Extend the life of cloth nappies

A good-quality cloth nappy might be washed 300 times! The Nappy Lady Kate Meades, shares her top tips for ensuring you get a good return on your cloth nappy investment.

1.  Not all nappies are created equal so always check the care instructions on the manufacturer’s label.

2.  Before they go anywhere near your baby’s bottom, soak them for 24 hours in cold water only. This will kick start their absorbency. Then put them through a normal wash and they’ll be good to go.

3.  Your clothes-line is your best friend. Not only does the sun provide free heat, but the UV radiation helps kill bacteria too.

4.  A laundry liquid is preferable to laundry powder and try to use non-biological detergents. Some bio-detergents contain enzymes which 'digest' the stains, but also corrode the fabric, especially bamboo fibre and cotton. In fact that’ll also happen with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar.

5.  Rinse your nappies either by sluicing (holding under the toilet flush), or simply under the tap. Nappies left to sit in urine will become smelly over time, so do a wash every single day, or at the least, every second day. If your nappies are still smelly you may be using too much or too little detergent, or not running a long enough cycle through your washing machine.

6.  Reusable nappy liners are great for keeping barrier creams away from the nappy itself, plus they also make getting rid of the poo so much easier.

7.  If a greasy build up of residue from barrier creams does occur, you can do a strip-wash, but only do it when you really need to. Smear a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid on the nappy to make it really soapy. Leave it to sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse then pop it through the washing machine without adding any detergent. Dry as normal. This should give your nappies back their absorbency.  

For more information and helpful advice visit Kate at katemeads.co.nz