How to Wash Cloth Nappies. 6 simple steps to success.
Cloth Nappies. You use them, you wash them, you reuse them again. Simple as that right? Wrong. But also right…..
I don’t want to over complicate this and make it sound hard because it’s not but if at first your like me, a little too relaxed about how much washing powder you use, what temperatures you wash at and what setting on your machine you use, you could come up against some hurdles and my ultimate fear is that this will put people off. The trial and error part that often comes with cloth nappies/diapers may seem like too much for many. So to make it easier for you, I’m letting you in to my top secret, tried and test cloth nappy wash routine.
How to wash reusable cloth diapers.
Pre-wash nappies on a short 30 degree cycle with half dose of detergent.
Separate Nappies and inserts.
make sure the washing Machine is 2/3’s full.
Choose an intensive cycle at 40/60 degree with FULL dose of powder detergent.
Reduce Spin to 800.
Line Dry Nappies.
Simples. The fact is I do hear of people that don’t worry about it and never face a problem but in my experience and from the experience of many, on the many forums I frequent, this isn’t the case. It’s why finding a routine like mine above will mean you have consistently clean nappies. And if you do come across any problems it will be easy to tweak things, adjust and solve the problem because you’ll know exactly what you have been doing previously.
More details on washing washable diapers.
How to store dirty cloth nappies before washing.
We store our nappies in a dry lidded pail. This tots bots nappy bin to be exact, with their mesh bags inside.
Do I need to soak my cloth nappies? You do not need to soak modern cloth nappies or use any kind of santizers. Soaking nappies and using other products when storing will degrade the elastics in the nappies and does not help with the washing process. Plus soaking nappies creates smelly water and a mess when putting dripping wet nappies into the washing machine.
Wash every 2-3 days.
2-3 days will give you a full load of nappies for your machine. Nappies left any long than this will be harder to wash, could cause bacteria build up over time or be left with mould stains.
Get rid of any solid poo.
If baby has done a poo, I shake the poo off the nappy or the liner into the toilet. If its not, how do I put this… plopable, holding the liner, or if needs be the nappy into the flush of the toilet gets it off a treat.
Note: Pre-weaning milky poo is water dis-solvable and can go straight into you pail or washing machine. This is true of both breast fed or formula fed babies despite what many articles may tell you or confusion they may cause in only mentioning breast fed poo.
Then pop it into your lidded bin until wash day. Any non pooey nappies go straight in there too. The mesh bag makes it easy to transfer into washing machine without touching any yuk.
Alternatively you can use a large wet bag with a zip to store dirty nappies. This is good if you don’t have space for a bucket, hanging it on the back of a door for example.
Read: “What to do with the Poop in Reusable Nappies.”
What washing powder to use…
Washing powder over liquid is best when it comes to washing cloth nappies. Powder washes out of material easier making it less likely to leave behind residue. It has also been proven to give a better clean and be more effective at stain removal.
Avoid choosing cheaper own brands of detergent as well as eco-friendly detergents. These have been shown to give a less effective clean. See “The Best Washing Detergent for YOUR Cloth Nappies.” if you struggle with finding the best detergent for your family.
It is unnecessary to use any extra washing santizers or essential oils in your wash.
I recommend washing with non-bio detergent. Though it has now been proven that bio is fine to use with babies.
Use the full amount of detergent recommended for you cloth nappies.
Follow the instructions on the side of your detergent box to figure out what the full dose is for your machine and your area.
Use half this amount in your pre- wash and the full amount in your long main wash. If you find that there are still bubbles in your machine near the end of it’s cycle, or your nappies smell strongly of detergent put them back in for a quick rinse then you can slowly reduce the amount of detergent with each wash until you find the right amount for you. It’s important to use enough detergent to get clean but too much could lead to detergent build up in your nappies which could lead to problems.
Why is a pre-wash important?
A pre-wash on your cloth nappies is important to rinse out the majority of urine and poo particles, ensuring your main wash is more effective. Just looking at the water as your pre-wash goes round will confirm this for you.
It is important to do a SEPERATE pre-wash. I use a 30 degree, 30 minute wash cycle, rather than a wash with an inbuilt pre-rinse. This is because most modern washing machines are so water and energy efficient they will re-use water from the rinse in the main wash, meaning your could be washing your nappies in pooey water. YUK.
Rinsing at 30 degrees will also help prevent stains setting.
Should I do a pre-wash everyday? A daily pre-wash is unnecessary, however sometimes rinsing night nappies by hand before dry pailing can help as these get particularly soaked in urine. Also if you know you won’t be able to wash within 2-3 days a pre-wash before dry pail will help any future problems.
seperate your nappies and inserts.
Unstuffing, or separating inserts from the nappy (this is for pocket or all in one diapers) will ensure proper agitation in the wash and efficiently cleaned nappies.
Many parents do this before they dry pail the nappy but I prefer to do this after the pre-wash. It just means that I’m not touching fresh urine. It’s personal preference.
Fill your machine to 2/3’s full.
Filling your washing machine to 2/3’s full when washing cloth nappies will provide effective agitation for your nappies to get properly clean. An over or under filled machine will mean the diapers don’t rub together enough which help then get clean and helps the detergent bubble up.
Note that I mean 2/3’s full when contents is wet. Which is why it’s good to check this after the pre-wash.
If you do not have a full enough load you can add small items after the pre-wash to bulk it out. Tea towels, muslins or baby grows work well.
