Washing nappies

[Lol78]

I have a stash of nappies - baby hopefully on it's way in a few weeks.
I have been putting off giving them a proper wash but I think I need to get a bit organised now!
So, my question is this... most of these nappies are from ebay - I think the majority are unused but alot are prewashed. A couple are preused.

I was going to do one really hot wash 95degrees with no washing powder (a strip wash?) first then wash 4 or 5 times just to make sure absorbency is as good as it can be. Is this the right thing to do? I have some miofresh - should I use that? I've also heard about using white distilled vinegar instead of softener (I won't use softener, I've heard that's not good!) so should I use this in the last wash?

What about the wraps? What do I do with them? I've read about lanolin treating them but I think this is just the wool wraps?
Thanks, any help is gratefully received.

 

[Eala]

Lanolin treating is for wool wraps, to make them waterproof I used the guide which LittlePants posted on her website, and have managed to re-lanolise mine without any problems Here's the link

What kind of nappies have you got? Are they ones with their own waterproof layer attached, or do all of them require a wrap? If they have their own PUL (plastic) layer, I'm not sure that washing them at 95 degree is a good idea? It's probably best to check the nappies for labels, most will say the hottest temperature which they can be washed at

In terms of what you wash them with, it's really up to you. As you said, avoid most fabric conditioners, although you can use Bold 2in1 if you like, as it's clay-based. It's good for getting smells out I tend to either use Bold or Fairy Non-Bio. I've also tried Soapnuts. I know that Ecoballs are meant to be good for nappy washing as well.

I've never used vinegar as a softener, but I'm sure some other ladies on here have, and can give you advice

In terms of pre-washing, I did 3 washes at 50 degrees, with just a small amount of detergent. Strip washing you can do in various ways. I put my nappies in with 1 dishwasher table in the drum, do a wash, then an extra rinse. You can also do a wash with a full dose of detergent, then keep doing rinses until there are no soap bubbles left.

Welcome to the wonderful world of fluff

 

[Lol78]

Thank you!
I have a few different types. The ones I want to strip wash are the tots bots so no PUL wrap.
The ones with the PUL wrap are all brand new so I'll have a look at their washing instructions.

 

[Rachel_C]

For ones that are brand new, if they're microfibre you don't need to do lots of washes to build absorbancy, it's just natural fabrics that need that (cotton, bamboo, hemp), so just do one wash to get rid of any chemicals left over from the manufacturing process. For natural fabrics, I'd do a minimum of 5 washes, or give them a 24 hour soak in the bath and then a couple of machine washes too - that works really well.

I wouldn't use vinegar on anything with PUL as I've heard that it can damage it. I think washing on 60 degrees is more than hot enough. Lots of people wash at 30 or 40 with the odd 60 degree wash. I think 95 degrees might affect your nappies badly.

For detergent, I would use whatever you're planning to use on baby's clothes. That way, you'll be using something suitable for sensitive skin (Persil non-bio, Fairy etc) and only change it if you have any problems.

 

[Vici]

I'd def not recomend washing at 95 degrees, it could kill all your nappies.

60 is plenty hot enough and most people wash at 40 I'd just do a 60 wash with full dose of powder and then rinse, rinse and rinse somemore until the bubbles are all gone. I'd soak all your new nappies either in your nappy pail or in the bath for 24 hours then give them a normal 40 wash x

 

[thelilbump]

yupp i also think 95 degrees is way too hot, 60 max should do it. Normally we just do 40 with the odd 60 degree wash after every couple. Becareful what you're adding to it aswell, the use of some products (white vinegar, napisan, vanish etc) can make any guaruntees void. it's just a quarter scoop of a non bio or use soapnuts and as you say no softener.

 

[LittlePants]

Only wash cotton nappies above 60ºC. Bamboo especially will be cooked by hotter temperatures, and any PUL is likely to separate if washed above 60º - in fact some of the cheaper PUL, and certainly any PVC should not be washed above 40, so read the label carefully. I'd personally use a nappy sanitizer for any preloved nappies and wraps, and also if there's any sign of illness wit your baby.

Lanolizing is only necessary for wool nappy covers, so if you don't have any, you don't need to worry about that, although I would recommend that you consider them, as they really are the Rolls Royce of comfort for your baby, and efficiency for you!

The very best thing for washing nappies is eco-balls, as you can never get a powder build up, or allergic reaction, as there's no powder there! They work brillianyly for nappies, although using their own stain remover is too fiddly - Ecover laundry bleach works just as well with them, but doesn't have to be applied to individual stains, so is far easier to add to your wash