Modern detergents are very strong and if you use too much it can build up on your nappies. If you find your nappies start to have a strong smell when they are wet, it is highly likely you have detergent build up This problem is most noticeable when baby is teething and their wee becomes strong.
The good news is it’s easy to cure and can be prevented from returning. To cure the problem you need to follow a process called strip washing.
Strip Washing to Remove Residue Detergent
-First thing to do is to strip wash all of your nappies. To do this you need
to wash the nappies 3 times.
-For the first wash use NO detergent and wash at 30oC or if possible no temp at all on a standard wash
-No need to dry in between for the second wash, use 60oC on the longest
possible wash with NO detergent.
-Again no need to dry, do a third wash with no detergent on the longest
possible wash. Hopefully during this wash you should see no suds during the
wash. If you do see suds then you need to wash again (I never have at this
stage!)
This should sort them for the short term .
Preventing Detergent Build Up
Ongoing to prevent this happening again we would suggest doing a
cold rinse with a small amount of detergent and sanitiser before your nappy wash. Then put your nappies on a longer wash at 60oC WITHOUT any further detergent.
If you dry pail your nappies try to rinse them before they go in the bucket or at least the overnight nappies as these are the worst.
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July 2009 - The Nappy Lady
Added on 09/02/2009 13:57:41