How to do a nappy strip wash

5 step strip wash process for deep cleaning cloth nappy inserts

If you have a good wash routine it's very unlikely you'll ever need to do a strip wash.

But, if you haven't been washing your nappies well for a while, you have detergent build-up, or if they are second-hand and haven’t been cared-for correctly, you may need to do something called a strip wash.

Here’s how you do a strip wash on your reusable nappies:

1. SHORT WASH

Run a 40°C short wash with no detergent.

2. LONG WASH

Put your machine on its longest cycle (~3-4 hours long) at either 40°C (or 60°C if you're washing inserts-only), with a full dose of detergent.

3. REPEAT LONG WASH

Repeat the long cycle again but without detergent. This will help to clean out any residual detergent from your cloth nappies.

4. RINSE CYCLE

Run a rinse cycle or short wash with no detergent and check that there are no soapy bubbles in the machine. If there are, run another rinse cycle. Repeat until you don't see any soap bubbles.

5. CONTINUE WITH A GOOD WASH ROUTINE

Now your nappies are clean you'll want to keep them that way! Setting a habit of a good wash routine will make your reusable nappies last longer and will keep them nice and hygienic for your baby. You can do this by following our laundry instructions here.