Do not add anything big like bath towels as these can wrap themselves around nappies and therefore prevent good agitation.
Also don’t worry about it being gross washing things with nappies. I find the cleanest things come out of the nappy wash because I’m using more detergent and a higher temperature than I would with our clothes. Trust your washing machine is doing it’s job. If not check your wash routine.
CHOOSE THE LONGEST, MOST WATER INTENSIVE WASH at 40 OR 60 DEGREES.
This for me is the “anti allergy” setting, try to choose on that is a minimum of 2.5 hours long. I find I need to wash at 60 with non bio to get my nappies cleanep clean. See CCNDU for their explanation on Hot vs Cold. 60 degrees will effectively sanitize your nappies.
Will I invalidate my warranty washing at 60 degrees? Many nappies brands will tell you to wash at 30. This is to make their nappies last longer but I want my nappies clean so if that means they last a few less months then so be it. Many will also recommend against bio detergent as it was reduce the life of nappies but if this is the best way to get your nappies clean then I wouldn’t worry too much about warranty.
Obviously if you have come to cloth nappies for environmental reasons you may want to wash with less water and/or less heat to save on resources. However, rest assured that you are already saving a ton of resources by choosing to use reusables in the first place. Making sure they are super clean will not use much more energy but will ensure clean nappies and a smooth cloth nappy ride. No smells, no rashes.
Turn the spin down.
I turn down the spin to 800. This will protect your nappies elastics and PUL, keeping them going for longer.
Line Dry.
Line drying is best. Make sure you don’t tumble dry anything with PUL (the waterproof part of your nappy) as it will damage it. If you do need to tumble dry do so on a low heat. Cotton will be fine in the tumble drier but be aware bamboo can bald when exposed to hear.
My top tip for drying nappies is to have airflow, warmth, and dry air. Not all are required at one but at least two of the three will ensure your nappies dry quickly.
Read: “10 Hacks for Drying Nappies in Winter and SMALL Spaces.”
The sun will do wonders on your inserts keeping the white and bleaching out any stains (of which you shouldn’t get many with a good wash routine) however do be careful of your nappy covers and anything with a PUL waterproof layer on very hot days as they can get damaged. On hot days I get my inserts, flat and fitted nappies straight out in the sun to dry quickly, and nappy covers hang inside.
Note: If your nappies are coming out stained, not smelling fresh, or smell once baby has weed in them your wash routine may need tweaking.
Read: “How to Get Rid of Ammonia Smells and other smelly issues.”
Should I wash new diapers before I use them?
It is important to wash brand new nappies before the first use for two reasons. One to get rid of any manufactoring residue that may irriate babies skin. And two because materials such a bamboo and hemp take serval washes to get up to their full absorbency.
Read: “How to Wash Cloth Nappies for the First Time.”
Can I wash reusable wipes with cloth diapers?
Yes washing cloth wipes with your reusable nappies is efficient and easy.
Do I wash all my cloth nappies the same?
You may have a variety of different reusable nappies with different materials but they can all be washed in the same way and together.
a few do and don’ts to remember.
DO. Make sure any Velcro (hook and loop) tabs are folded back to avoid catching.
DON’T. Soak nappies before washing. It’s unnessicary with modern materials and messy.
DO. Use a mesh bag in your nappy bucket, or use a large wet bag to store nappies to avoid touching when putting in the washing machine.
DON’T. Use anything other an powdered detergent on your nappies. Bleach and other santizers are unnecessary and could damage your nappies.
DO. Hang nappies in direct sunlight to get rid of any stains. But be careful of the PUL on very hot days.
DON’T. Tumble dry nappies or hang them on radiators.
DON’T. Leave nappies for more that 3 days before washing. Any longer and they become harder to wash and could get moldy.
Voila
You now have sparkling, sweet smelling nappies. Hang in the sun if possible and they will become even whiter than white.
Top tip: leaving nappies out in the rain will also soften them up if really needed, or give them a good old rub together to save on the tumble drying.
Troubleshooting Smelly Diapers.
We can come up against bumps in the road with our washing routine easily, even me now, I sometimes get in bad habits, don’t check I’ve filled the wash correctly or wash at 40 degrees. If your getting nappies that smell like a hamsters cage, get strong ammonia smells, frequent stain, or your nappies smell strongly of detergent it’s likely something isn’t quiet happy with you wash routine.
To fix this start with going back through all the steps above to make sure your not missing anything. Then reset your nappies but preforming a simple STRIP WASH on them.
To strip wash your nappies.
1. Wash your nappies as normal following the steps above.
2. Once clean run the same wash again at 60 degrees BUT WITHOUT detergent. There’s no need to dry the nappies inbetween these washes. Simple run one after the other.
3. Hang outside in the fresh air if possible.
You can preform this more than once if necessary.
TO SUMMARISE.
Short 30 degree pre-wash with HALF dose of detergent.
Un-stuff nappies.
Bulk out your wash with small items to make it 2/3 full (when wet) if needed.
Pop it on a long, hot wash with the FULL amount of detergent.
Reduce spin to protect elastics and materials.
Hang it out to line dry, sit back looking at your pretty clean nappies drying while drinking a hot cuppa.
Hannah xx
Just Starting out with cloth nappies?
See my getting started series below.
How many cloth nappies will you need to go full time and ditch the disposables for good?