Cloth nappy newbie - do you need a bucket?

[Margie]

Hello :wave:

Please help! WARNING Questions below may seem really silly!

I have my heart set on using cloth nappies and have bought a few different ones to try out when Sprout arrives. Also have some of the liners and wraps etc.

But I am slightly confused about the whole washing process... So once you take the nappy off the baby what do you do with it???

Does it need to be soaked? If so in what?

I have seen for some brands it says no need for soaking - so do you just put it in a bucket? Should the bucket have a lid?

Do you just stick the nappy in the washig machine? Do you do nappy only loads - or can they be mixed in with other stuff?

I'm clueless - please help!

 

[Babyshambelle]

Hello!!! Welcome!!

No question is silly... I'm still asking daft questions now and Iv'e been a cloth mum for months!!

So once you take the nappy off the baby what do you do with it??? I unpopper it, take out the soaker (I use pockets mainly) and chuck it in my nappy bucket (cheapo plastic bin with lid from wilkinsons!) If it's been poo'd on I rinse it well with a shower head in the bathroom sink, squeeze out as much water as I can then just chuck it in with the rest. Then I milton the sink

Does it need to be soaked? If so in what? I dry pail, so just stick it in as it is....the thought of soaking and pulling out wet nappies to put in the washer makes me feel sick

I have seen for some brands it says no need for soaking - so do you just put it in a bucket? Should the bucket have a lid? Yes and yes! I put a muslin with a few drops of tea tree oil on the top of the nappies, but under the lid to keep the smell down.

Do you just stick the nappy in the washig machine? Do you do nappy only loads - or can they be mixed in with other stuff? I do nappy only washes, but 2-3 days worth of nappies actually fills the washer so it doesn't feel a waste of a wash if that makes sense! I do a cold rinse first, then add some powder and a capful of wite vinegar to soften (you shouldn't use fabric softener with nappies as it clogs them up) and do a full cycle with a deep rinse on 60.

If you have any more questions (silly or not!) don't worry about asking!! xxxx

 

[kirsten1985]

Yeah you do need a lidded bucket. I put my nappies in with other stuff if they are wet only. But you need to remember to only use half the amount of washing liquid you would normally use.

Most people 'dry pail' - no soaking. A lot of nappy brands recpmmend this too. You can put something like lavender or tea tree oil in the bucket to make it smell nice

And yeah, depending on how your nappy goes together you just take it apart and put in the machine.

I use a mesh bag in my bucket, I take the nappies apart, put them in the bucket, then I just shove the whole bag in the wash.

xx

 

[Vici]

What these ladies said

I do occasionally wash a few nappies in with Imis washing BUT remember this means no softner and only minimal powder for washing so not always best

And you def need a lidded bucket

 

[Margie]

Thanks ladies - 1 x lidded bucket added to the list

That all sounds very sensible and not complicated

When adding the vinegar - do you put it in the softner drawer, or just a capfull in the drum on the washing machine?

 

[Babyshambelle]

I put it in the softener bit in the drawer...donno if thats right though?? Hahaha xx

 

[Margie]

Went to the babyshow yesterday and saw loads of different types of nappies.

The pocket ones seemed pretty good.

What types do you all use? And what do you like about them?

 

[kirsten1985]

Use BG AIOs for daytime, and Pop In AI2s for night time.

I prefer AIOs over pockets and fitteds, they are so simple for going out, and we seem to go out every day, so this is good for me. I think the only downside is that they take longer to dry, but I tumble dry them all together, so it makes no difference.

 

[Pussycat]

Can I add a (silly) question here?
I don't know where I got the idea from but I thought the way that cloth nappies with inserts worked was that when you change them, you just take the insert out and replace that, and the nappy 'outer' can be re-lined and used again (unless it's a poo).

The ones I've looked at, you need to launder the whole thing every nappy change, is this right? I thought the liner would just sit in the nappy but the ones I saw, it goes into a pocket thing.

There are so many to choose from too! I think nappies are going to be harder than prams!

 

[kirsten1985]

Pussycat, some nappies are like that, but most you change the whole thing. If you use a wrap, over a fitted nappy, or a terry, you don't need to change the wrap at every change.

Yeah they are harder than prams but way more fun!

 

[Margie]

Pussycat - the liner is a really thin layer that can go inside the nappy and can be flushed if there's poo (although the nappy still needs to be washed).

The inserts that go inside the nappy are the absorbant bits - and need to be washed.

Hope this makes sense.