How do I wash and dry the diapers?

• If the outer cover is dark color, wash with like colors in cold water for 2-3 times before use. This helps to retain the color from bleeding.

  Pre-Wash: Brand new diaper repel moisture rather than absorb it. Make sure that you wash 3-4 times before using.   There can be residue left on the fabric from the production process that can cause leakage. Reduce the amount of detergent to 1/4 of your normal amount. Detergent must be completely dissolved for optimum washing results.
  

• Basic Washing: Simply remove the inserts from the pocket and flush away the soil. Rinse thoroughly to avoid stains and odor develop. Put the cover and the inserts together in the washer.  You do not need to wash your covers after every use if they are not too soiled. Simply rinse it thoroughly with warm water, hang dry and reuse it for a few more times before putting in the washer. Inserts can be pre-soak in cold for half an hour, then a hot wash.

• Washing Routine: Don't wait more than 3 days to wash your diapers. If possible, washing every 1-2 days to help prevent bacteria.  Bacteria will cause your diapers smell.

• Selecting a Washing Temperature: Water temperature is an important factor in getting your diapers clean. The maximum washing temperature for the outer shells/Diaper Covers is 95 degree F or 35 degree C. Microfiber Inserts can be sanitize in any water temperature. Bamboo Inserts please refer to Caring for your Bamboo diapers
  

• Selecting a Detergent: We do not recommend using a detergent with brighteners or fragrance.  Brighteners will destroy the TPU (lining material) of your diaper. Fragrance will irritate your baby's delicate skin.  Damage caused from using brighteners/harsh chemical is not covered in our Warranty.

• Drying: Line dry the outer shell, or dry on medium for 10 mins, pull out the shells and then continue drying the inserts
  
  

KaWaii Baby diaper is made of TPU fabric, which is a heat laminated process to make the diaper waterproof. The TPU is not a chemical solvent process, eco friendly is our goal. It can not withstand the heat or hot water. The colder the water the softer your diapers will be.

• Amount of Detergent: Reduce the amount of detergent to 1/2 of your normal amount. Detergent must be completely dissolved for optimum washing results.

• Velcro Type Outer Shells/Covers: Make sure to fasten the velcro fastener before washing. DON'T open the velcro fastener when the diaper is wet. It will reduce the stickiness ability.

• Turning your diaper inside out before putting in the wash: It refers to turn the inner lining inside out , it will stop the color fading . help keep the diapers looking better and last longer. Same with the dryer , the more heat you add to your diapers , the more worn out they become and the heat fades the color.

How to loosen or undoing a snap:

To unsnap the diaper, do not attempt to tear the fabric until the snap pop off, use your fingers to easily unsnap each snap. 

Things that you cannot do:

Do not use fabric softener or dry sheet, it will reduce the absorbency of your diaper.

Do not use detergent contains optical brighteners or fluorescent whitening agents.

Do not use bleach, it can ruin the elastic and damage the water-proofing of your outer shells or covers. Also avoid borax, whitening additives, detergents with chlorine bleach, liquid concentrates and stain removers.

Avoid rubbing detergent directly on the outer shell or cover. It will damage the water-proofness of your diapers and void your warranty.

If you choose to use a diaper cream, put a liner between your baby's bottom and the diaper, it will prevent the diaper cream to transfer to the fabric and reduce its absorbency.

How to disinfecting your diapers?

Recommend to do once a month. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Method 1: Baking Soda can kill bacteria and odor

Hand Washing: Use a basin of hot water (95 degree F, 35 degree C), add a little bit of baking soda, add diapers in the hot baking soda water, allow to soak until the water has cooled, line dry under sunlight.

Machine Washing: Put the diapers in a full load of water, add 20g baking soda, rinse and line dry under sunlight.

Method 2: Lemon Juice can soften your diapers

Use 20g of lemon juice add to hot water, soak the inserts for a hour before your normal washing cycle.

Method 3: Vinegar

Vinegar helps neutralize the urine in diapers, equalizes PH balace. Vinegar helps break down soap residue or film build up. It is also a natural fabric softener, we recommend to use not more than 1/4 cup of White Vineger in the rinse cycle.

Why do diapers leak and how do I prevent it?

Cloth diapers will always be more prone to leaks than disposables as they do not contain dangerous liquid-solidifying chemicals. There are lots of reasons for leaking and many solutions to help.

Immediate Leak/Repelling- this could be a result of the build up from detergent, ointments, soap, hard water, or the residue of manufacturing process. We recommend you to do the stripping of diapers.  First run a cold rinse with no detergent, run a warm/hot cycle (little detergent if necessary but no bleach).  Run another cold rinse cycle. Continue washing on warm/hot and rinsing on cold until all the suds run clear

Leaking after a short while- when you change the diaper, the diaper or the insert is completely saturated with liquid, you need to change the diaper more often or need more absorbency, the diaper has exceed the absorbency capacity

• Too Wet - Diaper will leak when FULL AND SATURATED,  dampness spreading across the outer cover, usually from the legs, this is normal, even the famous brand will be the same. Change the diaper often and don't wait until they are too wet.                               
• Incorrect Use of Insert - Even a tiny bit of diaper fabric sticking outside of the cover can cause a surprising amount of urine to wick out quite quickly. Make sure the inserts are probably stuff in place when you put it on your baby.
• New diaper repels moisture - If the water droplets bead up on the surface then your diapers need a few more washings in warm water using mild detergent.
• Inserts not effective - detergents gradually build up on the fibers over repeated washing causing the insert to become less absorbent and repel liquids rather than absorbing them.  You may soak the inserts in 1 teaspoon of baking soda and warm water for half and hour before washing.
• Newborns wet their diapers often because they have very tiny bladders, so you will require diaper change in every 1-2 hour to prevent leaking.
• Difference between boys and girls - Perhaps your child has a very strong urine stream and literally leak through the diaper, here is the tips.  For baby boy will need to be thicker in the front, fluid tend to flow upward but make sure not over the tummy button (umbilicus). For baby girl will need extra padding at the back.  This can slow down the urine stream so that the diaper has a chance to absorb.

Is the washing and drying of diapers difficult and time consuming?

It is neither difficult nor time consuming.  Washing and drying will give you your first cloth diapering experience hassle free, just remove the inserts from the outer shell to rinse off the soil before washing. We recommend using natural cleaning agent such as baking soda, lemon juice or vinegar to eliminate odor or stains. Washing and drying time is quicker than normal diapers. Please read our FAQ for more washing instructions.

Method of storing your used diapers prior to washing

Wet pail - store the soiled diapers in a solution of water, odor and stain eliminators, such as baking soda, it can reduce smells and staining in a wet pail.  Throw the soil and waste in a toilet or rinse them in a utility sink to loosen or remove waste before putting them in a wet pail.

The wet pail method acts like a pre-soak, and is best for controlling stains. Wet pails are heavy since you must lug the water around to fill or change, and the standing water creates a drowning hazard if a baby should get into the diaper pail. If you choose a wet pail for cloth diapers, you should be sure children can't reach it, or choose a locking top

Dry pail - dry diaper pail is one where used diapers are stored with no rinsing or standing water. Diapers are simply tossed in the pail and stay there until wash day. Shake the diapers over the toilet to get rid of any loose waste before putting them in the dry pail. A sprinkle of baking soda or a small towel sprinkled with lavender or tea tree oil is sometimes used in a dry pail to control odors. A medium-sized trash can with a flip-top lid works well as a dry pail, as will any other larger plastic container with a lid.