BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Remove Cloth Diaper Stains With Sunlight

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Consistent use of bleach (chlorine or non-chlorine) breaks down the fibers in cloth diapers. Bleach may also irritate your baby's sensitive skin. Sunlight removes stains gently, quickly and naturally. Use the following instructions to use the sun to remove stains from your cloth diapers.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Clothesline (or sheet to lay diapers flat)
Clothespins if windy
Sunlight

Step1

Wash diapers as usual. Do a cold soak, followed by a hot wash with minimal detergent, followed by extra rinses. Don't dry stained diapers.

Step2

Hang clean and wet stained diapers outside on a clothesline in full sun. Lay diapers flat on a sheet or blanket in the sun if no clothesline is available.

Step3

Hang diapers in front of a sunny window in wet or wintry weather. Leave diapers in the sun for at least 30 minutes or until stains are gone.

Step4

For tough stains, spray lemon or lime juice on the stain or use an enzyme stain remover (see Resources). Rinse treated diapers again after sunning. Untreated diapers don't require a post-sun rinse.

Tips & Warnings

Sunlight removes stains most effectively from washed and still wet diapers. Overcast light still removes stains, but not as effectively as direct sun.
Run the diaper wash overnight with a low spin speed, so diapers are still wet in the morning to hang in the sun.
Extended periods of strong, midday sunlight and hard water usage make your diapers stiff and crunchy when they dry. Put sunned diapers in the dryer while still slightly damp (or toss in a moist washcloth with dry diapers) to fluff and soften up.