10 Hacks for Drying Nappies in Winter and Small Spaces.
Drying cloth nappies throughout the winter or all year round if you do not have an outside space can put many parents off using them at all. Having nappies constantly hanging around the house or fighting to get them dry in time before you run out can be a problem. However, once you find the best way to get them dry in your home with the space that you have you’ll wonder why you ever worried about it.
Air dying cloth diapers is always best. Using direct heat or a tumble drier can damage them. Maximising airflow, warmth and using a dehumidifier in winter will seriously speed up how quickly your nappies dry.
Like a tumble drier putting them on a radiator or a heated airer can damage the waterproof layer of your reusable nappies as well as making your home damp. Plus a tumble drier will seriously affect the carbon footprint of your nappies as well as the price of laundering them.
The good news is there is lots of ways around drying your nappies in winter or in a smaller inside space. Through trial and error I’ve tested it all to find the best and quickest ways to do this.
Here’s 10 solutions to help you dry your cloth nappies and small space solutions.
You need 3 things to help your washing particularly cloth nappies dry inside. Airflow, warmth and dry air. My 10 solutions below will help you maximise your conditions and space for these things to get things drier quicker and some tips buying cloth nappies to help with limited drying space.
1. Get your cloth nappies high to help dry them.
Using the height in your rooms helps with the drying process for washing in a number of ways.
1. Heat rises. The more warmth the quicker they will dry.
2. It gets your washing out of sight. Important when you have young children and you seem to by hanging up washing on a daily basis. Pulley Maids look fab, especially in kitchens. I have yet to invest in one of these so have simply hung a sockapus over our bannister tied with an old lanyard (glamorous I know). This actually work great because the warm air from the radiator in the hallway travels straight up. I can hang all my night nappies, inserts and boosts on this and they are all out of the way. I have this stainless steel sockapus but you can buy standard plastic ones from any supermarket or Poundshop.
I’ve also seen Mum’s hanging door hanging airers (like this one from The Range) over the bannister too. This is a fab idea but due to the type of bannister we have would not work for us. It’s worth look at what hanging gadgets and airers you can get that will fit with what you have in your home already. If it works why not hang a door airer over an actual door too. Crazy thoughts I know.
2. Dry nappies quicker with a dehumidifier.
The drier the air the quicker your nappies will dry. Investing in a dehumidifier even a small one could half the time if takes to dry your cloth nappies as help as helping prevent damp in your home, a real problem if your drying a lot of washing in winter.
3.Create airflow.
Creating airflow on a cold winters day is not always easy indoors, especially when modern houses are often so well insulted. Great for our heating bill and the environmental impact of heating our homes but not so good for drying clothes. To tackle this I like to put the washing in a bedroom not used in the day, open the windows and keep the door closed. This way the heat stays in the rest of the house but gets some air to my nappies.
Whenever your drying washing it is good to open the windows and create airflow as long as the weather allows of course.
4. Add an extra spin.
Adding an extra spin after your washing machine has finished will get rid of excess water and help your nappies dry quicker. However a word of warning. I like to turn the spin speed on my wash cycle and if I add a spin cycle down too atleast 800. This is to protect the elastics of my nappies from a harsh spin. I also only add in an extra spin if I really need it like on cold damp days.
5. Buy a nice looking airer.
It may seem silly but it’s important to buy an airer you like the look of. I’ve got an old vintage wooden airer I brought secondhand on eBay, which I love. (You can easily buy these new too from Lakeland.) This means I don’t mind having it out all the time. When I use our old spare airer, which is a horrid white plastic it stays well out of site upstairs.
6.Place near a heater.
It is best not to dry cloth nappies directly on a heater or in a tumbler drier because it can damage your nappies by melting the PUL (waterproof layer) or balding materials such as bamboo, making them less absorbent.
It can also cause problems drying them to quickly, releasing too much moisture into the air, therefore causing condensation.
However placing your washing near a radiator or on a radiator airer will speed up the drying process and not cause harm to your nappies.
7. get your nappies outside.
