Stoffwindeln waschen - Das komplette Wissen

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The biggest difference with disposable diapers is simply that cloth diapers are washed. That’s logical. For many, this is why washing is the biggest question mark. We'll show you how to keep your diapers clean and well cared for.

Want to know everything about diaper washing? Then just read on. You'll find all the details about washing and drying on our pages. On our other pages you will find everything you need to know about storing used diapers and washing and caring for wool.

You have read so many contradictory things on the internet and are now unsure? You love to understand things comprehensively?

Washing is a very exciting field of knowledge. There are so many aspects that come together in washing that it's easy to lose track of them all. We have researched for you in detail how you can wash your diapers

• clean,
• economically and
• and environmentally friendly.

In doing so, we rely exclusively on reliable sources. We invite you to get involved.

You want to know more? Then just read on after this section. In the next chapter you'll find everything from the ingredients and active ingredients of detergents to washing recommendations for special situations.

Background knowledge on washing

To understand washing, you first need some background knowledge. To this end, we would like to clarify the following three questions:

1. What ends up in the diaper that needs to be cleaned again?
2. How does the washing machine work?
3. Which ingredients in the detergent are effective in washing?

If you understand the answers to these three questions, you will not only be able to wash your cloth diapers perfectly, but also any other item of clothing.

What ends up in the diaper...

Do you actually know what ends up in the diaper? Sure, you think so now. But what exactly is it that the diaper needs to be cleaned of?

• Urine consists mainly of water, urea and salts. It is slightly acidic.
• Solids consist mainly of fibre, undigested matter such as fats, starch, tissue fibres and proteins. Stool also contains the pigment bilirubin. This is what causes the stains in the diapers. This means that even stained diapers can still be clean and used.

In addition to the excretions, there may be skin care products that have come into contact with the diaper. These are usually creams that contain fats, oils and perhaps zinc oxide.

For all these residues, you need detergent to dissolve them out of the fibres. They are then rinsed out with water. The best thing is that the washing machine does the work for you.

The washing machine's cleaning principle: Sinner's circle

Did you know that there is a washing formula? It's called "Sinner's Circle" [1] and has proven itself for about 60 years. It describes the influence of four factors on the cleaning result:

• Mechanics of the washing machine (the rotation of the laundry drum and the rubbing of the laundry against each other).
• Chemistry (the detergent)
• Temperature
• Time (the soaking time)

In addition, there is water, which is what makes the four factors effective in the first place. All factors work together in the laundry cleaning process. If you change one of these parameters, you can compensate for it by changing another. This way you achieve the same washing result. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) has published a wonderfully clear video on this subject:

This means that if you wash at low temperatures, the machine has to run longer to get the laundry clean. Washing programs are designed with this principle in mind. So if you have a 60 °C eco program, it won't wash at 60 °C, but will extend the wash time to compensate for the temperature. This saves energy and money. You should still avoid using energy-saving programs when washing cloth diapers, as the 60 °C wash temperature is important for hygienic cleaning of cloth diapers.

Choosing the right wash program

Prewash

We recommend that you run a prewash before the main wash program. It is important that the water is pumped out after the prewash. If your prewash program does not do this, you can also choose a delicate rinse program. Prewashing has several advantages:

1. Most of the urine is already rinsed out.
2. Any stool residue is rinsed out.
3. The fabric fibres are soaked and relax. This makes it easier to loosen the dirt on the fibres.

Make sure that the detergent is not yet used in the prewash program.

Standard or cottons program

Inserts should be washed in the standard or cottons program. This uses the ideal combination of temperature, time and mechanical action. Multi-layered absorbent material in particular needs to be well-washed. This is not always guaranteed in other programs.

Do not fill the machine too full (ideally there should still be a hand's width of space) so that the diapers get enough movement. Please follow the manufacturer's instructions for the maximum load.

Washing temperature

Absorbent material that has come into contact with eliminations should always be washed at 60 °C to ensure that it is completely clean.

High-quality PUL, i.e. inner diapers, covers and wetbags, can be washed regularly in the same program. They can also be added to the 30-40 °C colour wash.

