Being dim here maybe but confused by the nappy pail / washing wraps - help!

[zazas]

Are just getting into the swing of real nappies with my 3 week old - now that they seem to fit her better. A few questions though if anyone can help...

Are not sure about when I put them in the pail / bucket - do I need to soak them or leave them dry? Do I use lavender / tea tree oil as I have read somewhere and how? Plus the warps - I know you are not meant to need to wash them everytime but if they are soaked around the legs do I just dry them out or should I wash them - bit smelly at the moment?

Finally can I throw them in with the rest of the family's wash if I am doing a cycle - or is that disgusting?????

Thanks for any help!

We installed a washing machine in our garage, and I used to chuck them in there and wash every two days. I know thats not always possible but it was the best solution for us!

I have 2 nappy buckets that hold approx 2-2.5 days worth of nappies. I dry pail them - just chuck them in a net in the bucket which I can then throw straight in the washing machine.

I always wash my wraps separately so don't put them in the bucket - as I wash my nappies at 60 degrees and the wraps don't need this (in fact it would probably ruin them done on a regular basis).

wraps go in with a standard load of washing, nappies in the bucket until i have a full load then tipped into machine- done and dusted!!

zazas, well done firstly!

I put my nappies in the pail dry and stick a liner/little cloth in there with some lavender oil on it. I wash them every evening though, so they don't hang around for ages stinking the bathroom out (I'm stingey and only bought 15, so regular washing...).

I wash the wraps if they get wet or pooey. Putting them back on wet would be a bit like going out with wet knickers on, or worse drying your wet knickers and then putting them back on!! Bleurgh!! !

I do put them in with the rest of our washing, just because otherwise my machine would be going 4 times a day instead of only 3!!! If they are v. pooey, then I put the nappies in for a pre wash first, and then add the rest of the stuff afterwards. And I'm not too worried if they don't stay perfectly white.

HTH, although I must say I'm no expert, have just made it up as I went along...

I meant that I put the wraps in with a normal washing load when I said 'separately'...it would be far too extravagant to wash them on their own .

Like Henrietta, I usually keep DS in the same wrap all day unless it gets wet or pooey.

It sounds like you are doing a fab job so early on anyway!

!st time round I soaked them in tea tree oil and washed nappies and wraps separately - nappies on their own, wraps in with other stuff.
This time round I'm much more laidback - throw them into bucket dry, wash nappies and wraps together (I use Pro-wraps which seem to be indestructable as they have been used for nearly 2 years without replacing any!!) along with anything else that needs a hot wash. I wash out wet wraps, usually using Carex as that's what's in the bathroom, or chuck them in the machine if I have a load going in.

Takes a little while to get a system going but WELL worth it both in terms of cost (bought all mine 2nd hand on ebay) and smugness but maybe that's just me

Just back in! Thanks for your messages - helps alot!

I was wondering about the wraps being wet (around the leg bit) and then reusing them as it just seemed a bit yuck - but I do think I might need more than I have as she seems to wet them everytime I change her - maybe as she gets bigger and things fit better it will not be the case? Anyway with up to 5 kids in total (DP and mine ) we are washing rather regularly so I will throw those wraps in with the rest - but not the dirty nappies - now I know better

No need to worry about keeping them white - seem to have managed to buy some rather bright green and purple ones along the way!

zazas are you using tots bots wraps as I find these do tend to get wet around the legs fairly quickly? If it helps I like Motherease or Nature Babies wraps that don't seem to have the same problem and will usually last us a whole day.