CARING FOR CLOTH

Don’t you love the feel of new cloth nappies? The boosters are always so nice, soft, white and fluffy!
But how do you keep them that way? And PEW! what is that smell? What happened to my nice clean smelling nappies?
It’s bound to happen to us all, sometimes your nappy cleaning regime just needs a bit of a boost, so let’s start from the beginning!

Before first use of any new nappies, some people like to wash them at least 3 to 5 times in a row without detergent, with no drying in between, to help the nappy reach it’s maximum absorbency.
But I much prefer to do it this way -
place your new nappies in a bucket of cold water overnight, this will speed up the process, and save on water usage!

After using the nappy, scrape off any waste into the toilet, (flushable liners are a great idea, as you can just roll it off into the loo!) give the nappy a quick rinse, and throw it in a bucket, ready for washing at the end of the day, or every second day if you have enough nappies. Rinsing under the tap will help give your nappy a longer lifespan, as it means it’s not sitting around in urine all day, which can be bad for bamboo if your baby is teething. Babies wee can be quite toxic during the teething period, and it has been known to eat through bamboo! (Trust me; I have seen it with my own eyes!)
When it’s time to wash them, pop them through a pre rinse, to remove any excess wee that might be hanging around, then wash as normal. You can use warm water, but I do all my washing in cold, and they clean just as well.



WASHING DETERGENT

It’s best to use something gentle like Purity, Amolin or Rockin' Green. Only use about ½ to ¼ of what you would normally use in the wash. Too much detergent can result in build up in your nappies and can cause repelling issues, meaning that any liquid (wee) will run right off the nappy instead of being absorbed like it’s supposed to.
I have found that nothing beats Rockin’ Green for getting out smells, and keeping your nappies fresh. It has been specifically designed for cleaning cloth nappies, and comes in a range of hard, soft or classic, so that there is something for everyone, no matter what your water type.
If you are unsure of what water type you have, contact your local water authority.
When it comes to soaking, there is really no need (unless you are doing a soak with Rockin’ Green) DON’T soak with vinegar, bi-carb, bleach or Napisan as it can ruin the PUL (the waterproof part) and the elastic in your nappy.


SMELLY NAPPIES OR REPELLING ISSUES?

If you find your nappies are getting a bit smelly,  or that they are repelling urine, I suggest a soak in some Rockin’ Green, or a  strip wash!
A strip wash will strip away any detergent and gunk you might have built up in your nappies, which can not only cause smells, but lead to your nappies repelling, so that once the babys wee hits the fabric, it rolls off instead of soaking in like it's supposed to.
To do a strip wash all you need to do is add a tiny amount of dishwashing detergent to your wash cycle, (the cheaper the better), ½ to 1 tspn should do it. Wash in warm to hot water (no hotter than 60 deg), and rinse until the water is clear.
That should get your nappies smelling fresh and absorbing properly again.

STAINING

DON’T use any kind of zinc based cream on your nappies as this can ruin the nappy and cause staining and repelling issues. Stick to natural things like a GroVia magic stick or water based/natural creams.
Another thing that can stain your nappies is Sorbitol, which can be found in some medications like paracetamol and some teething gels. It can cause dark staining (usually a grey colour) inside the nappies. The best thing for this is to either not use medications with sorbitol, or wash them straight after use, and give them lots of time in the sun to get the stain out. You can also use something like a Sard wonder stick rubbed directly onto the booster, so long as rinse it straight off, it won’t damage the booster.
Some people have mentioned trouble with black spots like mould on their boosters. This can be caused by a few things. Do you live in humid conditions? Try leaving the lid off the nappy bucket, or washing more frequently. Are you putting the nappies away before they are properly dried? Fibre like bamboo can take a long time to dry, depending on your climate. Make sure you are certain they are dry before putting them away.
If you do notice spots, try the above cleaning methods, if that doesn’t work, try a one off soak in Milton or Napisan. One soak will not hurt, but do not soak the shell, just soak the boosters.


DRYING

Nothing beats the sun for drying and sanitising your nappies. UV rays are a natural way to bleach and keep the nasties at bay. You can dry your nappy inserts/boosters on low in a dryer (just not the shell), but it can shorten the life of your nappy, so it’s not recommended it be done all the time.
You can also use things like woollen dryer balls, which can cut your drying time in half!
If your boosters are getting stiff, and scrunching them up in your hand isn’t softening them, you can also pop them in the dryer for a few minutes to make them feel soft again.

HANGING YOUR NAPPIES.

This is the best way to hang them, to preserve the life of the elastic. (When hanging them outside, try to face the inside of the nappy towards the sun)

Or alternatively lay them flat on a clothes airer.

Hanging them from just the top or the bottom section can put stress on the elastic, which will shorten their life span.

Hang the shells on their own, and any boosters or inserts separately.

Well I think I have covered everything!

Please contact me if you have further questions, I am more than happy to help!

janine@ninkybear.com.au