How do you make diapering more Sanitary, especially Cloth Diapering?

For me, sanitation became a key concern, when I talked to one of my older sisters about cloth diapering, and she told me her son had gotten a really bad yeast infection when she tried cloth diapering. She seemed to have had such a bad experience, I was worried something like it might happen to me.

She said what happened to her was probably because she wasn't able to wash the diapers as often as she should have. She was only able to wash them once a week. 

Now, I would be able to wash mine more regularly then her, but what she told me really got me concerned.  I mean I would be putting pooped and peed on things in my washer regularly. The thought of that started troubling me, so I got looking up ways to sanitize my laundry. It's amazing what a little education can do. These are some of the things I learned:

*Some diapers can be harder to wash and sanitize because:

                 

         -The materials they are made of will get ruined by washing them in hot water or using cleaning additives or disinfectants on them 

*Some diapers are naturally easier to keep sanitized, because:

         -The materials they are made of are naturally antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antistatic, such as Bamboo is claimed to be. 

        

        -or the materials they are made of can withstand a hot wash, and the use of cleaning additives or disinfectants.

*There are many natural, even inexpensive ways to sanitize your washer, diapers, and other clothes, etc. Such as:

      -Lemon Juice with Baking Soda (used on different cycles) I add these to my white batch of clothes. I added the baking soda at the first and lemon juice during the rinse. 

      -White Vinegar with Baking Soda (used on different cycles- one at first and one during rinse) I like to use this with my towels and socks. 

     -Melaleuca Oil (or Lavender, Orange, etc) This is what I use in my cloth diaper batch for right now. I put it in a spray bottle with water and then spray some in the washer, but it can be added directly into the water in the washer, just be careful not to directly get it on clothes, unless you know it is safe to. 

I get my oil from http://www.melaleuca.com/ProductStore/ProductSubCategory.aspx?id=65. 

If you want to know about getting a discount you can look at my other blog at http://behomeyou.blogspot.com/ or just let me know on this blog. The Melaleuca company also has other environmentally friendly wellness products you can look at on the Melaleuca link above.

    -Sunning your diapers can help disinfect them as well as whiten stains. 

Thanks!

What do you like to do? Any innovative ideas for sanitizing?