Fungal Infections & Cloth Nappies
Treating a Fungal Infection
If your baby is experiencing a fungal nappy rash, your doctor or pharmacist will advise using a medicated cream, such as an antifungal such as Canesten or Daktarin to treat the candida infection. Be sure you keep using the cream until the rash has cleared up and see your doctor again if the treatment isn’t working.
Nappy Rash and Washing
Read our article here on nappy rash, which explains what true nappy rash is, and how to prevent and treat it. If you have explored all these options and the rash persists, it would be advisable to contact a healthcare professional who is best placed to diagnose a fungal infection.
It's worth keeping in mind that cloth nappies will not usually cause nappy rash or fungal infections, and with a good washing routine most people are unlikely to come across any concerns. Before you explore any specific skin sensitivity issues, our advisor team can help go through your washing routine to eliminate this as the cause of any problems.
Treating your Reusable Nappies
If baby has been diagnosed with a fungal infection there is always the possibility that there could be some bacteria/yeast present in the nappies and reusable wipes. It is advisable to treat the nappies/reusable wipes by soaking them in an antifungal detergent such as Halo Sports Wash or Eradicil Laundry Treatment. Follow this soak by giving the nappies an intensive wash following our strip wash routine. Please remember that the use of such detergents is likely to be against most manufacturers' warranties, but in this situation you are treating a specific concern.
After you have completed the strip wash above, either use disposable nappies until the fungal infection has cleared to prevent the nappies/wipes becoming re-infected, or keep washing all your nappy washes at 60 for the entire time you are using the Canesten and then repeat the soaking/strip wash routine.
Ensure also that you do hot washes and use the antifungal detergent for baby's towels and bedding during this period.
Getting nappies out in the sunlight is also another good idea as the UV light does help with thrush, and I have also read articles suggesting tumble drying as hot as your items will allow to help kill candida spores.
