Tips from experienced mothers: how to wash reusable diapers by hand and in a machine

The child is born, and along with the joy of motherhood, a stream of new responsibilities falls on the woman, among which is washing diapers.

How to do it correctly, what detergent to choose, do you need to iron?

Knowing how to wash reusable diapers (flannel, muslin, etc.) correctly will help you avoid many mistakes and make your mother’s daily work easier.

Preparing for washing

Before you put the diapers in the wash, it is necessary to prepare them correctly:

1. Thoroughly clean the fabric from any remaining food and feces.
2. Sort diapers by color and type of material.
3. Remove difficult, old stains.

Cleaning up baby feces

It is impossible to achieve an ideal result of cleanliness if the soiled diaper is not wiped down first.

If the fabric is stained with urine, wash it under running cool water, washing away traces of urine with laundry soap.

If the diaper is soiled with feces, then it is pre-washed, following a certain sequence of actions:

1. The fabric is moistened with water, and the stain is washed with laundry soap.
2. After five to ten minutes, the product is rinsed under running warm water and sent to the main wash.

Choice of product

The use of properly selected powder will help to avoid severe allergic reactions, dermatitis and other skin diseases in a newborn.

The safest detergent for delicate baby skin meets the following criteria:

• does not contain aggressive chemicals (phosphates, bleaches);
• dissolves well in warm water;
• rinse completely in cold water;
• does not contain flavors or dyes.

Best choice for washing:

• liquid detergent for children's clothing;
• laundry soap (72%);
• baby soap (unlike adult soap, it contains a minimal amount of synthetic additives).

DIY powder

To make your own baby powder you will need only two ingredients: baking soda and laundry soap.

Everything is very simple:

1. A bar of laundry soap is grated.
2. Dissolve soap shavings in 200 ml of hot water.
3. Heating the resulting soap solution on the stove, gradually add a soda solution to it (200 grams of dry powder per 100 ml of water).
4. The resulting product is cooled and added to a special compartment of the washing machine.

How to do this correctly?

You can wash diapers either by hand or in a washing machine. The main thing is to strictly adhere to all the recommendations for proper washing. Read more about washing children's clothes here.

In the washing machine - at what temperature?

Machine washing saves mom time and effort.Most models of modern washing machines have a “baby wash” mode, in which the water is heated to the highest possible temperatures (60-90°C), and rinsing occurs in a larger volume of water.

The type of detergent is selected for washing children's clothes. The dosage of the powder is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging (there is no need to exceed the recommended volume).

Washing takes place in the following sequence:

1. On the washing machine, set the mode for washing children's clothes, water temperature 60°C - 90°C, spin -800-900 rpm.
2. Liquid detergent is poured into a special compartment for washing children's clothes (as an option, you can use baby soap).
3. The diapers are loaded into the drum and the “start” button is pressed.
4. After washing, the diapers are hung out to dry in a well-ventilated place.
5. Dried diapers must be ironed on both sides (the temperature is set according to the type of fabric).

To better remove detergents from the fabric, do a double (or even triple) rinse.

Hands

Washing by hand proceeds according to the following algorithm:

1. Dissolve the selected detergent in a bowl of hot water (alternatively, you can use grated laundry soap).
2. Prepared and sorted diapers (it is better to wash white fabrics separately from colored ones) are immersed in water and left for fifteen minutes.
3. Afterwards, rub the diapers with your hands, rub especially dirty areas with laundry soap.
4. Already washed diapers are rinsed in clean water two or three times.

Hydrogen peroxide will help bleach fabric. It is enough to dissolve two tablespoons of peroxide in water (5 liters), immerse the diapers in the resulting solution and leave them for three minutes, then rinse under running water.

Features depending on material

There are several types of diapers:

1. Muslin - light, thin, made from 100% cotton fibers, soft and very pleasant to the touch diapers. They can be washed only on a delicate cycle or by hand. The water temperature does not exceed 40C (hot water will cause the product to shrink).
2. Flannel - soft, quite dense, with fleece on one side of the diaper. They are easy to care for. The main thing is to prevent the fabric from drying out. Wash flannel diapers at a water temperature of 60°C-90°C, using the washing mode for children's clothes.

When washing by hand, it is important to rinse the detergent well, as the powder remaining in the pile can cause irritation on the baby’s skin.

Do I need to process it immediately after purchase?

New diapers must be washed. There are several reasons for such actions:

• on a new product there are always particles of starch (added during production to give a better presentation), dust, and dyes;
• the diapers were lying in a warehouse, passing through a large number of people (cutters, seamstresses, loaders, sellers).

Read more about why and what items should be washed after purchase. here.

The first wash is best done by hand. Algorithm of actions:

1. Dissolve two or three tablespoons of liquid baby soap (or grated laundry soap) in a bowl of warm water.
2. The diapers are soaked in the resulting solution for ten minutes.
3. Afterwards, rub the fabric thoroughly with your hands.
4. Washed items are rinsed in clean, cool water at least two to three times.
5. Clean diapers are hung out to dry in the fresh air.
6. Dried items are ironed on both sides (the temperature is set depending on the type of fabric) and placed in a closet (chest drawer) for storage.

How to dry?

To ensure that the fabric remains soft to the touch after washing, It is necessary to adhere to the basic rules of drying:

1. Wet diapers are dried only in the fresh air, in a dark place. The use of automatic dryers is strictly prohibited.
2. Do not dry diapers on heating devices, near an open fire or in direct sunlight. Otherwise, the fabric becomes hard, overdried, and unpleasant for the baby’s delicate skin.
3. Diapers are dried (and also stored) separately from adult clothing and bedding.

How to stroke?

Basic ironing rules:

1. Iron the diapers on both sides.
2. The temperature regime is selected individually for the type of fabric.
3. In the first six months of the baby's life, an additional steam function is used during ironing.

You can find out whether you need to iron children's clothes and why here.

Important Tips

1. It is strictly forbidden to wash children's clothes and underwear with adult dry powder. It contains phosphate compounds, surfactants, chlorine - substances that negatively affect delicate children's skin.
2. Diapers are washed separately from adult clothes and bed linen.
3. It is prohibited to use bleaches, stain removers and fabric softeners when washing children's clothes.
4. Dirty diapers are stored separately from adult clothing in a large box with holes for ventilation.

Conclusion

Strict adherence to the rules for washing baby diapers will help you achieve the ideal result of cleanliness and freshness without any problems.