Holiday cloth use guide

You won’t ruin your nappies if they are not washed perfectly while you are away from home.

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It is the holiday season and many of us are heading away from home. This presents a problem, how to best wash your cloth nappies when you don’t have access to your regular machine?

Remember, you won’t ruin your nappies if they are not washed perfectly!

  • If you are camping, opt for flats and covers which can be hand washed and will dry easily.
  • If possible, do a daily first wash cycle in hot (60°C) water
    • If this is not possible, sanitise your nappies afterwards to remove any smells and stains.
  • If you are using someone else’s machine and are worried about washing nappies in it, remove as much poo as possible before the first wash, and use chlorine bleach in the first wash
    • offer to clean the machine before you leave.

Using a different machine

Front loaders, traditional top loaders and high-efficiency (HE) top loader machines operate differently from each other. They all rely on the four cleaning factors of time, temperature, chemistry and mechanical action, but in different proportions.

If you need to use a different machine, see the Machine Index for first and main wash cycle suggestions. We provide machine-specific advice and loading videos to help you make the most of your washing machine type:

Storage

Use whatever is convenient, a wet bag or bucket is fine.

Only cold water is available

That is okay, either bucket in hot water or add chlorine bleach to each cycle. Our bleach in-wash calculator steps through how to do this.

Using a different detergent

If you don’t have access to your usual detergent or need to use a different brand, there are lots of options listed on the Detergent Index with quantities for first and main wash.

If you need to use a detergent that isn’t listed on the Detergent Index, wash in hot (60°C) and use enough to create adequate suds. Check the suds level one-third of the way through the cycle and add more if necessary.

Don’t DIY, it doesn’t work unless you’re happy to scrub flats on a washboard.

Smells or stains

If items are not coming out clean, you will need to adjust the cleaning factors. Try:

  • Increasing the wash time
  • Increasing the wash temperature
  • Using more detergent, or adding additional stain removal products 
  • Adjusting your machine loading

Enjoy your holiday break 🙂