WASH AND CARE FOR
DIFFERENT BRAND CLOTH DIAPERS
WASH AND CARE FOR
FuzziBunz
CLOTH DIAPERS
Q. Do I need to pre-wash my
FuzziBunz?
A. When you first get your FuzziBunz?, try them on your baby for fit BEFORE
washing. If they fit, yes, you should wash the diapers before wearing.
Q: How do I wash my FuzziBunz?
A: Here are some simple instructions to caring and washing your diapers:
FuzziBunz? are single use diapers. Wash both the FuzziBunz? and insert after
each use. When wet, separate insert and FuzziBunz? and store in a dry diaper
pail. Do not soak. If soiled, simply knock solids into toilet. Small solids
stuck to the fleece will dissolve in the wash. Use a mini-shower toilet
attachment to rinse off soiled diapers over the toilet (optional). First, run a
cold rinse or soak cycle with no detergent. Second, run a hot cycle with
detergent (see Recommended Brands). Do not use bleach. Third, if your hot wash
is not automatically followed by a cold rinse, run a cold rinse cycle. This step
only necessary with a particularly dirty load. Tumble dry the diapers in dryer
on low or hang to dry. Do not use fabric softener or pure soap*. Never dry on
high heat.
Q.
Should I use hot water to wash FuzziBunz? and how hot?
A. Yes, it is okay to use hot water to wash your FuzziBunz?, 60 degrees C.
However, keep in mind that you should dry your diapers on a low setting in your
dryer.
Q. I have a front
loader or High Efficiency washer. What detergent should I use?
A. Any washing detergent recommended by FuzziBunz? should be adequate; however
using 1/4 of the recommended amount is required for a front loader. If there are
too many suds, reduce your amount of liquid, if the diapers are not getting
clean enough, increase your liquid.
Q: Can I use diaper rash
ointments and creams on my baby if s/he is wearing a FuzziBunz?
A. Diaper rash ointments cause diapers to repel and not function properly. If
you mistakenly get diaper rash ointment on your diaper, wash your diapers
normally and then apply some dishwashing liquid, like Dawn, to the affected
area. Scrub the affected area with a toothbrush or other bristle brush. While
this is a suggested method, it may not always work. Diapers affected by diaper
rash ointments are not covered by our warranty. Do not use the ointment, use a
zinc powder instead or use a rice paper liner between the ointment and the
FuzziBunz fleece.
Q. Will my colors
run if I wash them on hot?
A. It is always a good idea to wash your FuzziBunz? on cold first if you are
concerned about the colors running, but we have never experienced any problems
in the past with colors running.
Q. Can I
use vinegar in the wash?
A. Vinegar was originally used in cloth diapers to "soften" them up and possibly
as a disinfectant many years ago. However FuzziBunz? do not need any further
softening and with detergents that are effective and hot water no additional
disinfecting is needed. This could also cause a stink problem if any vinegar is
left on the diapers.
Q. Can I use Baking Soda?
A. If you wish to add some baking soda to the wash it will not hurt anything. It
will not likely enhance your washing if you are using good detergent. I would
not use it as a cleaning agent alone. You can use it in a pail or in the rinse
cycle if you wish to give some added "odor prevention"
Q. What detergents do you
recommend?
A. There are several routs you can go here. For mainstream store bought
detergents stay away from dyes or perfumes - especially scents. This may
interact with urine and cause a foul odor. Tide Free and Arm and Hammer Free are
two that we recommend. Arm and Hammer would be my first choice since it does
have the odor controling power of Baking Soda. To be more environmental - and
best ensure that you have a "residue free" diaper more "natural" brands of
detergent are recommended. These are 7th Generation and Ecover. Both can be
bought at any health food or Natural Grocer. For more specific "diaper
recommended" detergents that can be bought through diaper retailers we recommend
the number one brand that we put our name on Vaska for FuzziBunz? but Allen's
Naturally and Charlies Soap all work very well at preventing build up and
keeping your diapers smelling clean.
