How to Strip Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapers get an ammonia build up that makes them smell acidic when urine comes into contact with them - we can strip cloth diapers to remove this. I'll take you through exactly how to do this!

I kept hearing and reading that if my wash routine for my diapers was good, I wouldn't get this ammonia build up. I am not convinced. I spent months changing my washing powder and my wash routine (and ruining other clothes I washed with the diapers in the process) - a few things here and there meant I got a buildup less frequently, but NOTHING prevented a buildup altogether. Loads of people won't agree with me, but I think stripping diapers is simply part of the cloth diaper journey. And therefore, useful to know how to do well, affordably and with products you feel comfortable with.

Table of content

1. Introduction

2. Things to note

   1. Use the sun (but with UV)

   2. Disclaimer

   3. Type of diaper and parts of diaper for stripping

3. What you'll need to strip the diapers

4. How to strip your cloth diapers

5. Concluding Remarks

Introduction

If you've noticed your cloth diapers losing their absorbency or developing stubborn odors, it might be time for a deep clean. Stripping cloth diapers is an effective way to remove detergent buildup, mineral deposits, or residue that regular washing can’t eliminate. The good news? You don’t need fancy products—just a few pantry staples like borax, baking soda, and washing soda can do the trick!

In this post, I’ll walk you through a simple, budget-friendly method to strip your cloth diapers, restoring them to their former glory. Whether you're a cloth diapering newbie or a seasoned pro dealing with wear and tear, this step-by-step guide will help ensure your diapers stay fresh, soft, and absorbent. Let’s dive in!

When your diapers smell strong with even the smallest amount of wee in - it is time for strip.

Things to note

Yes, stripping diapers is not great for them. It is quite harsh. BUT I found my elaborate wash routine trying to avoid a buildup was actually much worse for my diapers than stripping them every few months.

I think through a good (not to harsh and ruin other clothes) routine - you can stretch the time between needing to strip diapers. This is good, but I wouldn't (like me) go all out trying to avoid it because a few things online lead you to believe a good wash routine is completely preventative. I spent loads trying out all the different natural washing powders in the name of improving my washing routine and ended back where I started (for the most part).

When I cloth diaper with a future kid I'll stick to my current routine - I like it, and I will routinely strip my diapers every few months and then make good use of the sun in Summer and Spring.

Use the sun (but with UV)

And on that note - check the UV where you are and use that whenever possible! Good sun is fantastic for diapers. I've used reusable period panties and pads for years - the beautiful South African sun made sure they stayed perfectly white after years of monthly use. Now that I live in Calgary, Canada - the use of sun is not as accessible to me (it shines often, but the UV isn't such that it will bleach and clean items in Winter).

As soon as the UV starts to increase, I put my diapers in the sun after a good wash (ideally a strip). Even though Elba is out of diapers now (except night nappy - thanks Elimination Communication) I haven't packed the diapers away because we are in winter. In Spring I will do a final strip and put them in direct sunlight to dry and then I will pack them away.

So, my tip for stripping if you can - do it the night before a nice sunny day and then do a quick wash in the morning and hung the diapers in direct sun to dry.

I bought some 2nd hand newborn cloth diapers (because our shipping from SA was delayed with mine in it) that had some yellow stains on. a wash and some sun made them perfectly white again! The sun is free and if accessible to you - I definitely recommend making use of it.

Disclaimer

It probably goes without saying, but I am going to say it - I am not responsible for the preservation of your cloth diapers. If anything I recommend doesn't sit well with you or you think it's too harsh or you think it might ruin your diapers - please don't do it. Just take what serves you and leave what doesn't.

I, of course, also recommend you check the wash instructions on the diaper you have, but if I am being honest, I do often ignore those in the name of cleaning them and that is a risk I take with the diapers I have. Do what you think is best with your diapers.

I haven't had damage to my diapers from stripping them (more than once).

Another Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. Rest assured, I only recommend products I genuinely love and trust to help make your cloth diapering journey a little easier. Thank you for supporting this blog—it helps me continue to share helpful tips and ideas with you!