In three-piece systems (Ai3), you can always wash the outer items together with the coloureds.

Energy and water consumption

Many people shy away from using cloth diapers because they fear high energy and water consumption during washing. However, they do not know exactly how high the consumption actually is. Here is a calculation example:

Let's say you diaper your child for 3 years and wash your diapers separately every three days a week. You have a modern average machine whose wear and tear we calculate from the purchase price and a service life of 10 years, or 1,840 washing cycles. You use a conventional detergent from the drugstore, which is dosed normally. In the overview you can see the consumption of electricity and water as well as the resulting costs.

So that you can put the figures in relation to the total consumption:

• The average energy consumption of a 3-person household is 4,200 kWh per year [2].
• The water consumption is about 123 l per person and day [3], which means 134,685 l per year.

So cloth diaper washing accounts for only 4-5 % of the total consumption. Even an economical dryer would have less of an impact here than, for example, heating costs. You can reduce the total washing frequency by the number of diapers you use. With separate diaper sections, you can wash a lot together with your normal coloureds. A three-part system is most advantageous.

You can easily work this out for your own washing machine using the table in our article on comparing the costs of cloth diapers vs. disposable diapers.

You can find out more about comparing cloth diapers and disposable diapers on our Life Cycle Assessment page.

Hand wash

Some particularly delicate materials require hand washing, including wool and silk. The appropriate symbol on the washing label is

Hand washing involves washing by hand at a maximum temperature of 40 °C, with plenty of water and as little mechanical action as possible, using a gentle detergent and then rinsing with plenty of water. Washing machines have programs that can simulate a hand wash. In this case, the drum does not rotate completely. It gently weighs the laundry back and forth.

For diapers, this washing category is mostly used for woollen products. You can find tips and tricks on our wool care page.

Spin

Reduce the spin speed of the diaper wash to 1,000 revolutions. This saves energy and reduces wear. The liners still get enough movement to dry quickly afterwards.

Spin wool at the lowest spin speed available (usually 800 revolutions), otherwise it can compact. Some wool products also tolerate higher spin speeds. Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions.

Dosing the detergent correctly

Detergent has three main functions.

1. It dissolves the dirt from the fibres (washing-active substances and enzymes).
2. It prevents the dissolved substances from settling on the fibres again during the washing process (inhibitors).
3. It prevents salts from the washing water from settling on the fibres (softeners).

In addition, it often contains other ingredients:

• Regulating water foaming: soaps and silicones
• Increase the pH value so that fibres swell and dirt dissolves better: washing alkalis
• Treat stains: oxygen bleach
• Make whites whiter: optical brighteners
• Smooth fibres: enzyme cellulase
• Make laundry smell good: fragrances
• Making detergents free-flowing and preserving them: suspending agents/preservatives

Want to know more about the ingredients in powder and liquid detergents? Then scroll down to the next section with all the detailed information about detergents.

How detergent works with cloth diapers

In this table we have listed which substances can be removed from the diapers with the help of the detergent:

These ingredients are usually present in a powder detergent. The oxygen bleach contained in it also has a disinfecting effect.

The right dosage is important

It is important that you pay attention to the dosage and follow the detergent manufacturer's recommendations. The dosage always depends on the water hardness. This is because the washing-active substances can only work if the salts from the washing water are not in the way. The harder the water, the more water softener is needed. You can find out the water hardness from your utility company.

For soft water, you don't need a softener in addition to the heavy-duty detergent, as there is enough in it. For medium-hard water and above, we recommend adding softener to the detergent. You then dose for soft water and save on detergent. The active washing substances are already effective in the low dosage.

If the water is very hard, you can also add liquid softener (e.g. lactic acid-based) to the fabric softener compartment. This decalcifies the rinse water, which is rinsed in again after the wash cycle. This way you don't run the risk of salts settling on the freshly washed diapers again. Another positive effect is that they become softer.

When washing diapers, it is especially important to pay attention to the water hardness. Too little softener will sooner or later lead to "stinky diapers". The salts of the washing water combine with the soap of the detergent and deposit as lime soap on the fibres. In addition, germs and other residues bind to them. These smell particularly strong when they come into contact with urine again.