Q. How much detergent should I
use?
A. The manufacturers of detergent always recommend the HIGHEST amount to get
clothing clean. Its called "marketing." FuzziBunz? are easy to clean due to its
fabric - and are mostly done in small loads. Not much detergent is needed. A
good rule of thumb is if the bottle recommends you use 1/4 cup - then use 1/4 of
that amount. If you find your laundry to be very bubbly and sudsy, this is not
good. Cut the detergent down again. Front loaders will require even less
detergent. So rule of thumb - start with 1/4 of the recommendation on the bottle
of your choice, and move up from there if they are not getting clean enough.
Q. Can I use Bleach?
A. You can use bleach on the INSERTS ONLY! This will not hurt the inserts but we
discourage over using bleach. It is bad for fibers and bad for the environment.
But if you run into a smelly insert problem you can either sun them, or bleach
them with about a cap ful of bleach. It does not take much.
WASH AND CARE FOR
Happy Heinys
CLOTH DIAPERS
CARING FOR HAPPY HEINYS CLOTH DIAPERS
Store wet and dirty diapers in a dry pail. Older babies? solid waste
can be removed by gently shaking the diaper over a toilet. The fleece
will release solids easily ? there is no need to rinse them before
washing.
Washing instructions for pocket diapers and trainers:
- Remove the inserts
- Cold Soak for 10-20 minutes depending on the level of dirt
- Wash on hot with slightly less than 1/4 cup of detergent
- You can add a downy ball of vinegar to the wash if the diapers have
a heavy urine scent. I recommend a downy ball because it releases the
vinegar at the right time - no need to wait by the machine.
- Rinse well to ensure all detergent is removed from diapers.
- Dry on warm. The warm of the dryer will keep your Happy Heiny
functioning like new. We personally dry our PUL products on warm and
although we have had prolonged use with these products we have not
noticed any break down of our PUL.
- DO NOT use SANITARY CYCLE. Use of the sanitary cycle can cause
melting of elastics, Aplix, snaps, and it can make the waterproof layer
no longer water proof. Use of sanitary cycle will void all warrenties.
Caring for Hemp Diapers
Your hemp product has been professionally washed and dried once. It
will need up to 8 more washings and dries before it is fully absorbent.
The first few times you wash hemp products you should NOT wash them with
fleece products. Hemp has natural oils in it and the oils can coat your
fleece. After your hemp has been fully primed you may wash it with all
of your diapering products.
Caring for Heiny Huggers
Wash new diapers before use. You may notice that they produce a bit of
lint in the beginning, this is normal for Sherpa.
- Cold rinse
- Warm-hot wash
- Same detergents as the HH
- No chlorine, no bleach, no fabric softners.
- May be dried on high heat.
Occasionally you may notice that your Sherpa diapers are not as soft
after a few months of use as they were when new. All you need to do is
rinse the diapers a few times in the washer without detergent. Add
vinegar to the rinse cycle. This will help to restore the natural
softness to the Sherpa.
 
Preparing to Launder Diapers
Preparing
to launder diapers
Happy Heinys are made with foldover laundry tabs but did you know there's
another method to preparing your diapers for laundering? Using this method
or the foldover tabs will help keep our diapers in great shape! Shown in the
pictures above.
CARING FOR STACINATOR CLOTH DIAPER COVERS
Fleece & So Simple
Cloth Diaper Covers
We all know how much wetness babies produce. Fleece is 100% polyester and allows air to circulate through the cover. This reduces diaper rash caused by prolonged exposure to wetness. In addition, it is soft to the touch, dries in a flash, and can withstand laundry abuse.
Caring for your fleece covers just can't be any easier:
* Machine wash in hot, cold, or warm water.
* Tumble dry.
Fleece is the *wonder fabric* of the reusable diapering world. Dryer sheets can help to make it even more water resistant. I do only suggest this as a last resort though if you have some leaking. I normally wash my covers with any old load of laundry as long as it isn't really soiled and needing special attention. In a world full of *diaper washing no no's*... here is some relief. There is almost no wrong way to wash fleece.
