I've been cloth diapering for over 6 years, but I still sometimes find myself surprised by the strange looks and the mistaken opinions that most people have when the topic arises.
I want to dispel some myths in what will be a short but hopefully clarifying series on cloth diapering.
In my experience I have found that using cloth dipes is simply not:
- More expensive
- More disgusting
- More time consuming
- More inconvenient
- For hippies only :)
Today I will begin by addressing two of the most common myths that I hear, next week I'll continue on with the following 3 myths, and then I will open it up for you to ask me all of your more specific questions that I will do my very best to answer.
Cloth diapering isn't more expensive
It baffles me to no end that people wonder this, although I suppose it might be because they gasp at the idea of the initial cost outset. Yes, cloth diapers do cost more upfront. No, they are not even a fraction of the cost long term.
Let's crunch some numbers.
The average baby goes through about 6 diapers per day. Many newborns go through twice that many, averaging 8-10 per day at least, while an older baby may get down to as little as 4 diapers per day, so we'll use 6 as the overall average.
6 diapers x 30 days= 180 diapers monthly
Case of Size 4 Pampers diapers at Amazon (with 192 diapers) = $33.14 (that's a very cheap price, actually- now you know where to buy disposables if my posts don't convince you to try cloth!)
Disposable wipes= About 200 monthly (this is very conservative- it's probably much higher)
Wipes cost (bought in bulk)= About $0.02 to $0.04 each.
Averaging that at $0.03 per wipe at 200 per month, that's another $6 monthly.
Total disposable diapering monthly cost: $39.14 approximately (higher for a baby under 3-4 months old)
(Not to mention the use of other products like a Diaper Genie and it's refills, etc.)
Image by trenttsd
Now let's crunch the numbers for cloth.
15 FuzziBunz One Size Diapers= $284.20 USD (includes shipping- this is from Nicki's Diapers)
Add $21.95 for a hanging, washable dirty-diaper bag, and another $25 for 24 unbleached cotton washable wipes.
A set of diapers like this will carry you from the time baby is about 8-10 lbs all the way through potty training. I use and adore these diapers myself, and they still fit my 4 year old who needs a diaper at night. 15 diapers will allow you to go 2-3 days between washes, depending how many diapers baby goes through. Note that there are much cheaper options (like cotton prefolds and fitted covers, but I'll stick with the pocket diaper example because of their popularity and ease of use).
Assuming baby fully potty-trains by 24 months old (idealistic, but not really likely):
Monthly cloth diapering cost= $13.80 per month
A few more things to note:
- If baby takes longer than 2 years to potty train (which many do), your monthly cost only goes down.
- You will also likely get to use each set of diapers and wipes for 2 children, not just 1, if you take good care of them (I will definitely get two kids out of my current pocket diaper stash). If so, you just cut your cost almost in half.
Now what about hot water costs and laundry detergent?
Yes, there is a slight cost increase, but it's very low. I wash 2-3 loads per week, and I do use hot water (keeping my water levels low). But, I air-dry my diapers, saving on electricity and preserving the life of the diapers, as many moms do. I would guess that the additional utilities costs are maximum $5-10 per month.
I buy my detergent in large boxes to keep the cost down. I use less detergent in my diaper washes than in my regular wash, to prevent build-up. I probably use the detergent equivalent of about 5-6 extra laundry loads, which doesn't cost more than $1 monthly (even with the use of a high-quality, natural detergent).
Even supposing we bump our $13.80 up to $22 to account for extra costs associated with washing, we are still at just over half the cost of disposables.
Final monthly cost comparison
Cloth diapering= $22
Disposable diapering = $39.14 (minimum)
Image by futurestreet
Cloth diapering isn't more disgusting
I know, I know. You don't believe me.
Let me ask you this... by using disposables, do you avoid having to wipe really dirty bums and avoid smelling nasty diapers? Do you avoid messy diaper blowouts on occasion? I didn't think so.
Additionally, did you know that even with the use of disposables, you are supposed to be dumping all solid waste into the toilet, rather than simply rolling the full diaper up and tossing it in the garbage can? (I know, hardly anyone does that, but it's true!)
When I take off a wet diaper, I get nothing more on my hands than I would with a disposable diaper, and I simply toss it in my diaper pail and close the lid. When I clean up a dirty diaper, I get no more on my hands than one might while cleaning up a disposable diaper with a disposable wipe (and then I go wash my hands, same as everyone else).
