I’ve cloth diapered 2.5 boys (O. is still using his!), and every once in a while, they start to get a bit um….stanky! The key to freshening them up? Striping; otherwise known as – Rinsing.
Even the most diligent of cloth diaper washers can get a build of up detergent on their diapers. Its nothing to be ashamed of! And, its easily remedied.
All you’ve got to do to strip your cloth diapers is take your clean diapes (or wash your dirty ones first) and put them in the washer with just the water. Most likely you’ll notice some soap suds. Keep rinsing until you don’t see any more suds. At this point, your diapers are stripped.
If you don’t have hard water, you can add some vinegar to your rinse(s) to help break down the soaps. If you have hard water though, this could make them smell more….I speak from experience on this one!
Baking soda can help as well. It helps to break down odors and freshen up your diapers. You can also use essential oils like tea tree and lavender to add some additional freshening power.
The key is the repeated rinsing though, that’s the only thing that’ll really get rid of the build up of laundry detergent. You can also help keep your diapers build-up free for longer with an extra rinse cycle after you wash.
Rinse More
Smell Less!