Laundry Rack for Drying Diapers

It has been so long since I posted! I've had a few drafts going but could never find the time to finish one and post it. I hope this one makes it today.

There has been a lot going on in the past few months but for now I'll do a post that's short and sweet.

I dislike drying my diapers in the dryer. It cuts the life of my diapers down to nearly half even on low heat. This includes many different brands that I have tried. (There will be a post on this coming soon. I have some pictures of diapers I have only air dried and diapers I have put in the dryer. After a few months the difference is substantial.) My personal favorite way to dry diapers is outside on the clothes line. They aren't damaged by the excessive heat of the dryer and the sun helps bleach away the stains and lingering stink. But we can't line dry our diapers all the time. Some people are not able to line due to living conditions and such. And often times the weather does not permit. But there is an alternative to the dryer in times such as these.

A laundry rack.


I'm drying some diapers and a wet bag on my laundry rack.

I know laundry racks aren't a new thing but it never occurred to me to use one until a friend I made some diapers for told me this is how she dried her diapers. Since then, if the weather does not permit line drying, my diapers are on the rack. I still will put my inserts and wipes in the dryer in these circumstances but anything with PUL goes on the rack.

In the winter I even put the laundry rack by my sliding glass door when its sunny. My thought is that maybe it will help. I'm not positive how effective this is but I do think it makes some difference for stains. (Not equivalent to outdoor line drying though.)

The diapers don't take too horribly long to dry either. In only a few hours they are ready to fold with the exception of AIO diapers which take forever to dry no matter what method you use.

Laundry racks are pretty cheap too. They run close to $20 for one similar to the pictures below. I really think it's a good investment and helps lengthen the life of the diapers compared to drying them in a heated dryer.

I checked out 3 locations with laundry racks:

Bed Bath and Beyond laundry rack. This is the one I got.

WalMart laundry rack



Target laundry rack





Sun Bleaching Diapers and Inserts for Stains and Stink

One reason that I chose to make my GreenCheeks inserts 100% cotton is from my experience with microfiber. I have dozens of microfiber inserts and while they are slightly more absorbent that cotton they have a tendency to hold odor. There were many times when I would change my little one's morning diaper and the ammonia smell would sting my eyes. I would wash and wash and wash the inserts yet I could not get the odor to dissipate.

It wasn't until I sun bleached all my diapers that I realized it got rid of stains and the horrible smell too!

These are all the diapers and inserts sun bleaching. I couldn't find my tarp so I used and old blanket and then weighed it down with a cement block so the wind wouldn't take it away.

GreenCheeks AIO diaper AFTER

GreenCheeks AIO diaper BEFORE

So why sun bleach diapers and inserts? As a cloth diapering parent the less cleaning product I use on my diapers the better. The diapers last longer, its better for the environment and better for baby's skin without all those cleaners still in the fabric.

A Flip diaper insert BEFORE

A Flip diaper insert AFTER sun bleaching

How do you sun bleach diapers and inserts? This is the best part! It's so easy. All you do is after a wash lay your diapers and inserts (still damp) flat in the sun. I let my diapers sit outside for the majority of the daylight on a tarp (anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the time of year). The longer they sit in the sun the better they'll look. If it was raining while my diapers and inserts were "tanning" I run them through an extra rinse cycle before letting them dry.

A Bum Genius 3.0 OS diaper insert

 BEFORE

A Bum Genius 3.0 OS diaper insert AFTER

Can you still sun bleach your diapers when it is overcast? Of course it doesn't have to be sunny! It can be overcast or even RAINING! The UV light still penetrates through the clouds and bleaches the diapers for stink and stains. The pictures I have posted were after sunbleaching on a rainy day. It does seem to bleach the diapers better the more the sun shining though as more UV light can reach the diapers.

A 100% cotton large insert BEFORE

A 100% cotton insert AFTER

How often do you sun bleach? As often as you need too. Unlike chemical bleach and cleaners, sunbleach is a natural and safe way get rid of stains and stink. I have a customer who had a lot of issues with smelly inserts and sunbleached the inserts after every wash for a few hours. It worked great for her. 

A Bum Genius AIO OS Organic diaper BEFORE

A Bum Genius AIO OS organic diaper AFTER

Stripping You're GreenCheeks Diapers

Wash after wash a little deteregent builds up on the cloth diapers. After a few months your diapers may feel filmy and don't look as good as they did when you first bought them. This is from detergent build up and you need to strip your diapers. I do this about every six months.

You need:

Blue Dawn Dish Soap original scent. Yes, it has to be the blue kind. It's the only one that isn't antibacterial or anything else. Dawn gets out oils in the diaper. 

AND

Color Safe Bleach. This must be used on GreenCheeks Diapers because of the colored lining. For some reason chlorine bleach does not alter the PUL but it does damage the lining. For this reason only use Color safe bleach. On inserts and prefolds cholorine bleach can be used.