Dirty diapers go in a dry pail, so there is no dirty water sloshing around. Toss them in, close the lid, walk away. Spray air freshener if you like. When it's time to wash, open the washer, dump the entire contents of the pail in, turn it on and close the lid. I spray and rinse out my pail, dump the dirty water and only once in a while give it a true scrub when it needs it. And if you want to avoid needing to scrub out a pail, use a washable wet bag to store your diapers instead, which gets tossed straight into the washer with your diapers, and comes out smelling fresh.
The only time that cloth diapering is potentially less pleasant is when I need to rinse out a dirty diaper in the toilet before putting it in the pail. I grab the four clean ends of the diaper to hold, swirl it around a bit, flush the toilet, and toss the diaper in the pail. Short and simple, hold your breath if you like and I won't tell a soul.
Image by burstyriffic
What about dirty diapers in my purse or diaper bag while we're out?
Easy. Get a small, washable wet bag that fits your diaper bag (mine can even go in my regular purse). It keeps any wetness and stink inside, until I can get home to dump the contents and wash the wet bag so that it's fresh to take out with me once more.
Two cloth diapering myths dealt with, three to go next week, and then I'll open it up for any and every question you can throw my way... Until then, look forward to a cloth diapering store giveaway coming up this Thursday!
Has it not occured to anyone that when you are accustomed to using a certain diaper you are FAR less likely to have leaks than when you use a different diaper? The dreaded "blowouts" that we've had would've crawled out of ANY diaper, I promise. I'm pretty sure they were still crawling when I was cleaning them up! The only problems with leaks I've had in disposables were due to babies growing OR using a diaper I wasn't used to. I personally don't care what kind of diapers people use. And with a 1 & 2 year old, one of whom has extra needs; being an "older" mom *who was a cloth diapered baby* with less energy; and already doing at least 2 loads of laundry per day I'm okay with disposables. My house does NOT smell like dirty diapers, we don't use ANY air fresheners or "scents" in our house due to a family member with asthma. My diaper pail doesn't have a "gross out" factor as it is emptied about as often as I read cloth users wash their diapers. A mom should never be criticized or shamed for her choice of diapers.
You're right, no one should be shamed for making any choice, and that's certainly not the goal of this post. It was simply for those who were unsure of using cloth, to realize that if it's something that they're potentially interested in, they might find it easier and more manageable than they thought it was. For those who are content using disposables, there is no intention to criticize at all. I'm sorry if it came across in that manner. Have a good day! :)
I really appreciate this post. I used disposables with my son, but would be willing to try cloth if I ever had another baby. I don't know whether or not I would stick with it; I honestly couldn't answer that till I tried it firsthand. But what I love about your post is that it is not judgmental or condascending toward people who use disposables, and it is honest. Some of the cost comparisons I have seen have been ridiculous (totally inflating the cost of using disposables). I appreciate that yours was an accurate portrayal.
Stephanie, thanks for all your writing on cloth diapering. Your blog is very motivating to me!
I find that having a garbage can (even with lid) full of dirty disposable diapers is much stinkier than a diaper pail full of dirty cloth diapers, because I always swish the poop in the toilet first. When you use fleece liners, it almost all comes off so easily. I have no problem putting it all through the washer and then washing clothes the next batch. I do a cold rinse first, like Stephanie does, and never notice any thing stinky or gross about my washer or clothes. That's what soap is for.
Hmmm.
So does that mean you throw the dirty diaper into the washer machine with some poop attached to the cloth? I mean not all of it is going to come off and go into the toilet. I can't imagine washing my clothes knowing I threw poop in the washer the load before.. O.o
I just can't get over that. It's a little gross, okay I lied, very very gross. lol
@Janice, Well, hardly any. There are little bits left, but the great majority ends up in the toilet, not the washer. And it doesn't phase me because I rinse the diapers first, then give them a full hot wash. There's nothing left in the washer after. I know. I've looked and smelled. :)
If the diapers are clean when the wash is done, so is the washer!
Ok - one question on the rinsing the poop diapers - after you rinse them with the sprayer or by dunking, do you have to squeeze out the extra water, or do you put a sopping wet diaper into the bag? Thank you!
