Prepping New Nappies

Fitted nappies, inserts, boosters, prefolds all need prepping. They need about 6 – 8 washes before they reach full absorbency. You don’t need to dry the nappies in between washes. Soaking overnight in fresh water can speed up this process. Be sure to pre-wash your nappies (including shells) once in warm water with detergent to get rid of any manufacturing reside before use. Shells (covers and pockets) don’t need prepping.

 

Synthetic fibres

Microfiber usually reaches their maximum absorbency within 6 washes. You can wash synthetic fibres in cold water.

 

Natural fibres

Cotton, hemp, and bamboo nappies/inserts/prefolds all need to be washed separately to the rest of your nappy stash in warm water to get their natural oils out.

 

AIO Nappies

AIOs should be prepped with cold/warm water, never hot*. You can prep all AIOs together, unless a manufacture has a warning that colours may run, you may want to rinse them first in cold water before washing with the rest. Generally red coloured nappies will run, so be sure to wash them separately. 

 

New nappies can be used after a couple of washes but you will need to change them more frequently. How will you know if they have reached their maximum absorbency? It’s hard to tell, you just have to trust that the nappies will do their job. Frequent changes during the first few weeks should do the trick to avoid leakages.

 

*Hot water can damage the PUL layer, snaps, and elastic.