Tip: If you suddenly find that your fleece is leaking, simply switch laundry soaps (use Dr.Bronner's for a change or even mild dish soap). This should solve the problem. If it doesn't, Nikwax products will come to the rescue.
Stretch Wool Diaper Covers
Hand wash your wool cover in cold water with like colors. Hang to dry. You may have a bit of shrinkage after the first washing. You may re-lanolize as needed. We recommend using Eucalan wool wash to care for your covers. It has natural lanolin right in the bottle. You never have to worry about when to lanolize. It is done for you each time you wash.
**Note** Dark colored wool will bleed. See the note below to fix the dyes.
*Tip* For bleeding wool:
* Mix 3 cups white vinegar with 3 Tbsp salt
* Wet wool in lukewarm water
* Add to vinegar/salt mixture.
* Microwave for two, 3minute sessions.
* Allow to COMPLETELY cool
* Rinse in lukewarm water
* Wash
* Re-lanolize.
(if you rinse before allowing to completely cool, you may unintentionally felt your garment).
THE SCOOP ON DETERGENTS
You have made the choice. You have collected your diapers and now you are beginning your cloth diapering journey. You deserve to have success while cloth diapering your baby. Choosing a detergent suitable for cloth diapers can often avoid unnecessary problems including diaper odor and leakage.
What to look for in a Detergent?
At best, a detergent to be used on your baby's diapers would NOT contain enzymes, dyes, perfumes, optical brighteners or any other component designed to be left on your diapers after washing.
Specialty detergents with fabric softeners or wrinkle guards will not be suitable; however, a detergent with non-chlorine bleach or oxygen bleaching capabilities may be fine. And just to be clear, soaps are not detergents, and soaps are generally not suitable for washing diapers.
Top Mainstream Detergent Pick
The top mainstream detergent that we recommend is Tide. Over the years Tide has proven itself to be one of the most stable and readily available detergents on the market. The HE variety for HE machines has been the one detergent that our customers have not reported build up problems with.
Top Environmentally Friendly Detergent Pick
Our favorite top environmental detergent is Country Save. Country Save has no enzymes, brighteners, scents or dyes. Country Save is one of the few environmentally safe detergents that our customers have stated works wonderfully for their heavily soiled work clothes as well. Some other environmentally safe detergents that we recommend are: Allen's Naturally Powder/Liquid Standard & HE compatible, Mountain Green Free & Clear Standard & HE, Mountain Green Free & Clear Baby Standard & HE, Nellie's All Natural Laundry Soda Standard & HE, Planet Ultra Liquid, Planet Ultra Powder Standard & HE compatible and Planet 2X Ultra Standard & HE.
Detergents to avoid:
Natural soaps often contain various oils. These should NOT be used because they will leave a residue on fleece, causing it to repel liquids.
The use of any of these detergents listed below will void the warranty of our products. The use of any free and clear formulas may cause a waxy build up that will cause the diapers to repel and no longer work. We also very specifically do not recommend the use of Sportwash, Sensi-Clean, Charlie's, due to the possibility of severe burn like reactions that can happen the first time of use or months after successful use. Due to the nature of these detergents the use of them will void all warranties of the Happy Heinys products. The use of chlorine bleach will also void all warranties and can lead to the breakdown of the waterproof layer of our fabric making the diaper unusable.
Avoid: Dr. Bronner's Soap • 7th Generation • Bio-Kleen • Ivory Snow • Dreft • Charlie's • Any ALL free detergents • Sport-Wash & Sensi-Clean have the potential for detergent burn in babies.
Never use fabric softener of any kind on reusable diapers. Liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets both leave a waxy residue which causes fleece to repel urine and decreases the absorbency of other diapers.
Diaper rash creams can also cause repelling. For best results either place a small wash cloth on top of the fleece or use a liner.
