Laundering real nappies

[josfab]

Any advice? I know you're not supposed to use fabric conditioner on nappies, can you use those tumble dry sheet things to soften or are you not supposed to use anything like that? Oh - can i even tumble dry?

[smirnoff]

Hi there!!!

WE use fuzzi bunz and just use tescos colour care washing liquid in a 30 wash. They then go in the tumble drier (they dont take long!!) on a cool drying thing!

TBH though they just go in with my normal wash! Really simple!!

[josfab]

Thanks - but ... my mum would be horrified at my lack of knowledge of such things, but are colourcare non-bio?

[smirnoff]

no its not.

but you can use whatever you normally use, just no softener!! tbh though even where we are with the hardest water ever we dont need it on them!!

[josfab]

So why does everyone talk about non-bio? And all the reusable nappy sites seem to suggest it. Very confusing!

[Seren]

I think it also depends on which nappies you use.

I don't use detergent, I will occasionally use napisan but mostly was in eco balls, a scoop of bicarb and add a splash of white vinegar and a drop of lemon juice/oil. I never tumble now as I have a good stash of nappies and I use Fuzzi Bunz and they dry really well on the airer.

I never use fabric softner and use dryer balls

I tumble the inserts with normal washing and will wash with normal clothes too.

HTH

[josfab]

I had some eco balls before I moved house a couple of years ago - had only used them a dozen or so times (a pack of 2 or 3) - lost in move and I didn't want to spend so much again on something I wasn't sure I liked yet or not! perhaps I should reinvest. Prob cheaper in long run than ecover and the bio-d stuff we've been using.

[Whassat]

what about bold its got conditioner in the powder...can i use that?

[smirnoff]

not sure, i wouldnt as it removes the waterproofness of it i think.....

[friendlybaby]

So why does everyone talk about non-bio? And all the reusable nappy sites seem to suggest it. Very confusing!

There are enzymes in biological washing detergents that are irritants. On babies it can really irritate their skin and cause them to get very sore. Some people don't have a problem, but it is recommended to wash all your baby's clothes in non-bio.

You are right about not using fabric softener. It stops the nappies from being absorbent. Apparently we're also not supposed to use it on towels either, but I do - I guess they don't need to be as absorbent as a nappy though.

If you live in a hard water area then put a good glug of vinegar in the fabric softener section of your washing machine and that should help to prevent the limescale building up in your nappies. If you tumble dry them then that will also help to prevent them feeling hard. If you line dry them and they feel hard you could always give them a good beating once they are dry and that cracks the limescale and makes them feel soft again.

I'm sure I've probably repeated much of what has already been written, so apologies, but I don't have time to read it all!

Wendy x

[josfab]

No you hadn't Wendy - thanks, very useful. How do you know if you're in a hard water area? Normal vinegar? Doesn't it smell like a fish n chip shop?? Jo x

[Sarah]

I sometimes add a drop or two of lavender in my nappy bucket to keep it from smelling too bad but try to avoid getting it on PUL as it could degrade it.
I use bio liquitabs - or whatever is on offer. I don't use fabric softner and I don't tumble dry anything that has PUL in it as it shortens it's life. I wash at 30 and I line dry wherever possible or put on the radiators during the winter. You can stick them in the dryer for 5 mins just to soften them up if they've gone a bit hard or finish them off if they are not quite dry.
Apparently if you wash cloth nappies at a high temp and tumble dry every time then you are doing no more to look after then environment than if you use disposables :no:

[Seren]

No you hadn't Wendy - thanks, very useful. How do you know if you're in a hard water area? Normal vinegar? Doesn't it smell like a fish n chip shop?? Jo x

White Vinegar is what I use which I got from Summer Naturals on a bulk buy to work out cheaper.
I dry pail and put a bit of oil on a cloth or put some bicarb to absorn some smells. The vinegar only smells if you overdo it but doesn't smell the same as sarsons.

HTH

[friendlybaby]

White vinegar is right. I also dry pail and put oil on a flannel at the bottom of the bucket. I use a couple of drops of tea tree. It does help the smell of the bucket, but to be honest, I never really noticed a smell anyway. The lid is on most of the time, and when I take it off to stick another nappy in, that nappy usually smells anyway.

If you get limescale build up in your kettle or around your hot water tap then you are in a hard water area. If you don't then you don't need to worry about using vinegar. There are maps on the internet where you type in your postcode and it tells you if you are in a hard, medium or soft water area, but I've never found them to be reliable. I have to de-scale the kettle, steriliser, etc every week it is so bad, yet those maps claim we live in a soft water area.

[josfab]

ah, we do get limescale build up. What does dry pail mean?

