how do you wash nappies that might be virus-laden? (rotavirus, diarrhea, etc)

What do you MCN-users do when you suspect (or know) that your baby's nappies are laden with more nasties than just poos?

DD is having her 2-month vaccinations next week, and I've learned that in some % of babies, the rotavirus will be "shed" into the nappies for up to a couple of weeks after she has the vaccination. It's a live, attenuated virus, so presumably it's no risk to her (since she'll be full of it anyway), and little risk to DH and I (since we are not immuno-compromised), but all the same, I don't like to think of it spreading around more than necessary, just in case we encounter someone who might be made sick by it.

It strikes me that this same problem must occur any time a child has a cold or flu or any other viral thing, especially if it causes diarrhea. The nappies will be full of the virus. So how do you handle that?

I have bumgenius and BBH nappies. The Bumgenius website says it's OK to wash with a little bleach. The BBH website says that bleach will wreck the nappies but Dettol Laundry liquid is OK. Odd, since both kinds of nappies have essentially the same makeup (PUL and microfibre). I'm not sure really whether either bleach or dettol will a) kill the virus or b) harm the nappies. Considering using disposable for a few days, but I don't really want to use them for a fortnight and then again every time DD gets sick with something, which will surely happen sooner or later.

How do you handle this one? Do you worry about it at all?

I didn't worry about it at all. She didn't get terribly yucky nappies after her vaccs so I didn't feel the need. You could always use flats for a couple of days to make sure though, and just chuck them in a really hot wash with dettol or something to clean them, then you don't have to worry about destroying anything.

I use Bumgenius and would consider adding a few drops of tea-tree oil to their soaking wash. Also use only hot water in the machine. I would avoid bleach. I wonder if adding salt to the wash would work too? :think: if I can think of any other germ killing but gentle-on-fabric i'll add.

I agree with Arimeh: I also used flats and they could tolerate a much hotter wash with a dash of bleach/detol... good idea.

If I get a bit funny, like after a vacc or if she's vomiting, and want to really wash then I used napisan and a warm wash.

The flats idea is a good one, unfortunately I don't have enough of those. We have a number of prefolds, but I had bad experiences with them when I tried them (using prefolds plus a cover, think it was a Bummis cover, but I might misremember the brand, anyway they got totally soaked through really fast and leaked, and that was weeks ago, so would be worse now - I guess DD is a big wetter).

I'd rely on the sun to sterilize the nappies if I could rely on any sun at all hitting our mostly-shaded washing line, in Melbourne, in midwinter <sigh>.

My backup plan is to use the Bumgenius nappies only, and wash them with bleach, and use disposables for the rest of the day when I run out of those. If I wash daily I might not run out much, but we'll have to use 'sposies overnight anyway, I think.

Grr, and here I was hoping to hit the point soon where I need only wash every other day!

I would use Napisan in preference to bleach... bleach can be too strong.

I would agree with Bath (isn't this nice - we are agreeing with each other ;))
Definitely napisan over bleach.

Never know what bleach might do to the elastic. Plus Bumg's already have a rep for having elastic that can be.... um..... prone to letting go?