Two loads of nappy laundry a week, year in and year out. What does that do to the washing machine? The short answer: nappy laundry is ordinary laundry for the machine, run warm and rinsed properly. What keeps a machine fresh are the same simple things that apply to all laundry: wipe the door seal now and then, leave the door ajar, and run warm programmes. The warm wash you get for free. Here we go through how it fits together, and share the routine that means it never turns into a big cleaning project in our home.
From Emelie: It should be simple, and it is. For today's machines, nappy laundry is ordinary laundry, and it leaves nothing behind in the machine afterwards. The rest of this guide is detail: my own routine takes about two minutes every other week, with a cloth wipe and a little soap. Read what you need, skip the rest.
What nappy laundry looks like to the machine
A nappy wash in our home looks like this: an ordinary cotton programme at 60 degrees, with the prewash switched on and an extra rinse at the end. The cotton programme is a good choice: it washes through properly, and that is exactly what highly absorbent inserts need. If your machine has a steam function it works very well too, and the same goes for the anti-allergy programme or the heavy-duty cycle if you prefer one of those. The prewash loosens what is on the nappies, the main wash gets them clean, and the extra rinse makes sure all the detergent is rinsed out. The detergent is dosed according to the packet, just as for any other laundry.
To the machine, this is a completely ordinary programme. Today's washing machines are built for dirty laundry, and 60-degree washes with proper rinses are exactly what the machine is made for. Manufacturers even tend to recommend running a warm wash regularly, since machines that only run at low temperatures build up residue. If you wash nappies, the warm wash is built into your weekly rhythm.
What about the poo? It goes in the toilet before the wash. From a child who only has milk, the poo is water-soluble and disappears in the prewash, and once your child eats solid food the solids go in the toilet before the nappy goes in the wet bag. How that works in practice is in our guide on what to do with the poo. What goes into the machine is the nappy itself. And let us be honest: a used nappy is dirtier than an ordinary top. That is exactly why it is washed warm, with a prewash and an extra rinse. That kind of laundry is what the machine is built for, and everything leaves with the water.
The two-minute routine
This is the routine in our home, alongside a wash:
- Take a cloth wipe and spray or drip a little soap onto it.
- Wipe the inside of the glass door.
- Fold the wipe and run it once around the fold of the door seal, where water and lint collect.
- Throw the wipe into the machine before you start the wash. Then it is done in one go.
Two minutes, about every other week. The cloth wipe is hard-wearing, and everything you need is already in the roll by the changing table. Do the little things often and it never becomes a big project.
Four places where smells otherwise settle
If a washing machine smells, it is almost always one of four places, and all four can be kept on top of with simple habits:
The door seal. Water, lint and detergent residue collect in the fold. The routine above keeps it clean. If you find lint at the bottom of the fold, pick it out with the wipe.
The detergent drawer. Detergent residue builds up in the drawer and the channels behind it. Pull the drawer out once a month or so, rinse it under the tap and wipe out the space it sat in.
A closed door. A drum that is closed damp stays damp. Leave the door and the detergent drawer ajar after the wash, and the machine dries out by itself.
The filter down below. Behind the little hatch at the bottom sits the machine's filter, where lint and small things collect. How often it should be cleared is in your machine's manual, and it takes a few minutes. Put a towel underneath, a little water comes out.
There is more on the nappy laundry itself, from wet bag to drying, in our guide on washing cloth nappies.
Frequently asked questions
How often does the washing machine need cleaning when you wash cloth nappies?
The same as for any other laundry. A wipe of the door seal in passing and a rinsed detergent drawer now and then go a long way, and the warm nappy washes are themselves part of the machine's care.
How do I keep the washing machine fresh between washes?
Leave the door and the detergent drawer ajar so the drum dries out. It is the single easiest habit.
How do I do a deep clean of the machine?
For everyday life, the warm nappy washes and the routine go a long way. If you want to do a deep clean, follow the manufacturer's advice for your model.
Which programme suits nappy laundry?
The cotton programme at 60 degrees. It washes through properly, which the absorbent inserts need. Run it with a prewash and an extra rinse. Steam, anti-allergy programmes and heavy-duty cycles also work well.
Can the nappies be washed with other laundry?
Yes, it is fine to fill the machine up with other laundry that tolerates the same programme, for example towels and children's clothes. Many run the prewash with just the nappies and load in the rest of the laundry after it.
By Emelie, founder of Time Ahead Sweden, mum of three and curious about how we as parents can make thoughtful choices in everyday life.