For the Mamas | Cloth Diapering 101: The Scoop on Poop (Tide for Cloth Diapers)
Here from Pinterest or Google? I have an UPDATED 2019 Cloth Diapering 101 Post where I share all I’ve learned after 5 and a half years of cloth diapering my kids! You can read it here.
Yes, I totally called today’s post The Scoop on Poop.
We have made it to the point in this Cloth Diapering 101 series that I would take a guess that most of you are probably the most curious about.
Here’s where we’ve been in case you need to catch up:
- November: Cloth Diapering: The Beginning
- January 7th: Different Types of Cloth Diapers and What We Use
- Last Week: Our system: wipes, creams, storage, organization, and whatnot.
- TODAY: The Scoop on Poop – Using & Washing Your Cloth Diapers (I HAD to call it that…)
- Tuesday, January 28th: Out and About – Traveling with Your Diapers
- Tuesday, February 4th: Dealing with… Issues – dealing with the unforeseen stuff that sometimes come up with cloth diapering (mold and stink and ammonia. yuck!)
- Tuesday, February 11th: Cloth Diapering a Newborn
I will honestly tell you that when I set out to cloth diaper, the laundry process was BY FAR the thing I spent the MOST time researching. I spent HOURS… I mean HOURS reading blogs, going to cloth diaper manufacturer websites, cloth diaper forums, Facebook groups, watching YouTube videos… It was pathetic, really. I spent WAY more time researching the best ways to clean and wash cloth diapers in than I did researching what kind(s) I wanted to use.
Now, for our washer, we have an HE (high efficiency) front loader and it can be a little tricky with a front loader washing cloth diapers. And there really isn’t THAT much information out there on how to BEST wash your diapers in a front loader.
I don’t want to say I have it all figured out, because I don’t. BUT, I’ve spent enough time reading AND I’ve now spent five months doing diaper laundry every other day and so I’m pretty sure I have our wash routine down to a science (and I have our wash routine on the best wash routine possible for what we have).
One caveat: there are a million and one different opinions out there on the best way to wash your cloth diapers. Don’t take my wash routine and my advice as the end all be all… because it’s not. It’s just ONE way to do it. I would honestly recommend taking the time to do some research for yourself before you come to a conclusion on how you want to do things with your diapes.
Also, a couple of things to research / consider:
1. What type of “water” do you have? What do I mean? Well, I mean… do you have hard water or soft water? Take a look at the map below… that can help you determine if you have hard or soft water (in the continental U.S., obviously. If you live in Hawaii, Alaska, or internationally, just Google “hard water vs. soft water [INSERT YOUR PLACE HERE]). Hard water is water that has HIGH mineral content, soft water has low mineral content. And yes, this can affect the way you launder your clothes and your diapers. So, just something to consider.
2. Do you have a front loading or a top loading washing machine? Front loaders are typically HE (high efficiency) machines and HE machines use less water. You want LOTS of water to clean diapers. So, if you have a front loader, this post is GREAT for you and will be (hopefully) really helpful. If you have a top loader, this post will be helpful, but you honestly have it a lot easier than us front loader folks – I would do some research from folks who have a top loader to see what their wash cycles are like.
Now, let’s get to it.
How I Wash Our Cloth Diapers with a High-Efficiency (HE) Front Loader
Because I like STEP-BY-STEP directions, I’m going to LITERALLY walk you through, step-by-step how I wash our diapers.
1. Collect the dirty diapers. Remember last week I talked about where to store the dirty diapers? Well, that still holds true. Refer to that post if you want to know what to do with a diaper when it is dirty.
Don’t forget, once solid foods are introduced (or formula) you have to rinse the poo off before it goes in the wet bag or diaper pail. Breastfed-only poo can go right in the wet bag or diaper pail. No rinsing needed.
Also, if you use pocket diapers, I HIGHLY recommend removing the inserts BEFORE you place the diaper in the diaper pail or wet bag. Some people wait until laundry day, and honestly, that grosses me out. Just do it right away when it’s “fresh” – if you know what I mean.