If you do have any outside space and it is not raining popping your nappies outside even in winter will still speed up drying time. You think I sound crazy but it does help. Remember my 3 ingredients for helping washing dry? Airflow, warmth, and dry air. Okay your not going to get any warmth in January where I live but if it’s a dry super windy day this is perfect for getting nappies dry.
If you have an outside space which is undercover even better. As long as it has airflow, somewhere like a green house, a summer house, a car port or garage (leave the doors open) hang your washing there. Unless it is a very damp day, then inside is better.
8. Invest in extra inserts and night nappies.
Having extra inserts for your pocket nappies is a cheap way to make your nappy stash bigger. The other waterproof pockets dry very quickly but inserts can take days. Invest in extra and it will mean you don’t need to worry so much about drying time. The same goes for night nappies.
Night nappies are wonderful things. Super absorbent to last through the night. (I’m referring to fitted nappies here which the majority of people use through the night such as a Tot’s Bot’s Bamboozle.) But with that great absorbency comes a long drying time. If you can afford it invest in a few extra to avoid drying time stress.
If that seems a little out of budget, keep an eye out for secondhand ones or buy one a month, which is what I did, so the price doesn’t add up all at once.
Having a variety of nappies will also help you through the winter if you have limited drying space. Many quicker drying nappies such as ones containing microfiber (a quick drying material) are great for getting back on the bum quickly but also don’t last as long. Having some of these in your stash is useful.
9. Get to grips with terries or flat nappies.
Another great nappy for absorbency, at night or in the day is the old school terry or a flat nappy. I’ve talk about these before in “Cloth Nappies on a Budget.” Terry and flat nappies are a great option as they fold out completely meaning they dry much quicker. They are also cheap to buy, as little as £3 each and can be folded to suit your baby.
If you have a small stash it is also worth having some muslins in it to. These can be as little as £1.50 each, dry even quicker than terriers and will mean you never run out of nappies. These are great for newborns but can be still used on older babies as a quick nappy but will probably need a booster at that stage.
10. invest in a dry soon.
Personally this option isn’t for me as I don’t really like the look of them and most of the time my washing is on display (which is why I like a vintage airer.) It’s also electric so will use some electricity. However, I know loads of people that LOVE their Dry Soons. If you have a place to keep it like a utility room I think it would be great. It is worth mentioning they do fold up pretty small so that is a bonus if your thinking of one.
Note that I wouldn’t put inserts or PUL nappies directly on these to avoid any damage to your nappies. Lie a muslin on it and the nappies on top so they are not directly on the heat, or use a sockopus inside. They are also a good solution for your other household washing. If a Dry Soon takes care on the rest of the washing you’ll have more space to hang your pretty nappies.
Nappy Materials and their drying times.
1. Micro fiber.
Least absorbent material but very quick drying.
2. cotton.
More absorbent, natural material. Quick drying and can be tumble dried. Cotton muslins and terries are thinner and will dry the quickest out of all nappy types.
3. Bamboo.
Very absorbent material, do not tumble dry or put on direct heat as it will bald material. Takes longer to air dry.
4. Hemp.
Most absorbent material. Can be tumble dried or put on heat airer. Great material for fitted night nappies.
If you do choose to use a tumble drier.
Note that if your stuck and do have a tumble drier you can put cloth nappies in it BUT on a LOW heat. Still avoid putting PUL in the tumble drier if possible. Cotton nappies, terry nappies, muslins and hemp however can be tumble dried as normal.
If you do decide to use a tumble drier consider air drying them over night before finishing them off in the drier to reduce it’s usage.
Happy drying. I hope some of these solutions help you get your nappies dried in no time or put your mind at rest when starting with cloth nappies that drying won’t be a problem.
Hannah xxx
Other post’s you might find helpful.
The Impact of Reusable Nappies. Why the Environment Agency Got it Wrong.
How Much Does it Cost to Wash Cloth Nappies? The Facts and Figures.
6 Reasons Your Cloth Nappies Are Leaking.
Packing Your Hospital Bag the Zero Waste Way.
How to be an Eco-friendly Mum.