Diaper Doodie

Aka laundry day.

I was a little nervous to wash cloth diapers for the first time. I didn't want to ruin my new collection of beautiful, expensive, fluffy diapers. I knew I had to use a detergent without specific ingredients, and that it's better to line dry diapers than toss them in the dryer. I knew I couldn't use bleach or fabric softeners. I didn't want to wash them with anything else because of the... well, remaining content that could potentially be floating around.

When I had purchased those used diapers from the lady nearby, she also had a spare wet bag she was willing to part with. I had gone to Walmart earlier this week and purchased a "step can" so that the smell would at least be partially contained in little man's room. I fitted the wet bag in the trash can and tossed all of the dirty diapers in there.

We were going through our small diaper collection fairly quickly and down to our last two clean diapers. Also, I had read its best for the diapers to be washed about every-other day to avoid them marinating in baby waste for days on end. I put little man down for a nap, then took that stinky step can into the laundry room. I had been advised to take the absorbent inserts out of the diaper right after changing my baby, and before tossing them in the dirty laundry basket (trash can). This is good advise. Use it.

I have a lot of laundry detergents. Gain apple mango tango is my favorite detergent I've ever used. It smells SOoo good! I love getting my clothes out of the dryer and just smelling them :) Unfortunately, it's filled with chemicals that aren't good for cloth diapers.. so that one was out of the running. I also have a laundry detergent that's free of fillers and fabric softeners, but come to find out, has a small amount of optical brighteners (a no no for cloth diapers). I ALSO have a half used bottle of All, Free and Clear which come to find out isn't really completely free and clear of all of the ingredients I needed it to be. But don't fear! I have a fourth variety of laundry detergent in my laundry room... Back to The Honest Company where I used to buy Eco friendly disposable diapers, I had purchased their laundry detergent along with a few other environmentally happy home products. This one was on the good list for cloth diapers.

I filled my washer with warm water and dumped in the detergent. I pulled the wet bag out of the step can and flipped it inside out, emptying the contents right into the water. The nice thing about the wet bag is that it too is machine washable. I tossed it in with the diapers. I didn't have to touch a single old soiled diaper (score!)

When the wash cycle finished, I took the diapers to my backyard where I had made my own clothes line (Yarn. Tied between my two peach trees. Not the highest quality, but it served its purpose). I draped the diapers and inserts individually across the yarn to dry. It worked well, but my next purchase will be clothespins to keep them in place.

I feel so old fashioned with my cloth diapers and hanging things out to dry, but I kinda like it! It makes me slow down during the day, and life seems more simple. I feel all warm inside because I know I'm saving money and doing something good for this place we call Earth. I'm beginning to not only think I can "handle" cloth diapering, but that I might actually enjoy it.

Who would have guessed? Not me!