2. Wait until laundry day. When Lilly was a newborn and really until she turned four months old, I was doing diaper laundry every other day… no exception. I now can go about every three days since she’s really only having about 5-7 dirty diapers a day now. I would not recommend waiting any longer than every three days to do your diaper laundry… the longer your diapers sit, the more likely they are to grow mold or ammonia. We’ll talk about how to deal with that stuff with the post coming on February 4th.
3. It’s laundry day… take your diapers (in the wet bag or pail liner) to your laundry room. The greatest thing about a wet bag and / or pail liner is that you can wash it with the diapers.
4 (a). The wash cycle. Remember, the key is LOTS of water. And lots of rinsing. The key is NOT more detergent. This is a common misconception.
4 (b). Choosing your detergent. You HAVE to use a cloth diaper safe detergent when you wash diapers. Most detergents have a ton of extra fragrances and chemicals and additives that can build up on the diapers over time and leave residue. This will affect the diaper’s absorbancy and effectiveness.
Once you decide on what detergent you want to use on your diapers, I HIGHLY suggest you just switch to using that detergent for EVERYTHING. Clothes, towels, diapers, everything. Why? Because other detergents can actually leave those residues on the inside of your washer which will wash off in the cycles and basically your detergents start “competing” with one another and, ultimately, you’re not getting your clothes, diapers, towels, etc. clean.
There are ton of “cloth diaper specific” detergents out there… and I tried them and hated them. I tried Charlie’s Soap (which some people SWEAR by) and I absolutely hated it. It left stains, our diapers still smelled after washing, and it just didn’t get anything clean. Ever. I tried Rockin’ Green detergent and hated it because it turns out I’m EXTREMELY allergic to it. I got horrible hives from it… and apparently that’s a common reaction to it.
Then, I read a bunch about just plain old Original TIDE Powder. Cloth diaper users fall into two categories: those that LOVE and only use TIDE and those that refuse to use TIDE but will eventually end up using TIDE for cloth diapers. Just kidding on that second group. There are some people that swear original TIDE is the enemy, but on almost EVERY SINGLE post and forum and website I read… TIDE for cloth diapers was the answer to every user’s problems.
So, I decided to switch to using plain, old, TIDE original powder in the box (for HE machines)… and I haven’t switched since. It leaves our diapers smelling good, we hardly ever have stains, and we never have stink issues. Therefore, I’m in the GO TIDE camp. It’s also cheap.
Back to the wash cycle…
Since front loading washers use less water, the key is to “trick” your washer into thinking there’s more in there than there actually is. Also, it may seem like washing less diapers at a time will get them more clean, that is not the case. You don’t want to OVER STUFF your washer, BUT, the more diapers you wash together, the more they rub together and clean each other more. Think of when you wash your hands. You rub your hands together with soap to get them clean… it’s the same concept with the diapers. They rub together in the wash to help get them clean.
4 (c). Now, here is the EXACT, step-by-step process my diapers go through when I wash my diapers in our HE front loader:
- Rinse and spin (NO SPIN) 6 minutes – on my washer I select the “RINSE AND SPIN” button, and then choose the option “NO SPIN” – this gets the diapers WET and heavy. This helps to “trick” the washer into putting more water in because it thinks there’s more in there. Make sure to select “NO SPIN”.
- Regular, cold wash NO detergent 51 minutes – I run the wash like I would with a normal load of laundry, I just don’t put detergent in there.
- Rinse and spin (NO SPIN) (REPEATING STEP ONE) – again, this gets the diapers soaked again so the washer will put more water in at the next cycle. Make sure to select “NO SPIN”.
- Boil a pot of water on the stove – while the second rinse and spin (no spin) is happening, I fill up a pot of water and boil it on the stove.
- Heavy, hot wash, stain cycle WITH TIDE detergent filled up to the 1 line 1 hour and 51 minutes – when the second rinse and spin (no spin) is done, this is the ONLY part of the wash cycle where you use detergent. I fill up the blue TIDE cup to the 1 line with powder, put it in, and then run a HEAVY wash on HOT water. I also select the “stain” cycle which adds more hot water and an extra rinse at the end.
