Reusable Nappy Care
All reusable nappies need to be pre washed at least twice before you can use them. This increases absorbency and removes anything left over from the manufacturing process. The more nappies are washed the better they will perform for you.
There are two ways you can store soiled nappies; either in a waterproof nappy bag or in a nappy bucket. Personally we choose the bag option. This way there is no need to touch the nappies when putting them in the washing machine. Just push the bag inside out and wash that too. Nappy buckets are more useful if you want to wash every 3-4 days as they are generally bigger. You will need a net to put the nappies in. This allows you to pick up the net from the bucket and put straight in the washing machine.
The temperature you wash your reusable nappies on is entirely up to you but please always read the label. Washing at higher temperatures will limit the life of the nappy quite considerably. We normally wash at 40c but will wash at 60c every couple of weeks to make sure there are no bugs lurking!
You can use any detergent you like to wash your nappies but we do not recommend using any gel or liquid detergents as this seems to waterproof them and make them leak. You should never use fabric softener for the same reason.
The best way to dry a nappy is on the line. The light will help remove any stains and also help to sanitise them. However, if like us you live in England, you may wish to tumble dry your nappies or put them in the airing cupboard. We recommend that you do not tumble dry bamboo nappies as this greatly affects the fabric. The life of wraps will also be reduced if tumble dried.
If a nappy becomes stained we suggest you hang it on the line on a sunny day. If its winter, then you can place it on a windowsill in the sunlight. Soda Crystals added to your normal wash cycle will also help remove stains.
From time to time nappies can start to smell when they are being used. If this happens we suggest that you do a cold pre-wash with every wash. Hotter temperatures seem to lock the smell in more. If this does not solve the problem it could be a build up of detergent in the nappies reacting with the wee. Wash the nappies with no detergent until there are no detergent bubbles in the water. This could take 3-4 washes. There is no need to dry in-between each wash.