I am ashamed to say it out loud. Well, type it out I suppose. I haven’t washed diapers in almost one week. Maybe more. Eight or nine days? I’ve lost track because potty training has commenced without my knowledge. (Post coming soon!) Needless to say, there were a few poops in there that have been neglected for some time, and they have without a doubt set serious stains in my cloth diapers. I figured this was a perfect time to strip and sun bleach them so when I put them away for the next baby, they are ready to use. Here’s how I get stains out of my cloth diapers.
WARNING: there are images of partially soiled diapers ahead. Although, if you cloth diaper then none of this should bother you!
Getting stains out with cleaning spray
If you’ve come across my blog before then you may be familiar with my ravings of Puracy Stain Spray. It is seriously the most amazing spray that can get ANYTHING OUT OF ANYTHING. Seriously. Not an exaggeration. Not me just trying to sell the spray. It’s like some sort of magical elixir of plant based goodness that is concentrated so you barely need any!
It lasts me YEARS. YEARS PEOPLE!
I get grass out of white cotton. Coffee out of linen. Raspberry juice off of my favorite white button up. It is like magical science. Truly.
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So, this is where I begin.
I spray the Puracy after a heavy spray of my Potty Pail diaper sprayer, here’s a cheaper one if you’re interested.
After I spray the Puracy, I let them sit for about 20 minutes before putting them through the wash. I do a heavy load setting on hot with a soak and extra rinse cycle. If that doesn’t work enough for the seriously tough cloth diaper stains, then let’s keep going to the next step.
How to sun bleach cloth diapers
When the diapers are done, the unstained ones go into the dryer for their normal dry cycle. However, the heavily stained cloth diapers go outside. Then I take my collapsible drying rack outside and set it up, here’s a similar one.
I lay everything out as best I can to ensure maximum sunlight for all the seriously stained ones. If you don’t have a clothesline or drying rack, I’d recommend simply laying them on the grass. As long as the diapers are wet and in the direct sun at high noon, you’ll be good.
It’s the simplest and most natural way to get stains out of cloth diapers. It even works with other stained whites or light clothes.
The sun is the best and oldest form of bleaching there is. It’s free. It’s almost always available. Plus, you won’t get eco anxiety over dumping horrible chemicals into your local waterways!
Win win, right?
Overall, keeping cloth diapers clean and fresh is crucial to their quality and longevity. Just like any piece of clothing, a regular maintenance is necessary if you don’t want to keep buying over and over again.
For my full cloth diaper laundry routine, check out this article here which also has my homemade cloth diaper laundry detergent recipe!
If you’ve ever had success with sun bleaching, let me know down in the comments! Whether it’s with cloth diapers or not, the power of the sun is incredible!
In gratitude friends,
Tayler
