The Real Nappy Association recommends washing nappies at 60 degrees to sterilise them thoroughly. However, like it or not, you and your family share your bugs with your baby, and so it is not necessary to sterilise nappies in this way every wash, and a 40 degree wash is perfectly adequate for the most part. It is not necessary to separate nappies from the rest of the family wash, either (although you will want to avoid washing with dark colours, to prevent any colour transference). If you wash at 40 degrees generally, I would suggest that you do a 60 degree wash at least once a week, just to be on the safe side, (see "Using a Nappy Bucket").
The hotter you wash your wraps, in particular, the more you will shorten their life span, and so will tumble drying. This is particularly true of Velcro wraps, as it is the Velcro that eventually goes. It does seem to me that some people handle their laundry far more roughly than others without realising it, and a lot of this is to do with the temperature of the wash and whether or not you tumble dry. For example, I have seen a Motherease Rikki wrap used for two weeks that looks like it has been used for two years, whereas my own is still in perfect condition (although it will have been washed about the same number of times) - that is not to say the other one will not work effectively, but it does look a lot more worn at the Velcro.
You SHOULD wash at 60 degrees in any of the following circumstances:
If your baby is under about 3 months old (whilst they have no real resistance of their own)
If using Eco Balls rather than detergent
If your baby has any history of repeated rashing or skin sensitivity
If you have two or more babies using the same nappies
If you live in a commune or other "open" community (your baby will not become resistant to unfamiliar bugs)
If your baby is unwell
If you want to wash at 40 degrees, you can easily sterilise your nappies occasionally in the microwave. However, you should try this on a single booster or similar first, as some microwaves are too powerful and apparently may scorch the material. Once you are happy your microwave can handle this, just put in the washed and wet nappy and zap it for about a minute on high. Obviously, you would not be able to sterilise nappies with metal poppers in this way. All-in-one nappies or pocket nappies with vinyl/plastic waterproof covers should not be affected adversely by the microwave, but apply this procedure with care, as the steam from the water may reduce the life span of the waterproofing. If you are susceptible to yeast infections yourself, you can also use this method to sterilise your pants, so as not to reinfect yourself. This is exactly what Chinese restaurants do with their finger towels.
New nappies should be washed a couple of times before use as this improves absorbency.
Do not use fabric conditioner, as this coats the fabric and gradually reduces absorbency.
Never wash (or soak) your nappies in Bicarbonate of Soda, vinegar, bleach or harsh stain removers, over time this can cause considerable damage to the fabric of the nappies, and will negate any warranty.
As for washing powder, I'm going to depart from usual advice regarding using non biological powders for infants. Bear in mind that most of the rest of the world manages fine without any non bio detergents - Britain is one of the few markets to sell it, so it clearly is not essential. Children may be sensitive to fragrances or additives in either bio or non bio detergents, so find what works best for you. Biological powders tend to clean without bleaching, whereas many non biological powders work by bleaching rather than removing stains as such. Therefore, if you have coloured nappies or print wraps, you are probably best to use a biological detergent.
Note that not all powders (or liquids) are as good as others, and some may have agents added to which your child is sensitive. Formulas also change periodically, and so a powder you have used happily before may suddenly bring your child out in rash. My homeopathic practitioner, who also does allergy testing, recommends Surecare or Filetti (available in Tesco's etc, in a pink plastic bag) as the detergents you are least likely to be allergic to. She says a lot of people react to Persil non Bio in particular. Just be aware that once you start to use real nappies, a very sensitive part of your child's body is now coming into contact with detergents, and if they have problems with redness, it could easily be related to this.
If you are concerned about environmental friendliness, it is best to avoid the big name brands. Bio-D, ECOS and Clearspring have all performed well in environmental evaluations.
One nappy wash (if done on its own rather than as part of a family wash) is normally approximately half a load, so you may prefer to do a full load every other day if this suits your circumstances/washing machine, and you want to keep nappies separate. However, be aware that you will need more nappies and wraps to cope with this routine, and also your nappy bucket will start to smell quite strongly when the lid is taken off it, if you do not change the water daily. Some people wash every third day, but this is usually only practical once the child is a toddler, and only using 4 nappies per 24 hours or so.
If you live in a hard water area, nappies will gradually become hard because of the detergents that build up. This actually does not matter too much to your baby, because they will have a paper or washable liner over the nappy, so they will not be uncomfortable. If you are using shaped nappies we advise you DO NOT use softening agents such as Calgon which can cause damage to the elastic in the nappies. Use of these products negates any product warranty. If using terry squares this is not a concern but it is debatable as to whether these are good for sensitive skin.
You could consider using Eco Balls instead of detergent, After a few washes, you will notice your clothes and nappies are much softer, but you will not get the "dazzling whiteness" that comes from the bleach in detergents. The new Eco Balls are reusable, and they unscrew for refilling - unfortunately, this also happens in the washing machine, so I strongly recommend that you thread a piece of string through the two halves to prevent them undoing. A recent Which magazine has concluded, however, that these laundry discs are generally no more effective than plain water for washing clothes.
A compromise would be to use detergents occasionally, to boost the whiteness of your clothes.
The ionising agents in Eco Balls may reduce the life span of wraps with laminant interiors - mine started to smell a bit funny on contact with urine after being washed with Eco Balls for a few weeks, although this soon stopped when I stopped using the Eco Balls, and the waterproofing has not apparently been affected. If you want to wash nappies in Eco Balls to keep them softer, and the rest of the household washing in detergent, wash the wraps in with the family washing.
In general order of preference, these are the best ways to dry your nappies:
Outside on the line - the sun is a natural bleach.
Ceiling drying rack
Airing cupboard
In front of an Aga or other similar oven (or old fashioned stove)
Freestanding or overbath dryer - a dryer is best stood in a well-ventilated room such as a conservatory or bedroom, as bathrooms often have too damp an atmosphere to dry effectively.
Tumble drier - makes nappies feel nice and soft, but works out expensive and also shortens the life span of your nappies by taking out the pile gradually. You will need to remember to empty the filter regularly of all the fluff. Or you could give your nappies no more than 10 minutes in the tumble drier and then finish them off in one of the other ways listed, to get some of the softness without the cost. Other people swear by keeping the 10 minute tumble dry for the end of the drying period, rather than the beginning, but that is difficult to time..
Radiator - nappies will feel quite hard, but can be shaken out to soften them up a bit.
Terries and prefolds can also be ironed dry - many shaped nappies cannot be, either because they are too thick, or they contain some material which should not be ironed. This option is bottom of the list because it involves the serious disadvantage of requiring some effort on your part! Never iron wraps.
Note that you should not dry any clothes in a room used by anyone with a sensitivity to house dust mites, as these love to breed in the warm air produced by damp clothing.
With washing, all nappies will get stiffer than they were when new, although it does help to live in a soft water area (eg Wales!). Shaped terries with a stretch agent (eg Motherease) in them or microfibre nappies such as the Teddy will tend not to go as hard as old fashioned terries. Bear in mind, however, that your baby will not feel the material directly against their bottom anyway, because there will be a liner on top. Also, as soon as baby wees, the whole thing softens up.
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March 2010 The Nappy Lady
Added on 15/05/2007 22:54:41