Caring for your nappies

When your beautiful fluffy nappies arrive they will need to be pre-washed in order to increase absorbency and remove anything left from the manufacturing process. After this it is fine to start using them, but you will find that the absorbency will increase further after a number of washes so you may want to pre-wash a few times.

Storing your soiled nappies prior to washing is easy, either using a wet bag or in a nappy bucket. Flush any solids down the toilet and pop the used nappy into either the wet bag or bucket until ready to wash. If you want to use nappy liners then simply flush away the disposable variety, or with fleece liners just wash along with the nappy. You can line the nappy bucket with a mesh bag and then you can just put the nappies and bag into the washing machine.

When washing your nappies always refer to the washing instructions from the maufacturer. Many people wash at 60c but we have had no problems washing at 40c most of the time. Use a baby friendly washing powder and do not use fabric softener/conditioner as this will affect the absorbency of your nappies and inserts and may increase likelihood of leaks.The best and most environmentally friendly way to dry your nappies is on a washing line. Plus sunlight works wonders on any staining that may occur. However, if you need nappies dried more quickly, or the weather is just rubbish you may need to use a tumble dryer. It is not advisable to tumble dry the outers of the nappy and you will find that pocket nappies and wraps will dry pretty quickly anyway. You may find you only need to tumble dry the inserts. Bamboo inserts/nappies are not suitable for tumble drying.

Occasionally you may need to strip your nappies. If you notice that your nappies don't smell as fresh as they should you may need to rinse out any build up of detergent. This can also help prevent the risk of nappy rash. To do this you just need to put a little washing up liquid in the machine instead of detergent and then rinse repeatedly until no more suds remain. You may also want to strip your washing machine from time to time. This can be done by putting it on to a hot wash either empty, or with a dishwasher tablet if you are in a hard water area.