Hand Washing Cloth Diaper (Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide)
Handwashing was the only way of cleaning diapers(baby nappies) till the washing machine came along. Many conscious parents are currently turning towards cloth diapers and handwashing. It is definitely an essential skill to have.
Why Hand Wash Cloth Diaper
Here are the three reasons you may choose to hand wash your child’s diapers.
More Eco Friendly – You probably chose to cloth-diaper your child since it is eco-friendly. Why not go a step further and make the entire diapering process sustainable. You are saving precious energy and water by ditching the washing machine.
Saves Money – A baby goes through many sets of diapers in a single day. To keep up, you may need to run the machine every single day. You will end up saving on electricity bills by choosing to do hand wash.
Diaper Lasts longer – Hand washing is more gentle on the fabric. You would only rub the stained part. Whereas machine wash does the agitation on the entire fabric. Hand-washed diapers last fewer more months than machine-washed ones. Thus lesser need for replacement and saving you money.
Unavailability of Washing Machine – Your washer might be broken. Or you probably shifted to a place without any washing machine. Handwashing remains your only option if you want to continue cloth diapering your child.
Traveling – If you want to continue cloth diapering your child(yay for the environment!) through your traveling, hand washing is essential. Just plugin the hotel sink and clean up the dirty diapers.
Step By Step Process to Hand Washing Cloth Diaper
Washing diaper by hand is not difficult. The only thing it needs from you is a little planning and around 30 minutes of your time daily. Here are the detailed steps you can follow. Choose to modify as you feel confident. Within a few days, you would become an expert!
Tools You Need
Sink, bathtub, bucket, or tub for soaking, washing. Some people like to use a plunger for causing agitation. There are also washboards available. Rubber gloves are optional. Drying line, rack for drying diapers.
Preclean
It is essential to pre-clean diapers to make sure the poopy part is removed. You can use a spatula scraper(used only for that purpose). Remove every bit of poop in advance. You don’t want your bathtub or sink to have poop floating in it. Once cleaned do the first wash in cold water.
Presoak
Presoak the cleaned diapers in warm water. Fill your bathtub, Washbasin, tub, bucket in warm water. Make sure the temperature is not high and does not burn your skin. You need to use the drain stopper if soaking in the washbasin\bathtub. Mix an eco-friendly mild detergent that is suitable for baby skin. Separate the diaper, inserts – all parts. Soak them for 30 minutes.
Clean
The presoaking helps the dirt separate from the diaper. And the poop stain will become much lighter. You might just want to remove the remaining stain by gently rubbing the fabric parts against each other. For tougher stains, a soft-bristled clothes brush works well. If you are not comfortable cleaning by hand, go ahead use a plunger(new and used only for this reason). Create an agitation motion. With a few days of practice, you will know what works for you.
Rinse
Remove the dirty water. Fill the wash area with cold clean water. Rinse the diapers till the soapy feeling goes away. Gently scrunch and squeeze to take the excess water out.
Dry
The best place to dry the diapers is outside in the sun. Clothes dry fast in direct sunlight. Sunrays also disinfect the diapers. And they come out fresh and clean-smelling.
Just place your washed diaper parts on the drying line or rack. Turn them once in between for even drying.
If you do not prefer or have access to direct sun, indirect sunlight also works well. Just place the drying rack near a window. Open the window if possible, to help the diapers dry faster.
How Often Do You Wash Cloth Diapers
Ideally, cloth diapers should be washed within a few hours of them getting soiled. That way you can get the poop out of diapers easily.
A more convenient way is to wash a load daily. Preferably in the morning hours. That way you get enough sunlight throughout the day to dry the diapers.
Daily washing is convenient if you are washing by hand. If you are using the washing machine, it may depend on you, till you get a full load. Most people run a diaper wash cycle every alternate day. One wash cycle can clean around 20-25 diapers.
Bottom Line:
Like anything new, handwashing diapers need a little practice and patience. But if you start confidently, there is no looking back.