Our Mission is to Help You Choose Cloth. Here's The Complete Guide to Washing Diapers at Home.

Hello Rochester families,

Papa Softleys here. Our mission at Softley's Diapers is to make cloth diapering an easy and accessible choice for every family. Sometimes that means using our service, and sometimes it means doing it yourself.

We believe in this so strongly that I want to share my professional, complete guide to washing cloth diapers perfectly right in your own home.

Step 1: Handling Solids & Storing Dirty Diapers

This is the part that worries most parents, but it's simple once you have a system.

• For Breastfed Babies (Up to ~6 months): This is the easy part! Breastfed baby poop is 100% water-soluble. You do not need to scrape or rinse these diapers. Just toss them directly into your diaper pail.

• For Formula-Fed or Solid-Food Babies: Solids need to be removed before washing. The easiest method is to use a "diaper liner," a thin, flushable sheet that catches the solids. You can just lift it out and flush it away. Alternatively, you can simply "plop" the solids into the toilet.

• Storage: Store all your used diapers in a dedicated diaper pail with a waterproof liner. You don't need to soak them in water! A "dry pail" is the modern, simple, and odor-free way to do it.

Step 2: The Wash Routine

Aim to wash your diapers every 2-3 days.

1. Pre-Wash (Crucial!): Run a short, cold water wash cycle with a small amount of detergent. This flushes the diapers and prevents stains from setting.

2. Main Wash: After the pre-wash, run your machine's longest, hottest water wash cycle (like "Heavy Duty"). Use the full amount of a high-quality, fragrance-free detergent.

3. Extra Rinse: Run one additional, rinse-only cycle to ensure all detergent is removed, which is key to preventing rashes and buildup.

Step 3: Drying & Folding

• Drying: Tumble dry on a low-to-medium heat setting. High heat can damage the elastic and waterproof materials over time. Line-drying in the sun is also a fantastic natural sanitizer and stain remover!

• Folding: Once your diapers are dry, the fun part is folding them so they're ready for the next change. For "prefold" style diapers, the simple "tri-fold" (folding it into thirds lengthwise) is the fastest and most popular method for a perfect fit.

Our Promise to You We hope this guide empowers you on your cloth diapering journey. If you ever find that life gets too busy and you need a partner to handle the "dirty work," we'll be here for you.