% of germs. We have not included Chlorine Bleach on our chart as it can be harsh on the materials used in our diapers. Sources include: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/washing-machines-loaded-bacteria-dirty-clothes/story?id=10751420#.T5BG3Nn4yeI http://answers.flu.gov/questions/6062 http://econutssoap.com/how-to-disinfect-laundry/ http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/content/45/5/639.full http://moldremovalfacts.com/tag/kill-mold-with-hydrogen-peroxide/ http://preparedness.families.com/blog/germ-laundering# http://presscore.ca/nbg/index.php?entry=entry100824-114627 http://thehousingforum.com/how-to-disinfect-laundry/ http://www.care2.com/greenliving/three-ways-to-kill-mold-naturally.html?page=2 http://www.ehow.com/facts_7466895_kill-yeast-laundry.html http://www.ehow.com/how_12132108_kill-mrsa-bacteria-bedding.html http://www.ehow.com/how_4969090_kill-bacteria-grapefruit-seed-concentrate.html http://www.ehow.com/how_5638063_sanitize-laundry.html http://www.ehow.com/info_7956702_natural-oil-kill-black-mold.html http://www.ehow.com/way_5587959_homemade-mold-cleaner-concrete.html http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-disinfect-laundry-without-bleach/ http://www.landofvos.com/articles/kitchen7.html http://www.nutriteam.com/gsewhat.html http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/bitstream/10150/194201/1/azu_etd_10340_sip1_m.pdf   As always, let me know if you have any questions!   ~Sonya   ~Written by Sonya Choron 5/17/13