Looking after Real Nappies

How often to change?…

As real nappies rely on the natural absorbency of cotton, rather than chemical gels, you may find you need to change them a bit more often than disposables.

What do I do with any mess?…

Any solids will be caught by the liner in the nappy. If you use a paper liner then you simply remove the liner (with mess attached) and throw it into the toilet. With a fleece liner, remove the liner and shake off the solids straight into the toilet, the liner can then go into your nappy bucket with the used nappy. If any solids escape on to the nappy it can be rinsed off under the flush before adding to your bucket. If you rinse nappies in the bathroom sink, don’t forget to clean it regularly with disinfectant.

Do I need to use a fresh cover every change?…

Covers only need to be washed if they get soiled or smelly (perhaps every three or four changes)

What about washing?…

Contrary to popular belief, there is no need to wash your nappies every day! Washing nappies every 3 days if soaked or every 2 days if stored dry is recommended to avoid staining and minimise smells. Wet nappies can go in with other washing, and some people prewash soiled nappies in the machine then add other laundry for the main wash.

All shaped and flat nappies can be washed at 60oC and many at 90oC. All-in-ones, wraps and stuffable nappies wash at either 60oC or 40oC - check the manufacturer’s instructions. Close velcro before washing wraps and nappies to avoid snagging. Some nappies are designed so the tabs fold back on themselves to avoid this problem

What to add to your wash...

DO...

• use a minimum of powder (around half the normal dose) as soap residues can reduce absorbency·
• use Nappyfresh, Nappy Bright or a similar sanitising powder, if you wish
• add a little sodium bicarbonate, a few drop of tea-tree oil (for babies over 3 months), lavender oil, or a splash of distilled (white) malt vinegar to the rinse as a natural sanitiser, if you wish

DON'T...

• Use biological detergents – as they can irritate babies’ sensitive skin
• Use fabric softener as it reduces absorbency
• Nappysan as some nappy sellers advise it is too harsh and can damage nappies and covers

And drying?…

Line drying (weather permitting!) is free, environmentally friendly and is sure to get admiring comments from your neighbours! The sun also naturally bleaches and kills germs. Nappies can also be dried in the house on an airer or tumble-dried. Ten minutes tumble drying before or after air-drying nappies fluffs them up and softens them.

High temperatures, as experienced in tumble dyers and on very hot radiators, can shorten the life of some covers, stuffables and all-in-ones, so is best avoided if possible. Drying covers on an airer next to a radiator is the best alternative, although you’ll be surprised how quickly a cover will dry when simply hung at room temperature.

Storing Your Used Nappies...

It’s possible to buy containers specifically marketed as ‘nappy buckets’ for storing soiled and wet nappies until they are washed, but any container with a securely fitting (toddler-proof!) lid will do the job just as well. Hardware shops often sell plastic buckets with clip-on lids and useful large plastic bins with screw-on lids can be found in local discount stores.

Lining the bucket with a mesh bag (available from several nappy companies) makes it easier to transfer them to the washing machine with no mess. Alternately, just use rubber gloves.Some people soak nappies in water, either for a few hours or until ready to wash, others simply put them in a dry bucket - modern washing machines get them clean either way.

Sanitiser can be added to the water if you choose to soak – use Nappyfresh or similar powder, a little sodium bicarbonate (available from chemists), tea tree oil or white vinegar in the water. It is possible that soaking can damage covers, so you may want to store them separately if you decide to soak your nappies.