If you’ve landed here, our guess is you’ve got one of three things going on:
- You’ve been cloth diapering for a while, and while everything seems to be going smoothly, you feel that your diapers might need a “refresh” after many uses
- You’ve got stinky/stained diapers and are exploring how to remedy things
- OR, you’re hoping to rid your diapers of some kind of build-up
The good news is, no matter what brought you here, our advice is hopefully going to be a whole lot simpler than you might have anticipated. No bathtub cleaning regimens or heavily involved laundering routines… just simple laundry-science-informed solutions that you can use to quickly and easily give your diapers a deep clean and sanitize.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the reasons that might have you feeling like you need to “strip” your diapers (listed below in the table of culprits!), what stripping even means in the cloth diapering world (for those who might be new to all this!), and the steps you can take to get (and keep) your diapers sparkling clean!
Table of Culprits
- Odors and Ammonia Build Up
- Detergent Build Up
- Mineral Build Up/Hard Water
- Petroleum Build Up
- Staining
“What do you mean ‘Laundry Science’... are you scientists or something?”
Yes! Well, our co-Founder Liz is 🤓 And we LOVE talking laundry science. Having run a busy NYC diaper service for over a decade (where we washed over 15,000 diapers PER WEEK - and also where we developed our patented Washing Powder formulated specifically for cleaning diapers!) prior to launching Esembly, laundry science is both our passion and our expertise! (You can read all about this and how to wash “The Esembly Way” here!)
That said, there’s one thing we need to discuss. And that is “stripping” as it has been popularized in cloth diapering circles.
What is stripping cloth diapers?
So, giving your diapers a deep clean and sanitizing isn’t bad. (in fact, we’ll share how you can go about doing this in this post!) But, many recommended stripping methods you might find online call for things like soaking your diapers in your bathtub, or placing them in boiling hot water, or even in the dishwasher!. 😬 (we immediately must note that we do not recommend any of these practices!) This is all in an effort to give the diapers a deep clean and sanitize, but many times they are doing far more harm than good!
First, we’ll start by saying that we do not recommend soaking your diapers. Ever.
Soaking in anything (even just plain water) can weaken the fabric fibers and cause premature degradation, leading to fraying and tearing. It can also damage elastics and the waterproofing of the Outers (these are our Esembly diaper covers) and storage bags. The longer the soak… the more likely it is to damage your diapers.
Next, using boiling hot water is also not recommended for your cloth diapers (or any settings you might have on your washing machine like Sanitize, Allergeine, or Baby Wear) – Temperatures above about 140 F are simply too hot and will very likely cause holes in your cotton and damage to your elastic and waterproof covers.
As for running them through the dishwasher…. No. Just no. 😂
You might see other methods that call for Borax, RLR, or Washing Soda… and while these can be helpful when used for the right reasons, we wouldn’t recommend them as “go-to’s” on their own if you need to strip your diapers.
And with that, let’s talk about a few different reasons that you might need to give your diapers a deep clean, and how to go about doing it easily and effectively.
Odors and Ammonia Build-Up
This is probably the most common reason for initiating a “how to strip cloth diapers” Google search. The diapers are likely smelling very stinky, possibly even causing a rash, and caregivers are looking for a way to remedy things, fast.
Typically, ammonia build-up (aka the “barnyard” stink) is most often the reason for the unpleasant odors. This kind of stink is a symptom of the diapers not getting fully clean during the wash cycle. What happens is that if a little bit of ammonia is left behind deep in the fabric, (again, maybe not enough to be stinky at the end of the wash cycle) when fresh pee hits the diaper, it reignites the lingering ammonia and the smell multiplies!
There are a few common culprits that could be impacting the performance of your washing routine, thus leaving ammonia behind. You can read all about that and how to go about troubleshooting here: https://esemblybaby.com/blogs/trash-talk/cloth-diapers-barnyard-smell
What to Do
If you’ve got odors and/or ammonia build-up, follow these 4 simple steps:
-
You’ll first need to identify what the cause is. (you can use the blog linked above to help you do this!) Common culprits could be detergent related, washing frequency, or your washing routine.
-
Time to treat your stinky diapers. The “Optional Refresh” is an additional step that can be added to our recommended 2-cycle routine to deal with something like ammonia build-up. It might look something like this depending on the kind of machine you have:
Cycle 1
Run a “Normal” cycle with 1 scoop of Washing Powder (or measure for a “normal” load if using an alternative detergent)
Cycle 2
Run a “Heavy Duty” (avoid settings like “Sanitize” or Extra Hot, as these are likely too intense for your diapers) with 2 scoops of Washing Powder (or measure for a “heavy duty” load if using an alternative detergent) and 3-5 ounces of chlorine bleach in the bleach dispenser only
For more info check out the “Optional Refresh” instructions here:https://esemblybaby.com/laundry.
- Ensure you are moving forward with the right products and a good routine to avoid recurrence. Please use our comprehensive guide on this issue to help you! https://esemblybaby.com/blogs/trash-talk/cloth-diapers-barnyard-smell
How about non-chlorinated bleach or vinegar?
