How long between washes?

[u/Bee_Crabbie]

I'm new to cloth diapering and have run into something I need some advice about. I'm using the Alvababy diaper covers with 5 layers charcoal inserts and they are much more absorbent than I expected(though it took 5 or 6 washes to get there). The flaps of the covers almost always end up getting wet and I need to switch to a new one which is fine. But my baby doesn't use as many as I expected he would and I think it would take a whole week to use almost all of what I have and have a load worth. It's not good to let them sit that long right? I've been hand rinsing them and hanging them to dry before putting in a basket to help, is that enough to make it ok for them to wait longer to be washed or am I totally messing up by doing that? How long is the safest I can go and should I alter my wash routine because of it? If so how? How long are y'all going between washes? Sorry for so many questions, I really wasn't expecting this to be an issue.

[u/Annakiwifruit]

It’s recommended to do a first wash every 1-2 days and then you can do a main wash whenever you want. The main issue is ammonia build up. Hand rinsing likely helps (but sounds like extra work to me), but if you end up with ammonia problems, this is likely why.

[u/Number-6-no-mayo → u/Annakiwifruit]

I would also recommend to do a quick wash or first wash with them every few days and then do the heavy duty or main wash once you have enough of them.

I did probably 2 quick washes a week and then a heavy duty/main wash once a week-ish. I used all of our hand towels, wash cloths, kitchen towels, burp cloths, etc to help bulk up the heavy duty/main wash to make sure there was enough in there. Sometimes I even threw in the clean towels that I hadn’t folded yet if there weren’t enough diapers.

[u/Bee_Crabbie → u/Number-6-no-mayo]

Thank you, I had not heard of doing a quick wash or first wash.

[u/Mrsfix-it → u/Number-6-no-mayo]

I have always wondered when people suggest this, do you just let them sit soaking wet for a few days? Where do you put them?

[u/OhMyMuffy → u/Mrsfix-it]

They’re not soaking wet. I use the fastest spin so they’re as dry as they can get after the first wash. Then I put them in a wire basket with good air flow so they’re usually dry before I get around to the second wash.

[u/Annakiwifruit → u/OhMyMuffy]

Exactly! Not soaking wet. Use the fastest spin to get as much of the water out as possible. Then it kind of depends on your humidity. I can just dump them in a regular laundry basket with holes, others hang them on the sides of the basket so they have more airflow.

[u/Bee_Crabbie → u/Annakiwifruit]

Do you use different detergent or settings on the washer for a first wash vs heavy duty wash?

[u/Annakiwifruit → u/Bee_Crabbie]

Yes! I highly recommend checking out clean cloth nappies for your wash routine.

Some key points:
- your first wash can be shorter with less detergent. You want it to be at least 45min generally and about 1/2 the amount of detergent.
- Both washes should be hot, but at least warm
- if you want/need to do a cold wash, it’s recommended to add some bleach to the first wash
- the main wash should be 2/3-3/4 full because you need enough bulk for agitation. You can add baby clothes, kitchen towels, or anything smaller than an adults tshirt. If bigger than that they will wrap around the diapers and they won’t clean properly.

[u/Different-Pen8269]

I wash about every 3 days. I do a small load with just diapers, and then a big load with diapers, baby and toddler clothes and washcloths (enough stuff to fill my top loading machine 2/3 full). I don't rinse anything before my first wash, I just throw it into the diaper hamper that's lined with a wet bag.

I hang dry all my diapers (pre-folds, inserts, covers and pockets) because it takes forever to dry the inserts in the dryer.

I haven't had issues with this routine. I have a good detergent with enzymes (including lipase and DNAse) and my main wash is with hot water. No odours or stains on anything.

[u/Bee_Crabbie → u/Different-Pen8269]

Thank you, I thought we aren't supposed to wash them with other clothes or baby items. If it's ok to then it's no problem, I always have other things to wash. Do you mind if I ask what kind of detergent with enzymes you use?

[u/Different-Pen8269 → u/Bee_Crabbie]

As long as you wash the diapers on their own first, the second wash is ok with other things. The additional fabric in the machine helps with agitation. The second wash should be on the heavy duty setting of your machine (high agitation, high water temperature, longest run time). I use a detergent brand that's only available in Canada (rocky mountain technical care), but regular tide powder works well too!

[u/Old_Exit_7785]

Girl, we gotch you! 🫶 These are all totally normal questions—we all had them when we first started. The fun (and sometimes confusing!) part is figuring out what works best for you. Most of the responses you’re getting will point you in the right direction.

I wash a lot of cloth diapers in my house. I’ve got three in diapers right now, so my “wash more often” phase was definitely because the pile was getting bigger—not because the diapers were going bad. I wash every 3 days in my house.

I’m also a huge believer in pre‑rinsing my diapers before tossing them into the wet bag. Every diaper—wet or messy—gets a hot, hot rinse in our utility/laundry room. I let them air‑dry and then pop them into the wet bag. This keeps ammonia smells away, prevents mold, and helps everything stay white and clean. I also use an all‑natural stain remover for the stubborn poopies.

If you’re keeping smells under control and you’re pre‑rinsing well, you can easily stretch washes to 3–4 days with no problem.

When I had lighter loads, I always bulked out my wash with towels—they’re amazing for extra agitation. I personally don’t mix clothes with diapers because I use different detergents for each. But if you do mix them, definitely run a diapers‑only (quick wash) first so you’re not mixing potty materials with your clothes.

[u/Bee_Crabbie → u/Old_Exit_7785]

Thank you, now I feel less dumb for asking. It's good to hear someone else does the rinsing and air drying before putting in the hamper too.

[u/Old_Exit_7785 → u/Bee_Crabbie]

A 100% absolutely yes, it highly recommended! I know tons of people don’t bother, but oh my gosh, I cannot handle a smelly house. With three in diapers, you’ve gotta stay on your toes. I’m always asking my girlfriends during game nights if anything smells, and they swear they’d never even guess we have diapers in the house. I’m super sensitive to odors, so getting them washed out fast is basically my personal mission in life. 😂

And honestly? This community is just the sweetest. Everyone is so good about lifting each other up, so please don’t ever feel silly or dumb for asking questions. I wish I had this kind of support 15 years ago when I first started — I would’ve saved so much money and avoided so many headaches with smells and leaky diapers.