20th Anniversary Catalog - Babyworks

All About
Diapers
A diaper is the absorbent cotton lining
that goes inside a diaper cover. This can
be a rectangular prefold diaper, a fitted
diaper, or a contour diaper. (You will
learn about all three types in the pages
ahead.) If you use a diaper service, you
will most likely receive prefolds similar
to our Chinese diapers. If using diapers
from a service, be sure they deliver the
correct size (no kidding, mistakes
happen) – some have a premie size
diaper upon request. Our diapers are all
good, absorbent diapers - more
expensive but far more absorbent than
the average store bought diapers of
flimsy poly-filled gauze or thin, unlined
birdseye fabrics. Personal preferences
such as cost, fabric, style and country of
origin drive peoples’ choices. You can
order samples of our individual diapers
to see which you prefer before making
an investment in several dozen. Tip:
Buy newborn sized diapers for your
newborn under 13 lbs. Trying to
use standard size diapers will cause
excessive bulk and frustration, and
they won’t fit well in newborn or small
sized covers.
About Unbleached &
Organic Diapers
Unbleached diapers may require several
washings before they reach their full
absorbency . This is because during the
weaving process, cotton fibers emit a waxy
substance, which actually repels moisture .
In the bleaching process, this substance is
removed. We recommend washing them at
a HOT temperature, with a heavy duty
detergent and oxygen bleach (such as Bi-
O-Kleen Premium Laundry powder, or Tide
with Bleach, or any non-chlorine bleach
added to your regular detergent) to speed
up this process .
Washing Diapers at Home
Most people cannot imagine what it would be like to wash cloth diapers! I was in that
position at one time, until I watched a friend do it and saw that it was not much
different than doing other types of laundry. I also saved a lot of money over my diaper
service. Following is the method that several of us at Babyworks have used to wash
diapers, that gave us clean diapers and virtually rash free babies. Our experience led us
to believe that presoaking the diapers was more sanitary, was better smelling, and
produced cleaner diapers than not presoaking. HOWEVER, many customers these days
would prefer not to soak their diapers. If you don’t soak, our best tips for success are:
wash them every other day (never go longer than 3 days); use a diaper sprayer to spray
off wet AND soiled diapers, to reduce odor and staining; pretreat soiled areas with
spray Bac Out. If you have a top loader, you can presoak the diapers overnight in your
machine with Bac Out or non-chlorine bleach. These instructions can apply to all
but pocket diapers, which have their own, unique washing instructions (read more
on page 15).
(1) SOAKING: Add water to your pail and add either some non-chlorine bleach or
Bi-O-Kleen Bac-Out as a presoaking agent (the quantity will depend on the size of your pail, ranging
from 2 Tbs to 1/3 cup, in most cases) . Diapers should be submerged; add more water as
necessary . (People with front loaders can line their pail with a mesh laundry bag, then lift it into
the machine, washing the diapers right inside the bag, or or can use a diaper sprayer and skip
presoaking altogether.)
(2) Wet diapers go directly into the pail; soiled diapers should be rinsed first (one of us used the
Diaper Duck, another did it the old fashioned way by hand with rubber gloves, others used the
diaper sprayer). Wash your diapers at least 2-3 times per week, to keep things sanitary.
(3) WASHING: Dump the contents of the pail into the washing machine and run a spin cycle just
long enough to remove the dirty liquid (30-45 seconds) . You can run a pre-wash cycle with nonchlorine
bleach added for extra cleaning, if you wish .
(4) Add detergent and non-chlorine bleach, if your detergent does not already contain it. Wash with
HOT water at HIGH water level and LONG cycle (at least 10 minutes), on Normal or Heavy Duty
setting . (If you use warm water or gentle detergent without non-chlorine bleach, your
diapers may not get clean enough which could cause diaper rash.) An ultra-hot, “sanitizing”
cycle may be okay for 100% cotton diapers but avoid it with all-in-ones or pocket diapers .
(5) Rinse twice (cold water is fine) . Check the rinse water to be sure it is clear; soap residue can
be irritating . You can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cheap white vinegar to the final wash to prevent
ammonia buildup and restore pH.
(6) DRYING: Dry on high heat, or in the sun . The sun is a great, natural “bleach” and sterilizer .
Most parents keep their pails in the bathroom, where diapers can
easily be sprayed or rinsed off and tossed into it. If you have a
heavier, soaking pail near the washing machine, you can buy a
smaller pail to keep in the bedroom, changing area, etc., and
transport the diapers to the other pail periodically.
NOTE: We strongly advise against using chlorine bleach on your diapers. It will
eventually damage the cotton fibers and cause the diapers to wear out much more
quickly. Strangely enough, washing non-soaked diapers less than twice a week can
have the same effect.
Call toll free 800-422-2910 or visit www.babyworks.com
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