What to do:

1. Wash once in hot water with one teaspoon (for high efficiency machines) to one tablespoon (for regular washing machines) with original liquid Dawn (blue formula) and up to 1/2 cup color safe bleach in the wash cycle.
2. Do two additional hot water washes with no detergent to completely rinse the diapers clean. If you still see suds, keep rinsing until the diapers are rinsed clean.

You should be able to tell a big difference in how your diapers look and feel after stripping them of detergent build up.



How to Clean Your GreenCheeks Diapers

The most common question I get asked is how to care for the diapers. As we all know, diapers can get pretty messy so a thorough washing is essential to diaper care.  Because the diaper shell is made from PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric) which can melt and warp the diaper under too much heat specific drying methods are just as essential as the washings.

Here is a step by step guide to the care of your GreenCheeks diapers.

1.  Wash dirty diapers every other day at the least.
2. Remove solid waste before storing in pail to be washed.
3.  If diapers have hook and loop closures (Velcro) secure with laundry tabs.See my post Laundry Tabs
4. Prewash or soak diapers in cold water to remove waste and fight stains.
5. Wash diapers on hot setting 
• Detergent specifically designed for washing cloth diapers is best. You can also use homemade detergent. See my post Homemade Laundry Soap. A clean and clear detergent can be used in an emergency but is not the best for the diapers on a long term basis.
6. Follow washing with a second rinse.
7. If diapers still smell bad after washing repeat steps 5 and 6.
8. Line dry diaper shells and covers or put in dryer on NO HEAT. Tumble dry  inserts, wipes, and prefolds in dryer with heat.
9. To remove stains place clean, wet diapers and inserts in the sun.

Note: Once every six months to a year diapers may be washed with 1/3 cup non-chlorine bleach in hot wash cycle (step 5). Chlorine bleach can be used for items that do not have colored fabric or PUL such as prefolds, inserts, and all white wipes.

Cloth Diaper Laundry Soap

The recipe below originates from Crystal Miller's recipe for homemade laundry soap . You can visit this website for questions regarding the soap. This is a very inexpensive recipe and averages out to about $.01 per load.

Here is some information about the ingredients:

The Soap:  The most typical type of soap to use is Fels Naptha.  It is an old-fashioned type of soap usually found in the laundry aisle.  The other options for soap are Ivory or another brand called, Zote. Or you can use Kirk's Castile Soap which contains coconut oil and helps with yeast build up.  Any of these will work.  If you use Ivory/Kirk's Castile Soap or your own homemade soap you will need to use the whole bar.

Washing Soda: This is not to be confused with baking soda.  They are not the same thing.  Washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda is sodium bicarbonate).  It is a white powder.  Its purpose is to help remove dirt and orders.   The brand to look for is Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.  I find it in the laundry section of my grocery store.   Many people have a hard time finding this locally.  I know you can purchase it on-line, even through Amazon.com.  I would also suggest asking your grocery store manager if it would be possible for the store to get it for you.

Borax: Borax is a naturally occurring mineral: Sodium Borate.  It is a white powder.  It’s purpose is as a laundry whitener and deodorizer. The brand to look for is 20 Mule Team.  It comes in a 76 oz. box.  You should be able to locate this in the laundry detergent aisle.  Again as with the washing soda, if you cannot find it ask you store manager or look online.

Homemade Laundry Soap
1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap or one whole bar of Ivory/Kirk's Castile Soap or homemade soap (I used Ivory)
1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup borax powder
water
2+ gallon bucket, for storing (I use an old laundry detergent bucket that has been cleaned and rinsed)

1. Grate the soap and place in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups of water and heat until the soap melts.

2. Add the washing soda and borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat.

3. Pour 4 cups of hot water into the bucket. Add the soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.
4. Let soap sit for 24 hours before first use and it will gel.
5. Store your laundry detergent in the bucket, covered. (I put plastic wrap on the top of mine, and I also left my long plastic spoon in the soap to stir it briefly before each use.) Use 1/2 cup per load of clothes.
6. You can make the soap scented by adding some essential oil. My favorite is lavender. I add 1/4 tsp. for a light scent.



There is a downside to using a soap recipe. Soap can build up on the diapers after many washes. This is why many commercial diaper companies do not recommend using soap. I have found that the diapers just need to be stripped when this happens. You can strip your diapers using non-chlorine bleach. I do this every 6 months to a year. See Stripping Your GreenCheeks Diapers.

If your not up for making your own soap I am a really big fan of Crunchy Clean Laundry Cleaner . It works very well, has fabulous scents and doesn't cost an arm and leg that the commercial diaper companies sell for their cleaner. I have had some customers tell me Charlie's Soap is also a good brand for washing cloth diapers and is comparable in price to Crunchy Clean. It is also more readily avaliable at stores and online.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.