Getting Rid of Stains in Cloth Diapers

So you’ve spent the money, made the commitment, and now that you’re finally using cloth diapers on your newborn, your diapers have stains. Many parents who were initially thrilled about the idea of cloth diapers can be thrown off by that first stain that doesn’t come off in the wash. For some reason, not everyone seems to have an issue with this; it really seems to depend on the baby. However, if you are one of the “lucky” ones and have encountered this, there’s good news! Those stains are likely not permanent and there are ways to get your diapers looking great once again. 

Here are some tips for getting those diapers bright white.

#1 – Use the Sun

The sun works wonders on stains, even ones that have been set by the dryer. If you have access to a clothesline I would recommend hanging your diapers to dry outside in the summer. If you don’t have a clothesline or even backyard, diapers can be set out anywhere that gets sun. The bleaching effect of the sun even works through windows, so you can “sun” diapers in a sunny spot in your home, or even the dash of your vehicle. Using lemon juice on the stain will help to speed up the process.  

#2 – Use a Stain Stick

I LOVE the Buncha Farmers stain stick. It really does work wonders on all clothing and fabrics. You can use this on your diapers before they go in the washing machine, or put your diapers through the rinse cycle first, spot the stains, and then fully launder. I’ve had a lot of success using this with set stains as well.

#3 – Boil your inserts

This is an interesting one. I boiled my inserts when I was new to cloth diapering and battled ammonia because I didn’t have my wash routine down yet. I bought a giant pot, boiled 3-4 inserts at a time for 15 minutes each, and my ammonia problem was gone. As an added bonus, all of the staining on my inserts was completely gone as well. I had never heard of this before, but it did work for me and I would recommend it if you have stubborn stains. However, this is only an option for diapers with removable inserts or all-in-two styles of diapers, as diapers with PUL and/or snaps should never be boiled.

You can also potentially avoid staining on your diapers in the first place by using liners in your diapers. Using fleece liners against baby’s skin can be used to create a stay-dry layer, but it can also aid in cleaning your diapers and avoiding stains. The fleece may get stained, but the actual diapers underneath will avoid the brunt of the mess.

For more laundering tips and tricks, be sure to check out our website or contact your local consultant.

----Jennifer Lazarski is an Independent Cloth Diaper Consultant for Little Tree Hugger in Milton, ON---
email: milton@littletreehugger.ca
www.facebook.com/miltonLTH