Whats Your Routine?

[Hollybolly]

Hi Ladies

Just wanted to start a thread & ask whats your cleaning routine for MCN's?

I wash everyday here - between a household of boys & the teatowels, tablecloths & aprons for the restaurant, there's no other way

So adding cloth nappies to my routine in a few months time - just wondering how everyone does it as far as;

1. How often do you wash?
2. Whats your routine, eg - do you have a bin in the babys room/nursery - or do you take them straight into the laundry to a dry pail, etc? (I wouldn't keep pooey ones in the room )
3. Do you put all nappies in together (as far as poo ones & wet ones)
4. What do you wash with (washing powder/bi carb/vinegar etc?)

Also another question because I mostly wash in bicarb soda & white vinegar... is this harmful for MCN's?
I can't imagine it would be for prefolds & covers (it hasn't ruined any of our clothes/work things) - but just checking
Is there anything (washing products etc) I can use to help keep the quality in them?

Thanks in advance

[spooky]

here is my method...

remove nappy and tip poo and liner in toilet (if pooey)
rinse nappy in laundry sink
put in bucket with tight fitting lid
at the end of the evening put the nappies on to wash and rinse & air bucket
if still awake hang out, otherwise do it in the morning..
when dry, stuff so they are ready to go

I use sposies overnight so put the nappies on to wash when the kids are in their pj's for the night.

I use a "green" laundry detergent for the nappies as recommended for that brand (bg's) but I have read that a few people here use bicarb/vin with no problems. If using detergent use much less than normal.

[~Kim~]

1. How often do you wash?

Every 2 days. But I have A LOT of nappies (he had about 50-60 at newborn - I have lessened them now )

2. Whats your routine, eg - do you have a bin in the babys room/nursery - or do you take them straight into the laundry to a dry pail, etc? (I wouldn't keep pooey ones in the room )

Get rid of the poo in the loo and then straight into a dry bucket in the laundry and put the lid on

3. Do you put all nappies in together (as far as poo ones & wet ones)

Yep

4. What do you wash with (washing powder/bi carb/vinegar etc?)

Usually bicarb only, or 1/3 scoop of washing powder - what ever is on hand

Also another question because I mostly wash in bicarb soda & white vinegar... is this harmful for MCN's?I can't imagine it would be for prefolds & covers (it hasn't ruined any of our clothes/work things) - but just checking

Bicarb is fine, but vinegar ruins the PUL and elastic over time

Is there anything (washing products etc) I can use to help keep the quality in them?

hang them sideways on the line
limit dryer time

[Kitt3n]

We have a nappy bucket next to the change table.

I use the little squirt to wash off any poos, otherwise just dry pail (however if teething I rinse the night nappies with the little squirt)

Laa goes through appx 6 nappies per day - plus night nappies, so I pop 12 on the shelf, once they are all used up I do a wash.

Empty bucket and wipe out with tea tree oil.

When I load them into the machine I do a pre wash.

Followed by either a little bi carb or eco store powder to wash (no need for vinegar, I don't think this would be good for them). I wash on cold.

Hang them horizontally on clothes airer (so as not to stretch elastic when wet )

Following this I have never had to do a strip wash

As much sun as possible too!

** I have found that it is easiest to have 6 of each kind of nappy - quick to hang out (like little soldiers) and quick to put back together that way

hth!!!

[Hollybolly]

Just realised I never replied on here to say thanks, ladies

I think I know what I'm doing now... But I guess we'll see in a few months time

Thanks again

[alioops]

Something that has come up with the bamboo recently is that you need to rinse wet ones too if they are not going to be washed within 24 hours or they will disintegrate.

[Janie]

Well that's interesting Ali! Because we used mostly bamboo nappies, and I would dry pail, but usually not rinse. I think our nappies suffered for it and some have had to go out. Not happy Jan! I now have a little squirt, for this next bub..........would a rinse with that suffice do you think? Or are we talking a rinse in the machine? I'm not stressed about it yet, because I plan on using flats for the first few months at least. But I probably should figure out how best to care for our MCNs for when we start using them.

[alioops]

Rinse before bucket Janie. I am just throwing in the bucket and LSing in the bucket so its like et pailing now.

[Indadhanu]

We soak in water, keep the bucket in the laundry. We wash every second day. I (well Shel now LOL) put it on first thing in the morning, straight on the line when they're done, and they usually dry during the day, always in the sun unless it's rainy. If its rainy I put them on the clothes airer and into the dining room (or where ever you can put it).

All nappies go in the bucket together (since we soak it doesn't really matter though). Wash in our normal powder. We never use the dryer on our AIOs.

[suse]

Janie, I LS before putting in the bucket, and it's slowed the rate of disintegration, but not prevented it completely. Most of my nappies have disintegrated to some extent, even with rinsing. I tend to use a combination of BumGs with microfibre and a bamboo booster, and GKs now because at least the inserts are cheaper to replace than a whole fitted or AIO. And I always use my 'good' nappies just before a wash cycle so they are not in the bucket too long, and bamboo ones within 24 hours before washing. And I use sposies at night because I got sick of replacing night nappies.

So far I've completely lost about seven or eight nappies and inserts. About eight more are in non-saleable condition but still usable, and pretty much every bamboo nappy I own is a little bit more threadbare than what it started off as.

There was the 'bad batch of bamboo fleece' thing a while ago, but to be honest I think that it was a load of crap, considering that every single bamboo nappy I've had has been affected in some way or other.

Having heard this I'm now thinking of machine rinsing every morning, then doing a full wash every second or third day.

[Indadhanu]

Having heard this I'm now thinking of machine rinsing every morning, then doing a full wash every second or third day.

Oooo, thats a good idea!!!

[Janie]

Thanks Suse. Glad to know it wasn't just me! Yeah, I have machine-rinsed in the past, when I thought there weren't enough nappies to do a load, but I didn't want to leave them sitting there longer than 2 days. I guess I might be doing that regularly next time! Although I'm happy to soak in water too, which probably saves water. How does PUL go being soaked for 2 days?