@Amy, I don't rinse them out at all. I let them drip for just a few seconds, then toss them in the pail (and I would do the same if I had a diaper bag). It's ok that they're wet, and the entire diaper doesn't get wet, only the middle of it.
Thank you for taking the time to write this post. I find these cloth diapering myths can be somewhat challenging to help new and prospective parents get past. We have been cloth diapering over 2 years, still not potty trained, but I'm proud to say we have never had a blow out. Friends of mine that use disposables cannot say the same.
By chance, what type of cloth diaper have you used for the 2+ years? I'm going to ask this sweet Blog writer as well! I have been trying to ask ladies I have come across who have cloth diapered for over 18 months straight. I'm a newbie momma-to-be, and I can't spend my money bouncing from one CD maker to another. Times are tight and I'm trying to be smart! Thanks for any CD makers you can suggest. I'm due in August and trying to buy up diapers over the next few months to less-in the upfront financial amount. Thanks again!!!!
I LOVE cloth diapering, but my daughter is only 5 months so I haven't gotten to the needing to deal with the poop stage. Like others have mentioned (on this post? maybe on another I was reading first...), I was working before our daughter was born, so financially it was much easier for our budget to absorb the start up costs of cloth then, because we certainly would not be able to afford a stash or even disposables every month now.
Someone gave us some disposables, and I needed to strip our diapers so I used them for a few days, and let me just say that pee and poop smells SO MUCH WORSE in disposable diapers! I was shocked. So for all of you who are using disposables and thinking, "these diapers are so disgusting I would never use cloth", just tuck that away. Her dirtiest diapers almost never smell, but in the disposables I did have to hold my breath and take them straight to an outside trash can. It was gnarly.
I use gdiapers for both my girls. I like them for my 7 month old, but do not *love* them for my bouncing 2 year old. I do love Thirsties with basically any insert for her though. They fit very well around the leg. I can't wait because I ordered a few fuzzibunz to try until she is potty trained!
We've been cloth diapering our first born daughter with Gro-Via hybrids and G-Diapers and LOVE THEM. I also started putting my daughter on the toilet starting at about 4 months when I could tell she was going number 2. This helped so much because cloth allowed her to feel the wet and uncomfortableness and beginning at 10 months, she consistently has gone on the potty for number 2. Now, at 15 months, she is crawl/walking to the bathroom for #1 and 2. Talk about saving money!
Thanks for this! I am cloth diapering twins right now, so I obviously don't need to be convinced, but it's a good piece to read to remind me why we're doing this. We do use sposies at night and I cringe whenever I see someone going for the paper diapers when they're changing a baby during the day. I yell things like "No! That's a quarter you're giving him/her to poop on!"
What detergent do you use and where do you purchase it?
@Amy, Amy, I use Country Save (powder form) and it is really cheap and great for front loaders, as well. I buy it at our local Coop but you can find it really cheap on Amazon.com and even better if you subscribe to Amazonmom or subscribe and save.
So many great comments....I wish I knew more about cloth diapering when my kids were in diapers. All I knew about was my grandma's type - folding the cloth, those huge pins, and the hideous vinyl bloomers that went over the top and made noise at the slightest movement. If had known there were better options available, I'd have used them in a heartbeat.
To those that worry about the microbes of little peoples poo . . . My husbands greasy work clothes caked in dust and grime leave a much nastier mess in my washer than my little boys tiny bit of poo.
Rockin' Green hard water stuff is a great resource. BTDT.
One thing I wanted to add but forgot is that if you're expecting and have no cloth diapers or need new ones for another baby (we will need to replace some for our 3rd child) is that when people ask what you want or need then you can mention cloth diapers and accessories etc. and this really helps with costs. We basically spent very very little diapering in reality since we just bought or cloth wipes and some extra covers and the newborn prefolds, we did not buy the bigger prefolds or the main cover stash, and we didn't buy 2 of our 5 bum genius diapers either. We got them as gifts and from a baby shower. At least in my experience, family and friends and our church were more than happy to give us these things as gifts. They asked so we felt comfortable telling them. It also eliminated getting given any disposables which we did not want. So this is an idea for anyone expecting if you get asked what you want. We were also given some money with our first so we used that on cloth diaper accessories like the wet bags etc.
