washing reusable nappies before use

[mumnerves]

Sorry if I sound really thick, but washing reusable nappies before use,
how many times and do I dry them completely then re-wash?
At what temperature and do I use detergent at this point?

Thanks for any responses :)

It may vary, but with mine the advice was to wash twice before use, no need to dry between washes. Def no fabric conditioner. Can't remember the temperature - generally wash at 60 but 40 should be ok for clean ones...

Different fabrics need different amounts of pre-washing to reach full absorbency. There's no need to dry between washes and you don't need detergent in every wash, just one or two of the washes. Always use a half measure of detergent (also on soiled nappies) to prevent build-up.

Microfibre doesn't increase in absorbency with washing so only needs a one good wash to remove factory residues. Bamboo and hemp need about 10-12 washes to reach full absorbency. Cotton reaches full absorbency more quickly, IIRC it's something like 7. But, you don't need to do so many before you use them, you can just change more frequently at first. A newborn needs changing very frequently anyway. I usually do 3 or 4 washes, (two at the max temp allowed for the fabric) before use.

Indeed, no fabric softener, EVER. It reduces absorbency massively. You can use white vinegar in the softer draw of your machine to act as a softer and deodorizer.

Or try a few splashes of tea tree oil or lavender oil in the conditioner drawer - make them smell nice and have antibacterial type properties.

IIRC tea tree oil isn't recommended for use on nappies, particularly boys' nappies, something to do with potential for hormonal disturbance or some such...

Oh, lavender too:

...One study shows that tea tree oil may alter hormone levels. There have been three case reports of topical tea tree oil products causing unexplained breast enlargement in boys. People with hormone-sensitive cancers or pregnant or nursing women should avoid tea tree oil. For more information, read Lavender and Tea Tree Oils Linked to Breast Enlargement in Boys...

Here

Hmmm. That study says that other things could have caused the issues, and it was only 3 boys, and reversible as prepubertal gynocomastia usually is. There's probably a big difference between all the lotions and potions those boys seemed to be using and a few drops of oil in the conditioner drawer of a rather large wash of nappies...

Anyway, interesting to read but I wouldn't say it's a huge risk, partic as so many people use tea tree with nappies and this issue has hardly been publicized as a common side effect.

Thanks everyone for responses.

These are bamboo nappies and I plan to get some bamboo terries too, will wash them 3 times or so before LO arrives :)