If it’s dirty?…wash it.

I assure you we will move beyond the mountain that is cloth diapering but it has become (in some circles) such an unknown, a cause of fear and source of confusion that I want to address in small doses the common roadblocks it seems to present.  Diapering has such an impact on our environment and our little ones that it’s a worthy topic and (drumroll…it’s a genuine gush) I just can’t tell you enough how EASY it is.

                                                                                       

One of the biggest sources of horror and bumbling is the infamous wash routine.  There are website forums dedicated to this very topic.  It can become so complicated that in my own time of wandering I once had to reference a recommended chart just to make sure I had the “right” detergent.  When I received my first fluffy mail (diaper speak for new cloth diapers) I carefully read the laundering instructions and still found myself…confused.  I'll spare you the examples but trust me when I say there are so many variations and recommendations that you might find yourself literally wondering what to do when you’ve got your first pile of dirty dipes.

But let me help you.

Just wash them.

You take the pail liner to the washer (we have a hanging pail b/c again I try to avoid plastic) and dump the contents in until the bag is inside out then throw the bag in.

Wash on cold no soap.

Wash on hot…and (gasp...) I use mainstream sensitive skin free & clear laundry soap and the full amount recommended by the manufacturer (...I just heard glass breaking in diaper land).

Do an xtra rinse.

Dry.

It can and could get a heap more complicated.  Or not.  I’ll spare you the saga.  The point of all this is to relay that it can be done without fanfare.

Now some may have an issue with the idea of touching poopy diapers.  There is a way around this, you can use liners so that when the diaper is soiled you just take it to the toilet or trash bin and shake the liner into it and/or you can empty your diaper pail bag into the wash by pushing it inside out until the diapers have emptied out into the wash machine and your bag is inside out.  This prevents any contact with the poop.

We all have bridges to cross, I get it, but this one is not as rickety as you may think.