I've been using cloth now for the combined total between my two kids for over 5 years. I use prefolds, Bummis super whisper wrap covers, and some wonderful knit terry wipes. I have a couple of wet bags and a couple diaper pails. That's it. I figured my costs to be much lower than what you said (of course) due to the fact that I am using prefolds and have been able to use them on two kids for 5 years. The infant prefolds will even be used on a 3rd baby and maybe beyond as they only get used to 15 lbs.
I LOVE cloth diapers and the one thing I find when we travel and don't use cloth on those trips (we sometime do but usually not now, we use 7th generation diapers and wipes when travelling) is that disposable diapers DON'T WORK AS WELL! I get poop leaking (this is on my 2 1/2 year old, babies are even worse as they get blowouts in disposables) and I have NEVER gotten that with cloth even with a baby. Also, I find that I use tons more wipes and it takes me a long time to get the bum cleaned off using disposable wipes. They just smear it around! My knit terry wipes are like washcloths and are textured on one side and I usually only use 2 or maybe 3 per dirty diaper (I wet them with warm water and diaper safe bar soap).
I think its a lot more digusting to have to try to wipe up with disposable wipes and get poop on the clothes with disposables vs. the inconvenience of swishing dirty diapers in the toilet. If that REALLY bothers you, buy a diaper sprayer that attaches to the toilet.
I'm visiting from Organic Homemaking. Great post. I definitely found cloth diapering much easier than I thought it would be, and cheaper even though I started at 5 months and my daughter was toilet trained during the day at 20 months (so I based my own calculations on that). I still use cloth diapers at night, but I am in profit already, so I am not doing the math anymore.
I used cloth for all of my six kids (pins and plastic pants back then - my youngest is 14) except for one year when disposables helped with severe diaper rash. Financially and environmentally it seemed like the right thing to do. Yes, it was more disgusting than disposables, but not that much, especially if I had had one of those nifty sprayer things on my toilet. I think it made toilet training much easier since they and I could easily feel the wet. I would definitely do it that way again.
PS, we NEVER have blowout diapers with cloth! I hated having to change everything every time she pooped with the disposables, so this is awesome!
@Jessica L, YES! This is one of my arguments for cloth too - I hear a lot of "Eww, I don't want to scrub out poop"... I haven't had to scrub any poop since I STOPPED using disposables. We had blowouts ALL the time with them and I actually had to grab a brush (I ended up with one devoted to this) and dawn to scrub the poop out, sometimes the only thing that would work was my finger nails to scrub it. Cloth actually contains it and I love that!
I LOVE cloth diapering. Our daughter is 5 months, and we started at 2 months. She had diaper rash & nothing helped, until we switched to cloth & it was gone in a day! It cost a lot up front, but I never have to run out and get diapers! I don't even think about the laundry - it's hardly any extra work. I hate throwing out disposables; such a feeling of waste. And I love knowing that it's surely better for her skin than to have whatever magical chemicals are in the disposables to act as absorbents.
The only thing I don't like is the stripping issue. I'm not having much success in doing that, and I think I've tried every method (dawn dish detergent, hot water washes, vinegar, more detergent, less detergent, new detergent, etc etc). I think the problem may be that we have an HE washer, which is weighted, and only puts enough water in for exactly what's in there. So not a lot of water goes through the diapers. So the one thing I tried that was somewhat successful took several days! I'm about to order some Rockin Green detergent as a last resort, unless you have suggestions?
@Jessica L, You shouldn't have to continually be stripping your diapers if you find a detergent that works. I don't have to do that at all now that I use nature clean's powder detergent. But everyone's washer and water is different so you have to find what works. I've heard good things about Rockin Green and they do have samples.
@Jessica L, I've heard those with HE washers often add additional water through the detergent (window? hole? I'm not sure... don't have HE) spot once it's done adding water. Some use a hose from a sink, others use a watering can, others a pot of water.
Good luck!
@Jessica L, I have an HE washer and I add 5 pitchers of HOT water to the wash cycle through the detergent door/tray. I let it swish it around for a few minutes. Then I hit pause and let it soak for a few hours. Next I hit start and let it finish the wash cycle. I use Rockin' Green's Hard Rock detergent. On their website they have directions on how to best use their detergent in various washing machines. I hope this helps.
i think it -can- be disgusting, but i think you bring up a valid point in that disposable diapers can be gross too! we're getting more into the phase of having to either dunk or scrape or spray off diapers before putting them in the bin (his #2s aren't quite solid yet) to be washed and that's been interesting to adjust to. but i still prefer it to disposables! :)
While I have experience with cloth, as we used them on my youngest siblings, I have only used disposables on my own kids.
