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Let me, a working Mum of 2, show you how to wash and care for your modern cloth nappies – safely and easily!
Cloth nappies have been around for a long time. Back in the day, our Parents and Grandparents would spend hours a day soaking, cleaning and washing terry towel cloth nappies. Thankfully, Modern Cloth Nappies have made life a lot easier and even more eco-friendly than the old cloth nappies.
Cloth nappies can last you a long time when cared for and cleaned properly. And, as we know, reusing saves a lot of money.
Here’s our step by step guide to cleaning your cloth nappies.
When it comes to cleaning nappies, the number two’s are the worst. But dropping the solid poo down the loo is the first step. For breastfed babies, the poo is not solid so you can skip this step because there’s no way your getting that into the loo.
If the poo is not solid enough to go into the toilet, then you can rinse it under the laundry tap to clean the excess.
Now, we know you’re not going to wash each nappy separately because that would actually be rather time consuming and we’re all about making life easier. So, to safely store your nappies between washes, it’s best to place them in a pail where they can air out. You might think this will cause a terrible smell, but in fact, the air will dissipate the smell and the lack of moisture will alleviate the ammonia build up. There is no need to soak them like our parents and their parents did as this could cause the fabric to deteriorate, become mouldy or create a hazard for your baby.
Every day or 2 it’s important to put your nappies through a prewash cycle in your machine. Ideally, this should be at a temperature of 40 – 60 degrees for best results. A good laundry detergent should also be used during this step. The prewash will help remove the majority of soiling and get your nappies ready for the main wash. You can place the nappy back in the dry pail after prewashing until your main wash is due.
Roughly every 3 days, put your nappies into the machine the main wash cycle. This needs to be run on a temperature of 40 – 60 degrees (no hotter as you may damage fabrics) and a long enough cycle to give a thorough clean. Again, make sure you use a good quality wash detergent for ultimate cleaning results.
You can also include some other small pieces of clothing in this wash if your nappies don’t make up a full wash. Baby clothes are perfect because they are nice and small and won’t wrap around the nappies and prevent them from being washed properly.
Once the nappies have been washed, it’s best to air dry them on a rack indoors or on the external clothes line – protected from the sun where possible – to ensure longevity. Make sure the nappies are completely dry then store ready for the next use.
Some cloth nappies can be placed in the dryer, but best to check if your particular insert and cover are compatible before doing this.
If you’re still undecided about whether cloth nappies are for you, our Cloth Nappy Tips For Beginner’s outlines the pros and cons and may help you decide if they will be the best fit for your family or not – there’s no right or wrong answer.
