How do I wash my nappies?

I have previously written a wash routine blog, but now that I have three kids, life is a little different. I need to make doing the washing fit into my life a little easier! Not much has changed, just a few things here and there. The main difference is that I do a main wash everyday now. 

Washing nappies isn’t rocket science, in fact, it’s actually so easy and not as time-consuming as you may think.

Everyone has their own way of doing things so there is no ‘right or wrong way’ to do the washing. 

In saying that, there are a few simple rules you should probably follow to ensure you don’t cause ammonia build-up which then can lead to rashes, trouble with a bub’s skin, and damage to your nappies. 

These rules are:

1. 40/60 degree temperature.
2. Using enough washing powder.
3. Spin speed on medium/low.
4. Pre and main washes.
5. Loading your main wash with small garments no bigger than a tea towel.

Now what do I do?

When I’m at home, I change the girls’ nappies and literally throw them in the laundry sink. I don’t have those wet pails and dry pails as most parents have; I keep it super simple and it works great for me!

Occasionally, if I’m feeling motivated, I rinse any pooey nappies as I go, but mainly just leave them until the end of the day. 

When I’m ready to do my wash I separate all inserts and shells from each other and put aside all pooey nappies and put all wee ones in the machine. 

When I’m left with all the poo nappies, I check to see if any are ‘plop-able’ and dispose of them in the toilet.

I use my $2 Kmart scrubber and scrub away under the hot running water to get all excess feces off of the nappies. 

If there is any staining, I use my velvet soap and give a bit of a scrub to get that off as much as I can. 

Once I have cleaned all the poo off of my nappies they are good to go in the machine. 

This is the important part

This first wash is called your PRE WASH: it is most important because it is to make sure all of your nappies get the wee and poo out of them.

I wash mine on 60 degrees, though you can also wash on 40 degrees for this wash. I like 60 because it puts my mind at ease knowing it’s on HOT. 

I like to use my “heavy duty” setting for this because it gives it an extra wash cycle as opposed to my quick wash setting. 

I use one scoop of OMO powder and adjust the spin speed from fast to medium.

If your spin speed is on high or fast it will stretch the elastic. Over time, your elastics will loosen and will have a short life span. 

Once they are done with the pre-wash, I leave them in the machine and add the girls’ small items of clothing, our socks, and jocks. 

The next wash is called your MAIN WASH.

This wash is important to have your machine half full for a top loader and 3/4 full for a front loader as this ensures your nappies are rubbing together to get extra clean.

Try to avoid filling it with items bigger than a tea towel as they can disrupt the agitation process.

So I will add my small garments into the wash, and once again I will do my heavy-duty wash as well as reduce my spin speed to medium. I’ll make my wash hot (60 degrees) and add 1 1/2 scoops of my OMO powder. 

I like to do my main wash every day or so I’ve always got clean nappies and this also gives me the opportunity to try and keep on top of our underwear as well as the girls’ clothes. 

When my main wash is complete, I separate all my shells from my inserts. I hang all the shells on my octopus hangers in the laundry and dry all my inserts in the dryer. 

You can also hang your inserts out to dry, but living in Victoria, unless we have a hot day over 30, they will take days to dry! So the dryer is my best friend.

Obviously, this routine only works if I make the time for it and I’m not too busy working.

Some days I am a bit slack and I do it in the morning or on the odd occasion where they get piled up there for an extra day or so. This is OKAY and you’re not a bad cloth parent if you aren’t religiously strict with your wash routine every now and then. 

If you have any questions regarding your wash routine or want more info or explanations regarding my wash routine, please contact me either through email or social DMs. I am more than happy to assist you on your cloth journey!