Washing and care instructions for real nappies.

Washing and Care Instructions for Cotton Nappies

Pre-washing

Nappies (including boosters and inserts) need to be washed before they are used, even if they have been bought new. This washes away residues from the manufacturing process and boosts absorbency- have you ever tried to dry dishes with a brand new drying up cloth? Nappies made from cotton and bamboo should be washed 3 times before full absorbency can be reached. Hemp nappies will take more washing, maybe up to 20 times. The nappies don't need to be washed on a hot wash and don't need to dry between washes. These natural fibre nappies can be used after just one wash, but won't be that absorbent and will need changing a little more often. If you have a very young baby, that might not matter.

Nappies and inserts made from synthetic fabrics, including micro fibre, polyester and PUL, only need one pre-wash.

If you have bought your nappies second hand, I would just wash once, probably at 60 degrees, to make sure that any nasties have been killed off.

Storing dirty nappies

There are 2 ways to do this, drying pailing or soaking. I personally prefer to dry pail, as I find it much easier. I find soaking a little messy. I'm all for an easy life! But the choice is yours!

Dry Pailing (2 part nappies)

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  If you have a nappy mesh, use this to line the bucket. I put a couple of drops of either lavender or tea tree oil in the bottom. Not only do they smell nice, but are anti-bacterial too.
  
  
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  If there is a poo at nappy change, this will need to go down the loo. Solids will roll off a fleece liner quite easily if it is stretched. Don't worry if there is a bit of poo around, if the liner is still a bit too dirty, hold one corner over the toilet and flush! Pre-weaning poo will tend to stick. I used a paper liner here. The liner and poo can be either thrown away or flushed (read the pack of liners carefully). I personally run the wet part of the nappy under the cold tap, as it dilutes the wee. This might be just me! The nappy and fleece liner can be put in the bucket. Make sure any velcro is done up, otherwise it may catch in the wash.
  
  
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  Wraps don't need to be washed after every use. They should last a day, unless they have poo on them! When dirty, put in the bucket, again making sure that any velcro is done up.
  
  
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  Don't leave nappies around for more than 3 days. They may start to go mouldy.

Soaking nappies (2 part nappies)

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  Line the bucket and fill with cold water. Add your nappy sanitizer, according to the instructions on the pack. Lavender or tea tree oil can be used instead.
  
  
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  Get rid of solids from nappy (see above), and put them in the bucket.
  
  
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  I would change the water in the bucket every day (which is why I don't like this method). I would tip it down the loo.
  
  
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  On wash day, place a dirty towel half in the washing machine, so that part is hanging out. This will catch any drips of water when transferring the wet nappies into the machine.
  
  
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  I would be careful about soaking PUL fabric (wraps, pocket and all-in-ones). It can spoil the fabric. Remember, wraps don't need changing at every change.

Dirty Pocket Nappies

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  Remove any solids
  
  
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  Take out the inserts- these can either be soaked or dry pailed. Place in the nappy bucket. I personally wouldn't soak the outside part of a pocket.

I'm not sure about all-in-ones. I think it would be best to dry pail, as the absorbent part can't be removed and soaked seperately.

Washing and Drying Your Nappies

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  When you have a full load, pull out the mesh bag containing the nappies and put in the machine. Wash at 40 degrees, unless-
  

  a) baby is very young, say under 4 months of age

  
  
  

  b) Baby is ill and has “the runs”

  
  
  

  c) More than one baby are using the same nappies

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  Only use half the recommended amount of detergent and no softener. Softener can reduce the absorbency of nappies and using too much can cause a build up. This can make them smelly. I use a glug of white vinegar in the softener draw, as it helps to stop this build up. Some 2-in-1 products are OK- just check that the softening ingredient is clay, rather than oil based (look for Bentonite Clay in the ingredients) Bold and Co-Op own brand 2-in-1 are fine. (I like the Co-op ones as their products aren't tested on animals (BUAV approved)).
  
  
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  I personally like to dry my nappies naturally, either hanging them on the line (the sun is great for getting out stains and the wind and frost helps them stay nice and soft), or indoors on a clothes line. Putting nappies made from cotton or hemp on a radiator can make them quite hard and crunchy. I use large fleece liners with my nappies, so to be honest this doesn't matter- the soft fleece is next to the baby's skin. Care needs to be taken of bamboo, as the fibres can "cook", a real problem if your are using nippas. I wouldn't put bamboo on a hot radiator or tumble dry on a high heat. You can tumble dry most nappies, but of course this is more costly on the environment and the pocket! A quick tumble will help to keep your nappies soft. Be careful about tumble drying PUL fabric too often (wraps, pockets and all-in-ones) as it may effect its waterproofing.

Please check the care labels on your nappies as the temperature they can be washed at can vary.

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