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Diaper Care

At New & Green, we always send you instructions on how to pre-wash, use, store and wash your diapers. You will have your instructions in your inbox before your diapers arrive at your front door!

Your diapers and covers will need to prepped before you use them. All diapers and covers require at least one wash prior to their use. Unbleached and Hemp fabric should be pre-washed separately from other diapers (especially pockets) as their natural oils that will come out in the wash may coat other diapers and cause leaking issues. Bamboo diapers and Hemp diapers/inserts can be used after pre-washing a few times but will reach their best ability to absorb wetness after approximately 10 washes. PUL/Fleece/Wool covers only require one wash before you can use them effectively.

Remember that wool needs handwashing.

Pre-washing instructions: Wash on HOT with 1/4 to 1/3 of recommended amount of detergent. Do extra rinse. Dry in dryer or line dry. Repeat as described above.

Storing diapers: We recommend a dry pail system. This is basically a diaper pail or garbage pail with a tight fitting lid, lined with a pail liner or tote (Bummis Totes or Monkey Doodlez Pail Liners work well). When diapers are wet, simply throw them into the pail. If using a pocket diaper, shake out the insert into the pail and then throw the shell in. If babies are exclusively breastfed, poopy diapers can just get thrown in the pail like peed on diapers. If your baby is taking formula or solid foods, try to knock the solids into the toilet and then throw diaper into pail. Don't worry the washing machine will do the work! No more dunking or swishing (unless you want to of course). A handy tool for dealing with sticky poop is a Diaper Sprayer. This sprayer attaches onto your toilet plumbing so that you can easily spray off the poop into the toilet.

Laundry Day:

1. Take tote or liner out of pail and dump diapers, inserts, covers and wipes into washer. Throw in laundry bag as well.
2. Do cold rinse or soak cycle with NO detergent – ensure that the diapers are allowed to soak for 10-20 minutes.
   
3. Do HOT wash with 1/4 to 1/3 of recommended amount of detergent. Do extra rinse.
4. You can add a Downy Ball filled with Vinegar to your load. It will release during your first rinse. This is not necessary but can help if you are dealing with a lingering urine smell.
5. Dry in dryer or line dry.

Recommended Detergents by our Diaper and Cover manufacturers:

• Tide (Regular - not Free)
  
• Sunlight
• Cheer
• Allen's Naturally – www.allensnaturally.com
• Country Save – www.countrysave.com
• Claudia's Choices – www.claudiaschoices.com

At New & Green, we personally use (and love) Country Save. It's reasonably priced and easy to purchase at London Drugs.

The following detergents are to be AVOIDED because they contain soap, oils or additives that will coat the fibers of your diapers causing detergent buildup and can lead to moisture repelling, wicking of moisture, possible leaking and stinky diapers.

• Dr. Bronner’s Soap
• 7th Generation
• Bio-Kleen (some versions)
• Ivory Snow
• Dreft
• Any ALL free detergents.

AVOID detergents with whiteners and brighteners and enzymes. Enzymes are great for biological staining but if they are not completely rinsed out, the enzymes can start to work on your baby's bottom when your baby pees. And the result can be a very sore rash.

Fabric softeners, bleach are also to be AVOIDED. Fabric softeners will leave residue and bleach is harsh on fabric and baby's skin.

Diaper cream can also build up on your pocket diapers and cause these issues. If you need to use a cream, use a liner (cotton or fleece) to prevent the cream from touching the diaper.

If you have issues with repelling, stinky diapers when they are peed on or wicking of moisture, it is most likely an issue with detergent buildup.

Try the following as recommended by the makers of Fuzzi Bunz, Happy Heinys and Bummis:

1. If the residue is not too extensive, it can often be resolved by doing a couple hot water rinses with no detergent, then throwing the diapers, inserts and covers in the dryer.
2. If this does not resolve the issue, a more intense “stripping” may be necessary. Repeat the following process twice:

• Run your covers and diapers through a wash with only hot water (if allowed by manufacturer’s washing instructions).
• Run a second wash using 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar in this second wash.
• 1/2 cup vinegar again in first rinse cycle.
• Run a second rinse cycle with plain hot water.
• Dry diapers, inserts and covers in dryer.