Choice of detergent - conventional or organic?

You can buy conventional detergents and organic detergents.

Organic detergents contain

• vegetable or mineral ingredients
• natural fragrances from essential oils
• recycled or recyclable packaging material

and, unlike many conventional detergents, they avoid

• petroleum-based or animal-derived ingredients (or ingredients tested on animals)
• genetically engineered enzymes
• additives
• environmentally harmful substances such as microplastics.

Often, eco-detergents are offered according to the modular principle. This allows you to choose the right detergent for your laundry. Always check the manufacturer's specifications, as the term "eco-detergent" or "organic detergent" is not protected.

Conventional detergents reliably wash diapers clean. You should avoid certain additives if possible: EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetate), phthalates, triclosan or synthetic fragrances. These are difficult to break down. More information on fragrances in detergents can be found at the Federal Environment Agency.

Selecting detergents for health reasons

The following ingredients may be poorly tolerated by people with atopic dermatitis or asthma, or may trigger allergies:

• synthetic fragrances
• optical brighteners
• synthetic surfactants
• chlorine-based bleaching agents
• preservatives
• essential oils

This is why you should pay special attention if your child's skin is sensitive.

Choosing detergents for the sake of the environment

Detergents generally pollute sewage treatment plants and water [4]. However, by paying attention to the ingredients and the manufacturing methods, you can have a significant influence on how much of an impact you have on the environment. You can recognise environmentally friendly detergents by the Ecolabel, the so-called Euroblume or the Blauer Engel. In addition, it is always worth taking a look at the ingredients.

Stain treatment with the power of the sun

You don't necessarily have to treat stains. They are not a sign of insufficient cleaning performance. Most of the time they disappear by themselves with a 60 °C wash. Solid stains, even from breast feeding eliminations, contain bilirubin. This decomposes in sunlight. To treat stains, it is best to leave the damp fabric in the sun for several hours. This also works without direct sunlight, which is advantageous for PUL and wool. Otherwise the wool hairs or the coating will become brittle in the long run due to strong heat.

You can treat all other stains with (vegan) stain soap or bile soap or biologically safe stain spray. Stains on wool can often be removed with a damp cloth. Soaking in cold water with olive stone soap will also reliably remove stains from wool.

Hygienically clean at 60 °C

Many washing habits of the past are long outdated. Thanks to modern washing machines and detergents, washing has never been easier. The following applies to cloth diapers: instead of 90 °C as in the past, 60 °C is perfectly sufficient today. Only if your baby has (had) a contagious infection or thrush do you add a tablespoon of oxygen bleach to the full detergent. In combination with 60 °C, this is sufficient for a disinfecting wash. [6]

A hygiene rinse is unnecessary, pollutes the environment and may cause allergic reactions. For disinfecting, you can just as well use environmentally friendly oxygen bleach.

Prepping: So that the absorbent material really absorbs well

Before first use, you should wash all products at least once at 30 °C in the washing machine to remove residues from the production process.

To ensure that the absorbent material develops its full absorbency, wash it several times before use. You can also wash it at 30 °C together with your coloureds, for example. Absorbent material shrinks somewhat during washing. It is important that it dries completely after each wash. You can also use the diaper after the first wash. However, you should be aware that the diaper will not have reached its full absorbency and will need to be changed sooner.

Washing diapers on the move

If you don't have a washing machine when you travel, there are other ways to get your diapers clean again. We've put together a few tips for you in our page on cloth diapers on holiday.

The right washing machine care

Many parents only get more involved with their washing machine when they wash cloth diapers. As you know, the machine can wash clean at low temperatures. However, this may cause a biofilm to form in combination with lime soap or even lime deposits on the pipes. Therefore, you should clean the washing machine regularly. To do this, we recommend the following:

• Once a month, run a 90 °C program without laundry and detergent, if necessary with special washing machine cleaner.
• Wipe out rubber seals regularly (avoid vinegar - it makes rubbers brittle!).
• Clean the rinse compartment and lint filter
• Always use a water softener for every wash, depending on the water hardness.

