Prewash

Before using your new Easy nappies by bambooty please prewash to remove any manufacturing residues. Also soaking the nappies in water overnight seems to help build up the absorbency in the nappies. Keep in mind that bamboo takes up to 8 washes to maximise its absorbency. We do not suggest that all 8 need be done prior to using the nappies, however please keep this in mind. 

After use

Keep nappies in a dry lidded nappy bucket until a load for washing has accumulated. There is no need for dangerous buckets of water full of chemicals around the house.

Wet nappies can be placed straight in the dry bucket although saturating/rinsing them with a nappy/toilet sprayer/bidet or under the tap will increase the longevity of your nappies as wee is very acidic (actually alkaline, but has an acidic affect on fabrics) and will wear the fabrics and elastic faster.*

Soiled nappies are very similar. Simply dispose of your nappy liner if using one, tip rolling poos straight into the loo or rinse off the poo by using a toilet/nappy sprayer/bidet or tap water, and saturate/rinse before placing in your lidded nappy bucket.

Washing

Washing is easy.

• Throw in some powdered detergent (don't over do it to start with, less is more for your pocket and the environment, do add more though if you need to)
• Do not use bleach, fabric softeners, or vinegar
• Do not use products containing enzymes
• Pre-rinse, particularly soiled nappies
• Suede cloth is stain resistant and any residing stains are best treated by the sun only
• Tip – baking soda increases pH, neutralises odours and breaks down residues which may be causing leaks and unwanted smells. Use it occasionally in the wash, if needs be. Regular use may lead to a shortened life span of your nappies.

Drying

The sun is the best, however if drying nappies in the sun is not possible gas or electric dryers can be used. Gas dryers are faster and cost less to run.

Notes and Pointers

Nursing Pads

• Please wash your nursing pads the same as the nappy cleaning instructions and with a good dose of common sense of course :). Please note these can take longer to dry than you think, due to the waterproofing.
• Whenever possible it is a good idea to leave them drying longer than you think necessary to ensure they are thoroughly dry all the way through. 

Swim nappies

• Swim nappies that are simply wet from the water baby was swimming in can be treated just like their swimmers/rashie/hat, although best to dry them inside out in the sun whenever possible
• Soiled swim nappies should be rinsed to remove any solids, then washed in the washing machine as per regular nappy washing above

Swim Nappy, Rashie and Hat

• After use, rinse thoroughly in cold water, gently, yet firmly squeeze dry
• hang to dry in the shade for the sake of longevity of the product, sunshine is never a bad thing, only it will decrease the lifespan of the elastane in the fabrics
• To speed up drying time or before placing in your wet-bag, lay flat on a towel, roll up the towel and twist or stand on the towel, this will remove a lot of the water from the rashie, hat and swim nappy in particular

Every day Bambooty nappies are designed to be used in a rotation of 18-24 nappies lasting you roughly 3 days. Therefore we are presuming you are washing your nappies every 1-2 days so that of course they will be dry and ready to use again on day 4.

* Varying wee concentrations will have different impacts on the nappies. Urine PH increases in alkalinity the longer it is left which has an acidic impact on the natural fabrics, possibly wearing them out faster than you or I would like. This is what we call the worst case scenario in terms of the nappy's lifespan. As described above, saturating/rinsing the nappies will increase the longevity of the nappies, by diluting the wee until they are washed every other day.

If this worst case scenario happens to you, please do not worry, all you need to do is add more absorbency to have a fully functioning nappy again. This can be done by adding in our mini bamboo boosters or any of our snap in boosters or of course it is possible to simply stitch in more bamboo fabric onto the absorbency flaps where they have worn thin. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. customerservice@bambooty.com.au or service@bambootyrealnappies.co.uk

Please note - our cleaning/care instructions take into consideration balancing,

1. Cleaning the nappies

2. Keeping unnecessary chemicals away from the babies skin where they could be absorbed by the baby

3. The impact the cleaning and any detergents or chemicals have on our environment, including their manufacture, transport, having them in your home and waste 

4. Meeting or exceeding Standards Australia's care instruction requirements

At Bambooty we always strive to provide you with the best products, information and advice or help we possibly can. We are currently working with our very own Dr. Rebecca Gehling (Qualifications: BForensicSci (Hons) PhD (Deakin University) currently working as an Environmental and Analytical Chemist) to further investigate our cleaning instructions to ensure they remain the best we can provide you.

As with all our washing needs (t-shirts, jeans, towels etc) individual washing routines will vary from 1 household/baby to another. Different concentrations of wee and poo, how long the nappies are left for before being washed, whether they are rinsed first, the type of water, the sensitivity of the baby's skin, whether you want to put stain removal above chemical free cleaning or not, how much sun light/UV rays are available to you in drying, etc etc etc.

Australia only - We have always recommended using Eco Store as our suggested washing powder when asked. We feel Eco Store aligns to our goals, of cleaning, whilst remaining healthy on the baby's skin and the environment and have been happily using their products for many years now on both MCNs and all our washing. We have eczema in the family and have found Eco store to be gentle on all skin types. It was recommended to us by Eco Store to use half strength detergent for especially sensitive skin, please adjust your dosage based on your own trial and errors.  (Hopefully EcoStore will be available in the UK sometime soon!)

 

*Please note, this post is not designed to advise anyone on what to do or not to do. 

It is to suggest people question what advice they are given and make their own decisions! Question everything including us! We aren't in your home, we don't know each individual situation. Nor does anyone else. Trust yourself. 

If you aren't happy with the washing results you are getting, then alter things. Some suggestions include, a longer wash, a soak in the wash cycle, adding some more detergent, trying a different detergent, rinsing asap after changing if you weren't already. 

Whilst most detergents (excluding fabric softeners and bleach) are unlikely to do any harm to your nappies, please do thorough research about the ingredients in your chosen washing powder, search for the pros AND cons of a substance, question whether you want those particular chemicals in your home or on the clothing you wear every day and night! Particularly in the warm moist environment of a nappy. Whilst most of the detergent will be rinsed off, not all of it will be as they can cause some allergies to some people, as well as leaving behind a smell. Further, what impact are those chemicals having on the environment?! 

Is the qty advised on the package relevant to you? Are they suggesting 1 quantity for everyone? Does it take into account the size of your washing machine or the effectiveness of its ability to clean your garments without any washing powder at all?! Do they know if you are drying in the sun or in a dryer? Do they know if you rinsed your garments before washing? Do they perhaps need to provide advice for a worst case or unknown scenario? Are they honest?! ;)

Please everyone, use your common sense, do your own research into what can be harmful to you, your children, the environment and be comfortable with your own trial and error to learn! This is what I would call and common sense approach to life in general.