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How to do a proper strip wash?

Posted by Happy Nappy on September 17, 2011 0 Comments

Every know and then you may notice your cloth nappies starting to smell and stink even after they are clean out of a wash. This is usually due to build ups of oils and detergent in the fabric. Don't worry your cloth nappies are still clean however that build will cause the nappies to smell and could also decrease the absorbency, potentially creating leaks. In order to get rid of the smell and leakage it is recommended to do a strip wash. Here are the steps to do a proper strip wash:

Step 1: Wash your cloth nappies

Ensure you wash your cloth nappies before stripping them. Make sure they are not soiled as this could cause stains if you try strip washing them. Put your cloth nappies into a normal cold wash cycle with some detergent and rinse them as you would normally. Dry your cloth nappies as you would usually. Sun is awesome for cloth nappies.

Step 2: It's getting hot in here...

Next you will want run your nappies through hot water with NO detergent. Make sure the water is really hot. Turn up your water heater or boil the water before hand if necessary. Be careful not to damage the waterproof covers. You can add a bit of baking soda to adsorbs the smells and odours.

Step 3: Rinse, rinse, rinse

You guessed it, rinse your cloth nappies thoroughly until there are absolutely no soap suds. This could take up to 3 or even 4 rinse cycles depending on the amount of detergent residue left in your nappies.

Step 4: Let it shine

Last step is to hang it outside and let sunlight, the natural germ killer and stain remover do it's thing. Let them dry in the sun and you should have odourless cloth nappies in no time.

In terms of strip wash frequency some mothers find the need to do it weekly while others do it monthly. Strip wash your cloth nappies as often as you feel necessary to keep them odourless and absorbant.