Washing & Fitting Modern Cloth Nappies
We adhere to Australia/New Zealand Laundry Practice AS/NZS 4146:2000. This is a set of guidelines designed to ensure safe infection control and disinfection of soiled linen in laundries across Australia. We follow Clean Cloth Nappies (CCN) and The Australian Nappy Association advice. Please visit the CCN website for more detailed information. Their Facebook group ‘Clean Cloth Nappies’ is the place to go for troubleshooting if you are getting excess suds, smells, stains, mould, rashes etc. They also have extensive detergent recommendations, please see the “Detergent Selection Guide” below for recommended detergent brands.
General washing advice
- Everyday pre-wash – with ½ scoop of adequate detergent (see below), short machine cycle of at least 40 degrees and up to 60 degrees.
- Dry pail – store damp nappies in an aerated basket until main wash day.
- Main wash – within 2-3 days. Use 1.5 scoops of recommended detergent amount. Loading is important for good cleaning
- Dry – on the line or clothes horse, can use the dryer (on low) if need be.
Further hints and tips
PRE-WASH: A short machine wash – not the built in pre-wash function as that doesn’t always rinse and spin eg remove the dirty nappy water. Use half the amount of detergent recommended on the box/carton. This pre-wash should ideally be everyday, however it can be every second day if really necessary, we would then recommend pre-washing at 60 degrees.
MAIN WASH: Should be a long machine wash on 40 or 60 degrees. This should be done every 2-3 days maximum. The to help ensure you have enough nappies for a load of laundry that’s 2/3 full when wet
NO SOAKING: This just creates a breeding ground for bacteria! This is what the pre-wash is for. It is also a drowning hazard. it is not necessary. Just. Stop. Soaking.
NEWBORNS: Faecal matter is generally water soluble so no need to scrub poo off, however once your child starts SOLIDS: you must use a liner with every nappy (unless you like scrubbing poo) this saves it from going directly on the nappy and leading to stains.
DETERGENT: See image below with our best detergent recommendations.
WASH YOUR WASHING MACHINE: Once a month run a ‘drum clean’ or a 90 degree long wash with or without bleach to give your washing machine a clean since nappies are very dirty laundry! No need to use detergent for this wash.
DRY PAIL: Find a container that has more holes than plastic! A washing basket can be used if necessary but an upright basket/container will allow more airflow. This reduces smells, moisture and the chance of mould. Your dry pail shouldn’t smell.
LOADING: for pre-wash it doesn’t matter, but for your main wash the machine should be 2/3 to ¾ full when wet (half way through the cycle you can pause your washing machine and see where the level of washing is through the window) or when loading the machine it should be loosely full. This is essential for adequate agitation and thus washing! It also reduces excess suds. If necessary you can bulk the wash with other small household washing like cloths, tea towels, bibs, undies, socks, baby and kids clothes etc etc, but nothing larger than a tea towel. Overloading the machine also means the nappies might not get washed properly.
HOT WASH: this is essential for adequate washing, do not be afraid of hot washing! We have never had any nappies or other baby clothes used to bulk the main wash shrink or discolour in 2 years whilst washing on 40-60 degrees.
DRYING: Nappies can be put in the dryer however this is clearly not the most environmentally friendly option. We recommend drying outside or on a clothes horse. Pocket nappies should not be hung so the wet (heavy) insert pulls on the elastic – you can hang nappies sideways. Don’t stretch elastics when they are hot out of the dryer. Please dry shells in the shade as the plastic can become brittle over time.
VELCRO TABS: Please ensure these are stuck to the velcro tabs inside the nappy so the velcro doesn’t snag other items in the machine.
LANOLISING WOOL COVERS: Please refer to Clean Cloth Nappies recommendations for washing and lanolising wool covers for night time nappy use.
FLEECE COVERS: Rinse off any solid material after use (they don’t technically need a pre-wash as there’s no absorbent parts). Pop them in with your regular nappy load at 40-60 degrees then line dry. In terms of how often you will need to wash them will depend on how soaked the night nappy is. It can be quickly hand washed (take it in the shower with you etc) and dried in between main washes to keep it smelling fresh.
Clean Cloth Nappies – Detergent Selection Guide
For more recommendations see the detergent index on cleanclothnappies.com
Best Clean
OMO
- All variables.
Biozet
- Powder.
Radiant
- Powder & Liquid
Low Fragrance
OMO Sensitive
- Powder & Liquid.
Tirmat Sensitive
- Powder & Liquid.
Biozet
- Powder.
Radiant Sensitive
- Powder & Liquid.
Low Suds
OMO
- Liquid.
Biozet
- Powder.
Radiant
- Liquid
Eco Options
OMO Eco Active
- Liquid.
Rockin’ Green Platinum Powder
- Powder.
KinKin
- Liquid
Dirt
- Liquid
Fitting Guide
Follow the fitting guide below to get the best fit for your child’s nappy.
- There should be no gaps around the legs or a muffin top around the waist
- It’s ok to have a slight gap at the front of the nappy around the waist
- Allow room for fingers down the front of the nappy
- Fingers up not down
- Nappies should fit leg crease like underwear
