If you are a consumer of cloth diapers, you have probably wondered, why aren’t my cloth diapers clean?
Trust us when we say that you’re not alone! When not washed correctly, cloth diapers can cause issues such as skin irritation, discoloring, uncomfortable odors, and maybe even absorbency- or leaking issues.
Our baby’s health is of the utmost importance to every parent. How you wash your cloth diapers can determine whether you are causing - or preventing - issues with cloth diapering.
This blog post walks through the 5 most common washing mistakes and the solution to every parent’s problem with cloth diapers.
What are cloth diapers?
Cloth diapers are a much more sustainable choice compared to regular diapers. Regular diapers are made of a variety of non-recyclable components such as wood pulp, plastics, tissue paper, and nonpermeable film.
Because of its lack of recyclability, a whopping 258 billion diapers end up in landfills every year!
On the other hand, cloth diapers are completely reusable, as they can go into your washing machine repeatedly. Cloth diapers are soft and safe for your baby while also being considerate for our planet.
But many parents face issues with the cleanliness of cloth diapers. It can be frustrating, but fixing these problems is easy!
Keep reading to understand the 5 most common washing mistakes (you might be surprised).
Common washing mistakes
1. You don’t prewash (properly)
Doing a prewash is essential to get your cloth diapers as clean as possible. It ensures that debris is loosened and eliminated from the fabric prior to the primary washing cycle.
If you don’t prewash, your diapers might not get properly clean during the primary washing cycle.
One of the biggest mistakes is to use the “rinse and spin” settings, as these don’t run for long enough to properly rinse the diapers before the main cycle.
2. You don’t run the correct main cycle on your washing machine
After running the diapers through a short-cycled prewash, you need to wash them with the correct program to get the diapers adequately clean.
There are many different types of washing machines on the market, so if you don’t use the correct heavy-duty program, it might be why you feel like the diapers aren’t fully clean.
A heavy-duty program ensures that the diapers get fully clean, and all the detergent will lift in the fabric, so your baby doesn’t get any rashes from leftovers.
3. You use the incorrect type and amount of detergent
Whether you have hard or soft water in your home, using the correct type and amount of detergent is vital to the cleanliness of cloth diapers if you are using a washing machine.
If you don’t use enough, too much, or a type of detergent that doesn’t work well in hard water, it can contribute to issues with your diapers.
While you can follow instructions on the product, you still need to be aware of its ingredients.
For instance, fabric softeners are a big no-no when washing cloth diapers. The liquid can block the fabric fibers and then cause skin irritations or issues with absorbency.
If you have hard water in your home, you also need to use a water softener.
4. Your washing load is too big or too small
Yes, even after figuring out the washing cycle and correct use of detergent, something as simple as your loading size can result in diapers not being thoroughly cleaned.
We don’t blame you! It’s challenging for even the most experienced parents to determine the right load.
Reading the washing machine instructions and figuring out if you need to break up the piles of dirty diapers can quickly become overwhelming.
And let’s be honest; we have other more important things to worry about!
5. You don’t wash the diapers often enough
We all have busy schedules and probably lots of social obligations we need to attend to every week. Washing diapers might be the last thing on your mind, and we totally get it!
However, if you are experiencing that your diapers are not fully clean - letting them sit for an extended amount of time might make everything worse.
The longer the debris sits in the fabric, the harder it will be to get off. In the worst cases, you can risk mold building up in the diapers.
Diapers need washing at least every 2-3 days to avoid unpleasant odors and other unhygienic issues.
One simple solution to conveniently clean diapers
While you can take steps to improve your washing cycle, there are easier, quicker, more convenient, and more comfortable solutions to getting those diapers spotless and ready to be reused!
Instead of endlessly trialing your washing machine, Pika offers one simple solution that saves parents time, energy, and any worries around sanitization.
With Pika, you don’t have to hassle with water softeners, temperatures, settings, detergents, or even worry about if you have to wash debris-filled diapers along with your regular clothes.
Pika is one little neat machine that cleans reusable diapers in one simple step. With our patent-pending sterilize capsules, you put 1-10 diapers into the machine, push the play button, and your diapers will be ready to use after only two hours!