Some diaper types get a build up faster

I have 100% cotton diapers, and I have cotton blend diapers - it is my experience that the 100% cotton diapers get a build up faster than the blend diapers. I do prefer 100% cotton and therefore this is something I am willing to take, but I thought it worth noting.

I also found that the night nappies get a build up faster, but this makes sense because they are worn for the longest period of time and usually the only diapers in our case that held more than one wee at a time.

Note on types of diapers: I use fitted and flat diapers with a cover (so basically the cotton part and then a polyester or wool cover over). I don't use pockets or all in ones. I mention this because the only part of the diaper I strip is the cotton or cotton blend part. I don't strip the covers at all.

I have several videos on cloth diapering on my Youtube channel if you are interested.

What you'll need to strip the diapers

1. Your normal laundry detergent - I use Nellie's Oxygen Brightener for my prewash cycle and Molly Suds Laundry Powder as my normal detergent.

2. Borax

3. Bicarbonate Soda (also known as Bicarb or Baking Soda)

4. Washing Soda

I have linked the actual products I purchased to use.

An additional optional item: Calgon

Of the items I recommend using, Calgon is the only one that isn't all natural and nontoxic and all that. That being said, I was fine with using a small amount of it. I would not use it regularly and I would not use it with my normal laundry. I used it once in the stripping process and the diapers are washed afterwards.

Here in Calgary we have hard water. This impacts cloth diapers. While we do have a water softner on our mains now, there was a time that we did not. I used Calgon in my stripping process to help with the hard water build up. I don't use it now that we have a softner on the mains.

Side note: Apparently using vinegar in your wash routine makes things worse if you have hard water. I read this after trying vinegar.

How to strip your cloth diapers - Steps

First step is washing your cloth diapers as you usually would. For me that means a normal wash (using Molly Suds) warm water (heavy soil) with a prewash (using Nellie's oxygen brightener).

Prepare for stripping

Add very hot water to your bathtub (or the container you are stripping the diapers in).

Depending on how many diapers you are stripping and how much water you are adding, you can adjust the following amounts, but essentially you want equal part borax, bicarb and washing soda.

I usually use the following when stripping my entire cloth diaper stash:

• 1/2 cup of Borax

• 1/2 cup of Baking Soda

• 1/2 of Washing Soda

If I am doing half my stash or only the day or only the night nappies then I use a quarter cup of each. If my diapers have been exposed to hard water, then I add a cap (use the cap of the container) or two of Calgon.

Add these to the hot water and mix it in.

Soak the diapers in the bathtub with the solution

Add the cloth diapers and make sure that they are all submerged.

Stir it occasionally. If you're doing it during the day, then stir it every few hours. If you're doing it overnight (which is what I usually do). Simply stir it a few times before going to sleep.

Soak time varies but since I do it overnight, I soak it for about 8 to 10 hours.

Rinse and wash the diapers

After they are done soaking, I drain the water and spray them off in the bath to get some of the solution off. I then add them to the washing machine and run a rinse cycle because they are often very wet and heavy at this point and full of the solution.

Once the rinse cycle is completed, I do a normal wash with warm water, and I add an additional rinse cycle to the end. Depending on what the diapers look like I might do another rinse after all this.

Dry the diapers

When I am doing my normal wash routine, I dry the diapers on a low heat setting in the dryer, but when I strip them, I line dry them in the sun. After line drying the diapers, I do put them in the drier for a few minutes to soften up (the sun and line drying them makes them stiff and not as nice against baby's body). In winter there isn't much benefit for me to put them in the sun, so I simply dry them with the dryer.

Concluding remarks

I want to add a note about using so called diaper cleaning pods. I was given GroVia's Mighty Bubbles. I used it when I purchased secondhand diapers as a way of cleaning them and I used it to attempt to remove an ammonia build up. I found it did not work for me to remove the buildup.

I found the method I shared in this blog to work the best for me to remove the ammonia build up in diapers.

I would love to hear if this works for you or what you've tried if it did or didn't work!

P.s. Instead of Oxygen brightener I have also used Bicarb in my pre-washes.

Carmen - follow me @sustainabilityC for real time insights.