Always follow the manufacturer's care instructions.

Drying in the dryer or on the line

The best way to dry cloth diapers after washing depends on the material and care symbol. PUL and wool are particularly sensitive, cotton is more robust.

It is important that the diaper wash and especially the absorbent material do not contain any residual moisture after drying, which can lead to bacterial contamination.

Absorbent material can be dried in the dryer, the rest on the line.

Basically, drying in the dryer puts a strain on both fibres and the environment. Cloth diapers wear out much faster in the dryer than line-dried ones. If you can separate the individual items, it is best to dry the coated and non-absorbent fabrics (PUL, TENCEL™ Lyocell, liner) on the line. Otherwise, check the manufacturer's care instructions to see if the diaper can be put in the dryer.

Absorbent material can be dried in the tumble dryer on the gentle dry program. It is better to just tumble dry it and then hang it on the line. This softens the fabric and protects the fibres.

Wool should not be put in the dryer as it tangles with temperature changes and movement.

What to consider when line drying cloth diapers

When dried on the line, diaper linens tend to become hard. This does not detract from their function and most children do not mind. If you prefer the laundry softer, you can knead it once or pull it over an edge.

Basically, wind makes the laundry softer when drying on linen and the sun bleaches out stains. In addition, gauze diapers and other thin linens dry very quickly outside, which is why linen drying is really worthwhile.

For coated fabrics and wool, direct, long exposure to sunlight (heat hazard) and drying on the radiator (brittleness) are taboo.

Wool products should be laid out to dry, e.g., on a towel, so that they keep their shape.

Care symbols

The care symbols for cleaning clothes are used internationally. They are the instructions for washing temperature, drying and care of textiles that should be followed. The following symbols are important for our products:

Energy-saving programs and eco-programs make sense for diaper washing

Not true.

Energy-saving programs and eco-programs are designed to save energy by not reaching the specified temperature but increasing the program time to compensate for the washing performance. Really practical and environmentally friendly. However, when washing cloth diapers, remember that the temperature ensures hygienic cleaning. You should therefore avoid these programs when washing diapers.

Oxygen bleach balances out the temperature in the eco program for hygiene.

True to a certain extent.

Oxygen bleach without bleach activators as an additive can only work at temperatures above 50 °C, so it makes no sense to add it to the Eco program. If it is added, it should contain additives such as TAED. An efficient wash routine with a standard or cottons program is therefore the best choice in most cases.

For microfibre, soap-based detergents should be avoided as much as possible

True.

Soap- or oil-based detergents are not recommended for microfibre diapers in particular, as they can cause more residue to form there.

Microfibre/polyester reacts strongly to saponification, so overdosing on soap-based detergents is not good for the fibre. Therefore, you should avoid detergents with saponified vegetable oil and reduce the dosage of soap-based detergent.

With viscose, the detergent must not contain enzymes.

Not true.

Avoiding enzymes usually refers to the enzyme cellulase, which is said to be harmful in diapers made of viscose (e.g. bamboo viscose). It is true that cellulase smoothes the fabric by removing cellulose fibres that have been split off [5]. For cloth diapers, this means more wear. Viscose, but also cotton and hemp are cellulose fibres. Viscose as an artificial fibre is just not as robust. However, we are not aware that high wear is basically due to the enzyme. Often it has other causes.

Viscose inserts can therefore be washed at 60 °C together with other insoles. If they feel hard after washing, their function is not impaired. Kneading by hand is usually enough to soften the fibres a little and adding lactic acid (do not combine with powder detergent) to the wash or a course of treatment will soften the fibres again.

A combination of stain remover and softener replaces the detergent.

Not true.

You may have heard of special recommendations for washing cloth diapers, for example the so-called DM Combi. The combi consists of stain remover and softener and contains enzymes and other additives. This washing additive is cheap, but far too aggressive to the baby's skin and fibres. It has neither been professionally tested nor is it biologically safe.

The only thing that helps against germs is a hygienic rinse aid.

Not true.