- Add boiling water to the hot cycle a few minutes in – once the water on the stove has come to a boil, I put it in a pitcher and I pour it directly into the washer (via the drawer where I put the detergent) while it is running. What this does is 1) adds more water to the cycle and 2) makes sure that the water that’s washing the diapers is extra hot to help kill germs, etc.
- One last cold rinse and spin, extra rinse 33 minutes – Once the hot cycle is done, I select “RINSE AND SPIN” again, but this time I allow the spin, and I also select “extra rinse.” You really want to rinse your diapers well to avoid detergent build up.
So yeah, I know it seems like a really lengthy process to wash the diapers, and I guess it kind of is, but it HONESTLY is not hard and at this point I’m on autopilot with it. It’s SO easy. It’s WAY easier than clothing laundry… it just takes longer. I just have it all kind of running / happening in the background as I go about my day.
I also realize I probably do way more steps than most people, but I really want to ensure that my diapers are CLEAN. SO, this is what works for me… you just have to figure out what works for you.
Also, BumGenius (the brand of the majority of the diapers that I use) also recommends using 1/4 cup of bleach in the hot cycle once a month to combat stink, etc. I will talk more about this in a couple weeks. This is separate from your normal wash routine.
5. Drying your diapers. If you are crunched for time and need your diapers dried quickly, you can put them in the dryer, just make sure it is on the LOWEST heat setting you have. The hotter the heat setting, the more likely you’ll melt the PUL or snaps on your diapers. Also, be aware that some diaper manufacturers will say that the warranty on your diapers is invalid if you use a dryer… just be sure to check.
Also, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use ANY kind of fabric softeners or dryer sheets in the dryer. We use WOOL dryer balls that I bought off of Etsy… but any wool dryer ball will do. Fabric softeners and dryer sheets create the same build up that regular detergents do.
For most diapers, you can tumble dry the inserts and line dry the covers. For the all-in-ones, they recommend only line drying.
Personally, I recommend line drying your diapers. Whether it’s on a good old-fashioned clothes line or on a drying rack, the air is really best for drying diapers. Also, the SUN is, BY FAR, the best natural bleach.
No, seriously. You got stain issues on your diapers? Lay (or hang) those diapers out in the sun for a day and you will be AMAZED. The sun gets rid of them almost instantly.
I try to line dry our diapers on a clothes line (pictured) as often as I can. Yes, I feel kinda like a 1950s housewife when I’m hanging them, but I secretly love it. The feeling (and smell) of clean diapers and clothes just coming off a clothes line is awesome.
It has been harder during the winter because it’s been so cold out, so I haven’t been able to line dry my diapers as much… instead, I will just put them on a drying rack inside when it’s too cold to hang them outside. 
Okay. Phew. I think that’s it. I realize this is A LOT of information. And I really… REALLY hope that this didn’t come off as too overwhelming. It may seem like a lot, but it really isn’t. It is SO easy and you get into such a routine with it.
I really hope this was helpful!
So, what do you think? Do you use TIDE for cloth diapers? What other diaper laundry questions do you have? Do you have a front loader? I’d love to know your wash routine if you CD and have a front loader. What detergent is your favorite? Etc. etc. etc. Let’s talk washing diapers!
My son is 2, and he only uses diapers at Naptime and bedtime. So he goes through 2 pocket diapers a day and 3 insert . Is 4 diapers and 6 inserts enough to do a load? Or do you recommend I wait an extra day and do 6 diapers and 9 inserts? (I’ll have another baby in 4 months, but I’ll probably have him wear disposables until he grows into the cloths that I have)
you can totally do a small load!! i definitely did that when my son transitioned to diapers only at nap and bed 🙂
Have you ever had a problem getting the diapers to rinse clean in a front loader? I’m having this issue where the soap never completely rinses out. I can do 20 rinses or more (totally against the whole point of an he machine) but there are still suds in the machine. And stripping doesn’t help because then those suds never rinse clean either!!!
Do you add more water?
I have added a wet towel to try to add more weight to the washer, and I have also done the rinse/spin cycle with no spin. Still suds.
I would try adding more water with a pitcher… just add it right into the detergent tray…
Do you know if purex free and clear liquid works? We have been using the bumgenkis liquid detergent and having major leaking issues! We use free and clear for our clothes but if the tide powder is the number one may have to run out and get some .. so fed up with leaks!
