The Importance of Alternate Day Nappy Washing

I can not stress enough how important it is to wash your soiled nappies regularly. We recommend you do not leave your soiled nappies longer than 2 days without a full wash cycle. Prolonged exposure to strong urine and faeces will begin to damage the fabric; natural fabrics such as cotton, bamboo and hemp are the most prone to this damage compared to polyester.

Many years ago with our first baby, Mr Nappy Lady left a pooey nappy in a wet bag after a visit to the grandparents. Unfortunately this nappy bag was left for 5 days. When it was discovered and the pooey nappy was opened, the top couple of layers of fabric had been eaten away leaving a hole exactly where the little poo nugget was! The nappy was a Kushies Flannelette cotton nappy but this can happen with any natural fabric.

Below are some shocking images (shared with permission) from a customer who unfortunately also missed washing a bag of nappies while travelling. The nappies were left unwashed for just 5 days (exactly the same as my experience); during this time baby was teething and had very strong wee. The nappies were a mix of brand new and preloved, however before forgetting to wash them they were in excellent condition without defects. When the bag was first discovered the customer didn't think much of it and the nappies were put in the wash as usual. After that first wash the damage became obvious they came out with small rips and tears. With every wash the rips and holes made the area weaker so with every wash they became bigger and bigger until some nappies were ripped to shreds. The customer had a variety of brands and all were affected. The nappies with thinner layers had more extensive damage as the soiling was able to eat through more layers in the time. I'm sure you'll agree the damage is shocking.

Please do not wash any less frequently than every two days.  A daily rinse is not a replacement for a full wash so even if you rinse daily do not leave your nappies in a bucket or bag for longer than two days.