Cloth Nappy Washing Advice
Washing Guide
Recommended washing guidelines.
Each manufacturer will have their own guidelines on what temperature their nappies should be washed at, please check with them to avoid invalidating any warranties.
Washing
- Pull out any inserts and boosters, and place everything into the machine.
- Run a short cycle at 40 degrees to rinse. Some people like to add a half dose of detergent to this cycle.
- Add any baby clothes, muslins etc to the drum when the rinse has finished. We don’t recommend you add anything larger than a hand towel size, as the nappies can get tangled in larger items and not wash properly. You’re aiming for your drum to be two thirds to three quarters full at this point, in order to get enough agitation in the drum to properly clean the nappies.
- Run the longest cycle your machine has at 60 degrees. This is usually the cotton cycle. We don’t recommend you use any eco cycles on the machine, as these tend to use the same water throughout the whole cycle. Use a full dose of detergent for your water hardness (see detergent instructions for this). The spin speed should be no more than 1000. You should not use fabric conditioner with nappies, as this coats the fibers and can affect the absorbency.
- If you still have suds on the last rinse of this cycle then you may need to reduce the amount of detergent next time you put a wash on. Simply pop your machine on a rinse cycle until there are no detergent suds left.
Drying
Reusable nappies can be dried outdoors or indoors on a washing line or airer. Avoid putting nappies, inserts or boosters on direct heat sources such as radiators and heated airers as this can damage the PUL (waterproof layer) and natural fibers. Some manufacturers state their products can be tumble dried on low, please check with the brand you are using. Most reusable nappies take around 24-48 hours to dry inside on an airer. In the summer most dry in around 4-8 hours on an outside line. Ensure your nappies are not in direct sunlight if you're drying them outside on the washing line, as this can damage the PUL.
Manufacturers Washing Guidelines: