How I care for my nappies.....

Everyone has a different method or tip for caring and washing nappies, here's how I do mine........

I own a variety of different nappies, all with different fabrics that need different care. Thankfully the basics are the same.

Things you need....

Nappy bucket(s)....I have 2, one upstairs and one downstairs in our outhouse where we keep the washing machine. The beauty of having an outhouse is that a lidded bucket wasn't an essential so I use a huge 'Rhino tub' I keep a smaller Rhino tub in Edwards bedroom and empty it everyday to prevent smells building up. Some people find a lidded bucket better when they don't have much space and if they want to contain the dirty nappy smells. I 'dry pail' my nappies, which means I don't soak them.  It is recomended that you do soak some nappies, but rinsing in the sink does the job and then when I have a load ready for the washing machine they go straight in no hassle!

If you do choose to soak your nappies please note that Napisan, although good for it's antibacterial properties, can break down the waterproof bit on nappies - if your nappy has a plastic backing or barrier then it's better to just soak it in water with essential oils instead as they won't effect the waterproofing. I use camomille tea (I soak a tea bag in the bucket for ten minutes before putting nappies in) the camomille is great on baby's skin and I can add something a little stronger on smelly days.
For dry pailing, I sprinkle some orange flower water on the top of the nappies and this works wonders.

I use rubber gloves when dealling with dirty nappies from the bucket too, this is personal preference but I find it useful if the nappies are really soiled and need a really good rinse.

I have a Becko washing machine, which like many others has a 'toddler and baby' cycle - it rinses the clothes a little more than normal to wash out any soap build up.

It is recomended that you use about 3/4 of your usual amount of detergent. I use even less. Again this is to prevent soap build up. Most nappy addicts like myself will tell you not to use Fairy detergent as it contains some ingredients which will effect the absorbancy of your nappies - I use Persil, but Bold 2 in 1 also comes highly recomended. Many people use Soapnuts or EcoBalls instead of detergent - these are great for people with allergies to detergent but I prefer to have that just washed smell to my nappies.

DO NOT use conditioner. It acts in the same way as hair conditioner and puts a plastic coating on the clothes you wash it in, that gives your wash a nice soft feeling. This coating stops nappies being absorbant so defeats the object of your baby wearing one.

I wash all my nappies at 40 degrees. Whoever told you to boil wash was talking rubbish! There is no need to do it, the nappies that contain the plastic backing are better washed at a lower temperature to protect the waterproof part too, plus it's better for the environment if you use a cooler wash.

Contrary to many opinions, nappies CAN be tumble dried! Ok, so it's not ideal for the environment to dry them this way - line drying is always the first recomendation, and following that you could use a clothes horse or airer to hang them indoors. But sometimes, tumble drying is very covienient especially if you are short on space or the weather has been very bad. As long as you use a low temperature they will be fine. I personally try to line dry as often as I can, but as we live in a very rainy country I do find it easier to tumble dry them on occasion.

Once dry I prep them ready for use, I stuff my pocket nappies, wrap my wraps and fold my terry's before putting a liner to catch any poop in each nappy. I use fleece liners but you can also use disposable liners or silk (silk is fantastic as a natural cure for nappy rash too) then I pop them in a draw ready for the next nappy change.