I, personally, don’t have experience with that particular brand. In general, I’ve been told liquid detergents are a no-no. I’ve had great success with Tide original powder. Your diapers may need a good stripping if they’re leaking…
We have only had them for 3 months which makes the leaks so dissapointing.. how do you recommend stripping? There are so many ways online to do that! It’s interesting that liquid detergent isn’t recommended tat bumgenius made one.. I will look for tide original powder as I think they may just not be getting clean enough! Thank yoi for your help!
They DEFINITELY shouldn’t be leaking after 3 months. Here’s a post on why diapers might leak… it could definitely be detergent build up though… http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/troubleshooting-cloth-diaper-leaks/
Ya hopefully the tide will help .. thanks so much for the link
Hey! Your post has been most helpful. I’m going to give the boiling hot water to the washer a try…but I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. You boil water then open the little tray and pour it in while the cycle is going? Sounds a bit dangerous, eh?
I’m now taking the plunge to try tide, I’m all for green and eco friendly products but my eco detergent is no longer as effective with my fitteds, so i decided to ask a fb group and they all used tide. So here I am reading this review. Now my only question is I couldn’t find ultra tide just plain tide original powder with the active crystals is this okay or should I go and search at other stores for ultra tide
That’s what you want! Plain tide powder
Wow this is very troubling to me. You are making washing diapers far more difficult than it is. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just throw the diapers and plently of detergent in the washer and be done! I have been washing diaper for 8 years now and the first 6 years I did it the complicated way because I didn’t know better. Then I did it the correct way and its a million times easier. I have been doing it the correct way for 3 years now and I have never had to strip and I never have stink. When I did it the difficult way I was strippung all the time and I was wasting so much water. So anyway I just want people to know that washing diapers isn’t hard and isn’t rocket science.
Kristi knight
In our old washer and dryer this was the only way I could wash the diapers and get them properly cleaned… trust me, I tried every which way possible. Now I have a new washer and dryer that makes it much easier.
When adding boiling water to your wash cycle, do you have your hot water heater set at a certain temp? Ours is set pretty high so I’m basically wondering if I can skip the process of boiling and adding water to my load. Just trying to make it easier on myself 😉 haha! Thanks!
Hey Angela! If you have a front loader it can’t hurt to add it… But if you know your hot water is pretty hot already you should be fine. My former washer has barely hot water so adding it was a must.
Hello! I have that same washer and I wondering what cycles you use? On the dial thing for washing your cloth diapers? TIA
Hey Rebekah! We actually got a new washer and dryer… BUT, on the old washer and dryer (the one you see pictured)… here’s my EXACT cycle:
Rinse and spin (NO SPIN) 6 minutes – on my washer I select the “RINSE AND SPIN” button, and then choose the option “NO SPIN” – this gets the diapers WET and heavy. This helps to “trick” the washer into putting more water in because it thinks there’s more in there. Make sure to select “NO SPIN”.
Regular, cold wash NO detergent 51 minutes – I run the wash like I would with a normal load of laundry, I just don’t put detergent in there.
Rinse and spin (NO SPIN) (REPEATING STEP ONE) – again, this gets the diapers soaked again so the washer will put more water in at the next cycle. Make sure to select “NO SPIN”.
Boil a pot of water on the stove – while the second rinse and spin (no spin) is happening, I fill up a pot of water and boil it on the stove.
Heavy, hot wash, stain cycle WITH TIDE detergent filled up to the 1 line 1 hour and 51 minutes -when the second rinse and spin (no spin) is done, this is the ONLY part of the wash cycle where you use detergent. I fill up the blue TIDE cup to the 1 line with powder, put it in, and then run a HEAVY wash on HOT water. I also select the “stain” cycle which adds more hot water and an extra rinse at the end.
Add boiling water to the hot cycle a few minutes in – once the water on the stove has come to a boil, I put it in a pitcher and I pour it directly into the washer (via the drawer where I put the detergent) while it is running. What this does is 1) adds more water to the cycle and 2) makes sure that the water that’s washing the diapers is extra hot to help kill germs, etc.
