Eco strip washing reusable nappies

Have you tried Eco strip washing?  Quite often people talk about the need to strip wash their reusable nappies, as they have become very smelly.  There are all kinds of ways to do this, and we will be discussing these in more detail in a future post.  In the meantime here is something a little less harsh; eco strip washing, which may help get rid of the stinky nappies.

Eco strip washing

To be totally honest, this isn’t really a method of washing as such, but something that you might like to try before putting your nappies through any harsher methods or adding extra chemicals to them.  Eco strip washing helps to remove build ups of laundry powder, which is one of the main causes of stinky reusable nappies.  You don’t need any special equipment for eco strip washing, just the right weather:

• Wash your reusable nappies as you normally would.
• Hang them outside, either on a clothes line or over an airer.
• Wait for it to rain, and them leave them out in the rain for a day or so.
• You can then either simply dry your nappies, or if you prefer give them another rinse in your washing machine before drying

Why eco strip washing works

In many cases, the cause of smelly reusable nappies is simply that things such as laundry powder have built up in the nappies.  It is also possible that although the nappies are clean, elements of the urine, such as ammonia, build up in them.    Hanging nappies in the rain gives them a good rinse over a long period of time. As they are hanging, rather than sitting in a tub, they also are completely exposed to both the rain and the effects of any UV rays and wind that moves them around.  Although it might not work in every case, trying eco strip washing before other methods means that you won’t be using any extra chemicals to do the work, which could irritate your little one, and your nappies are less likely to be damaged by it.

Making the most of the weather

We’re often told that the sunshine will help to remove stains from cloth nappies and that the wind is the best way to dry them, but most weather has some benefits for reusable nappies.  A frosty day will also help to remove stains, (some people also try to use their freezer to shift stubborn stains).  Rain can be used for Eco strip washing, and it’s a great first step, when trying to get rid of smells in really stinky reusable nappies.