Pre-washing nappies - help !

[sugarpuff]

with new cloth nappies, how many times should they be pre-washed before use to get good absorbancy ? do different materials need pre-washing a different number of times ? and do i only need to wash the outer part of a pocket style nappy once before use ?

oh i have so many questions...

 

[mommyof3co]

The outer of the pocket yes just once is fine. Depending on what the insert is it might only need once to be good...such as microfiber. Prefolds need more...unbleached need the most washes. I boil those though so I don't have to wash and dry 10x

 

[thelilbump]

i just tend to through them all in and wash 2 maybe 3 times before using tbh!

 

[princessellie]

apparently bamboo / hemp needs about 8 washes before use, but that includes prewashes and rinses, so i put them on prewash, main wash, then prewash again, then quick wash, then that way theyve had quite a few rinses and have seemed to be fine

x

 

[Rebaby]

Uh oh, only just spotted this...i've washed all LO's clothes already for his/her arrival but didn't think about washing the nappies beforehand

We have bum genius nappies, so how many times should i wash them before we use them? Can anyone help?

And am i right in thinking we shouldn't use fabric softener on them?

Just realised this is a whole area i hadn't thought about- we just bought the nappies and stacked them away!

 

[kirsten1985]

Yeah don't use fabric softener! Also only use half the amount of detergent or they will get clogged. They get more absorbant with every wash, so the more washes the better! Some nappies say a few washes, some go as high as 18 times before maximum absorbancy is reached.

I would just wash as many times as is practical for you, then bear in mind the first weeks you are using them that they may not be as absorbant as they could be.

 

[Rebaby]

Thanks so much for that, can't believe i have everything washed and ready to go...except the nappies d'oh! Good job i spied this thread anyway.