HOW TO WASH REUSABLE NAPPIES

 

This guide provides care and washing instructions to keep your Peachi Baby modern cloth nappies clean and answers commonly asked questions like "can you wash reusable nappies with clothes".

 

Thoughtful practices will help extend the lifetime of these special products. To prolong our products' lifespan, they should be handled with care.

 

Being mindful about washing and reconsidering how you are treating them can ensure your nappies' longevity and keep your little one happy and hygienic.

 

 

PRE-WASH (for brand new reusable nappies)

 

Unsnap all poppers and put the nappies on a short rinse cycle with a small amount of good quality detergent. Once dry, they are ready for use, but inserts will improve in absorbency, wash after wash.

 

 

WASH ROUTINE (for dirty reusable nappies)

 

 

PREP

Place any solids in the toilet and give shells, and inserts a quick rinse under a tap to dilute the residue.

 

Carefully unsnap all of the snaps (poppers).

 

DRY PAIL

Store nappies in a dry pail between washes. This will prolong the lifespan of fabrics, limit smells and helps to avoid any nasty build-ups. Our wet bags left unzipped (to allow for airflow) are a great dry pail option.

 

Do not leave longer than 2-3 days.

 

SHORT WASH 

Once you have a full load of nappies ready to wash, run a short cycle with a half amount of detergent.

 

Drain the dirty water away before the main wash.

 

MAIN WASH 

With machine drum about 3/4 full, wash nappies along with any dirty baby clothes using the full recommended dose of a good quality detergent (without fabric softeners or bleaches).

 

Make sure you check the box as the recommended dose is often more than you would think! And you may need double the dose for some plant-based detergents.  

 

Run a long cycle (40 degrees) to get the nappies thoroughly clean.

 

If you want to wash the inserts at 60 degrees occasionally, you can, but nappy shells are to be washed at no higher than 40 degrees to keep them in the best condition.

 

At the end of the cycle, give the inserts a good stretch out whilst they're still wet.

 

DRY

AIR or LOW ONLY Tumble Dry for shells

 

Use caution if tumble drying shells, as high temperatures can delaminate the waterproof outer and void your warranty.

 

Line drying is recommended for the shells, draped over the line fleece-side up, rather than hung vertically to save the elastics and protect the waterproof layer from the sun.

 

Inserts can be dried at any temperature and are less ridged after a tumble dry. 

 

IMPORTANT TIPS:

 

WASHING CLOTH NAPPIES

Do not soak. Do not bleach.

With a good wash routine, you shouldn't get many stains or smells. But putting cloth nappies out in the sunshine can help to get rid of any stubborn stains. When sunning nappy shells, just make sure to face them fleecy liner side-up, as the sunlight may damage the PUL and void your warranty. For more info on stains and what you can do to avoid them, click here. If your nappies are smelling after washing you may need to do a strip wash.

 

Do not exceed a spin speed of 800RPM when washing shells, as this is bad for the elastics.

 

Do not run nappy shells through a hot wash over 40 degrees, as this can damage the PUL waterproof layer and will void your warranty.

 

Inserts are expected to shrink a bit (approx 10%) due to the high natural fibre content - extra fabric has been factored into the pattern to account for this. Giving them a good stretch after washing/drying will help flatten them out.

 

If there are still suds at the end of the main cycle, run a rinse cycle or two until suds have gone and reduce your detergent slightly next time you do the main wash to avoid detergent build-up.

  

NAPPY CREAMS & SENSITIVE SKIN

 

Nappy creams will require a warm to hot wash to remove oil and zinc residue (these impact absorbency). We recommend using a liner.

 

If your baby has particularly sensitive skin, consider running an optional short, final rinse to ensure all detergents are washed away and switch to a sensitive or plant-based laundry detergent.

 

DETERGENT

Biological detergents work best, and Ariel Bio would be our favourite. Fairy Non-Bio is a good non-bio option.

 

Unfortunately, the 'eco' brands on the market currently are not recommended as they don't provide a thorough enough clean for nappies.

 

Generally, we recommend powders over liquid detergents as liquids can coat fibres and reduce absorbency. Powders rinse out much better.

 

In any case, the detergent choice is your decision as you know what's best for your baby.

 

It is good practice to keep your washing machine clean by doing a maintenance wash every month.

 

For more helpful laundry tips visit The Babble blog

For advice specific to newborns click here

For fitting help watch our Video Tutorials

 

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