How Do I Rinse and Store the Used Diapers?

After a cloth diaper has been used, it should be rinsed (if it was dirty) and stored until it is time to wash cloth diapers. The process should look something like this:

Removing and Treating a Used Diaper

After a soiled cloth diaper is removed from your baby, you have a few options. If the diaper is just wet, throw it into your cloth diaper pail and move on. You can rinse it if you would like, however it is not necessary.

If it is dirty, you first need to remove as much solid waste as possible into the toilet. You can do this by shaking the cloth diaper, using a bit of toilet paper to get any stubborn spots, and even dunking it into the toilet to get the last few pieces off.

Many individuals balk at the idea of dunking anything into the toilet, so there is another solution for rinsing dirty diapers...use a Mini Shower! The Mini Shower Spray wand easily attaches to the toilet and can actually spray the dirty part of a cloth diaper to help remove any remaining poop without having to ever touch toilet water.

Storing the Diapers

Once the diaper is off and rinsed, it is time to store it until cleaning day. There are two ways to store used diapers - wet or dry cloth diaper pail method.

In wet pail storage, the cloth diaper pail is filled with water and the used cloth diapers are left to soak in the water to aid in stain removal. By soaking the diapers for about twenty-four hours before washing, stains are easier to remove. When it is time to wash or put fresh water in the pail, the water is drained from the pail into the toilet or tub before washing.

However, wet storage does have its drawbacks. Stagnant water with dirty diapers can have substantial odor issues and if not washed on a regular schedule, can actually soak the stink into your cloth diapers. Water should be changed every day to avoid as much of this as possible. A bucket of water is not the best choice in an area around children. It can be a severe drowning hazard if not sealed and protected correctly. Also, some cloth diapers, such as AIOs and pockets, have components that must be stored dry necessitating additional storage anyway.

A dry diaper pail is a traditional diaper pail (or plastic trash can) that is either covered or uncovered. The diapers are thrown into the pail after removal and rinsing and they simply sit in the pail until wash day. As you should be washing cloth diapers every other day, wash day is never too far off. If odors become a problem in a dry pail, use a diaper pail deodorizer like Citrus Circles or Diaper Buddies.

Controlling Odors

The largest problem with storing diapers in either the wet or dry pail is controlling odors. The best way to control odors is to wash your baby's cloth diapers every third day, or even every other day. Remove the lining of the diaper pail to wash routinely and wipe out the diaper pail regularly with the disinfectant of your choice. Special odor fighting products like Citrus Circles and/or Diaper Buddies store in the diaper pail for weeks at a time to help eliminate odors. Tea tree oil is another odor fighting agent you might consider.

How to rinse and store cloth diapers is one of the many questions we are asked by new parents and caregivers, which leads us to the next frequently asked question, How do I wash cloth diapers?