nappy sanitising

You can wash your cloth nappies daily, every second day or less frequently, depending on the number of nappies you have and your personal preferences. For best results, especially with modern cloth nappies check the recommended washing instructions to maintain the quality and life of the nappy.

Nappies (and cloth liners) that are soiled need to have any poo washed off them, so it can be flushed down the toilet. Some parents use a hand-held water sprayer to help remove poo and rinse additional residue off the nappy and into the toilet. There are also products on the market that entail a high pressure spray gun attached to the existing toilet plumbing. These spray poo off nappies very efficiently, straight into the toilet bowl and can be easily attached to most toilet systems, usually not requiring a plumber.

Place the nappy in the solution. They will need to soak for a few hours (or overnight) before washing. When it is time to wash, drain off the soaking liquid and put the nappies on a preferably hot water cycle to fully rinse them. You don't need to add extra washing detergent or softener (although some mothers do). Just be aware that any chemicals from the detergents or softeners can irritate your baby's skin, if not rinsed adequately.

Wet nappies and rinsed soiled nappies can be either placed into a bucket filled with water (possibly mixed with a nappy sanitising detergent) for soaking, or stored in a bucket without water (known as dry pailing), until you are ready to wash them.

 Soaking Nappies

The traditional method of soaking nappies entails placing wet nappies and rinsed soiled nappies into a bucket filled with water, usually mixed with a nappy sanitising/bleaching solution. Nappy buckets need to be quite large and should come with a well-fitting lid. This contains the contents, reduce odours and safeguards against young inquisitive children from touching or drinking the water or falling in and drowning. Some people use one bucket to hold all their nappies and liners or you may prefer to use two separate buckets, one for wet nappies and the other for soiled nappies.

To soak your nappies, place warm water with the required sanitising powder or solution (designed for nappy soaking) into your bucket. Warm water helps the powder fully dissolve. You may prefer to use soaking products that have no chemicals, for example, half a cup of baking soda and white vinegar or several drops of tea tree oil or other essential oils that have antibacterial properties. If using essential oils it is important to make sure you only use small amounts to dilute them.

NOTE: Keep sanitising solutions and essential oils out of the reach of small children, as they can be toxic if swallowed

Nappies that are just wet with urine can go straight into the solution, but soiled nappies and re-usable liners need most of the poo removed first (explained above). Any hand cloths or flannels used for cleaning your baby's bottom can be soaked along with the nappies. Baby clothes and wraps that become soiled with poo may also need to be soaked. If your sanitising solution makes coloured fabrics run, soak them separately. However, many sanitising solutions are now colour-safe. Some nappy covers don't tolerate sanitising solutions well, so read the washing recommendations. Make sure your bucket lid is firmly in place, as there have been cases of young children falling into and drowning in nappy buckets.

Nappies generally need to soak for a few hours (or overnight) before washing. After this time drain off the soaking liquid and put the nappies on a warm or hot water cycle to fully rinse them. You don't need to add extra washing detergent or softener, but if you do, make sure the nappies are rinsed adequately to reduce irritation to your baby's skin. Hang the nappies out to dry in the sunshine or place in a hot cycle of the dryer. Heat and sunshine kill bacteria, although the sanitising detergents are also designed to do this.

PROS - The soaking method with sanitising solutions can reduce marks and stains on cloth nappies. If you use dry pailing, you may occasionally opt to soak your nappies to help with this.

CONS - Soaking requires filling, emptying and lifting heavy buckets, something you may wish to avoid if you are recovering from a caesarean birth or have back problems.

- It is more expensive using nappy soakers (when compared to dry pailing);

- Some soakers have strong chemicals that can cause reactions on your baby's skin (although this can be avoided with thorough rinsing);

- Soakers, detergents and softeners may build up over time in the nappy fibres and reduce their ability to absorb, however, this can also be avoided by using warm to hot water when washing, coupled with thorough rinsing.

Dry pailing nappies

Dry paling is an alternative method to traditional soaking and has become quite popular in recent years. Nappy soaking solutions are not used, as the nappies are cleaned with normal detergent in the soaking, washing and rinsing cycles of your washing machine.

To dry pail, place the wet nappy or soiled nappy (after disposing of poo down the toilet and rinsing off any residue) into a bucket and place a lid on top. Lids help contain odors  but some people say that there is not much odour anyway, particularly with wet nappies. Many parents who dry pail just use a medium size rubbish bin with a flip-top lid.

Once your bucket or bin is full, empty the nappies directly into your washing machine and wash with normal washing detergent. It is generally recommended to wash nappies in warm to hot water cycles, (rather than cold) to help dissolve detergents and kill bacteria. This also reduces residue build-up in the fibers which can cause nappies to retain odors and inhibit their absorbency. Using half or less than the recommended amount of washing detergent and avoiding natural soap flakes and fabric softeners can also help with this.

If your baby has very sensitive skin, or you are concerned about allergies, use a fragrance-free, enzyme-free detergent to help reduce skin reactions. Commercial antibacterial products are not necessarily needed, because detergent, heat and sunlight are all effectively antibacterial and antifungal agents, alone or in combination.

There is no need to have separate buckets for wet or soiled nappies as they can be stored together. If you do not intend to wash every day you may need to quickly rinse each nappy before storing to help prevent staining and reduce odours. This also prevents ammonia build up from urine, which may deteriorate nappy fibres. You may prefer to soak or pre-wash the nappies in your washing machine overnight, and then rinse and wash the nappy load the next day.

PROS -

No extra work to fill or drain buckets; less water usage and avoids the use of chemical soaking solutions.

CONS -

Some soiled marks can be stubborn to remove and hot wash cycles may be needed to remove them. If left for several days before washing you may need to also do a pre-wash to remove stains.

birth TIPS

If using a sink or washtub for rinsing, use the laundry sink (if you have one) instead of the bathroom sink or bath (to minimize infections). If you do use the bath or bathroom sink, give it a good clean with bleach afterwards. NEVER use the kitchen sink.

Cloth nappies can become very stiff and hard when hung out for long periods in the sun. This can also happen when sterilizing solutions/ washing detergents are not rinsed out properly, so make sure they are properly rinsed. If you have a dryer, perhaps take them off the line before they are fully dry and place them on a short, hot cycle to make them soft and fluffy.

In warmer months, hang nappies out overnight instead of during the daytime.

For dry pailing, you may like to rinse the bucket or bin with hot water and tea tree or lavender oil (natural disinfectants) before re-filling with your next lot of nappies.

Baby Care Topics: Feeding your baby|What should my baby wear? | Bathing and Washing your Baby | Overcoming sleeping problems in your baby




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