How to wash reusable diapers: process and detergent

What if we told you that using reusable diapers prevents the production of a ton of waste for each baby? At a time when there are many environmental concerns, the use of reusable diapers for babies is one of the issues that has been put on the table and that could be one of the steps towards a more sustainable future.

If in our grandparents' time washable cloth diapers were the option, why not rethink the advantages of this reusable option?

Nowadays, eco-friendly diapers are more practical and advanced, with models available in a variety of colors, designs and sizes. They are made from softer, more comfortable materials and there are also several accessories that make them easier to use. You can choose to buy these diapers as new or second-hand.

Advantages of reusable diapers

And did you know that you can also use eco-friendly detergents to wash your baby's reusable diapers? In this article, we'll tell you about the advantages of this choice and eco-friendly ways to wash reusable diapers.

Reusable diapers are already a popular choice in many families' homes as they provide greater comfort for babies as they are made from cotton, hemp or bamboo, which allow for greater moisture absorption.

Because they are more breathable, they prevent the baby's genital area from overheating, thus avoiding problems such as allergies and diaper rash.

Speaking of the benefits for your wallet: did you know that each child uses, on average, 240 diapers per month ? Comparing the use of reusable diapers with disposable ones, Ecologicalkids points to a saving of €1,350.30 in 2.5 years for couples with one child and €3,300.30 for those with two children who use reusable diapers.

Depending on how they are used, reusable diapers reduce their environmental impact! Disposable diapers are made up of 30% plastic, an increasingly common problem as they are single-use items that are discarded and, as they cannot be recycled, end up in landfills where each diaper takes around 500 years to decompose.

After learning about some of the advantages of using reusable diapers on your baby and how the goal is to reuse them and not throw them away after use, the question of washing them arises. But how do you wash your baby's reusable diapers?

How to wash reusable diapers?

This is perhaps one of the most questionable points about the use of reusable diapers, but it is also a simple process:

Wash before use

First of all, if you choose to buy new reusable diapers, you should wash them two or three times to remove the products used during manufacturing, which also ends up allowing the diaper to have greater fabric absorption.

Store in a dry place

It is important to know that you should not soak diapers but rather store them in a dry place until they are washed, for example in a bucket.

Rinse and spin cold

To remove excess and residue from diapers, you can run a separate cycle and spin on cold to avoid stains.

Do a very dirty laundry cycle

Add detergent to wash reusable diapers: you must adjust the cycle temperature according to what the diaper brand recommends and add detergent.

Avoid using fabric softener because it limits absorption and can irritate your baby's skin, as it contains a large amount of perfume. You can use vinegar instead of fabric softener.

Remember the extra rinse

At the end of the wash, you can run an extra rinse cycle to remove any detergent residue that may have remained on the diapers.

Dry naturally

Once they have all been washed, the ideal is to let them dry naturally to avoid the consumption that using a dry cleaning machine would imply.

And what detergent should I use to wash reusable diapers?

Here you can also opt for a sustainable solution: EcoX laundry detergent is ecological and is used to wash clothes with difficult-to-remove dirt such as grease and other organic dirt.

In addition to being a product suitable for machine washing for all types of clothing, it is 100% biodegradable.

If some stains do not come out during washing, you can place the reusable diapers in the sun or apply soap to the still damp fabric. If the stains do not come out, you can also use laundry bleach .

So that you have no doubts about the effectiveness of our ecological detergent and bleach, Catarina Barreiros , an advocate of a lifestyle with less waste, gives you her opinion on the quality and final result of the products when washing reusable diapers.

After learning that you can reduce the amount of diapers that are discarded daily and start using ecological biodegradable detergents when washing them, will reusable diapers become part of your baby's routine?

Author: Daniela Matos