STRIPPING DIAPERSBuild up refers to residue left by detergents, fabric softeners, and other substances used to clean diapers. In rare instances, baking soda will react with certain minerals in water and also cause build up. If you notice a decrease in the absorbency of your diapers, build up may be the culprit.
Stripping is the process of removing residue from your diapers. To strip diapers:
* Hand wash your diaper with regular dish soap to remove any oils.
* Put a small amount of dish soap on the fleece layer.
* Rub vigorously or use a medium bristle scrubbing brush to scrub the fleece.
* Turn the diaper inside out and repeat.
* Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.
You may use this method at any time you notice repelling or as a preventative measure once a week. If you are still having problems, try these special cleaning agents to strip your diapers:
* 2 scoops of Oxyclean in a very hot wash
* 1 ball of RLR (found at Wal-Mart in the laundry aisle hanging on a clip) in a hot wash
WASH AND CARE FOR
bumGenius
CLOTH DIAPERS
How do I wash my new diapers?
- For bumGenius products:
- Wash once in cold water with no more than 1/4 (high efficiency
machines) to 1/2 (top loading, regular machines) of the detergent's
recommended amount per load.
- Wash once in hot (up to 120 degrees) water with no more than 1/4
(high efficiency machines) to 1/2 (top loading, regular machines) of the
detergent's recommened amount per load. Optionally (and only
occasionally), add 1/4 cup of bleach to this cycle.
- Add an extra rinse to remove any lingering detergent in the diapers.
- Line dry. bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diapers will line dry
quickly. For any product made with organic cotton, tumble dry briefly to
soften and then finish the drying process on the line. bumGenius AIOs
will dry quickly on the line if you turn them inside out.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: To preserve your hook and loop closures, we suggest
washing bumGenius products separately from heavy cotton or hemp diapers
(like prefolds or cotton fitteds).
- What detergent can I use?
You should only use detergents that are free of dyes, enzymes,
perfumes, whiteners and brighteners. Using detergents containing these
ingredients will cause damage to your diaper including elastic failure and
leaking. Free shipping is available on cloth diaper safe detergents
here using
coupon code "GOODWASH".
- What should I avoid?
Do not use extra additives in your wash (like baking soda or vinegar). These
ingredients are unnecessary and will cause problems in your diapers. Do not
use fabric softeners. Do not boil your diapers.
My tabs aren't as sticky as they used to be. How can I solve this problem?
Wash your diaper and then dry it in the dryer on warm heat. Be sure to let the
diaper cool completely before using. This causes the hooks to recontract and
become "sticky" again.
Are diaper rash creams ok to use with bumGenius?
Diaper rashes should be treated according to your physician's recommendations.
If you need to use a rash cream, you should use a stay-dry liner or a piece of
fleece between your baby's bottom and the diaper to prevent the cream from
transferring onto the diapers.
I think my diapers have detergent buildup. What should I do?
- Wash once in hot water with one teaspoon (for high efficiency machines)
to one tablespoon (for regular washing machines) with original liquid Dawn
(blue formula) and up to 1/2 cup bleach in the wash cycle.
- Do two additional hot water washes with no detergent to completely rinse
the diapers clean. If you still see suds, keep rinsing until the diapers are
rinsed clean.
WASH AND CARE FOR
Flip
CLOTH DIAPERS
WASH AND CARE INSTRUCTION OF FLIP CLOTH
DIAPERS
Wash hot, line dry cover, tumble dry insert. No laundry additives or
softeners.
WASH AND CARE FOR
Econobum
CLOTH DIAPERS
WASH AND CARE INSTRUCTION OF ECONOBUM
CLOTH DIAPERS
Wash hot, line dry cover, tumble dry prefold. No laundry additives or
softeners.
Prior to first use, prefolds must be washed 3-5 times in hot water with
a small amount of detergent to ensure maximum absorbency.