You are right, it's really not that bad. I remember having a big open pail of diapers in the bathroom and it rarely stank since the diapers were rinsed out.
I did not start with cloth since we had to use coin washers and it really would have been costly. Now I have my own washer, but my youngest is about to turn 2. Don't think he's near ready for potty training, but still not sure I want to make the investment now. Maybe if we have another child, I will.
Also, my near-2-yr-old's poops are not solid. Like you said, we're supposed to dump it in the toilet, but it doesn't "dump". Is that fairly common? If I used cloth, that would gross me out, especially since he usually goes several times a day. Or would a diaper sprayer solve that problem? Can anyone relate?
@alyssa, A diaper sprayer should solve that. Dumping poop off a disposable IS hard. I've tried. A cloth diaper you can actually dunk in (holding on to the clean corners) and swish around. Then hold the diaper up out of the way, flush, and dunk again until its clean. Its not that bad. Really. But a diaper sprayer would be even easier.
I love your break down! I do have one thought/question. I live in an apartment and use a pay-per-use washer and dryer. It costs me $1.25 to wash and $1.00 to dry. I can see the sense in air drying when possible. How often do you wash a load of diapers? If I do a load a day, it would cost me about $36 per month just to wash.
@Suzanne, I don't wash that often. When I had a newborn, maybe once every 2 days? Now it's more like every 3+ days (she's 1 1/2, but I've been washing only every 2-3 days since she was about 6 months).
Just want to say that I've been in your shoes with the pay washers. Skipping the dryer would certainly save, but if I did an extra wash/rinse, it would still cost me 2.50 per load. Even just 3x/week would cost $7.50/week, washing alone.
Personally, that's why I used disposables. Shopping with coupons and sales, I can get jumbo packs for anywhere between $1 and $5. Cost was my main deciding factor....not to mention the neighbors flipping if they saw me washing diapers in the same washer they used! ;)
But having said that, some choose cloth for health and/or enviromental reasons, and if that's you, then go for it.
Lots of factors to consider, so we each have to decide what works best for us! :)
@Suzanne, I've always done once every 3rd day even with a newborn. I found 3 dozen prefolds to work well for this. I could even get by now at this point (2 1/2 years) with 2 dozen and wash every 3rd day.
I will say honestly, that for me, cloth diapering is not easier. I am committed to it, I agree with the cost savings, environmental-friendliness and they are super-cute. However, I am constantly trying to figure out how to get them to not stink! I have scrubbed with Dawn, boiling water, hours of rinsing/sunning and they still stink. It may be the hard water we have, I'm still not sure. Anyway, it is frustrating and is always a 'treat' to use disposables once in a while.
@Anne, My SIL has hard water where she lives and I know that she has had the same frustration, even though she really wants to use cloth. There is a brand of laundry detergent that may be worth trying for you... Rockin' Green makes a detergent specifically formulated for using on cloth diapers in hard water situations. Maybe that would help?
@Anne, Have you tried vinegar rinse? Put a cup of white vinegar in the final rinse. I don't know if it will work against really hard water, but it's worth a try.
@Anne, Thanks for the tips. I did just order a hard water booster from Charlie's - hope it works!
@Anne, I've also heard good things about Rockin Green and they have a hard water formula. There is also some sort of water softener that I've heard some people put in their water too to help the detergent. I think its Calgon? You'd get the most help from asking where you bought your diapers about it. I hope you figure it out. Good for you for your commitment.
@Anne,
Try RLR to strip them. After you wash them, drop the RLR in with the clean diapers and no detergent then run the load. Keep rinsing, rinsing, rinsing until you see no or just a small amount of soap bubbles (you'll be amazed how much soap is in the load since you didn't add any). This should help with getting the stink out before you try the Rockin Green or another detergent. I have hard water too and did this then swithed to Arm and Hammer Sensitive with no perfume or dyes; the bottle says it rinses completely. It really helped. Also, a 1/4 c of bleach in the load before you do the RLR will help a lot too. Be sure you are using enough detergent too to get rid of the bacteria. I used to sell cloth diapers and these are the tidbits I picked up from doing it - good luck!
