real nappy care guide
do I have to wash the nappies prior to first use?
Before you put a cloth nappy on your baby it should be pre-washed. The more you wash the nappy the more absorbent it gets, so it may need to be washed six times before the nappy is fully absorbent.
what to do with a wet or soiled nappy?
Remove nappy, dispose of paper liner or shake solids off fleece lining. Note that paper liners can be washed and reused a few times if not soiled.
If a fleece lined nappy is heavily soiled it can also be rinsed by flushing the toilet whilst holding the corner of the nappy tightly!
Transfer to the nappy bucket ready to wash. To make washing even easier, use a nylon mesh bag to line the bucket (go to accessories) this way the full open bag of nappies can be transferred directly to the washing machine.
do nappies need to be soaked prior to washing?
Nappies can be stored in a dry bucket or a bucket of soaking solution. Soaking nappies can help prevent stains setting but it is not essential. Need to change the solution every day. To a bucket of water you can simply add a few drops of tea tree oil.
A couple of drops of lavender or tea tree oil can be added to the dry nappy bucket to keep any nasty smells at bay! Both oils have excellent anti-bacterial properties but do take care with younger babies who can be sensitive especially to tea tree oil.
how do I wash nappies?
Wash on a 40° cycle with a non-biological powder and only necessary to use half the recommended amount of powder to prevent a build up of detergent. If you are not soaking your nappies, you may want to run a pre-wash cycle first. To make your nappies soft especially if you live in a hard water area, you can use a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar in the final rinse.
drying:
Can line-dry nappies. If using a tumble-dryer only requires a short burst to keep nappies soft. Wraps dry very quickly so can simply line-dry. With nappies and wraps, do not dry directly on a radiator.
tips:
Fabric conditioner - should not be used as will reduce the nappy’s absorbency.
Nappy balm cream – should not be used with our fleece liners or a fleece lined nappy as will leave a residue which is very difficult to remove. Suggest instead either using our bio-disposable liners or switching to a different nappy without fleece lining.