Using a hygiene rinse when washing cloth diapers is not necessary in an efficient washing routine. Hygiene detergent can cause skin irritation, is harmful to the environment and kills helpful bacteria in sewage treatment plants.

Oxygen bleach and 60 °C washing are sufficient to wash diapers really clean [6]. If there is an increase in bacteria, you can do a course of oxygen bleach (this would mainly affect the inserts). If there is a persistent fungal infection, you can wash the affected inserts at 90 °C with oxygen bleach.

DIY detergents, washing nuts and washing eggs are safe alternatives to detergents.

Not true.

Please note the following: Different ingredients in homemade detergents can only work properly if the ratio to each other and other factors such as water hardness are taken into account. Due to the naturally varying dosage of ingredients, it is impossible to predict how DIY detergents will affect diapers in the long term. Therefore, we cannot give any information on this.

Basically, you should inform yourself very thoroughly about washing methods and ingredients if you want to use a homemade detergent.

Information and recipes can be found at Smarticular or Stoffwindelguru (plastic-free, for natural fibres).

You should not use soap nuts if you put them in a bag and wash them in the drum until the end of the wash. This can cause deposits to form on the diapers, reducing their absorbency.

If you are interested in making detergents from chestnuts or ivy, please note the following. The active ingredient saponins contained in the plants replaces the function of the surfactants in the detergent. What else is necessary for washing has to be added artificially. So if you want to avoid deposits, you need additional softener and possibly oxygen bleach. For a laundry scent you might need essential oils, which in turn can trigger allergies. It is better to use an eco-detergent that is plant-based.

You should also avoid other detergents, such as Ecoegg washing powder, which remain in the drum during washing and promise less detergent consumption when washing diapers. In addition to deposits, it can also lead to insufficient cleaning of the diapers and thus to germ contamination.

Fabric softener makes diapers soft

Not true.

Fabric softener is added to the laundry in the last rinse cycle and lays down on the fibres to make them softer. Some ingredients make textiles water repellent due to their chemical structure. The fibres stick together to create a softer feel on the skin. Fabric softener reduces the absorbency of the inserts. The surface of functional clothing and coated fabrics such as PUL is also sealed and loses its breathability.

Moreover, fabric softener is suspected of polluting water bodies if complete biological wastewater treatment is not guaranteed and the substance gets directly into the water. Furthermore, detergent consumption increases, because after a wash cycle with fabric softener you need more detergent to remove it and the soiling from the laundry. Added additives and fragrances as well as the chemical structure and its properties are a burden for sensitive skin and can cause allergies.

If you prefer soft diaper laundry, you can use softener in the form of lactic acid. Adding softener to the final rinse cycle ensures that you rinse with soft, neutralised water. Citric acid or vinegar are not suitable as fabric softeners as they are too aggressive for this purpose. You can also dry the diapers in the dryer or knead them once. As a rule, however, children are not bothered by hard-dried inserts.

All substances that end up in the fabric softener compartment are rinsed into the drum with the rinse water and then remain on the laundry. So no water is rinsed in. So be aware that these substances remain on the fibres and therefore have contact with the baby's skin.

I can use vinegar as a fabric softener or machine cleaner.

Not true.

Vinegar does not belong in the washing machine because it can make rubbers brittle. It is also an aggressive acid that attacks textile fibres.

If you want to clean your washing machine, you should follow the operating instructions or manufacturer's instructions. Often a main program without laundry and detergent at 90 degrees Celsius is sufficient, provided the washing routine is correct and no limescale deposits have formed due to the use of softeners. These can be removed with an appropriate detergent, e.g. one based on citric acid.

We have looked into many washing problems in the Help Center that are often circulating on the Internet. Write to us if you are looking for a solution or answer to a problem that is not yet listed here.

• When the laundry still stinks after washing
  • Deep cleaning for ammonia odour
  • Deep cleaning for rotting odours
  • Deep cleaning for wool products
• The linens do not absorb properly
• Extreme stains - what else can I do
• Damage to textiles after washing - what could be the reason?
• When textiles disintegrate
• Leaking PUL - how do I avoid damage to PUL?
• Can I repair leaking diapers?