Sunshine is the most effective natural steriliser, so try to dry your nappies outdoors in the sunshine whenever possible.

The simplest way to sterilise your nappies is to wash them at 95 oC. However, you can not wash PUL wraps or all-in-one nappies at this temperature as it will destroy the waterproofing. Washing at 60oC is actually more than sufficient in South Africa because of the amount & strength of sunlight that we receive.

Alternatively, add a few drops of a sterilising essential oil to your rinse water (see 'Make Your Own' page for list). Be sure to rinse nappies thoroughly afterwards as baby skin is particularly sensitive to essential oils.

A solution of bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice can be used as one of the rinses, but be sure to rinse with plain water again afterwards. For a full load (10l) you can use 2 tbs bicarbonate of soda and/or lemon juice, but start with 1tbs of either/ both. Remember that modern washing machines are intelligent and only add water based on the weight of your load (which is why they dont' have a 'half load' button anymore). Thus, start with less and increase it if you find it insuffcient.

You can soak nappies in a sterilising solution instead of dry pailing, but most manufacturers no longer recommend this.See the 'Make Your Own' page for a list of home-made sterilising solutions.

If you are particularly worried about sterilising nappies (e.g. if you are using them with more than one child at a time and one of the children has diarrhoea) they can be sterilised in the microwave. However, you should check the strength of your microwave on one booster first as some fabrics may scorch in stronger microwaves. Nappies should be put in one at a time, straight from the washing machine so that they are still wet. Heat them on high for about a minute.

 
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