The real “dirt” on washing Modern Cloth Nappies

Let's start off by being real. Washing modern cloth nappies probably isn't your favourite household chore! Modern cloth nappies get used day after day by our little ones so naturally we want them to be clean. After all, it's those little tushes that we want to protect from rashes and germs in the first place. Now I love my organic, “sunshine and rain will clean everything” thoughts, but when it comes down to the real “dirt” of cleaning the nappy, I want it C-L-E-A-N!

Up until recently, we’ve always spruiked either using no detergent, or if you’re a detergent-nazi, using  a ¼ of the recommended dosage.

In the past 12-18 months, we’ve seen products entering the market that are specifically designed for modern cloth nappies.  These detergents are non-soap based  - that evil substance that will build up on your nappies and cause them to repel water.

The two that I am most aware of in Australia are Rocking Green, a phosphate free powder containing sodium carbonate , sodium percarbonate, natural chelating agents, sodium sulfate, biodegradable surfactants (and where scented) natural fragrance oils, and the Cushie Tushies Laundry Liquid, produced from plant esters derived from apples, oats, corn, & soy, Australian eucalyptus oil added into the mix to make it all smell great (and it does!)

Then last year, Australian nappy maker, Amanda McCracken (www.mandymac.com.au) teamed up with some scientists to throw a great big steaming poo in the washing pile.

The team tell us that that when washing, scientifically, we need water, mineral content, agitation and detergent. If you don’t happen to get the mix right, you will need to increase the others to compensate. Their example being, someone with hard water may need to scrub harder with more detergent. You get the idea.

Now to the crap

Urine is made mostly of water, some salts and urea which are mostly sterile inside the bladder. Once the bladder is relieved, it’s a different story.

So pee, they tell us, can break down upon contact with any bacteria, even the good bacteria that lives on your baby's bottom. If you don't get the urine out quickly it can break down the modern cloth nappies as well.

Poo is the other half of the problem.

Flushable liners are great for easy removal of solids, but if you don't use them you will have to flush the solids down the toilet and then you are still stuck with a soiled nappy, and bacteria.

Like regular laundry, nappies are cleaner and last longer if they are washed sooner. Stains have less time to set in, bacteria have a lesser chance of growing and the urine has a lesser chance of deteriorating the fabric. Most parents use a dry-pail as their first step. You can rinse off any soiled substances or urine and toss into the pail. There's no drowning hazard and it’s not as heavy as a bucket full of water. It’s also recommended to pre-rinse. Cold water without detergent. The idea is to rinse away bacteria and urine in this step so we use less detergent in the next step. Lastly, the actual cleaning part. This is where you need to focus on those factors.

Water – not a lot we can do about that. Hot water is a great idea when you are trying to get out a really tough stain, but it can damage some of the parts of a nappy. Cold water is always a great idea but you will need more detergent. So a healthy balance is the smart way to go. Warm water, good amount of detergent and a long cycle will make nappies sparkling C-L-E-A-N!

The biggest thing we have to emphasise, is UV rays.

Plain ol’ sunlight. 

It doesn’t have to even be direct sunlight. Those UV’s might be bad for our skin, but they are great at sanitising nappies and getting out stains.

All toilet humour aside

I’m not an environmental scientist, just a mum that’s used cloth full time for my child. 

We didn’t use detergents, mainly because my child suffered (and still does) from eczema.  We did get ‘nappy rash’ on occasion, but it was as a result of her skin condition.  I can’t say that I felt using cloth ever exacerbated the problem, and in fact, we tried disposables when using thick cream, but they actually made the problem worse.

I will say, though, that our nappies often smelt – my daughters urine was toxic (I say that with no chemical research though!).

And as much as we should wash often, every second day was pretty much the norm for us, unless it was teething time.  When that happened, you did not want nappy hanging around for too long. There also wasn’t any pre-rinsing going on.  My nappies were always clean, and the sun got out the stains.  I only wish I would have found these new laundry liquids earlier, as feedback has been that (especially the Cushie Tushies Liquid) is great at neutralising ammonia smells and making nappies look new again.