Cloth nappy top tips please

[weblette]

Although not in a Viz-kind of way

Have been given 2nd hand complete Popolino set - nappies, wraps, boosters etc by a very very kind friend for ds4 who is 6 months.

Is there anywhere you could please point me to get the idiot's guide to what to do with 'em - what to use for washing, how often to wash, best combinations to stop leaks etc.

Thanks!

Haven't used Popolinos, but we wash our nappies on 60 with Ecover. Don't EVER use fabric softener, as it will stop them being absorbent.

We have 15 nappies and wash about every three days. DS wears the same wrap all day unless there's a poo explosion, and the nappy inside gets changed as normal.

Get a plastic bucket for your dirty nappies with a lid that seals, stop them smelling before you do a wash.

Good luck!

PS as for leaks, it's all down to a good quality wrap. Not sure what Popolinos are like, we use Motherease Rikki ones, which are ace.

Thanks

Using my amazing mathematical powers that should work out at about 5 a day?

Another q, do you use booster pads all the time?

I wash mine at 40, every 2-3 days using soap nuts or non bio liquid (about 1/2 recommended dose.
Not all nappies tolerate being washed at 60, so check first!

I put vinegar (white) in the conditioner drawer to help soften, and line dry when possible to reduce stains.

I use boosters all the time for ds who is 2.4, but it is trial and error really. He drinks (and wees) alot.

We don't use boosters - DS is 2.3 - but it depends on your child. trial and error is the only way of finding out, really!

HTH

If you add a few drops of tea tree oil to the wash the nappies come out smelling fresher.

I spent hours reading thenappylady.co.uk the other day - it has loads of info!

don't get neat essential oils near your wraps or it might degrade the fabric

a quick cold rinse prior to washing helps keep urine smells at bay

supermarket 'value' microfibre dishcloths make very effective yet thin fitting boosters (more absorbant than cotton) - 3 for 89p at tesco, adsa etc

motherease wraps are generally considered totally 'bomb-proof'

only every use 1/2 the normal amount of washing powder, never use softener or you will lose the absorbancy of your nappies, wash at 40 or 60C and line dry in the sun to get rid of stains.

Having just got without washing nappies after 3.7 years and two bottoms in them, this is what I did:
Dry pail only, no essential oils or other faff that the nappy sites like to sell you. Keep bucket out side in cool part of yard and throw wet nappies out of the bathroom window, pick em up and put them in the bucket when I go outside
Put them on a 40 or 60 wash (when using them on two children I used 60 wash all the time) with a pre wash but only plain water in the prewash, no detergent.
I did start off with only using half the amount of detergent but found that after a while the nappies were not coming up really clean. So every so often a good wash with lots of powder and extra rinsing cycle. IMO half the amount of powder only works if they are not all soaked with strong smelling wee like my two used to produce.
Ours were only ever line dried indoors or out but can always tell when they've been dried outside as they end up a lot brighter.
Agree no fabric softener.
They can get hard if you only line dry them, some people tumble dry for a little while to fluff them up but I'm to stingy to do that
If you only line dry you will need to organise your washing to take into account a long drying time - over 24 hours indoors in winter.

And now I must move over to the potty training threads

1. change nappy - use washble wipes and place in bucket.
2. Use fleece liner in nappy for extra softness.
3. Do not use flushable iners if you have dodgy drains.
4. Wash nappies at 40-60 with no fabric cond.
5. Always remember to put a wrap over nappy unless it is an all in one.
6. Get a washable/wet nappy bag to put nappies in when out and abuot instead of nappy sacks.
7. Check all the cloth is inside the wrap to prevent leaks.
8. If struggling ask on mn!

first i rinse all the nappies under the cold water tap (not hot - it sets stains). then i put them all in the nappy bucket which is filled with cold water. i don't use essential oils cos they can cause the nappies to start repelling water or vinegar or lemon juice cos it can damage the fabric. i wet pail cos it breaks down the urine and loosens stains so the nappies last longer. i don't soak wraps though cos this affects their waterproofness.

i try to do a wash every day because the longer nappies remain wet the quicker the fabrics will break down. i do a prewash with non-biological (biological washing powders can damage nappies) detergent a 30 degree wash with half a tablet or 1/4 the recommended amount of powder/liquid (we use non-bio liquid cos powder usually contains brighteners and perfumes which damage the nappy) and an extra rinse if the final rinse of the wash programme still had suds in it. don't use fabric conditioner cos it coats the fibres and so reduces absorbancy. i hand wash wraps cos it makes them last longer.

i'm another fan of line drying as much as possible, but if not then i line dry inside on an airer near the radiator or in the airing cupboard. i don't put them directly on the radiators or tumble dry as this can damage them in the long run. also tumbledrying can make them hold their smells more. after i've hand washed the wraps i wipe them out with a towel to remove excess moisture and dry them as per the nappies.

Oh and it might sound bizarre but i got this tip off babykind. to keep your nappies soft the most effective and eco-friendly way is to catch some rain water and soak your washed nappies in it before spinning and drying as usual! We've got a waterbutt so just soak the nappies in water from that.