One last cold rinse and spin, extra rinse 33 minutes – Once the hot cycle is done, I select “RINSE AND SPIN” again, but this time I allow the spin, and I also select “extra rinse.” You really want to rinse your diapers well to avoid detergent build up.
I don’t have kids but I found this post oddly fascinating! I do spend more time laundering my white cotton face cloths that I use in my skin care routine. They always get makeup and mascara on them, but they come out nice and white. I have never used Tide but may give it a try. Oh, I also add white vinegar to loads that I want extra clean and to get rid of odor.
So I have yet to figure out the answer to where to put powdered detergent in my front-loader, but after some research and price comparison, I decided to give Purex Free and Clear liquid a shot. I’ll let you know how that goes! Meanwhile, do you have any thoughts on the amount of detergent? I have read mixed/competing information from various sources, some of which recommend using a smaller amount of detergent than you would for a normal load.
So maybe this is a silly question, but WHERE do you put the powdered laundry detergent in your front loader? In the drum, or in the detergent tray thingy? I washed my new cloth dipes for the first time yesterday and just used the sample pack of detergent that Bum Genius sent. It’s powdered, and so I wound up just dumping it in the drum. The only other powdered thing I’ve ever used is OxiClean, and it says right on the container to put it in the drum….so I just went with that for the diapers, too. Thoughts?
hmmm i’ve never heard of that… i put the powder in the tray. have i been doing it wrong this whole time? lol! 🙂
I have the same machine, super hard water and use bum genius diapers. Try upping the amount of detergent to Line 2 or 3 and doing only the rinse and spin, hot or warm heavy duty wash with detergent and then one last rinse and spin. You will probably save a ton of time and water. The hot water is helping make up for not quite enough detergent but I bet you will be fine without it. Good luck. Your blog is gorgeous and love that you have all the new prints. I have just Jules and I adore it, you make me want a top hat.
I will DEFINITELY try that!! Thank you, Charlene!
I use Tide Free liquid on our clothes and just started using it on my Bum Geniuses with baby #2 (I used a CD specific soap with #1). In your research, did it have to be original Tide powder or do you think I am ok with Tide Free liquid? The scent of many regular detergents bothers my daughter’s and my skin.
Great question! I’ve heard a lot of moms use tide free and love it. I’m not sure about liquid detergents… I think you should be okay! If you start to notice buildup just strip your diapers and you should be good to go! 🙂
You seriously made me laugh with your statement about Tide. After buying expensive cd detergents, I finally started making my own about a year ago. Besides just figuring out the amount of detergent to use when I have switched, I have never had stink issues and I have being cding for four years now. I kind of think it is just luck given that so many people seem to have so many problems with stink. Oh, and I use a bunch of cycles to wash my diapers too.
I’d love to know how you make your own!!
I use equal parts borax, super washing soda and sun oxygen cleaner. I use two heaping tablespoons full per load. I did a bunch of research on borax before deciding on using it. I know there is negative press about it, but I ended up deciding I was ok with it. Also, I use sun oxygen cleaner because it is “pure” oxygen cleaner and cheaper than using a name brand one.
Thank you SO much for doing these posts! Due in May with baby number one and super interested in cloth diapering. Haven’t found a lot of super detailed instructions yet, so I am so glad I found your blog! Found your posts on Pinterest. I now have everything you own in my Amazon wish list! 🙂
Keep the posts and the advice coming!
Yay! I’m so glad you found this helpful!!
I just had another little one and wanted to try cloth diapering this time around, especially now that I see how many disposable diapers we throw away in just one day. I have to admit though, I am not sure I would have time for a laundry routine like this. It seems like a lot!
I promise it’s not as bad as it seems! 🙂
So I don’t have kids, but I always read cloth diapering articles. Tide makes a wonderfully amazing washing machine cleaner. My husband is in the Army and wears two sets of workout clothes a day (plus towels). I use the machine cleaner every other month or so. It help keeps the machine clean and fresh and helps remove the smelly residue from the clothes that seem to keep that smell even after washing.
I love that stuff!!
That is so cool that you use cloth diapers! And they look so fresh!
I will have to refer to this post when I have kids someday:)