So I only own Pocket diapers. Meaning I have a waterproof cover that has a second fleece layer, in between stuffs my 'inserts'. When I change a diaper, I shake the insert out into the pail and drop in the cover. If its a 'dirty' diaper and not just wet, I shake off most solids into the toilet, or if using throw away wipes, I wipe most out. Most of the time I try to use washcloths for wipes that also then go into the pail.
I use a dry pail, some use a wet, I think it smells worse and then you have the issue of trying to dump the pail. I also need to invest in a pail liner, basically a reusable trash bag. I use cheep scented trash bags right now as a liner, in my 3 gallon step trashcan. The step trash can is a must for me, I love it.
So after about two days, my pail is full, and I am down to about 4-5 diapers. Time to wash!
I start in the evening because I soak overnight, some people don't need to soak every wash, but with my hard water I have found this is the best way to make sure my dipes are super clean.
Routine:
I dump all the diapers, inserts, and whatever dirty washcloths I have into the washer. I usually am washing between 15-20 diapers and inserts. If this were regular laundry I would put the water on a medium setting, since its diapers, I put it on large. You always need extra water.
I usually sprinkle borax over any 'soiled' diapers as they go in the pail, so I have some and usually add a little more into the washer and fill with cool/cold water.
For this first part a medium water level would be fine for me usually, and I do a pre wash. A quick 5 minute wash and quick spin. This is to get all the really nasties out of the wash.
Now I fill up again up to large, but this time HOT hot water, sometimes I even add some boiling water because my hot setting actually doesn't use straight hot water it mixes with cold, I can tell when it goes from a trickle to a strong fill stream.
I add my 2-3Tbs of RockinGreen Hard Rock detergent (more details about this later) I use a heaping 1/8 cup coffee scoop. I set the washer for soak. My soak setting washes for a few minutes soaks, washes some more, and then sits. It doesn't spin or anything else until I come change the knob.
I leave this soak on over night, periodically I go in and reset the soak cycle to agitate some more.
By morning I have two options:
1. finish the cycle, set to heavy soil, the longest wash cycle I have.
or 2. finish out this dirty water with the prewash setting, basically a quick agitation and spin.
Then I set to do another hot wash with just a little extra detergent (if using regular detergent don't add extra)
Either of these is followed by two cool rinses.
The reason Ive started doing another hot wash is because its starting to get cool so the water is pretty cold by morning, and I want to finish the hot wash and rinse set to get as much stuff out as possible.
Now once the rinses are done, I empty the wash, and if its sunny I lay all the diapers and inserts out on the fence (its close to the back door, clothes line is up the hill..) I lay out old sheets or pillow cases to lay over the fence first, and clothespin the covers to them, the inserts are heavy enough that they stay put unless it is super windy.
If it is a cooler day, rainy, or just no sun, I clothes pin the covers to the wire shelves in my laundry room, and dry the inserts in the dryer.
You can dry the covers in the dryer too, but the PUL (polyurethane laminated) waterproof layer of the pocket diapers (or any waterproof covers you might have) will deteriorate very quickly, it is plastic, it melts, and since its so thin it cracks and wears out.
I bought my first set of small diapers from a lady on craigs list, she said she used them for about 10 months, I have had them for 4, I take very good care of them, each wash I make sure there is extra water, and like I said I always line dry the covers.
This most recent set of mediums, same style covers, from another lady off craigs list, is in terrible shape.
I am pretty disappointed at how much she asked, and I paid for them, considering how worn out they are.
The PUL in my smalls is still thick and solid, no holes or cracks, even compared to the brand new one size I bought to try. The PUL in the mediums, it is very thin and flimsy, on about half it is cracked and sort of pealing away.
Since this is the waterproof part of the diapers, it needs to be ... um waterproof. With cracks in it, it won't be. I am hope full that they are ok, and its small enough sections, and close enough to the back edge that it wont actually leak.
But the point of that little side tirade, I am pretty sure this lady dried her covers. I also found out in a response email to my disappointment, that her sister in law used them too. So this was a third hand set, no big deal, however two 'years' of drying has killed the PUL in them.
Cloth diapers are an investment. I plan to use the size smalls again on our next baby, and I am hoping to start investing slowly in a 'one size' set (they have rise and leg elastic adjustments and grow from 7-35lbs).
To take care of this investment, the biggest thing that will wear them out is improper laundering.
OH.. that reminds me, a list of NO NOs!
DO NOT bleach covers, if you really must to get out stink you can use a small amount of bleach in with a load of inserts only. Make sure to do a couple extra rinses, if that bleach stays in at all, once baby pees it releases any 'buildup' on them and leads to burns, basically bad diaper rash, on babys bum! I had this happen with ammonia stink (down farther there is an explanation of this).
DO NOT use any fabric softener or vinegar. If you sun dry stuff, it can be a little stiff, stick it in the dryer on super low or air dry with a wool dryer ball, or tennis ball to soften them up. *don't use dryer sheets, same as liquid fabric softener*
So side note about buildup/stink/repelling.
All three of these are caused by one thing, using too much and the wrong type of detergent.
Cloth diapers need to be completely free of any left over washing additives; soap, fabric softener, bleach, anything. When we use those things with any laundry, they never wash out completely, that's why things 'smell good' after a wash, if things rinsed out all the way there would be no smell left. Not as bad with your clothes or hubby's nasty work jeans. However when it is a cloth that will be strapped to your babies most sensitive skin, it needs to be completely clean.
The issue with when these things aren't rinsed out, they start to create buildup on the inserts mostly, with so many absorbent layers, somewhat on the covers (just think about soap left in a dirty pan, breaks down the food... soap left on the PUL covers breaks down the plastic and elastic too I would assume)
You might not actually notice any problems with buildup. The first thing you will notice though usually is repelling.
Repelling is when he pees, and it soaks down into the pocket, it doesn't soak into the insert immediately. Sometimes if they are sitting in a car seat or bouncy, and the diaper is empty, it will soak in with pressure. However if the diaper is already wet, it will most likely wick out the legs, or out the back, anywhere that lining fabric of the cover touches anything else. Also bad when laying down, it almost immediately just rolls right out the back pocket hole (some diapers like BumGenius have a second leak barrier flap now)
The next issue that would be noticed by buildup is two fold. Ammonia.
This is caused by urine build up left in the inserts, not rinsing all the soap out, same deal with leaving some urine behind. It will build up over time and eventually gets to the point that when he pees, it wets that urea in there and it releases the smell.
The smell can be overpowering, not just a wet pee diaper smell, but seriously like you are sniffing an ammonia bottle. Now if you think it hurts your eyes and nose.. think of babies bum. I had one time when I was stripping (will explain down farther) that his whole bottom where the diaper was wet had turned bright red and was all raised and swollen. Luckily it went away after a couple hours.
This ammonia smell will usually start in the pail, after a day or so and you open it to put another diaper in, it is like a brick wall in your face. This is when some stripping needs to happen.
So when I started using my RockinGreen detergent, I had to rock a few soaks, as they call it, before I could use the diapers again. This releases all the extra buildup in the diapers, so it takes a few washes to make sure it is all out.
But I think that is ALL, at least all I can think of as far as cloth diapering laundry goes.
I might edit it later if I think of anything else, but I really need to get to working this morning.
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