@Anne, Borax works wonders when my clothes get dingy from my hard water (or if they stink because I forgot they were in the washer). It's a water softener. You use a half cup of Borax in a regular load. You can find it in the laundry aisle. It's worth a try.
I feel the same way you do Anne in regards to the "stink"! I've tried everything- white vinegar, no-scent detergent, extra water (I have a front loader), washing diapers every day or every other day, line drying, etc. I was stripping my son's diapers every 3 weeks because they smelled horrible- especially when he woke up in the morning. I used the FuzziBunz brand and I loved the way they look and the fact that I was not throwing disposables away, but sometimes I wondered if the amount of water and electric I was using was counteracting my efforts to be environmentally friendly! My son has been potty trained for 3 weeks now and I'm so excited to be done with diapers! Yay! :-) A positive: I think using cloth diapers helped him potty train early -when I compare him to my 5 older children who were raised using disposables.
I have a friend with very hard water and she has had excellent luck soaking her clean inserts in a 50/50 mixture of lemon juice and water, wringing them out, drying them in the sun and then washing as usual. She says this works wonders on stink and hard water staining! Good luck!
I use cloth diapers and *LOVE* it! I know it sounds crazy, but my husband and I actually enjoy diaper changes since we began using cloth. The diapers are so much more vibrant and fun to look at than disposables. I use a sprayer attached to the toilet for my poopy diapers, and that has made dirties a cinch. I will be honest, I hated dirty diapers before we got that. Now I keep a small trash can that opens when you step on the pedal right next to the toilet, spray the poop into the toilet, and plop the diaper into the pail. Keeps all smells in the trashcan, and it's so simple!
We use flip covers with pre-fold diapers as the inserts (no pins or snappies; just fold and lay inside the cover). I *LOVE* this system! So easy and inexpensive! I spent less than $100 on my diaper stash and accessories, and this was enough for my toddler and newborn.
Thanks for this great post! I also cloth diaper full time and love it. I do get tired of the negativity and the "Just use a disposable" I get from friends at times. The disgusting factor?? I can't say it is anymore disgusting then disposables but I haven't ever used disposables except for the first 2 weeks. Like you said, anytime you deal with poo it isn't pleasant. I have a diaper sprayer and that makes it so much easier in my opinion to get the poop off the diaper and into the toilet. You might also address the issue of far fewer instances of diaper rashes with cloth vs disposable. Thanks!
I just recently started cloth diapering. My daughter is potty training and uses cloth training pants and cloth diapers at night and for naps. I wish that I had known about cloth diapering when my daughter was born. I have a dozen prefolds and one homemade cloth diaper and 5 plastic covers. I plan on making more cloth diapers for our next child. I would still like to get a washable wet bag.
i have been rotating, with disposable, and using fabric aio diapers for the last year with my 2 yr old son. (no signs of potty training in sight :( ) but thank you for the renewed motivation to keep using these! it takes some extra effort to put the inserts back in, but something else to keep in mind, is these diapers can absorb far more urine than an average disposable diaper making them last longer!
Perfect timing. I am 26 weeks pregnant and am wanting to convince my husband that we should do cloth diapering. Not sure he will go for it but any extra advice and pointers will help. Can't wait to read more and I am going to have to take time to read the comments too.
@Mary Kathryn, If you need to convince him, then get a diaper sprayer! I don't have one but I've heard that Dads really go for that. Although while the baby is exclusively breastfed you don't need to rinse the diapers. Dads also seem to like pocket diapers better. I know that my husband prefers to not do the toilet rinse so some couples like us just agree to only have the mom do that part. It doesn't bother me. He does other things I don't like doing (like putting on sunscreen on the kids!)
I thought this was a great post! One thing I wonder though is washing the soiled diapers along with other clothes... how many fecal particles are getting on the other clothes or in the washer? I think I read somewhere to clean your washer once a month by pouring a cup of bleach in and washing an empty load. This will help sanitize it. What are your thoughts on this?
@Ann, I think that it's very minimal. I dump all poo first, and anything that remains gets a good swish in the toilet, so there isn't much going in the washer to begin with. Then I do a rinse cycle first (cold) to get rid of anything like that, then sanitize with a full hot cycle using detergent. My machine always looks and smells clean to me, so I am not worried about it. But if you were, you could definitely do some sort of once a month disinfectant treatment, I suppose.