[josfab]

I sometimes add a drop or two of lavender in my nappy bucket to keep it from smelling too bad but try to avoid getting it on PUL as it could degrade it.
I use bio liquitabs - or whatever is on offer. I don't use fabric softner and I don't tumble dry anything that has PUL in it as it shortens it's life. I wash at 30 and I line dry wherever possible or put on the radiators during the winter. You can stick them in the dryer for 5 mins just to soften them up if they've gone a bit hard or finish them off if they are not quite dry.
Apparently if you wash cloth nappies at a high temp and tumble dry every time then you are doing no more to look after then environment than if you use disposables :no:

Yes, I did think about this aspect of nappies - although however washed you're not filling a landfill are you, so some bonus. Our tumble dryer is absolutely ancient as well, must be from before they built things to break after a few years and doesn't have a temp guide so it's prob hot. what's PUL? Thanks.

[smirnoff]

ah, we do get limescale build up. What does dry pail mean?

stick them in a bucket!!!!

PUL = the rubbery stuff that makes it waterproof

[josfab]

I am so obviously new to all this!! Perhaps in a few months I'll have some idea! Thank Q.

[Sarah]

stick them in a bucket!!!!

PUL = the rubbery stuff that makes it waterproof

Preferably a bucket with a lid as they stink! I paid £1.99 for mine from wilkos :cheesy:

[stephelen]

As previously said if you are going to use washing powder use non bio. I wouldn't use the conditioner sheets as the perfume that is in them could irritate baby's skin and tumble drying would make your nappies soft anyway.
I use soapnuts and line dry and never have had a problem with hard nappies.

[Ellie]

I always wash mine in non bio washing powder - then I try and line dry them, but I DO stick them in the tumble with a damp towel when they are almost dried, just for 10 mins or so, it does REALLY soften them up. I never use fabric condition or tumble dry sheets with nappies. We DO stick some vinegar in the wash (it doesn't smell, I was suprised too!) - you can buy stuff to put in the nappy bucket (where the wet/soiled nappies live before washing!) - think Boots sell some called Napisan (?) (am sure there are others), but have never found it necessary. :kisshands:

[samsmum]

Hi,

I personally use biological washing powder and have never had a problem, but if baby has sensitive skin, non-bio may be kinder. As for tumble drying nappies, you can, but be careful of wraps or all-in-one nappies as may effect how waterproof they are. I personally dry my nappies on the line (keeps them out of the way around the house +plus the sun bleaches out any stains) and tumble dry for the last 10-15 minutes. I find this makes them much softer. Of course, with weather like this, sometimes I have to resort to totally tumble drying! Hope this helps

[naturalnursery]

Non-bio powders are better for the environment and better for your skin - I know some people don't react to them but makes me itch for days if I stay a friend's house and they use bio on the sheets.

Eco balls rock - they can also help to soften the nappies too. As has been said, 10 mins in a tumble dryer is great too.

Axx

[elong75]

If mine come off the line a bit hard, a quick run over with the iron softens them up.

[friendlybaby]

If mine come off the line a bit hard, a quick run over with the iron softens them up.

OMG YOU are the person in the environment agency survey that irons their nappies!!!!!! I have NEVER known anyone iron a nappy before (nothing gets ironed in this house though! LOL)

[josfab]

I remembered the other day that one of my mums friends when I was little ironed in the garden in hot weather, talking about this with my friend and why she wasn't just relaxing on a hot day I remembered she ironed EVERYTHING - socks, underwear, towels as well as all clothes, bedding - so I bet she's ironed her terries! Scary stuff

[elong75]

OMG I have just realised how sad I sound ironing nappies. I do as little ironing as possible but if the iron is on and some nappies need doing I do them. I find it is my terries that get a bit hard.:hysterica

[friendlybaby]

OMG I have just realised how sad I sound ironing nappies. I do as little ironing as possible but if the iron is on and some nappies need doing I do them. I find it is my terries that get a bit hard.:hysterica

:cheesy::hysterica

[shazgh]

have you looked on any of the nappy websites, most of them give you ideas about laundering etc.
you only use half the amount of wash powder, it is the temp of the water that kills the bacteria not the powder and it just clogs up the material if you use too much, no fabric softener as this decreases absorbabny.

Have you got your nappies?
If not and you are in a hard water area (south England) then totsbots fluffles will stay soft for you, but they are a bit bulkier, bamboozles are also softer that cotton.

[josfab]

Hi, yes I've got them - been using them for about 3 weeks now I think, maybe 2. It's going well, I just wasn't sure about dry pailing, etc. Thanks for advice on amount of powder - not heard that. So do you wash at 60? We're mainly using motherease one size stay dry, a few kushies and have first size of bambino mio's but she's almost outgrown them - I like them though so may get next size if I find I don't have enough motherease later. Also turned into a bit of a nappy holic. Also have a couple of first size tots bots, cotton ones, they are bulkier than all the others so only used when got to end of pile.