Cloth diapers really don't take as much of an effort as many people try to make out. The worst part of cleaning the diapers is dumping the mess from a soiled diaper into the toilet. But, you have to do that with a disposable diaper anyway. (You did know that in most states it is illegal to dump human waste in the landfill, right ...)

To get started you can go to the hardware store and buy a plastic pail for soiled diapers; some buy two, one for wet, and one for "muddy". When I change a diaper, I just stick it in the pail. About every 2-3 days max, it is time to wash. Dump all diapers in the wash, and begin your routine.

To dry them, hang them out on the clothes line in the sun. Not only does hanging them on the clothes line save money over using a dryer, but it also bleaches out any stains on the diapers via the sun. However, in states with cold winters, you will be using your dryer!

I would estimate that it takes about 30 minutes a week to clean, dry, and fold the cloth diapers. Not much time considering the money you save, and knowing that you are not contributing to the landfill.

Instructions:

Shake all of the poo off or throw flushable liner in the toilet. For newborn stool, it's optional to dunk, use a diaper sprayer, wipe with toilet paper or use flushable liners--you may also throw in the wash and add an extra cold rinse as newborn stool is water soluble.

• Wash once in COLD water, largest load setting, no more than two dozen diapers (can include wipes, covers--fleece or PUL, wet bags and pail liners, and inserts).
• Wash once in COLD to WARM (hot only recommended for stripping and not for regular use-hot breaks down all cotton and elastic, and avoiding too many hot washes promotes a "greener" lifestyle) 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.
• OPTIONAL: Add one or two extra COLD rinses to remove any lingering detergent in the diapers--there should be no fragrance or suds.
• Line drying is recommended and will give your diapers a longer life, but tumble dry on the warm setting is safe. Always line dry your fleece! This literally takes an hour or two, and highly recommended to keep that nice appearance up longer.

* Safe Detergents
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. Included in these are all detergents claiming to be "free and clear".

* What to avoid
Avoid using extra additives in your wash (like baking soda or vinegar). These ingredients are unnecessary and will cause problems in your diapers. Please NEVER use fabric softeners as they cause buildup and make your diapers virtually useless, and in need of some deep stripping! Dreft and many baby detergents have a high concentration of these softeners.

• Hemp Care
Priming Hemp Products Hemp has natural oils and therefore you need to “prime” the hemp products before using them so they reach maximum absorbency. This goes for all hemp products including inserts, diapers, wipes, breast pads, etc. You also want to make sure that you prime the hemp products before washing them with your pocket diapers because you don’t want the oils from the hemp to get onto your diapers and then cause them to repel. There are two ways to prime hemp:

Wash AND dry 5-7 times in your washing machine with detergent.

If there are no snaps or elastic, you can boil them in some water on the stove for 15-20 minutes with a squirt of Dawn (or other grease-cutting) dish soap.

After they have been primed, then they will be SUPER absorbent and you can then wash them with your regular diaper laundry following the same instructions, no enzymes, softeners, brighteners, or bleach.

NOTE: This is a guide for hemp products but ANY hemp product purchased from the SmallSprout™ Store HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRIMED, and they are ready to use immediately. Our priming includes 5 washes in warm water two washes with Tide, and dried on medium after EACH wash. The hemp you receive will be in excellent condition!

* Stripping
Is needed when your diapers have an ammonia odor or are no longer absorbing like they once did--you now have a build up. This should only be a technique used once to every other month.

Follow washing instructions, second wash should be as HOT (up to 120 degrees), with stripping agents such as one tablespoon of Original liquid Dawn (blue formula) soap, a ball of RLR, Sensi-Clean, or Sports Wash. Many moms find they have to experiment to find the one to work well with the pH levels in their water. Dawn is not recommended for hard water: RLR and optional Oxyclean seems to have the best results among parents with hard water and/or well water.