To Strip or Not to Strip…Diapers that is!

If you are new to Cloth Diapering, the phrase “Stripping your Diapers” may seem like
a strange phrase. I mean why would you need to strip your diapers? How do you strip
them? And why would you strip them? Keep on reading for the answers…

Reasons WHY  I may need to Strip my Cloth
• You notice a NASTY smell coming from your diapers even after washing
• Your diapers seem to be leaking for no particular reason
• You notice an Ammonia smell once the diaper has been soiled
• You use detergents that are not meant for Cloth Diapers
• You have detergent build-up
• You use rash ointments that are not Cloth Diaper Safe
• You have mineral binding/detergent build-up from Hard Water
• Your baby is getting unexplained diaper rashes

WHAT does Stripping my Cloth Diapers mean?
• Stripping your diapers is a way to rid your Cloth Diapers of all of the conditions
listed above. It is sometimes considered regular maintenance if you use Cloth Diapers (kind of like an oil change for your car).

HOW do I Strip My Cloth Diapers?
• Start with Clean Cloth Diapers (Rinse, Wash). They don't have to be dried to
strip! Just wash them as you normally would.
• LET THE STRIPPING BEGIN....
• Next, throw your diapers in a HOT wash with NO DETERGENT.
• Then run 3-4 HOT rinse cycles with NO DETERGENT.
• Let Air Dry or Tumble dry on Low.
• If you can see actual spots from rash ointments, you may want to add a
tablespoon of the original blue dawn liquid detergent to help with the oil build-
up. You can add this in during the First Hot Wash.
• Make sure you do the largest load cycle possible when stripping because the more
water in your machine, the better the diapers will be cleaned.

HOW OFTEN should I strip my diapers?
• You may not ever need to strip your Cloth Diapers, but chances are, your diapers
will encounter some kind of invasion (detergent, hard water, rash cream, etc). For
some people, they like to strip the diapers every month or so. For me, I like to do
it every 2-3 months, or if I notice one of the above problems.

Be cautious not to strip too often it does cause “wear and tear” on your diapers.



Contributed by: Julie
Hi my name is Julie and I am the mother to a little boy. He was my motivation to start Cloth Diapering! Not wanting to expose his little bum to all those chemicals in disposables and not returning to work full time, I was looking for a safe and inexpensive alternative. Cloth Diapering was my answer! I have been cloth diapering since he was 1 month old and have become addicted every since! When I am not cloth diapering, blogging about cloth diapers, or converting others to cloth diapers, I am spending time with my wonderful family and husband who is a devoted Pastor. I also love watching football and water skiing!