From cloth nappies to school uniforms: a back-to-school guide
From cloth nappies to school uniforms, Lindsay shares how CCN knowledge makes everyday laundry simpler, more effective, and less stressful on busy school days.
We asked experienced members of our community to share their experiences using cloth nappies. This series covers childcare, travel, returning to work and more.
Today’s post comes to us from Lindsay, a member with two school-aged children.
I’m a mum of two kids now firmly in the school years. While my cloth nappy days are well and truly over, the knowledge I gained from Clean Cloth Nappies (CCN) has helped me overcome other laundry challenges.
At the beginning of each school year, I swoop into the uniform shop to buy secondhand uniforms. They are noticeably cheaper and a better choice for the environment. I pick up a few that have faint marks or slightly dull collars, confident that I can restore them using techniques I picked up during my cloth nappy journey.
Around me, other parents are less optimistic.
Why did the school decide on white shirts with red collars? I can never get them clean.
Someone inevitably suggests bicarb and vinegar, which I now know don’t clean clothes nor magically fix laundry problems.
The biggest shift CCN gave me was understanding that clean laundry isn’t about hacks or home remedies. It’s about the four cleaning factors: time, temperature, chemistry and mechanical action.
These days, my standard routine is simple and consistent: a long Cotton wash on 40ºC with a mainstream detergent and a dose of laundry booster. The combination of cleaning factors takes care of everyday grime with ease. It’s not fancy, but it’s effective. For a time-poor mum of two, that matters.
Sometimes I need to add a little extra detergent and laundry booster to cut through really muddy or grimy clothes; other times I increase the temperature to 60ºC. These adjustments only take a moment, and then I’m on my way.
If I forget my laundry overnight, it still smells fresh in the morning – no more ‘damp’ laundry smell. Short, cold cycles could never!
Fast forward a few weeks, and school has started. A fellow mum posts the first laundry message in the parents’ WhatsApp chat:
Why do these pink stains keep appearing, and how do I get them out?
These mystery marks are most commonly sunscreen, transferred onto collars and sleeves after a generous (and possibly hasty) application. The residue is usually not visible straightaway, but appear as pink or orange blotches after the initial wash. Heat and agitation remove them, so my go-to advice is to spot treat with a bar of soap, followed by a long warm or hot wash. 😊
Textas, Biros, and whiteboard markers (dry-erase markers) are other stain-makers that frustrate parents. Most markers wash out in a long warm wash, but some need specific solvents like isopropyl alcohol or methylated spirits to remove. The good news is these solvents are easy to buy at your local supermarket and last forever in your cupboard.
What I love most about carrying CCN knowledge into general laundry is the confidence it gives me. I buy second-hand uniforms and clothes without hesitation. I don’t rewash laundry loads ‘just in case.’ I don’t replace clothes mid-year because they’ve dulled or started to smell. Mostly, I’m happy to share what I have learned with others, in the hopes it will take the stress out of school laundry.
Laundry became less of a chore when I understood the science behind it. My nappy days may be over, but my laundry knowledge is alive and well every single wash.
Do you have a laundry success story you want to share? We’d love to hear from you. Please email us at hello@cleanclothnappies.com