Is there an alternative to stripping nappies?

[lurcherlover]

My cloth nappies have started to have an ammonia smell on them after washing, and from reading on here it seems there might be a detergent build-up and I need to strip them? The only problem is that I'm on a water meter and this sounds like it will use loads of water. Is there anything else I can try first to see if it will get the smell out? I haven't been pre-washing them, just doing an extra rinse, so maybe I should start doing that (although TBH if I'd known this much water was going to be involved I'm not sure I'd have gone down the cloth nappy route - I don't think I'm going to end up saving money as what I don't spend on disposables I'll be spending on my water bill!) If I do strip them now, any tips for avoiding the ammonia smell in future? Or do you always need to strip them periodically?

I don't think there is an alternative I'm afraid, you need to get the detergent out. Just do a whole wash cycle with no detergent and extra rinses. For a normal load, i do a cold rinse first to loosen the dirt, then a normal wash with 1/4 recommended amount of detergent, then extra rinse. Using less detergent is key. That seems to avoid the need for strip washing very often. Bit of a bugger being on a meter, would it work out cheaper to take them to a launderette for stripping m,aybe?

I tried the vinegar stripping method from this . It uses very little water. To buy that quantity of white vinegar you ether need a Chinese super market, a wholesale shop or if you're not worried about possibly having slightly brown nappies use value malt from the supermarket.

I buy 5-litre jugs of white (distilled) vinegar online from here . It costs about a fiver.

A big long soak in either vinegar or soda crystals would get you started well, and should avoid the need for too many washes.

I found a 60 degree wash with some napisan - no other detergent worked for me.

The other thing is to wet pail and do an extra rinse before washing.

does the water really cost that much?

my washing machine uses 50 litres.... a fraction of a bath / a couple of loo flushes.....
seriously when your child is toilet rained you will probably use more water flushing the loo several times a day than washing nappies every few days.

no idea how much water costs but surely not more than a few p ?

Before DS3 came I washed and left the nappies I could spare for the purpose out on the line for a week in rain, ice and wind then when they were done put the others which I - that is to say DD2 & DS2 - had been using at night out for a similar period. That seemed to work wonders. They came in smelling sweet - not of soap or wee - and much softer.