Chlorine-free bleach (aka oxygenated bleach, hydrogen peroxide) are not necessarily harmful, but they do not sanitize. They are whitening agents.
Vinegar is also not effective as a sanitizer for this purpose. VInegar instead should be saved for balancing ph and softening fabrics if ever needed.
For the purpose of a “refresh”, stick with fresh bottle of chlorine bleach (think original blue and white jug of Clorox). And do make sure the bleach is fresh. Once opened, it loses potency in just a couple of months.
*Concerned about using bleach? We get it. But it’s only a very little bit. Think of it like taking your diapers for a swim at the public pool. And remember, if you’re using Esembly diapers, all of our textiles are colorfast so no need to separate your laundry for the “Optional Refresh” step.
Detergent Build-Up
If you have detergent build-up, you’ll need to switch to a formula that is clean rinsing (like our Washing Powder!) to keep this issue from happening over and over moving forward.
Clean-rinsing means that no ingredient is left over on the surface of the fabric after the final rinse. Ingredients that are designed to linger around are fragrances, optical brighteners, and fabric softeners. These are problematic when washing diapers because the remaining molecules give the ammonia and bacteria in the pee and poo something to bind to making it harder to wash out in future washes. Our Washing Powder formula is free of all of those ingredients.
If you’ve been using a formula that is not clean rinsing, and need to rid your diapers of build-up, we’re going to recommend using something you likely already have on hand: white vinegar!
Vinegar is laundry magic. It will soften the fabric, lower the ph, and help release any built-up detergent or water minerals, leaving the diapers even more gentle on delicate baby skin. (so this is also a great reset to try if your little one has been struggling with a rash)
What to Do
For Detergent build up we recommend running an Optional Refresh like we mentioned above, but also adding white vinegar.
*Be sure to NEVER EVER add both white vinegar and chlorine bleach the same cycle. They must be separated.
Based on the kind of machine you have, this reset will look something like:
Cycle 1
Run a “Normal” cycle with 1 scoop of Washing Powder (or measure for a “normal” load if using an alternative detergent)
+ 3-5 ounces of chlorine bleach in the bleach dispenser only
Cycle 2
Run a “Heavy Duty” (avoid settings like “Sanitize” or Extra Hot, as these are likely too intense for your diapers) with 2 scoops of Washing Powder (or measure for a “heavy duty” load if using an alternative detergent)
+ ½ - ¾ cup of white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of your machine (be sure to adjust for a “fabric softener rinse” if your machine has this kind of setting)
If you like the results when using the white vinegar, you can continue adding this step to your regular washing routine in the second cycle. (we love white vinegar as a natural fabric softener!)
Mineral Build Up/Hard Water Issues
If you live in a part of the country where the water is very hard, or are perhaps on a well, this can become an issue for laundering cloth diapers, but only if you aren’t aware of how to remedy things! (which is totally doable!)
The thing about hard water is that it has a high mineral content, and those minerals float around in the water and trick the detergent into thinking they are soil that’s meant to be cleaned. So instead of the detergent attacking the pee and poop in your diapers, it gets distracted by the minerals. Additionally, the minerals live on the surface of the fabric giving the ammonia and bacteria something to bind to making it harder and harder to wash out in future washes.
If you have been washing your diapers in hard water, chances are, they are starting to lose their softness, as well as hosting some unpleasant smells 😖 But fear not! You can give your diapers the reset they need and make a few adjustments to ensure they don’t keep accumulating mineral and/or ammonia build-up.
What To Do
Step 1: If you’re not sure of your water’s PPM*, it’s likely a good idea to test it to be sure of what you’re working with. You can do this pretty quickly and easily with something like these: Water Test Strips (about 150 PPM and higher would be considered hard water)
*PPM or “parts per million” is used to measure the concentration of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium ions, in the water. It tells you how many parts of these minerals are present in every million parts of the water. The higher the PPM, the more mineral content, which can have effects on cleaning, plumbing, and appliance performance.
Step 2: You’ll need to give your diapers a special reset, and with this, you’ll need to add a water softener to your routine like Borax or Calgon. Doing so will help to soften the water which will improve the performance of the detergent* and help your diapers live a longer and "healthier" life.
*Our Washing Powder was formulated to work well with soft to moderately hard water, but if your water is beyond ~150 PPM, you’ll likely need a softener like the ones we suggest below.
Depending on what kind of machine you have, this reset should look something like:
(and again, be sure to never ever put bleach and white vinegar in the same cycle!)
