Strip washing nappies - opinions wanted

[Mary Jo]

I've never stripped Adam's nappies but I'm wondering if I should...

So I've been poking around at Cloth Nappy Tree in the washing forum, and reading about the different ways to strip. The only one I'd heard of was the use a full dose of washing powder and rinse till the bubbles are all gone, but there is a sticky that details different methods including using Fairy liquid and soaking for days in the bath, and one that involved a dishwasher tablet.

Has anyone used an alternative method to the full dose and rinse rinse rinse one?

Also: those that strip, do you just do it regularly as standard or only when you have an issue? I don't think Adam's nappies smell, he certainly doesn't smell when he is wet, and the nappies don't have a smell once they've been washed and are dry. BUT when they are freshly washed they do smell a bit, and especially when they are fresh out of the dryer. But that smell goes when they've fully dried. So I don't know if this is the smell that makes other women rush to do a strip wash or if it's ok... it's definitely a pee smell but because *he* has never smelled of pee I've always just ignored it.

I only use a tiny amount of detergent when I wash - 1tbsp of Bold 3in1.

TBH, what's putting me off is my bloody washing machine. It makes a terrible, building-shaking noise when it's on high spin. I don't know if I can bear to run it all day. It's a new washer, only got it in November, there's nothing wrong with it, according to the engineer...

 

[thelilbump]

I do a strip wash every month or so, some do it more often, some less.

I'm still experimenting with ways to strip wash but the best way i have found so far is to put all the nappies in on a simple rinse cycle, then a hot wash with full detergent and then rinse till no more suds. Last time we tried though we used our soapnuts rather than detergent and they actually came out pretty well!

 

[Rachel_C]

I just do the full detergent and rinse x million to strip wash.

Have you tried moving your washing machine a tiny bit? Ours shakes like some demented monster but if I boot it to one side, it levels it again and it stops

 

[Lacrosse]

I do mine with a bit of white vinegar and nothing else - about an egg cupful I suppose, and then rinse and rinse until there's no more bubbles.

 

[princessellie]

i used to do one cold wash with full powder then one hot wash with no powder, it didnt work lol, now i do one rinse, one hot wash (60) with full powder then one warm wash (40) then depending on the suds maybe another few rinses just to be sure its all out

takes quite a while so i only do it when they really need it lol

x

 

[Vici]

I've only ever done the full soap and then rinse all day method. Have thought about trying the fairy liquid one though just need a day when i'm in for the duration of the rinsing x

 

[Mrs Muffin]

I'm doing one today. Darwin is back in sposies until I can figure out why he has a rash on each side of his legs (maybe where the flip wrap rubs against his legs) and why he keeps weeing out of the side (maybe needs stripping).

Hmm I better go and put the rinse cycle back on. Bloody washing machine is in the garden in an outhouse (we rent) and doesn't work properly when I do a full cycle, it gets stuck after the wash part so I have to manually move it on. I've been in and out all day long to that bloody machine.

 

[Mitsuko]

I soak my inserts overnight in hot water with a handful of soda crystals and dishwashing liquid. Rinse them a few time by hand then once on the rinse program of my washing machine. Works very well.

 

[Mary Jo]

Thanks, ladies. Do you find the smell goes once you've stripped? How long does it last? I am thinking I ought to rinse more, perhaps, maybe I should do a pre-wash rinse and then further rinses at the end of the wash cycle?

Vici, I would also like to try the Fairy liquid method but it does sound very hard work. I'm wondering what people put their babies in while they're doing it, disposables and do them all, or do you only strip half at once? I have a mixture of nappies, of my size 2s (which he's been in a couple of months) 1/3 were new and the rest preloved, and the rest (a mixture of BG V3s, Pop-ins and Flips) range from practically new to in use for almost 8 months. So they haven't all had the same wear... and I am disinclined to be harsh and scrub Fairy liquid into my nice new bamboo nappies! (smelly BG inserts are another matter. )

Maybe I'll do the older ones.

Rachel C, the washing machine is a nightmare. I hate it! It's an integrated washer-dryer and so we are limited as to how much we can move it. It bangs against the cabinet it sits in, and the floor shakes, along with the worktops... it's awful and I try to go out before it hits high spin. (Though strangely Adam sleeps through it if he is already asleep. I have NO idea how he can, because it'd wake the dead.)

It's *almost* enough to make me reconsider using cloth, but not quite.

 

[princessellie]

i would never never never do the fairy method, just cos im lazy and i personally just could not be arsed to do it lol, and ive heard the dishwasher tablet method is only for pul, to make it white again? and most of my pul is hidden so the wash and rinse method is best for us

x

 

[bjl1981]

I did the dishwasher tablet and it worked great! I'll go try and fing the link to the lady who did all the research...
https://www.clothnappytree.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=39305
this helped me!

 

[Mary Jo]

bjl, did you do as the lady on CNT did and only use the dishwasher tablet on PUL containing nappies? I was wondering if there was any reason why it shouldn't be used on non-PUL nappies. From what I could gather, the lady did her other nappies in vinegar, which can't be used on PUL, but does it go the other way round? Can't see why it would though.

I doubt I'd do the dishwasher tablet myself, because we don't have a dishwasher and thus no tablets in the house. Though I have contemplated taking all my nappies up to my mum's and stripping/sunning them (I'd use disposables while we're away as I often do) as she has a) a garden and b) a washing machine that doesn't threaten the foundations. She also has a dishwasher...

 

[aquariusangel]

The dishwasher tablet can be used on AIOs containing PUL, so should be fine on all other bits too, i've seen the original thread and she said it was probably fine to do bits without PUL as the AIOs had non-PUL bits, but she wanted to save some of her stash to test the vinegar method.

I'm about to do the dishwasher tablet method for all my nappies before my LO arrives in about 8 weeks, barely used them with my DS, but they're almost all pre-loved and i'm pretty sure they need stripping.
And what better time than when we've got some nice weather.
I put a request out on FB for a dishwasher tablet, as we don't have a dishwasher either.

Personally i can't do loads and loads of rinsing as i share a washroom/laundrette with people from 9 other flats, there are only 2 washing machines and one doesn't spin properly so i can't be taking up the machine all day.

PUL isn't white BTW, its clear, so it's certainly not just for PUL to make it white again, i think its just one of the easiest methods of stripping when you've got items containing PUL, as you can't use vinegar for PUL.

 

[princessellie]

my pul is white! you can buy it in all different colours, you dont buy clear pul wraps do you

x

 

[Vici]

I've never seen clear pul either? x

 

[princessellie]

you can get some nappies where the actual fabric is laminated and that is clear but i think most places, at least WAHM places, use white pul

x

 

[bjl1981]

I did the dishwasher tablet and was really pleased with the results. It apparently doesn't get out bad stains, but this just strips and leaves them smelling of...nothing! this was easy and quick!

 

[princessellie]

what did you do it on? wraps? or nappies aswell?

x

 

[bjl1981]

sorry, meant to say, all my motherease wraps and all my bamboozles. I don't see why you can't use the dishwasher tablets on the nappies themselves. and they came out lovely!

 

[nightkd]

you can get some nappies where the actual fabric is laminated and that is clear but i think most places, at least WAHM places, use white pul

x

I thought the white would be the fabric that is laminated? The actual laminate isn't the PUL, the fabric with the laminate on it is PUL... So the laminate is clear, but it's laminating a coloured fabric.... OMG *brain asplodes*