If you’re considering cloth nappies for your little one, or have just started your cloth nappy journey, you’ll probably be wondering about washing. Our most common questions include...
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How will I clean my cloth nappies?
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Is it going to take more time?
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Do I need any special bleach?
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Is washing cloth nappies hard?
We have good news, cleaning cloth nappies is way easier than you think - no soaking, scrubbing or special detergents required. This blog breaks it down to help you clean cloth nappies with ease. Stick around to the end of the blog and grab our FREE cloth nappies washing guide download. This cheat sheet is perfect to put near your washing machine so everyone in the household can clean them with confidence. Every brand of cloth nappies will have slightly different instructions when it comes to washing (so please check the labels carefully), however, here are our recommendations to clean your EcoNaps brand cloth nappies. By following these instructions you will help preserve the quality, and extend the life of your EcoNaps cloth nappies.
Prepping Your Nappies
Before using cloth nappies for the first time, you need to wash them. Like any absorbent fabric, this first wash helps wear them in and prepare them for some thirsty work ahead. This doesn’t take long. See our simple 3 step process below. If you want to (or have time up your sleeve waiting for bubs) you can repeat these washing steps 2-3 times with your inserts to maximise absorption.
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Soak your inserts overnight in warm water.
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Wash both inserts & covers with detergent.
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Completely dry inserts and covers.
Washing Routine Basics Here’s how to clean cloth nappies in 4 simple steps.
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Remove solids.Drop poo in the loo and store the used cloth nappy in a dry pail.
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Pre-wash cycle.Run a pre-wash cycle 40-60 degrees with detergent daily. This removes the majority of soiling and gets your nappies ready for the main-wash. Store nappies in a dry pail until the main wash.
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Main-wash cycle.Run a long main-wash cycle 40-60 degrees with detergent every 2-3 days.
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Hang to dry.Air dry nappies or use a tumble dryer. If you want more drying tips, check out our 7 simple tips to help you dry cloth nappies, even in winter, here.
A note on poo
Many first-time users of cloth nappies wonder what to do with poo, again, it’s not as bad as you might think - we have written a blog all about dealing with number twos here if you want a little extra guidance.
Sample Washing Routine
Families have a variety of washing routines to suit their lifestyle and preferences. You’ll soon develop your own rhythm that works best for you. But to demonstrate how easy it is, here’s an example washing routine that many families follow, especially if using cloth nappies overnight.
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Every morningRun a pre-wash cycle containing yesterday's used nappies and last night’s night nappy. Place pre-washed nappies into a dry pail once finished.
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Every second nightRun a main-wash cycle containing all pre-washed nappies from the dry pail. Make this a long wash at 40-60 degrees. Hang to dry the following morning.
That’s it! See - washing cloth nappies don’t have to be hard or complicated. Play around and find what works with your family’s daily rhythm. If you want to find more tips and tricks for clean cloth nappies, please visit our cloth nappy washing instructions page here where you will find more information about detergents, wash cycle lengths and temperatures and tumble dryer temperatures too.
Cloth Nappy Washing Guide (Free Download)
Download our free washing guide to help make cleaning cloth nappies simple for everyone in the household. This free download is designed to be printed and placed near your washing machine for perfectly clean nappies, every time. DOWNLOAD WASHING GUIDE HERE