Cycle 1
Run a “Normal” cycle with 1 scoop of Washing Powder (or measure for a “normal” load if using an alternative detergent)
+ ½ - ⅔ cup of Borax sprinkled on top or Calgon per the instructions on the package
+ 3-5 ounces of chlorine bleach in the bleach dispenser only
Cycle 2
Run a “Heavy Duty” (avoid settings like “Sanitize” or Extra Hot, as these are likely too intense for your diapers) with 2 scoops of Washing Powder (or measure for a “heavy duty” load if using an alternative detergent)
+ ½ - ⅔ cup of Borax sprinkled on top or Calgon per the instructions on the package
+ ½ - ¾ cup of white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of your machine (be sure to adjust for a “fabric softener rinse” if your machine has this kind of setting)
Step 3: You’ll need to continue adding Borax or Calgon to your routine moving forward. It is needed in each cycle to help the detergent properly do its job as mentioned. If you like the results when using the white vinegar, you can continue adding this step to your regular washing routine as well (in the second cycle), but the Refresh with bleach step is optional. (You can do this with every laundry, or once a month, or never at all. Up to you!) We call this the "Optional Refresh." 😉
Petroleum Build Up
So, the main ingredient to avoid when cloth diapering (and this goes for any cloth diapers, not just Esembly's) is petroleum (or byproducts thereof). Petroleum-based products (like Vaseline, Butt-Paste, Aquaphor, A+D etc.) are extremely difficult to wash out of fabric and are therefore not considered "cloth friendly”. The grease coats the fabric fibers, locking in stains, stink, and causing leaks (the greasy coating that has built up on the fabric causes the pee to bead up and roll off instead of being absorbed by the cotton).
If you’ve been using a petroleum based product with your cloth diapers, you’re likely dealing with some gnarly build-up.
So let’s talk next steps. You’ll need to “strip” your diapers to remove all of that built-up grease – but we wouldn’t recommend a bath tub soak or boiling hot water.
What to Do
First, you’ll need a powerful detergent to help rid the diapers of the petroleum.
While our Washing Powder is perfect for cleaning diapers, liquid detergents tend to be better at breaking up grease. If you can get something like Tide Original, that would be ideal for resetting your diapers.
Then, you’ll need to run your diapers that were affected through the following two cycles (or something similar depending on the kind of washing machine you have)
Cycle 1
Cycle: Heavy Duty
Wash Temp: Hot
Options: Heavy Soil
Detergent: measure for a "normal" load
Cycle 2
Cycle: Heavy Duty
Wash Temp: Hot
Options: Heavy Soil
Detergent: measure for a "heavy duty" load
Then, once the diapers are cleaned and fully dried, you’ll need to test your diapers to see if the reset did the trick. You can test for absorbency by dribbling some water onto the Inners (these are our fitted diapers) and seeing if the water droplets absorb in immediately, or if they bead up for a split second before collapsing into the fabric. If they bead up, you’ll need to try this reset again.
Staining
While the vast majority of babies do not stain their cloth diapers, some of them (about 25%) like their “diaper art”. As long as you’re only using cloth friendly creams, and are washing as per the instructions, then we can safely assume it has nothing to do with your laundering process and is instead linked to your baby's unique biochemistry or perhaps a supplement* that you are taking if you’re a nursing mother.
*We’ve done extensive research trials and something we have found that can increase yellow stains in breastfed newborns is the mom taking a high concentration of fish oil/fish oil derived DHA supplements or a prenatal that contains those ingredients. If that’s the case, you can try switching to a vegan DHA supplement to see if that works. But at the end of the day, your health and your baby's health are far more important than some yellow marks on a diaper so if you don’t want to make any changes in that area, that’s TOTALLY ok.
What to Do
If you are the parent of one of these diaper artists, don’t fret. There are 2 really simple ways to get rid of cloth diaper stains.
- Sun them! We know it sounds crazy but laying your slightly damp diapers in the sunshine will zap those diaper stains within a few hours! And if it’s too cold to leave them outside, set them next to a sunny window or even on the dashboard of your car!
- No access to sunshine? You guessed it – the Optional Refresh with chlorine bleach will help lift those stains! Just add 3-4 ounces of original Clorox (or similar chlorine bleach) to the bleach compartment of your washer during the 2nd cycle and the stains will be gone. (never poured undiluted directly onto your diapers or into the load)
For a deeper dive on the various kinds of stains you might be seeing, check out this blog post: The Diaper Staining Guide: A Simple Way to Access Cloth Diaper Stains and How to Treat Them
The Takeaway
Remember, the key to keeping your diapers clean is to wash every 2-3 days using a solid wash routine with a powerful, clean-rinsing detergent, and when needed, diagnose any build-up or odor issues correctly and choose the right method for getting your diapers back on track. (no multi-step “cloth diaper stripping” regimens required 😉) With simple steps and laundry science on your side, you can keep your cloth diapers fresh, clean, and ready to use again and again!
Want to learn more?
Our co-founders host a free, virtual, Cloth Diapering 101 class every month to help cloth-curious parents get all the tools and information they need! You’ll learn:
- How to use the Esembly diapers and accessories
- How to easily and effectively launder your Esembly diapers
- The impact that your choice has on the planet, your wallet, and your day-to-day.
You'll leave with the confidence to Live Less Disposably and a 20% discount code to use on your first order. 🥳 We hope to see you there!
Sign Up for Our Next Cloth 101 Class
