My Current Wash Routine
My Current Wash Routine.
Today this blog is about how easy it is to fit cloth nappies into my busy every day routine and in hope to educate and perhaps change at least one persons perception on the whole thing and give them a crack.
In my nappy stash, I have more than enough nappies to last me three days with both girls in them full time. (apart from Norah, she is in a sposie at night time due to nappy rash from sleeping 12+ hours)
Day one:
Throughout the day I chuck the nappies into the sink in the laundry ready for me to rinse in the evening. If I am home all day and I allow 3 minutes to rinse any poo nappies, I will. This helps cut wash times in the evening.
At the end of the day, generally once Norah and Delilah are down for their sleeps, I will go wash the days nappies. This is a good time because I know I am 95% sure I won't have to change a nappy until the AM.
This wash takes me no more than 10 minutes if there are only 1-2 poo nappies.
I give the wee nappies a quick rinse under hot water and pop them into the machine, then I scrub any poo off with my poo scrubber, give a good rinse and into the washing machine.
This wash is called the pre wash. Wash on a hot regular wash on medium spin with 1 scoop of washing powder. (this amount of detergent goes by the powder I use and the washing machine I have, all machines and powders are different.
Once the pre wash has finished, I take the nappies and wet bags out of the machine and into a basket with good air flow. (generally a regular rectangle basket or I have a tall cylinder one with wholes all down the sides)
That is day one.
Day two:
I pretty much repeat day one.
I have plenty on nappies to keep me going for a couple of days.
If we are out and about through the day, the dirty nappies are kept in a wet bag to keep odor and moisture inside the bag. Once we are home, I try put the wet bag straight into the sink in the laundry otherwise i go grab it when it's time to wash.
Again, at night, give all nappies and rinse and clean any poo, then straight into the washing machine for another pre wash.
Once finished being washed, the nappies and wet bags are added to the washing basket with the load from day one.
Day three:
Day three is our main wash day.
I proceed doing everything the same as day one and two.
Once my pre wash is done, instead of taking them out and adding to the other days washing, I keep them in the machine. I loosen up the nappies so they aren't all stuck to the sides of the machine and I add day one and two nappies into the load.
Now we are ready for our main wash.
The main wash is where the nappies get a good clean!
I use one and a half scoops of my powder, put on a hot heavy duty wash and on a medium spin.
Once this load is complete we are ready to dry.
I spend no more than 5 minutes putting inserts and terry/flannelette flats into the dryer and i hang the shells and any bamboo liners on the line or cloths horse.
This is the washing done!
A quick break down of timing.
Day one: 10 minutes
Day two: 10 minutes
Day three: 15 minutes
So for the three days i generally spend no more than 35 minutes on washing nappies.
A quick dot form of how to wash.
Pre wash:
• rinse all nappies by hand
• wash in the machine on hot and medium spin
• transfer nappies to a washing basket with good air flow
Main wash:
• add all pre washed items into machine
• wash on a long hot wash with medium spin
Drying:
• either hang everything on the line or cloth horse or add you liners and flats to the dryer
Trust me, once you get into the routine and know what you're doing (which doesn't take long) it is super quick and easy!
Ashlee xx