You just got brand new cloth diapers. Now what? Do you need to pre-wash them before use? How many times? Here's what you need to know.
Synthetic Fabric Diapers
Yes you need to pre-wash them once. If you have purchased covers, pocket style diapers, all-in-two (AI2) or all-in-one (AIO) style diapers made with synthetic fabrics like microfleece, microfiber, micro-suede or athletic wicking jersey, you need only wash once with detergent and dry them before use. The fabrics themselves do not need any prepping to be absorbent for use on baby, however, shipping and packaging dust etc. should be removed before they go on baby.
Natural Fabric Diapers
If on the other hand you have purchased cloth diapers that are made in any part with natural fabrics (bamboo, bamboo fleece, bamboo velour, cotton, organic cotton, or hemp) then some pre-washing is necessary. The more unprocessed the fabric is, the more pre-washing it will require. For example, for bamboo, bamboo fleece and cotton, the manufacturer might recommend 3-5 pre-washes before use so check the tag.
NOTE: In these cases you can get a way with just 1 pre-wash if you don't want to spend forever pre-washing. Just keep in mind that the diaper will get more absorbent over time and subsequent washes until it reaches peak absorbency. So if you get a bit of a leak, never fear, it will resolve with more washes. This is especially true of hemp.
Also, expect some shrinkage on natural fabrics of up to 25% after the first few washes. Fabrics like cotton flats and prefolds, some bamboo and hemp are not pre-shrunk before being sewn into diapers and are manufactured with shrinkage in mind. Prefolds for example will seem flat, thin and stiff upon unpackaging but they shrink, quilt up and are nice and fluffy and absorbent after washing.
Diaper Covers
Covers made of PUL (polyurethane laminate) or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) do not need to be pre-washed, but as they are synthetic fabrics as discussed above, should be given one pre-wash to ensure they are clean before use on baby.
Wool
Wool needs to be lanolised before use as lanolin is what makes it water resistant when used as a diaper cover. So, if your wool cover has already been lanolised, then go ahead and use it on baby straight away. If not, then you'll need to wash it with special wool wash, lanolise and dry it before use.
**NOTE: Pre-washing means washing with detergent to remove the remaining natural oils in the fabric and make them nice and absorbent for use on your baby.