If your cloth nappies ever need to be washed by hand, here is a guide to how you do it.
In short:
- If you can wait: rinse the nappies and let them dry completely. Then they can wait one to two weeks for a wash.
- Wash the covers separately with a cloth wipe in warm water with a hand-wash detergent. Rinse once.
- Wash the inserts in warmer water and rub them a little more. Rinse until the water is free of detergent.
- Squeeze out the water without wringing, or roll them in a towel, and hang them to dry.
- If you wash by hand several times in a row, with no machine wash in between: give the nappies an extra clean in Ocean or Vanish powder after the hand wash, about every tenth time.
Below we go through each step.
From Emelie: We have had cloth nappies at home for ten years, and we have tried washing them by hand to know how it works. Rinsed and completely dry, the nappies here at home have waited two weeks in winter, and that went fine. I chose the prefold precisely because it can be washed by hand. Unfolded, it is only three layers of fabric.
How long can the nappies wait until you wash them by hand?
In a wetbag, used nappies can wait for up to about four days. After that they start to get musty and want washing.
If you need to wait longer: rinse out the nappies and hang them to dry. Rinsed and completely dry, they can wait one to two weeks. When it is warm and humid, as in late summer, count on the shorter time. When it is cool and dry they can wait longer. What matters is that they are completely dry and stored with air around them until you can wash.
How to wash the covers by hand
The covers are quick to wash by hand and dry fast. Wash them separately, without the inserts.
- Fill a basin or a sink with warm water and a hand-wash detergent. Dose according to the packet.
- Dip a cloth wipe in the water and wash the inside of the cover clean. Rub gently where needed.
- Rinse once in clean water.
- Squeeze out the water without wringing, and hang the covers to dry.
If you have pocket nappies, wash them the same way, but rub the whole inside of the fabric and inside the pocket too.
The covers can take up to 60 degrees. Warm water from the tap is enough.
How to wash the inserts by hand
The inserts are what absorbs, so they need a little more.
- Fill the basin with warm water and a hand-wash detergent. You can start warmer: mix boiled and cold water, about half of each, and it comes to around 55 degrees. Put the inserts in and let them soak until the water has cooled enough for you to put your hands in it.
- Rub the inserts against themselves for a while, one at a time.
- Pour out the water and fill the basin with clean water. Rinse, change the water and rinse again, until the water is free of detergent.
- Squeeze out the water without wringing, or roll the insert in a towel and press. Hang to dry.
The prefold inserts are three layers of fabric when you unfold them. That makes them easy to wash through by hand.
Why do the nappies need an extra clean now and then?
If you wash by hand several times in a row, with no machine wash in between, the nappies need an extra clean about every tenth time. A hand wash does not stay as warm as the machine's 60 degrees through the whole wash. When the powder in Ocean or Vanish dissolves in water it releases oxygen, which loosens dirt and smells that the hand wash cannot reach.
- Do it after the hand wash, when the nappies are already washed.
- Dissolve the powder in warm water and follow the instructions on the packet. We use Ocean Oxi Fläck & Blek, which is unscented and activates from 40 degrees. Vanish powder works too, as does pure sodium percarbonate, but it needs warmer water.
- Leave the covers in for one hour at most. The inserts can stay in longer, up to a day.
- Rinse thoroughly afterwards, so that no powder is left in the fabric.
The same powder and the same times are used in the guide on how to deep clean cloth nappies.
What do you need to wash by hand?
Bear in mind that hand washing takes a lot of water. You need water both for the wash and for several rinses.
What you need:
- A basin or bucket
- A hand-wash detergent, or linseed oil soap
It is also good to have:
- Ocean or Vanish powder
- A wetbag for the used nappies
- Cloth wipes in bamboo terry, which you use at nappy changes and when you wash the covers, and then wash together with the inserts
If you can use the machine, do. Today's machines wash cloth nappies well, and 60 degrees in a machine gets them cleaner than a hand wash. How to do it is in the guide on washing cloth nappies.
Frequently asked questions
Can you wash cloth nappies without a washing machine?
Yes. You wash the covers by hand and rinse them once. You wash the inserts in warmer water and rinse them until the water is free of detergent. If you wash by hand several times in a row, give them an extra clean in Ocean or Vanish powder about every tenth time.
How long can the nappies stay in Ocean or Vanish?
The covers one hour at most. The inserts can stay in longer, up to a day. Rinse thoroughly afterwards.
Which detergent do you use for hand washing?
A detergent made for hand washing. We have used Grumme Handtvätt Parfymfri, and sometimes linseed oil soap. Both work well. Dose according to the packet and rinse thoroughly.
How do you dry cloth nappies after a hand wash?
Squeeze out the water without wringing, or roll them in a towel, and hang them to dry. The covers dry quickly.
If cloth nappies are new to you, everything about how they work is in the complete guide.
By Emelie, founder of Time Ahead Sweden, mum of three and curious about how we as parents can make thoughtful choices in everyday life.