Washing
Liners
I would recommend using a nappy liner with all reusable nappies. The liner is there to catch any solids. The flushable liners are the simplest to use as they just go down the loo with any solids. You can, however, get silk liners and fleece liners. These need the solids shaking off and then go through the washing machine with your reusable nappies. I would generally recommend the reusable liners once your baby's poo has started to “firm up”. The flushable liners, if you want to be really good, are reusable and can be rinsed if just wet, dried and used again. I am far too lazy to do this !
Washing
Boiling reusable nappies is a thing of the past. Even washing nappies at 60 isn’t completely necessary it just depends how clean and stain free you want to get them and what else you are adding to your load. If I’m including any clothing or towels I will wash at 40 but if I’m just doing nappies I wash at 60.
There are two ways of storing your nappies before washing them. They are generally referred to as dry pailing and wet pailing. I prefer to dry pail as I don't want buckets of stagnant smelly water hanging around. I also don’t think it’s that safe now Lucy is on the move and very inquisitive. Dry pailing consists of just throwing the used nappy in the nappy bucket to dry out. I don’t even bother to sluice the nappy (flushing it under the running loo water) as I am too clumsy and ping poo everywhere. You can line your bucket with a nappy mesh bag so when you come to wash your nappies all you need to do is lift the mesh out of the bucket and pop it in to the machine and that way you don’t have to touch any of your nappies. Some people add a couple of drops of tea tree oil to a cloth in the bottom of their bucket.
Wet pailing as you may have guessed is soaking your reusable nappies in a bucket of water. You can add tea tree oil or a nappy sanitizer to this water to keep it smelling better and I would strongly recommend changing the water daily as it is generally the water stagnating that is causing the smell rather than the nappies. Wet pailing can really help stain prevention but is much messier when it comes to pouring the water down the loo and loading the machine. When dry pailing I add the nappy sanitizer in with the wash powder which really helps freshen them up.
All I use to wash the nappies is my usual non bio eco friendly wash powder, for example Tots Bots Potion, together with some nappy sanitizer or bicarbonate of soda or eco bleach(something to bear in mind if you fancy buying the coloured nappies). Do not add fabric conditioner as this will reduce the nappies absorbency. To soften the nappies you can add a little white vinegar or give them a quick spin in the tumble dryer when they are nearly dry.
When it comes to washing wraps if it isn’t soiled I reuse it or if it has got really wet I give it a quick hand wash and air dry. I then give them a regular wash with my nappies in the machine and always air dry. Tumble drying or drying on the radiator is not recommended as it will reduce the wraps effectiveness and eventually make them brittle.
Drying
Obviously tumble drying isn’t the most environmentally friendly option but in winter or when it is wet it is the only option. Reusable nappies do generally dry quite quickly on the radiator or in the airing cupboard. Where possible I would always put my nappies on the line as the sun also acts as a great bleaching agent and help get rid of any stains. If you think drying your nappies is going to be an issue go for a faster drying material such as hemp or bamboo or try the flat nappies.
Laundry Service
If all this talk of washing is giving you a headache there is also our laundry service. Each week we deliver enough freshly laundered flat nappies to see you through the week and at the same time collect all your dirty ones. No laundry or upfront costs as the reusable nappies are all provided by us.