WASH AND CARE FOR
Kissaluvs
CLOTH DIAPERS
BEFORE USE
-
Wash/dry diapers on hot/high 3-4 times to reach initial absorbency.
- Wash only about a dozen or so at a time for the initial pre-washes.
- Wash and dry bright or dark fabrics on hot/high several times before mixing
with lighter colored diapers.
- Depending on your water source and temperature, you may need fewer or
additional washings, so always test colorfastness before mixing wet diapers of
varying colors (e.g., toss in a white rag during a hot wash and dry cycle or two).
- The fleece fabric in Kissa's Fitted diapers will lint a bit in early washes.
REGULAR WASH ROUTINE
There are many opinions about diaper washing, and many people have developed
additional steps and routines based on their individual needs. Our advice is to
start simple and adjust only if necessary for your
baby or water-type.
-
Toss wet or dirty diapers into a dry pail; wash every 2-3 days.
-
An optional cold-water pre-rinse helps prevent stains and odor.
-
Use hot water and detergent (see recommended detergent list below).
-
Veggie-based soap helps keep fabric soft, although its effectiveness depends
on the hardness of your water. In any water, soap can coat fabric, so consider
alternating soap and detergent to avoid
-
decreased absorbency over time.
-
No chlorine bleach. Nasty stuff, bleach.
- No fabric softeners, which coat fabric and reduce absorbency.
Some babies require fragrance-free or enzyme-free detergents; most don't.
Drying diapers in a dryer, even on high heat, is perfectly okay, although an
occasional sunning of clean, wet diapers will go a long way to freshen them and
reduce or eliminate staining.
If you choose to sun the diapers or line dry rather than use a dryer, we
strongly suggest either laying the diapers flat to dry, or hanging them
horizontally rather than by the waist or front section.
Hanging wet diapers by the waist allows the heavy, wet weight to pull on leg
elastic, which may reduce its useful life.
RECOMMENDED LAUNDRY DETEGENTS
A list of our recommended detergents* which we found to be
enzyme/dye/softener/bleach free are: -
Allen's Naturally Powder/Liquid
-
Country Save Powder/Liquid
-
Planet Ultra Powder/Liquid
-
Planet 2X Ultra
-
Mountain Gree Free & Clear
-
Mountain Green Free & Clear Baby
-
Tide Free (Use this one with caution. Contains enzymes, may cause rash and
redness for very sensitive babies.
-
Manufacturers may change their formulation without warning or notification.
Kissaluvs makes no guarantees to the effectiveness or results from the use of
these detergents.
NOTES
How many diapers to wash at a time depends on your washer, your washing routine,
your philosophy, and your diapers. As a general rule of thumb, wash no more than
18 fitted diapers or 24 prefolds at a time. You may be able to do more or less, so do a little experimenting to find what
works best for you and your washer. Like towels and tee-shirts, diapers become more absorbent over time. This is
especially true for cotton fleece and unbleached fabrics, which requires some
initial "roughing up" in the washing machine. Most detergents suggest using an obscene amount of detergent. Use enough to
clean, but not so much that it leaves residue. If you see suds during a second
rinse or a wash with no detergent, you're using too much detergent. Detergent residue attracts and retains soil and odor.
WASH AND CARE FOR
Thirsties
CLOTH DIAPERS
BEFORE WEARING ......Wash all diapers at least one time before use. Washing and drying your hemp and natural cotton diapers at least 3 times before use will wash away the natural oils that inhibit absorption.
Diaper changing station...
Shake solids into toilet after each diaper change. Store your soiled Thirsties® Cloth Diapers in a DRY diaper pail. A standard 52-quart garbage pail with a lid works great and can be purchased at your local department store. Be sure to line your pail with a Thirsties® Diaper Pail Liner to avoid having to clean your pail on every laundry day.
Stow your stash of Thirsties® Fab Wipes in an accessible location to your changing table along with some fresh water for wipe dipping. Toss soiled wipes into your pail along with your diapers.
