Front loader wash routine
Front loaders use less water, have longer cycles than traditional top loaders and most heat their own water.
Front loader washing machines use less water and have longer cycles than traditional top loaders. They provide a more effective clean and are gentler on items. In most parts of the world, they have internal heating elements and cycle temperatures can be set from 30ºC – 90/95ºC.
Nappies are heavily soiled items. Getting them clean means maximising the Cleaning Factors of time, temperature, chemicals, and mechanical action (agitation).
To make sure your wash loads come out smell and stain-free every time, make sure you use enough detergent, wash in warm (40ºC) to hot (60ºC), and do not overload your washing machine.
Table of contents
An overview of the Clean Cloth Nappies wash routine
Nappies are some of the dirtiest items you will ever wash. Modern cloth nappy inserts often consist of multilayered fibres. They are absorbent and require thorough washing to remove soiling and urine.
We recommend a two-step wash routine. A first wash with detergent, followed by a longer wash with a heavily soiled dose of detergent. All washes should be done in warm (40°C) or hot (60°C) water.
Ensuring your nappies are washed thoroughly prevents ammonia from forming and prolongs the life of the fabric.
Choose a detergent
Choose a detergent that suits your family.
Our favourite detergents and dosage recommendations are available to everyone. Our full list of 215 different detergents is available exclusively to our patrons. Learn more.
Remove soiling
Remove the majority of soiling (poo) once children are eating solid food and flush down the toilet.
This does not need to be done immediately, nappies can be treated together at the end of the day.
Do not rinse wee only nappies.
Store in an airy basket
Keep cloth nappies as dry as possible until it is time to wash, ideally in an airy basket without a lid.
Do not soak your cloth nappies. Soaking nappies degrades their elastics prematurely, forms a bacterial breeding ground and is a drowning hazard.
First wash to remove bulk of soiling
Run the first wash cycle, with detergent, every 24 to 48 hours. We sometimes call this the ‘prewash’ cycle. This cycle removes excess soiling and means the main wash is done in clean water.
Loading does not matter for this cycle, only for the main wash cycle. Many people run this cycle daily.
Place the washed nappies in your airy basket until there are enough nappies to run a main wash. Each nappy needs one first wash.
Second wash to get the nappies clean
Run a second wash cycle, with detergent, when there are enough items to fill the machine. We call this the ‘main wash’.
Many members add family laundry (such as baby, children and small to medium adult clothing) to this wash cycle. Avoid large items such as sheets and adult bath towels as these wrap around nappies and reduce agitation.
For optimal (and economical) results load the washing machine properly for main wash. Cycle length and machine loading recommendations vary based on your machine. Learn more.
Dry all items thoroughly
Dry outdoors on a washing line, indoors on an airer, or in the dryer.
Avoid hanging polyurethane laminate (PUL) shells, covers and wet bags in direct sun. Use low heat if drying PUL items in the dryer.
Cycle choices
For first wash look for a cycle that is 45 – 70 minutes in length and 40-60ºC. Common cycles are Cottons with a timesaver option, Synthetics or Mixed. Cycle type is as important as cycle length so avoid cycles with names like Easy Care, Delicate and Wool cycles. These are gentle cycles and do not have sufficient agitation to clean nappies.
The main wash cycle needs to run for 2.5 to 3 hours and be rated for the full capacity of the machine. This is often the Cottons cycle.
It is important to match the amount of detergent you use to the amount of soiling in the machine. Check for suds approximately one-third (1/3) of the way into the main wash cycle. If there are not enough suds dilute some detergent and pour it down the detergent drawer.
Loading a front loader
For the main wash aim to load the machine loosely full dry. An optimally loaded main wash cycle is between two-thirds (2/3) to three-quarters (3/4) full during the wash cycle.
Avoid overloading your machine. Too much in the machine prevents items from moving freely and inhibits agitation. It also wears out the machine.
A note about loading
An appropriately loaded main wash helps make your wash routine as economical as possible, in terms of energy, water and detergent. It can also reduce the amount of other laundry you run each week.
