Care Instructions

Our training pants are easy to care for, especially if you know a few tricks of the trade. Diapers and inserts can be washed this way, too, though Fuzzi Bunz do better when washed separately from cotton and hemp (the lint from the absorbent materials forms pills on the Fuzzi Bunz).

Snap-side training pants do not need to be unsnapped for washing unless they were already unsnapped when you changed them. Simply turn the wet pants inside out (to help protect the colorful knit or waterproof material from the washer and dryer while exposing the soiled part of the pants to the most vigorous washing) and put them in the pail or tote bag until you're ready to wash. Then:

Dump the bag or pail of dirties into the washer and throw in the bag, too.
Cold rinse/spin to get out the worst of the ickies.
Hot wash with the least amount of detergent you need to make just enough suds to break the surface of the water-about 1/4 - 1/2 the recommended amount, or even less. I usually use 1-2 teaspoons.
Another cold rinse/spin to make sure all the soap is out.
Dry on hot, making sure the pants are still inside-out when you put them in the dryer. As you take them out of the dryer, turn them right-side-out again. You should now have a basket full of fresh-smelling training pants!

If your training pants don't come out smelling good, they most likely still have detergent residue holding in the stink. Try running them through a cold wash cycle with no detergent. You may need to do this more than once until the water runs clear (no more suds).

DO NOT use pure soap products, like Ivory Snow or Dreft on your trainers, as this will coat them and make them less absorbent.
DO NOT use fabric softener of any kind on your trainers, as this will also coat them and make them less absorbent.
DO NOT use chlorine bleach, as this will break down the fabric. Some people have experienced this problem with products like Oxi-Clean as well.
DO NOT wait too long between washes. This is an important warning for EC families whose baby or toddler is nearly "graduated" and it takes a week or longer to finally have a full load of wet diapers or training pants. Baby's waste products eat away at the fibers in the fabric and can actually cause the diapers or pants to disintegrate in the wash if left too long.

It's best to wash these items AT LEAST once a week, no matter how few you have to wash, and 2-3 times a week is better. If you only have one or two wet training pants, you could just throw them in with your regular laundry, especially if you are using natural detergent like Allen's Naturally.

A word about snaps: EC store training pants use professional-quality snaps that are guaranteed not to break under normal conditions. If you do have a snap break, we will put on a new snap if you send the pants back to us (please contact us about it first). However, please open snaps gently. Yanking the snap open may cause it to break or pull it through the fabric, leaving a hole that can't be repaired.





Care for: SIMPLYcover, SIMPLYpullon and Training Pant Cover

Wash and dry on hot to "prime" your new covers - this closes the holes made when sewing them.

Wash according to our training pants instructions above, or how you like to wash your other cloth diapers.

Covers can be dried at any temperature, or hung to dry.







Care Instructions for Wool Clothing and Products

We recommend Eucalan wool wash. Fill your washer or another basin with tepid water, add 1 tablespoon Eucalan (less for smaller loads). Stop machine after filling. If you are relanolizing, mix a small amount of lanolin (a half-inch from a tube of Lansinoh works fine) in a little HOT water to dissolve, then add to wash. Add wool items and mix gently by hand but do not agitate. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes. No need to rinse. Remove excess water by bypassing the wash and rinse cycles and starting machine on final spin cycle. Or, if handwashing, remove items and gently squeeze out water, then lay flat on a towel and roll to press out more moisture. Lay flat to dry. DO NOT use regular detergents, regular washing machine cycles, or dryers.









Care Instructions for Fleece Clothing and Products

Turn inside out. Wash with regular clothes, preferably lots of other fleece or other non-linty fabrics. Lint from other fabrics causes fleece to pill and attract lint and hair. Machine wash cold or warm. Hang dry. Can be dried on low heat for a very short cycle. Fleece will melt if dried on hot or for too long!






Care Instructions for Essential Care Pads
Used pads may be rinsed in cold water and washed in a good detergent with the rest of the family's laundry (no bleach or fabric softener, please!), or soak in a container of cold water, changing water daily, until you are ready to wash them. Machine dry on medium or hot.







Care Instructions for Super-Thin Nursing Pads
Pads may be washed in a good detergent with the rest of the family's laundry (no bleach or fabric softener, please!). Machine dry on low.