The story about Bleaching Cloth Diapers!
Bleaching cloth diapers are generally considered to be a big no-no. However, bleaching cloth diapers at the right time, for a right cause and in a right way will do no harm to your cloth diapers. This blog covers everything you need to know about bleaching your UNOs.
What is bleaching?
Bleaching is a process of disinfecting cloth diapers when all the other methods fail (Hot water rinses, sun-drying etc)
When do I bleach my cloth diapers?
You can bleach your UNOs once a year or so if it gives the following issues –
- Ammonia Build Up – If you have been facing a strong ammonia smell on your soakers, you can first try hot water rinses. If that doesn’t work, you may bleach them.
- Yeast Infection – If your baby has recently had a yeast infection or a UTI, it is ideal to disinfect cloth diapers before using them again.
- Molds – A lot of times you may experience black spots on your diapers and soakers called molds. They occur if the diaper is left damp/wet or unwashed for longer hours. In such cases, you may want to bleach cloth diapers.
Which Bleach can I use?
It is vital to choose the right bleach for bleaching cloth diapers. You may choose Clorox
Liquid (buy link) (Non-scented ones) to bleach. If it is difficult to source Clorox, you may use Rin or Ala.
Step 1 :
Wash your diapers using the normal wash routine. Do note - you should only bleach after the diapers are washed thoroughly. NEVER put dirty diapers directly for bleach.
Step 2 :
Take cold water in a bucket. Add 5 ml of Clorox bleach for each Litre of water. (If you are using Rin or Ala, follow the quantity mentioned in the bottle). Dilute the bleach in the water well by stirring using a spatula or a mug. Please be careful using hands since bleach will irritate the skin.
Step 3 :
Add diapers one by one.
Separate the diapers and snappable insert to be sunk completely in the water.
Keep it for a minimum of 30 minutes and not more than 45 minutes. No need to add the Multi-size Waterproof Outer unless the baby has had yeast or if the shells have molds.
Step 4 :
Take out the Diapers and rinse in hot water once before putting them in the machine.
Step 5 :
Add the Diapers in the machine, run a 30 minutes hot wash (40-degree minimum and not beyond 60 degrees) once without detergent and again once with detergent.
Step 5 :
Make sure the bleach is completely washed out. Smell the diapers - If you feel it has a bleach smell - do a hot wash once more with/ without little detergent till the smell is gone.
Step 6:
Line dry in the sun.
NOTE:
If you have hard water please add a water softener in all the washes.
Please, PM us or Whatsapp us to know the amount of water softener to be used.
Additional Tip : Do not bleach the diapers in hard water. Chlorine can react with the iron that has dissolved in your hard water and cause stains (source).