With a full-time cloth nappy routine, we encourage people to optimise their machine loading. While good loading helps remove soiling it is not necessary to remove urine. With the right combination of cleaning factors (time, temperature, chemicals and the mechanical action provided by your washing machine) your nappies will get clean in an underloaded cycle.
As a general rule stick to items that are no bigger than 60cm x 60cm. Avoid large items like fitted cot sheets as these can wrap around smaller items and reduce agitation.
Optimal loading
Optimal loading in slow motion
Underloaded machine and excessive suds
An underloaded wash cycle has a reduced ability to remove physical soiling. However, the remaining cleaning factors (time, temperature and chemicals) work together to remove urine and stains.
Overloaded machine
This machine is overloaded, there is not enough space for the items to move around. There are also not enough suds.
Reducing energy and water consumption
Cost of living pressures are hitting many families and the cloth nappies community is not immune. Many of our members are affected by rising energy costs, and some are finding it less economical to continue with cloth nappies. There are several ways to minimise the cost of cloth nappies while maintaining a great wash routine.
Adding bleach to the first wash
Adding bleach to the first wash (prewash) is my number one tip for reliably clean nappies each and every time. It is the easiest, cheapest and most sustainable way to prevent stains, smells and ammonia. This simple addition solves the vast majority of issues that CCN members come to us with.
~ Anastasia, Environmental Scientist and founding Facebook group admin
Using bleach allows you to use a lower water temperature, which reduces energy costs, and saves money on your power bill. It is also less expensive and more effective than oxygen-based laundry boosters. The bleach dilution is safe to use on nappies and does not cause premature degradation to PUL nappy covers or inserts. While using bleach is not an essential part of a Clean Cloth Nappies routine, it does make nappy washing easier and more affordable.
Using eco-cottons and energy-saving cycles for front loader washing machines
Many front loaders have an eco-cottons cycle. These cycles are the most efficient option in terms of combined energy and water consumption. For this reason they are often used as the basis for the machine’s Energy Star and water use label.
Eco-cycles save energy in different ways. Commonly they heat water once, over a longer period of time, instead of heating it multiple times. In Australia and NZ they are required to heat water inline with performance standards AS/NZS IEC 60456:2025 (supersedes AS/NZS 2040).
Water and energy use in long cycles
Water and energy use in front loader machines is not linear. The greatest energy draw is in heating the water. A 3-hour cycle does not consume three times as much water and energy as a one-hour cycle, and in some cases consumes less.
Use the highest spin speed on your machine
Using the highest spin speed on your machine means your clothes come out of the wash dryer, and take less time and energy to dry.
- If you use a clothes dryer, you will save power as your nappies will take less time to dry.
- If you are air-drying, your drying time is significantly reduced. With a smaller stash, this might be the difference between continuing with cloth during winter and needing to reach for disposables!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Common questions about our front loader wash routine recommendations.
Should I add extra rinses to extend the wash time?
No, adding an extra rinse doesn’t clean the items more – cleaning happens in the ‘wash/agitation’ phase of the wash cycle.
Downloads
We have refreshed our entire suite of help graphics to be more friendly for phones, printers and strained eyes. You can now have our most important information with you right in your pocket, and share them with others whenever you want.
- Clean Cloth Nappies guide – cloth nappy care (wash routine overview) (992.52 KB)
- Clean Cloth Nappies guide – soiled nappy storage (222.46 KB)
- Clean Cloth Nappies guide – the first wash (formerly prewash) (919.01 KB)
- Clean Cloth Nappies guide – the main wash (308.83 KB)
- Clean Cloth Nappies guide – optimal loading (942.61 KB)
Need help with your cloth nappy wash routine?
Join the Clean Cloth Nappies Facebook group, tell us about the issue, and one of our dedicated volunteers will try to help you find the solution.
Information to include with your post
- The issue you are having
- How often you run your first wash
- How often you run your main wash
- What detergent you use
- How much detergent you use for each wash