How to Strip Your Diapers

How to Strip Your Diapers

Stripping diapers, what in the world does that mean?  Well, after you've been using your cloth diapers for awhile (about 3 months or so), you'll probably need to start stripping your diapers occasionally.  This basically means that you need to remove any build up inside your diaper fibers.  Build up is from detergent residue as well as the minerals that are found in your water.

Signs that your diapers need to be stripped:

-Unexplained leaking after a short period of time
-Smelly diapers- even when clean or soon after they have been urinated in
-The color of your inserts go from a white to a dull grey.
-Your diapers feel stiff or crunchy, as opposed to a fluffy soft texture.

Any of the above signs are not normal for diapers that have been stripped regularly.  How often do you need to strip you diapers?  Well, that depends on what type of deterent you are using (conventional vs. those made for cloth diapers) and how hard your water is.  SO, instead of saying "every 6 weeks", evaluate you diapers based on the signs above.

How do I strip my diapers?

Well, there are a few ways.  I personally recommend trying to be as "green" as possible and to avoid using harsh chemicals.  After all, you want to be gentle on your investment.  And you certainly don't want to mess with your washing machine's manufacturing warranty.

1. Rockin' Green Detergent Soak- 


             1. Fill your washer with hot water and 3 Tbsp of Rockin’ Green, along with your diapers or   
                clothing.

            2. Let it soak for approximately 30-60 minutes. Then launder several times skipping the soap. If 

                you have a HE machine, you may have to consult your manual but you can usually do a  

                soak by pressing the start or pause button.

*Tip: Repeat this process anytime you need a good deep-cleaning.

Disclaimer: Items like PUL or TPU need to be washed with care, so please refer to the manufacturers washing instructions for more details. Avoid excessive soaking of PUL/TPU and natural fibers to extend their life span.

2. Rinse, Rinse, Rinse- Run your diapers through washing cycles until you don't see any soap residue at the top of your water inside your washing machine.  This will remove the detergent built up. Start with a hot wash (no detergent) and then a couple cold rinses.

3. Dawn (liquid dish detergent) - Serious, just a little bit!  Maybe a teaspoon.  Add it to your warm wash cycle and rinse it a few times.

Here's to clean diapers!  :)

Peace,

Jen Starks, Owner
www.ecologicalbabies.com 
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235