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I believe if people knew how simple it is to care for cloth diapers, disposables would be non-existent!  It's as simple as doing a couple extra loads of laundry a week.  There's no need for soaking diapers in smelly wet pails, or scrubbing diapers with a clothespin on your nose.

First off, you need to make sure you have a cloth diaper-friendly detergent.  Most diaper manufacturers recommend you try to stay clear of detergents that contain phosphates, fragrances, dyes, brighteners and softeners.   When it comes to cloth diapers, less is more.  You want the simplest detergent possible.  I use and recommend Soap Nuts.  For a little help in making your detergent choice, visit the Diaper Jungle's detergent chart.

Each manufacturer has different washing instructions which you should follow in order to maximize the life of your diapers.  A typical wash day in my house goes something like this: I use the dry pail method, and do not recommend using a wet pail.  I use a garbage can with a flip-top lid, lined with a Wahmies Pail Liner or any other wetproof bag.  When my son has a wet diaper, it just goes straight into the diaper pail.  For messy diapers, I think a mini-shower is a must have item, but some parents do just fine by shaking any solids into the toilet, or giving the diaper a quick swirl in the toilet while flushing.   For exclusively breastfed babies, even messy diapers can just go straight into the diaper pail with no rinsing (the poo is water soluable).  If you want to be extra sure you won't have stains, I recommend a mini-shower.

On wash day (usually about every 2-3 days), I grab the whole pail liner, and dump everything into my washing machine, including the pail liner .  I do a cold rinse, then a hot wash cycle with 1/2 the recommended detergent (or 3-4 Soap Nuts), then an extra rinse cycle to make sure all the detergent is rinsed free of the diapers (You can eliminate this step if using Soap Nuts).  .  If you can, I would recommend hanging the diapers outside to dry.  Nothing works better for stains than the natural bleaching/anti-bacterial properties of the Sun.  When using the dryer do not dry any higher than medium heat.  The PUL covers and Pockets only need about 30 minutes maximum to dry so my first dryer cycle is 30 mins followed by another 40 minutes for the Fitteds and AIO's. 

 

You may have to adjust your wash routine depending on your water type, detergent brand and washing machine.  Generally I recommend starting with a simple wash routine, and only making adjustments if you have to.  For most people, a simple wash routine (like mine) is enough to keep their diapers stain free, detergent residue free, and baby's happy.

Washing New Diapers

You should wash all new diapers before using.  With the exception of prefolds, diapers only need to be washed and dried once before use.  Prefolds should be washed on hot and dried on high 3 times before use to soften and "fluff" them up.  Hemp and Bamboo products should be washed on hot and dried at least once before use.  We don't recommend washing hemp or bamboo products with your other diapers and covers for the first few times, as the oils can stick to the microfleece and cause them to repel moisture.  Keep in mind, with hemp and bamboo diapers, they will reach full absorbancy after approximately 8 washes.