Wash your nappies at least once before use to remove the softeners already on the fabric. This will reduce the bulk of the nappy, but will also increase its absorbency. Don't use bleach or softener when washing nappies. Bleach is a skin-irritant. Softener reduces the absorbency of a nappy and shortens its lifespan. You don't need to use Non-Bio washing powders, although you can if you want to. Non-bio washing powders contain bleaching agents. These have been found to have the same effect on baby's skin as the enzymes in Biological washing powders. Only use the exact amount of washing powder you need. Using more than you need will lead to a build up of washing powder in the gathers around the legs of shaped nappies, which can lead to your baby developing a rash or ezcema around the legs. You can use Eco-balls (available from the UK) with a few drops of a sterilising essential oil (see 'Make Your Own' for list) or Borax instead of washing powder, but then wraps should be washed separately using washing powder as they tend to smell otherwise. You can wash nappies in a cool wash as long as your child is well, there are no poo nappies, your baby is older than 3 months and you do not have 2 or more children using the nappies at the same time. If you want to keep white nappies
white, don't wash them with coloured nappies. In particular, once Velcro is stained, it's permanently stained. If you have a colour
run, remember that your washing machine will have traces of that
colour stored in the drum for a while, so run your washing machine
empty once or twice before washing whites (or do a few colour washes
before doing a load of whites). |
