Deal with dirty diapers
Dirty diapers should be stored in a dry pail or wetbag. I keep a wetbag by the changing area and a wetbag in the bathroom so I always have one close by. The dry pail can be any generic plastic trash bin (8 to 13-gallon size works well) with a waterproof liner.
In the past people used pails filled with water to allow the diapers to soak. This is a drowning hazard and should be avoided.
Wet diapers can be placed directly in the pail. I prefer to remove inserts from pockets at this point.
Poopy diapers of exclusively breastfed (EBF) and formula-fed (FF) infants can be placed directly into the pail as BF and FF poop are water soluble. Once solids have been introduced, the poop will need to be removed. The easiest poops to deal with can be rolled neatly off the diaper into the toilet. Sometimes a little more effort is required to remove the mess. There are several ways to do this:
Dunk and Swish
As the title suggests, the poopy diaper is dunked into the toilet bowl and swished to remove most of the poop. With a little practice, this can be done without much mess. Inserts should be removed from pockets prior to dunking so that they don't get waterlogged and make the process more difficult.
Scrape
A plastic knife or spatula (designated for this purpose only) can be used to gently remove the mess from the diaper.
Sprayer
There are several brands of diaper sprayer that attach directly to your toilet's water supply and provide a high pressure water stream to spray the poop off the diaper into the toilet. You can also do this using a removable shower head if your shower and toilet are adjacent. This method takes some practice to avoid a mess but does a great job of getting the poop off. The technique that works best for me is to keep the soiled diaper close to the water level, inside the toilet bowl. I start spraying the portion of the diaper closest to the hand holding the diaper (with most of the diaper being under water) and slowly lift the diaper, exposing the poop to the spray as I lift. This way the spray is always low in the bowl.
Wash diapers
Everyone has their own routine when it comes to washing diapers as there are several variables at play: detergent, type of machine, water quality, and diaper brand.
Figuring out which detergent to use can be harder than picking out which diapers to use. There are several charts available online reviewing detergents for cloth diapering (visit via Links) based on cleaning ability and additives. Be sure to check the washing instructions on each brand of diaper you purchase as there are differences. For example, BumGenius and GroVia diapers will have their warranties voided if you use a detergent with enzymes and/or brighteners, such as Tide. Other diaper companies recommend Tide because it has enzymes.
Front loaders are popular due to the high efficiency levels they achieve. Getting clothes clean with less water is a good thing- less water is not ideal when dealing with cloth diapers however. Top loaders have the easy ability to increase water levels, rinse, and soak diapers.
Water quality affects the way the detergent cleans, suds and rinses. Homes with soft water need to use less detergent to avoid too much suds. Homes with hard water need more detergent in order get enough suds. You can find out what type of water your home has by contacting your local water department. Detergents generally provide instruction on use in the differing water conditions.
As mentioned above, be sure to read the specific washing instructions for each brand to ensure that you will not void warranties. Your best bet is to keep things as simple as possible. Here is the most common method to wash cloth diapers:
- Short Cold water wash cycle
Some people use detergent while others don't. The purpose of this cycle is to get off the majority of the "yuckies". Warm or hot water would set the stains.
- Long/heavy duty Hot water wash cycle (with rinse cycle)
With detergent (full amount if using CD specific detergent; ~1/4 amount if using general detergent). This cycle cleans the diapers. - Extra rinse cycle
This removes any detergent residue, which can cause buildup. Most people do cold rinses but it is becoming more common to do hot rinses.
It will probably take a few tries to figure out your best wash routine. Just keep with it! Cloth diaper laundry is surprisingly fun.
Prepare you diapers for use
Diapers will usually come with instructions on preparing them for use. Here are some general guidelines.
Synthetic fabric (most pocket diapers, fleece, microfiber inserts, etc.) need to be washed and dried one time before use. These should be prepped separately from any natural fibers.
Processed cotton and bamboo require 3-6 washes (sometimes as many as 10 washes) to reach full absorbency. Bamboo can be used after the initial wash and dry cycle but the diaper will still require the recommended number of washes to gain full absorbency.
Organic cotton and hemp contain natural oils that need to be removed. This can be done by boiling the items (provided they do not contain elastic or PUL/TPU) for 20 minutes followed by a wash and dry cycle. You can also wash and dry these items 8-10 times instead, as boiling can be hard on the fibers. These should not be washed with synthetic fabrics until they have been fully prepped as the natural oils will leave a residue that affects the absorbency of synthetics.
