Cloth Diaper Care

The reusable cloth diapers should be washed before use for the first time. We recommend you wash the inserts 4-6 times to let the fabric pores open and obtain maximum absorbency.

The Preparation:

• Clean your washer of all residues from other detergents. This can be accomplished by washing a load of rags or daily-use towels with detergent that does not leave residues.
• Wash your diapers with a detergent that does not leave residue in warm water. Repeat that at least 4 times to fully remove old detergent residue.

The Daily Routine:

• Clean your washer:

  If you are using another detergent for your regular clothes, that residue will contaminate the diapers. You will have to always clean the washer. Otherwise, the wash cycle will clean the drum and not your laundry. Those residues could be deposited on the diapers temporarily degrading their performance.

• Wash the diapers:
  • Dispose solids in the toilet using a diaper sprayer or dishwashing type brush.
  • Remove the washable inserts and store both diapers and inserts in either a dry laundry bag or a pail of water until ready for washing. Dosage of detergent may vary depending on washing machine and water condition in the region. Start with the recommended dosage of your detergent brand but tailoring to your washing condition may be needed. To keep your products more long-lasting, do not overdose detergent during laundry.
  • Wash with warm water to a maximum of 40 ℃ with a soft detergent, lots of water and plenty of agitation.
  • Add disinfectant only during the rinse: 4 tbsp. of vinegar should suffice. Sunning also works to disinfect your diapers.
  • Rewash on cold with at least the full dose of eco-friendly detergent to ensure a deep clean.
  • Hang to dry or tumble dry on low
  • If any stains occur, use a little lemon juice and sun bleach the diaper.

No, you don't need to clean your washer each time you wash soiled diapers.

If solids remain on the diaper or if there is lots of urine (particularly from an overnight use), you could use a diaper sprayer to rinse it off before putting it in the washer. If your baby is exclusively breastfed,you don't need to rinse breastmilk stools from the diaper. Unfortunately, this is not recommended if the baby is consuming formula or once the baby has started a solid diet.

Yes. We recommend you wash the inserts 4-6 times to let the fabric pores open and obtain maximum absorbency.

Sanitizing your washing machine should be done monthly whether you are cloth diapering or not. Lots of residue build-up clogs the drum and it is for your optimum health that you run the sanitize cycle.

A diaper sprayer and health faucet make your cloth diapering experience much easier. But instead you could use a dish-washing type brush to clean the diapers before rinsing them and leaving them until laundry day.

Charlie Banana® cloth diapers do not usually stain, especially the ones with fleece lining. For stains, we recommend sun-beaching with a bit of lemon juice - mix 1/4 cup lemon juice with 2 cups water in a squirt bottle. Shake to combine and spray the solution onto the worst stains. Leave them for 2-3 hours and afterwards wash diapers with an extra rinse. If it is not possible to sun-bleach, we recommend non-chlorine bleach. Fill your washer or tub with water and add clean diapers. Add one scoop of non-chlorine bleach; agitate or stir a little to mix it in and then let it sit overnight. Rinse with warm water in washer to remove the leftover mix. Make sure you fully rinse the diapers clean – beware of risk of skin burns from residue of lemon juice!!!

If you want to avoid the smell the best result is to rinse off your diapers and store them in a water pail. Wash your rinsed diaper with any load of laundry going in. The faster you wash them the better.

You could do a wash with white vinegar or baking soda. Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the water pail and pre-soak the diapers or just pour it straight into the washing machine's softener's compartment before starting the wash. Alternatively, you can also add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to the softener's compartment.

You cannot revive the inserts. You can buy a new set of inserts anytime you need from our website.

Hard water can lead to stinky diapers because the detergent is not able to work as effectively in hard water. The minerals from the hard water are being deposited back onto the diapers. If you get hard water, you may need to apply some treatment to soften your water and facilitate your cloth diaper laundry.

In general, there is an effective way to prevent ammonia odour. Every morning when you change the baby's diaper, rinse the diaper under running water before putting it into a wet diaper pail to store it until you launder again.

• Do not use fabric softener or bleach.
• Do not boil your diapers or put boiling water on the diaper
• Do not let your diapers sit for a few days
• Do not use bleach as it damages the waterproof membrane and melts the elastic.
• Do not wash your diaper with hot water in general as it also reduces the life of your diaper elastic and voids warranty.