Lil Diaper Depot LLC
"For the Health of Our Future"
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Did you know...
Organic cotton is the purest and softest for baby.
*Cotton facts used with permission from the Organic Trade Association Fiber Council.
Using the dry pail method: Just put the wet or soiled diapers into the diaper pail without water. (Water in the pail is not necessary and is a drowning hazard.)
If they are especially soiled, shake the solids off into the toilet or rinse the diaper in the toilet before putting it into the pail.
Keep a pair of designated, reusable gloves next to the toilet if you desire.
If the baby is breastfed, it isn't necessary to rinse the diapers, just put them into the pail until wash day. (Breastfed poo is like yogurt and washes out with no problem!)
Washing: Machine wash twice should be sufficient.
Put the diapers into the washing machine. (Remember, the machine should only be 2/3-3/4 full for adequate agitation.)
Machine wash with cold water first. (Cold water helps get protein (poo) stains out.)
Next, machine wash a second time with hot water. (Hot water helps to kill bacteria.)
It is recommended to use only 1/2 the amount of detergent in each wash. The diapers will get clean and this will help prevent detergent build-up.
You can add 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse cycle. (Vinegar is a natural fabric softener, mildew inhibitor, and helps reduce detergent build-up.)
You can also add 1/2 cup baking soda to either wash to help freshen the diapers.
Lastly, an extra rinse cycle or a short wash cycle without detergent helps get out any extra detergent residue on the diapers. This last step is up to you and if your baby is sensitive to detergent.
That's it!
Drying: Put the diapers in the dryer and dry on medium heat. (The dryer helps to keep the diapers soft.)
Or, hang the diapers on the clothesline to dry in the sun. (The sun is a natural whitener and sanitizer.)
Detergent to use: Any "free and clear" detergent should work well. Our favorites include Mountain Green®, Seventh Generation®, and Shaklee®.
Please remember, do NOT use Dreft®, Ivory Snow®, pure soap or any fabric softeners as these products put a coating on the diapers making them water repellant causing them to leak.
Also, do NOT use chlorine bleach. (Bleach breaks down the cotton fibers causing the diapers to wear out faster and it can also cause skin irritation for the baby.)
How to wash and dry your covers and soakers
Nylon covers: Wash in lukewarm water and hang to
dry. Avoid using chlorine bleach, or any other whitening agents or
laundry additives.
Wool soakers: Untreated wool needs to be washed as little as possible to help retain its natural lanolin properties. When it becomes wet, just let it air dry. Small soiled areas can be rinsed under the faucet with lukewarm water and gently rubbed away. When necessary, gently wash in lukewarm water by hand with a wool lanolin-replenishing soap. Remember, do Not use cold or hot water. Cold water shocks the fibers and hot water causes shrinkage. Gently squeeze the water out by hand. Then place in a towel and press out excess water. Give it a quick, brisk shake for the wool to regain its form and elasticity. You can place it over a mild heat source, like a running dryer. NEVER tumble dry. Also, placing the wool in direct sunlight may cause discoloration of the natural wool.
Natural stain fighting methods
Place damp diaper on grass in direct sunlight, or place the diaper on the grass with the morning dew. This really does work! We have found that about 1-2 hours in direct sunlight is all it takes. At times, it may be necessary to flip the diaper over to the other side to get those stains out.
Put lemon juice on stained area. Then put in wash.
Put some hydrogen peroxide on the stain and let it sit for a few minutes and wash as usual.
Try white vinegar in the wash.
Use cold water in the wash or rinse the diaper with cold water before placing into diaper pail.
Away for a few hours:
The small tote bag is the best. Just put the wet diaper in the bag and stick it in the
diaper bag until you get home. Then, put the diaper in the diaper pail
until wash day.
Away for a few days: If you know that you'll be
gone for a number of days and you don't have enough diapers to last and no
washing machine available to wash the diapers, then you could get more natural
disposable diapers such as Tushies gel-free or Seventh Generation
chlorine free. If you have access to a washer and dryer, it's easy.
If you cannot take the diaper pail with you, then you could get the
large tote bag and put the wet or soiled
diapers in it. As needed, just wash and dry as usual.
Using cloth diapers while meconium passes
Meconium is the black, tar-like poo that newborns will have during the first couple weeks. If you are concerned about the meconium staining the diapers you can cut an old cotton T-shirt into rectangles and place a piece on top of the diaper as a soft liner during this time.
I don't have a washing machine at home...
Laundromat washing is simple. The only thing that tends to be a "chore" is lugging the heavy pail.
If you wash twice per week, you can get
the large nylon pail liner for the diaper pail.
When ready to wash, simply pull the drawstring and go. Dump the diapers in for a cold wash and then a second hot wash and you're done. Just dry them and head home!