PRE-WASH ......For optimum cleanliness, limit the size of your load to no more than 18 diapers and wash every other day. Use COLD water for the pre-wash cycle with 1/2 ounce Thirsties® Pre-Wash solution to help pre-clean your diapers. If you do not have a Pre-Wash cycle on your washer, a Short or Quick Wash cycle will work just as good.
WASH ......Choose a HEAVY cycle and wash on HOT for the main wash. Use 1/2 ounce Thirsties® Super Wash per load. Thirsties® Pre-Wash and Super Wash is HE safe and has been custom formulated for use on cloth diapers.
Avoid all soaps, many "Free & Clear", and popular baby detergents. Most detergents on the market will leave a residue on your diapers that will affect the absorbency and will cause odors and diaper rash. Be sure not to use bleach or fabric softeners, either. OxyClean® Baby is safe for occasional use, but is not necessary when using Thirsties® Super Wash in combination with HOT water. Thirsties® Super Wash is uniquely formulated to naturally brighten and eliminate harmful bacteria.
DRY ......Hang your cloth diapers to dry or dry in dryer. Add a dry towel to the dryer to speed the drying process. Drying in direct sunlight is the very best method for drying and disinfecting. Hang drying also helps to preserve the textiles of your diapers and is great at getting rid of stains. Cotton and hemp diapers will be somewhat stiff when hung to dry. One option to soften sun-dried textiles made from natural fibers, is to use the dryer for the last 15 minutes.
STRIPPING ......Even if you follow all the rules above, you still might end up with occasional stinky and less absorbent diapers due to water mineral residue. Simply replace your regular detergent with 1/4 cup Calgon® water softener (found at your local grocers) or 1-2 Tbs Dawn® or Ivory® dish soap. This process is often referred to as diaper stripping. Strip your diapers as often as needed, but not at every wash as it is a bit harsh for your diapers and your baby’s skin.
   
WASH AND CARE FOR Jamtots -
BerryPlush -
Sugar Peas -
Baby Kangas
CLOTH DIAPERS
CLOTH DIAPER WASH & CARE INSTRUCTION
All Sugar
Peas and JamTots hemp products need to be washed and dried several times on
hot to get the hemp to absorb properly. The hemp will absorb even more over
the next several washes as well.
All other
products can be washed normally. We recommend a cold soak followed by a warm
or hot wash with a few teaspoons of regular detergent (no bleach, whiteners,
natural detergents, soaps or all free and clear detergents) followed by a
second cold rinse. Throw in the dryer to dry or hang to dry if you prefer.
WASH
AND CARE FOR Gro Baby -
Dream-Eze
CLOTH DIAPERS
CLOTH DIAPER WASH & CARE INSTRUCTIONS
How to Use
Change outer shell twice a day and inner as needed
General Wash Instruction
-
Preparing Soaker Pads & Boosters
Wash hot with detergent, tumble dry 5–6 times before use (they will
continue to gain
absorbency with more washing).
-
General Washing
* Remove as much solid matter as possible.
* Place soiled shells and soaker pads in a dry diaper pail -
* No soaking necessary.
* Wash every 2 days on warm with detergent.
* Hang dry shells (high heat causes excess wear).
* Tumble dry soaker pads and boosters.
* Do NOT use bleach, enzyme cleaners or fabric softeners.
Special Wash Notes for
Dream-Eze AIO
Because of
the organic cotton inners your Dream-Eze AIO must be washed/dried on hot 3
times prior to first use and WILL NOT reach it's full absorbency until
approximately 6-8 washes.
Special Wash Notes for
Wonder Wraps One-Size Cover
-
Fasten
tabs to laundry tabs on the inside of cover.
-
Wash
on warm or hot with 1/3 amount detergent. We recommend Charlie's Soap or
any store brand (Tide, Gain, etc).
-
Tumble
dry or line dry, whatever your preference is.
-
Upon
removing from dryer DO NOT PULL OR STRETCH THE ELASTIC. Wait for the
cover to cool before pulling on elastic.
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