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How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

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Velvetsteph
Cloth Nappy Clanger
Cloth Nappy Clanger

How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby Velvetsteph » Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:21 pm

If your nappies are getting whiffy or leaking then a strip wash is usually suggested...

To strip wash:

Do a cold wash with a full dose of detergent - biological is best (for both the nappies and machine), and if you can add 1/2 a cup of soda crystals that helps especially in hard water areas.
Then do a full wash cycle at 60 degrees with NO detergent at all
Then if needed do repeat rinse cycles until you see no more bubbles...

Basically this ensures the nappies are fully clean and that there isn't any more detergent left in the nappies...

It is also important to do a maintenance wash on your washing machine regularly and clean your filter/trap if you have one.

Maintenance wash:
Full dose of biological powder, or soda crystals - empty machine and hottest wash it does (usually 90 or 95).

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0_Lisa_0
Cloth Nappy Chatterbox
Cloth Nappy Chatterbox

Re: How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby 0_Lisa_0 » Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:44 pm

So glad you have put this up as I was wondering about how to do it the other day, so thanks for putting it up, quick queston though, do you put the soda crystals in the drawer or the drum?

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Joaninha
Cloth Nappy Passionata
Cloth Nappy Passionata

Re: How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby Joaninha » Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:21 pm

0_Lisa_0 wrote:do you put the soda crystals in the drawer or the drum?

In the drawer, I think! That way you clean the piping leading from the drawer to the drum, iykwim...

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Velvetsteph
Cloth Nappy Clanger
Cloth Nappy Clanger

Re: How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby Velvetsteph » Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:39 pm

0_Lisa_0 wrote:So glad you have put this up as I was wondering about how to do it the other day, so thanks for putting it up, quick queston though, do you put the soda crystals in the drawer or the drum?

Either ;)

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JabberJabber
Cloth Nappy Prophet
Cloth Nappy Prophet

Re: How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby JabberJabber » Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:00 pm

Thanks for putting this up, I've done a strip wash on the nappies, just need to sort out the machine now!

Kate

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oriel
Clothie
Clothie

Re: How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby oriel » Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:11 am

I'm planning a strip wash in the hopes that it'll help with some nappy rash. Is it likely to do any good?

Also, I'd thought you were supposed to use washing-up liquid? What are the comparative benefits of this versus bio laundry detergent?

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oriel
Clothie
Clothie

Re: How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby oriel » Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:23 am

Oh, and one more question: Do I need to do a normal wash first, so I start with clean nappies, or is it ok to just bung the contents of the nappy bucket in and set it off (maybe with a pre-rinse as usual)?

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happytails
Cloth Nappy Worshipper
Cloth Nappy Worshipper

Re: How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby happytails » Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:31 am

its took me 4 days to strip DDs nappies :oops: and the amount of rinses :shock: :shock: :shock:

I feel better for it though and they dont smell after 2 hours :wine:

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Velvetsteph
Cloth Nappy Clanger
Cloth Nappy Clanger

Re: How to strip wash your nappies & do a maintenance wash

Postby Velvetsteph » Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:26 pm

Oriel - just follow the instruction - as you will see they include two full wash cycles so you don't need to wash the nappies first...
As you're starting with a 30degree wash it's a cold wash so there's no need to do a pre-rinse unless your machine doesn't have a cold setting...

I've never used washing-up liquid for my strip-washes but I believe some people use it when they've got a build up of greasy creams on their nappies and that's certainly how to clear fleece altho' I believe you do that by hand...

Biological just plain works better ;) See the various posts/articles on it in the washing section...

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