So hard it could beat you up....

..my water.

Does anyone have fabbo tips? Am using white vinegar to try save my nappies from becoming sand paper - even the fleece ones are feeling un-clean as the water doesn't rinse well around these parts!

If you use white vinegar, how much and where do you get it from? ANy other brill ideas??

We live in a hard water area and I use bold 2in1 (the softener is clay based so doesn't affect absorbency of the nappies) and magno balls. They have made a huge difference to our fluff.

if you have a tumble dryer pop them in there for 10 mins (on low heat) or try rubbing them together, I do that with hemp inserts and it works well or hang them in the rain, that softens them as well.
ETA we use bold as well

Yes, bold & rubbing softens them. I use a good slosh of vinegar into the fabric conditioner drawer. Mil gets our vinegar in huge bottles (10 pint or so?) from the cash & carry (bookers)

Beware vinegar and applix though - sends it grey!

My sympathy. I gave my cotton nappies away before they could go hard and break my heart.

My tips - plenty of rinsing. I set my machine to do an extra 2 rinses per wash and everything is softer. I don't really like scented detergents so use Simply which rinses out fine and just leaves things smelling clean. Also, dry away from radiators. And finally, I try not to buy hemp or cotton nappies as that would just be asking for trouble.

Hi - sorry haven't replied for ages, it's been bonkers around here!

So - thanks for the tips. Am doing the vinegar thing, think I need to get some extra rinses on the go too.

Might go stand in the rain myself - I react to the hard water on my face

Every single time I have put the cotton nappies on for a 10 min dry I have forgotten them and they ahve gone the full 40 mins

I hate hard water it sucks [and stamps and threatens to slap you. Well 'ard round here]

Bold 2in1 Definatly helps but TBH we have just sold all our cotton nappies (or have them still to sell) because of our hard water. Except our MEOS but I have to tumble them for a bit - can't quite part with them though! I tumble dried them to sell but here they just get too hard. being outside helps a bit too. We don't have too much trouble using pockets though. The outters are fine, the bamboo not too bad. Hemp goes a bit like cardboard BUT I only use in wrapped in bamboo and then inside the pocket so it doesn't matter.

Would be interested to know about magno balls?

Again bold 2-1 works really well, and 10 mins in the dryer but I can see why that would be a problem if you can't set it to 10 mins and are likely to forget like me, I have a 10 min setting so that helps!

I just bought some bold at the beginning of the week to try after reading about it here - really like it so far
I also use the tumbler for a short spell with dryer balls but yes, can see it would be really easy to forget if you don't have a shorter time setting.