How can I soften cotton nappies?

[MissyK]

You know when they go a little bit stiff..
What is the best way to soften them up a bit?
Thanks

tumble dryer

(sorry)

wot she said!

i had forgotten what a difference it made until my mum dried some for me and they're soooo sof tnow. well, till the next wash anyway.

You don't need to tumble dry, I mostly dried mine on the washing line.

They were a bit cardboardy once dry so just scrunching them up and rubbing together softened the fibres again.

I also line dried mine. They used to be like cardboard sometimes putting them on the baby but no restriction on the childs movement etc.
They are covered with a wrap immediately any way so as we have adequate drying space I never understood why some people are so keen that they should be soft!
I think the heat of a tumble dryer does any elastic in the nappies no good in the long run.

I love a good crunchy bathtowell to rub myself down with

lol yes mine are usually line dried and they have to put up with them being a bit crunchy.

but if you do want to soften them tumbling does it very well! my swaddlebees felt like new. ahhhh
but i don't have a tumble drier so baby better not get used to it lol

Rub them together people!

I don't mind them being 'a bit crunchy' I just thought perhaps I should soften them up every now and again - or will they not get any crunchier?

Georgimama - so just scrunch them up and pull them about a bit?

I used to flap ds's about a bit before putting them up to dry (no tumble drier) - this helped with cardboard squares quite a bit!

Yes honestly, just scrunch one up with your two hands and then rub it together really hard, they go soft straight away - works with towels as well if you can be bothered.

dh adds white vinegar to the load - seems to work but I don't know how or why

greyskull - because the acid in the vinegar helps dissolve the limescale that otheriwse coats the fibres, leading to crunch

tis a hard water thing, same stuff as furs up your kettle

(NB fleece-lined nappies like Bimbles stay soft on he inside however crunchy the cotton outer gets)

move somewhere windy they go crispiest on radiators or outside on a still day i found - if you can get a bit of a breeze blowing through them it really helps. a 10 minute tumble once they're almot dry can help too, so i hear.

Thanks MrsB we have prefolds and before he started doing this they sometimes came off the radiator like cardboard

Puppydetox - we live by the sea & people say we live in the windiest (sp) avenue in our town/village.
Things require extra pegs just to stay on the line, no real chance of still day round here.
And we don't have centrl heating - no chance of my nappies getting near a raidiator !! Mind, our house is due to have central heating installed by the landlord, not till October though!

lol in that case i'd sell em all and buy some bamboos

Lol, I have some bamboo & microfibre nappies too, just more cottons!