Please read our FAQ for the answers to the most common cloth diapering questions.

Cloth diapers need to be washed and dried once before you use them. This will fluff them up and make them absorbent. Hemp or unbleached cotton diapering products should be washed and dried 3x before use to rid the fibers of the natural oils.

1. Shake solids into toilet. Newborn stools will be too loose to shake clean. In this case we recommend using a diaper sprayer or for the most simple solution, set your washing machine cycle for an extra initial short cleansing. Washing machines with a pre-wash cycle make diaper cleaning even easier and are the perfect solution to pre-rinsing. If you do not have a pre-wash cycle on your washer, then consider running your diapers through an initial short cycle followed by a heavy cycle. Use COLD water for the first pre-wash cycle to help lift stains.

Please note: Do not pre-soak your diapers for longer than 10 minutes. Presoaking will set the stink deeply within the fiber of your diaper and will also wear away the waterproof layer. Use a dry diaper pail for storing dirty diapers.

2. Collect soiled or wet diapers in a lined plastic dry pail. You can purchase a special made diaper pail, but we have found your basic plastic 52 quart garbage can and lid works just as well, is more affordable, and is available at your local department or hardware store.

3. You can optionally add a sprinkle of baking soda to your diapers and pail to help neutralize odors. Once mixed with water in your washer, the baking soda will help to lift stains.

4. For optimum cleanliness, limit the size of your load to no more than 24 diapers and wash every other day. As a general rule, the fewer diapers per load and the shorter the time between washes, the fresher your diapers will be.

5. Then, use HOT wash and rinse with high water level. Use a mild detergent with no phosphates, and minimal additives. Add only 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent for top-loaders and 1/3 the recommended dose for high efficiency and front-loaders. Avoid all soaps and many "Free & Clear" and/or popular baby detergents. These detergents will leave a residue on your diapers that will affect the absorbency and may cause 'stinky' diapers and/or diaper rash. Please see info and list compilation to the right for more info on cloth diaper detergents. . 

5. Hang to dry or dry in dryer. Add a dry towel to the dryer to speed the drying process. Occasionally you may wish to dry in dryer on high heat to help with sterilization and to reseal lamination. Drying in direct sunlight is the very best method for drying and disinfecting. Hang drying also helps to preserve the textiles of your diapers and is great at getting rid of stains. Cotton and hemp diapers will be somewhat stiff when hung to dry. So to soften sun-dried dipes made from natural fibers, you may choose to use the dryer for the last 15 minutes.

6. Some parents like to add 1/2 cup vinegar to the final rinse to reduce residue of detergent or hard water. DO NOT use vinegar when washing cloth diapers made from synthetic textiles...this includes most all diaper covers and some brands of cloth diapers, including Thirsties® Fab Fitteds and Pocket AIOs. Synthetic fibers tend to hang on to the vinegar smell. In lieu of vinegar in the final rinse, we prefer plain lime juice. 1 Tsp lime juice will aid in naturally disinfecting and neutralizing, and is safe for all types of cloth diapers.

7. Even if you follow all the rules above, you still might end up with occasional stinky and less absorbent diapers due to detergent, diaper rash ointment, and/or water mineral residue. Simply replace your regular detergent with 1/4 cup Calgon® water softener (found at your local grocers) or 1-2 tsp Dawn® or Ivory® dishsoap. This process is often referred to as diaper stripping. Strip your diapers as often as needed, but not at every wash.

8. Finally, if your diapers are in need of a thorough deep cleaning, you can use a bit of OxyClean Baby® in place of your regular detergent. Do this only when needed. If you hang in the sun, you will find you never need to use OxyClean Baby®.