Cloth Nappies - Cleaning!

The need for cleaning is probably the main reason most parents opt against cloth nappies. However, if you have a system in place for sorting and cleaning, you will find that using cloth nappies is not that hard at all. Following are a few ideas to make your cloth nappy cleaning as trouble-free as possible.

Little Squirt
I have listed this first for a good reason: it is fantastic and will make life much easier for you. There is a mention of this in my first cloth nappy blog, but basically it is a small high pressure hose that is fitted to the toilet cistern tap (DIY installation). It is used to hose pooey nappies directly into the toilet - most of the poo can be removed prior to soaking/washing. The Little Squirt is available from many of the cloth nappy websites and also some general online eco stores.

Nappy Bucket

A nappy bucket with a secure lid is a must, especially when your baby becomes a toddler. A 20L bucket is ideal. I purchased two, thinking I would have one for soiled and one for wet nappies, but this is not at all practical - I just use one (and use the other for soaking clothes!).

A handy place for the nappy bucket is right next to the toilet, as pooey nappies can be hosed off then transferred directly to the bucket. Alternatively, keep the bucket next to the change table and take it to the toilet after you change a pooey nappy.

Pre-wash Soaker
There are a few environmentally-friendly, biodegradable pre-wash soaking solutions available. One I have used which works well is made by TriNature (http://www.trinature.com/; also available from www.natureschild.com.au). Bicarb and vinegar also work well (about 1/2 cup bicarb and 1/2 cup vinegar to around 5L water in the bucket). Cold water in the bucket is fine (it will become cold anyway). Also, with modern cloth nappies it is not essential to soak (especially if water is scarce) and you can instead sprinkle some bicarb in the bucket to absorb odours. I have tried both but tend to prefer to soak, though it is more of a pain to carry the water-filled bucket to the laundry and put the soaking-wet (and dripping) nappies in the machine!

Out-and-about Nappy Bag
I didn't have one of these initially and used to put the used nappies into biodegradable plastic bags until I arrived home! These nappy bags allow you to store used nappies while you are out, as they are water-proof and smell-proof. I purchased the Baby Beehinds one, which does up easily with a zip and is easy to clean (just throw in the machine with the nappies). It can be kept in the nappy change bag.

General Cleaning
Most of the cloth nappy manufacturers/websites have useful information on how to clean the particular nappies. In general, the nappies are best washed in warm (rather than hot water) - 40 degrees or less - and are best line-dried in the sun. Apart from being environmentally-friendly and causing less wear and tear on the nappy, line-drying has the benefit of helping to sterilise and clean the nappy via the sun's rays. Whether you wash daily or every second day depends on how many nappies you have - I tend to wash every second day. If you left it any longer than two days you would need to change the water in the nappy bucket; leaving more than two days with a dry system would be too long (even two days is pushing it a bit).