Traditional top loader wash routine

Top Loaders provide a faster wash using more water than a Front Loader, however they aren’t as effective in comparison.

Photo by Joshua Rodriguez on Unsplash
| (updated )

Top loaders provide a faster wash using more water than a Front Loader, however they aren’t as effective in comparison. As a result, our advice for top loaders is different to front loaders.

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.

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.

1

Choose a detergent

Choose a detergent that suits your family.

Our favourite detergents and dosage recommendations are available to everyone. Our full list of 223 different detergents is available exclusively to our patrons. Learn more.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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.

Our full cloth nappy washing advice

Cycle choices for a traditional top loader

Top loaders do not heat their own water, and the wash temperature is dependent on your hot water system. The warm setting on a top loader is unlikely to reach 40°C. Most top loaders require ‘hot’ cycles to ensure water is above 40°C. Test the machine’s water temperature using a meat or candy thermometer after the machine has finished filling to check the water is above 40°C.

Choose the longest cycle on your machine for both your first and main washes. This should be around an hour or longer. Common options are Cotton, Whites, and Heavy Duty.

For main wash extend the cycle if possible (Intensive option). Alternatively, add a Soak option or create a soak by pausing the wash during the cycle.

Load the main wash cycle to achieve a ‘stew’ consistency. Make sure the items agitate against each other and are periodically pulled down. Add small items as needed to bulk the load.

Loading a traditional top loader

A ‘stew’ can be achieved with any level of laundry, most machines work best at 1/2- 2/3 full. Some machines work well at 3/4 full. Having too much or too little water (a ‘soup’ or ‘chilli’ consistency) reduces friction and prevents items from getting clean.

A ‘stew’ can technically be achieved with any level of laundry, as long as the items are being pulled down periodically. Although it has been found that 1/2- 2/3 full works best for most machines, some work well at 3/4 full.

Check the agitation during the wash cycle. You might need to cover the lid sensor (to mimic the lid being shut) to prevent the machine from pausing when the lid is open.

This video shows what a good ‘stew’ consistency looks like and how to test your loading to make sure you have great agitation every time you wash.
Nappy stew (ideal ratio of nappies to water). The machine in the video is ½ full, set to a medium water level.

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.

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. For top loaders we recommend adding bleach to your nappy first wash for improved cleaning power.

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.

Fisher & Paykel top loader machines routine

Use a high-quality mainstream detergent and hot water in all nappy washes.

  1. Double Allergy or Heavy Duty cycles (for first wash and main wash).
    • Another option is Cycle + Soak + Quick option for your Main Wash (Options button x 5).
    • For main wash add the Soak option if available, or create a soak by pausing the wash during the cycle
  2. Ensure Eco option is off for appropriate rinse settings
  3. Load machine to 1/2-2/3 full

The standard rinse is not adequate for Fisher & Paykel top loaders. Check the manual for directions to include two deep rinses, or use an additional rinse and spin at the end of the main wash cycle. This removes as much soiling as possible.

This video shows the best cycles to use to wash cloth nappies in an Intuitive Eco, and how to set a favourite cycle.
This shows an example of ‘chilli’ a load, with too many nappies and not enough water. The nappies move together in a solid mass and don’t have enough space to rub against each other to get clean. To fix it, either remove some of the laundry or set a higher water level, and check again.
This shows an example of ‘soup’ a load with not enough nappies and too much water. The nappies float quite freely around in the water; there isn’t enough friction between the items to get clean. To fix it, add more laundry, or choose a lower water level, and check again.

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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