Washing Cloth Diapers Made Easy: My Simple but Effective Cloth Diaper Wash Routine. + Why Prewash

The most confusing part of getting started with cloth diapering, is determining a wash routine that works for you. You'll find a plethora of information out there on what to do and what not to do with your diapers—and it can be hard to determine what's good advice, and what's just not.

At Kinder Cloth, we believe that your wash routine works best, when it works for you. The number of days you go between washes and what setting you set your machine to is not more important than your mental health. Cloth diapering should not feel like a burden. If you and your baby are happy and healthy, we can figure out the rest together.

Below is a guide for getting started with finding your ideal wash routine.
1. Prewash. A prewash is essential. This first wash removes any debris and soil so that your main wash can clean your diapers properly. Our recommendation is to start with a smaller amount of detergent and run your normal cycle with cold or warm water.
2. Main Wash Every machine is different, but you'll want to choose a setting that can handle heavy soil and warm/hot water. (less than 115 degrees). This is the cycle where you may feel compelled to toss in a bunch of detergent, but a normal amount for heavy soil will do the job! (Again this is a great place to refer to the recommended detergent amount on your detergent packaging.)
3. Optional Extra Rinse Some cloth families like to run and extra rinse for peace of mind. This can help if you've experienced detergent build up in the past.
4. Line Dry or Tumble Dry on Low If you have the time and space to air dry, this is always preferred. But a tumble on low with wool dryer balls works too! Do not use dryer sheets.