Always run a cold rinse cycle before your wash. This helps to remove any solids and flushes away urine, and will also help to prevent any stains from setting in.
Should I be pre-washing cloth diapers before throwing them into the washing machine? Pre-rinsing is key for prepping cloth diapers so they come out of the washer completely clean. If you're dealing with a heavy-wetter or a super-pooper, soaking diapers in a water pail helps.
This depends on how much soiling (poo) goes into your machine, and the effectiveness of your pre wash. A prewash is a complete wash cycle that includes a rinse, drain and spin. When Clean Cloth Nappies began our standard recommendation was prewashing every second day for half hour at 40°C.
When you get a new nappy you can soak the inserts in the tub or a bucket of water for 24hrs to build up the absorbency in bamboo, hemp or other natural fibres. OR just wash once but know that the nappy will take 6-8 washes to reach full absorbency so just change more frequently the first few times.
Not using enough detergent, washing in cold water, and over or underloading your washing machine can all lead to smelly cloth nappies. If your cloth nappies have a barnyard or ammonia smell, or smell strongly of urine as soon as your child wees in them, it is time to reassess your wash routine.
Cotton nappies should be washed in a 60 degree C cycle, but some nappy covers and nappies with a waterproof outer cover may deteriorate in very hot water. Start with a cold pre-wash cycle, then a regular wash in hot water (unless your directions say otherwise). Follow with a rinse.
Harsh stain removers such as Vanish, Napisan, bicarbonate of soda and / or vinegar, or bleach should be avoided. To use these products risks damaging the fibres of your nappies (especially bamboo) and they should definitely not be used on wool.
Place all your nappies/inserts into plain cold water & soak overnight. This soaking quickens the process slightly and is the only time we recommend soaking your nappies. Then place your nappies/inserts into the machine & run through a 'normal' ie hour long cycle using your MCN friendly detergent in the first cycle.
You do not need to wash reusable nappies in a separate wash load if you don't want to. As all parents know, babies' clothing can often be covered in things that need a good wash, so it's fine for other items to be included in the nappy wash cycle.
You'll generally need to wash every 2-3 days but this will depend on how many nappies you are going through each day. If you have a newborn, using reusable nappies full time, you will probably need to wash around every day and a half.
Most reusable nappies need changing every two to four hours, or as soon as your baby does a poo. While disposable nappies can last longer than this, it doesn't mean that they should!
A good question! Should you wipe your baby after every nappy change? We found out that It is not necessary to use wipes to wipe your baby down during every nappy change. Urine rarely irritates the skin and disposable nappies are very absorbent limiting the amount of urine that comes into contact with your baby's skin.
1.) Always start with CLEAN diapers (they do not have to be dry, just clean. Out of the washer is fine.) Generally, you only need to strip absorbent parts, such as prefolds or flats, pocket diaper inserts, or AIOs.
A dirty cloth nappy is a heavily soiled item, and thus when you do your laundry common sense would indicate that hot water is best to be used; hot water and a hot wash is the most effective way to remove any soiling.
8 to 10 cloth nappies is enough for part-time use of 2-3 per day. 12 to 18 cloth nappies is enough for full-time day use of 4-6 per day. 24 to 28 cloth nappies is enough to use full time both day and night.
You will need somewhere between 15-25 reusable nappies, depending on the age of your baby. We would advise to start with 15 and go from there. You can always add more nappies to your stash if you find you are running out between washes.
The simple answer is YES! It can sometimes take a little trial and error to find out what works for your baby. Sometimes this can be as simple as adding more absorbency to your existing nappy, or you may need to look at a specific nappy system to work overnight.
Choose a good quality detergent, Omo, Radiant, Biozet are good options. Cloth nappies will be one of the dirties items you wash so you want to make sure you have the right products to help remove the urine, poo and bacteria. Sensitive detergents may require extra amounts and warmer water to work best.
It is best to dispose of all poop down the toilet. However, if the baby is predominantly breastfed, their poo is technically water soluble. So while we would always advise rinsing a pooey nappy before washing, if it is too far gone and you are not in the mood, stick it in the wash!
Our kidneys turn it into urea and we safely pee it out. So, it's there in the pee in form of urea. When the urine is on the fabric in the diaper pail, (or even on baby overnight), it chemically changes as it breaks down. The result is ammonia stink.
Passing a small amount of poop along with a fart is a common thing with babies, especially during the first few months. If you suspect even the smallest amount of poop in your baby's diaper, it's a good idea to wipe them clean and let them dry before putting on a new diaper.
It is recommended to do two wash cycles for washing cloth diapers. One short and quick cycle to wash out the majority of the poo and pee, and a second longer cycle to work on the deeper clean needed to have diapers that smell fresh and don't leave rashes! Some people wash with only one wash cycle.