There`s no one `right` way of washing diapers that`s right for everyone. What will work will depend on your preferences, your little one`s skin, the exact type of diapers you`re washing, the detergent you`re using, your washer type, your water type, your child`s diet etc etc etc...
My recomendation is to just keep things simple. A basic routine would be a pre-rinse to get most of the nasty stuff out, a hot wash with a reduced amount of detergent and possibly an extra rinse. Reduce the detergent so you avoid detergent build-up but be careful not to go too far the other way either - about half of the `recomended` amount of mainstream detergents is a good start.
That`s it, there`s no reason to add any other steps or additives unless you`re having particular issues you`re trying to solve.
Soap nuts are great - totally natural, clean rinsing and very versatile. I think they`re great for cleaning diapers but if all you`re concerned about is longevity then nuts won`t change anything there.
Borax is a fairly safe additive but really unless your routine just doesn`t work without it, then I`d skip it. Some do say that it can be harsh on diapers so maybe at least try it without it and see what happens. Cheaper, simpler and possibly safer. If you don`t like the results you can always go back...
As for softness, remember that it`s normal for fabrics to lose softeness as they start to wear a bit. No matter how perfect your routine, you`ll never have diapers as soft as they were when you got them - no matter what they`ll gradually lose softness and fluffiness. It`s not necessarily a sign that anything is wrong or that they`re wearing prematurely. Especially if you`ve just started using them a couple months ago, they tend to lose that initial super-flufiness rather quickly. After that it`s less noticeable...
That said, a lack of softness could be due to hard water or detergent build-up. If you have hard water it could be useful to add Calgon to your routine. Or if you suspect build-up you could try stripping your diapers (basically just running them through one or more hot washes with nothing - except maybe some vinegar if you want to). The vinegar in the rinse is also a natural fabric softener.
Karen. |
