What you need to know

There are no set rules here. The following tips and guidelines are compiled based on our experience, feedback from our buyers. You should use them as guidelines only. Not everyone will get the same result even if they follow the same instructions. And every baby is different. You will find the best way that suits you and your baby by trial and error. There are many tips and care instruction on the internet as well. Just do a Google search with keywords like "modern cloth nappy washing" or "modern cloth nappy care instructions", etc.

• How many nappies do I need?
• Pre-wash
• Washing temperature and tumble drying
• Sizing
• Would it fit newborns?
• Drying
• Detergent and softener
• Soaking or dry-pail?
• Changing the nappy
• Leaking
• Strip wash
• Do I need more inserts?

How many nappies do I need?

It will depend on your budget and the frequency you washing and drying them. You need to change you MC Nappy and the insert approximately every 2-3 hours. The estimated total number of nappies you need is 10 per day. And you need another 10 the next day while others are being washed or dried. Of course the more MC Nappies you purchase the easier it will be for you.

Pre-wash

You need to wash your MC Nappies and inserts before you use them for the first time, for two main reasons:

1. To remove any residues from production process
2. To help reach their full absorbency quicker.

You can expect reasonable absorbency from your MC Nappies after 3 washes. It may take up to 6-10 times before they reach full absorbency. You only need a small amount of detergent. Drying after each wash will help reach full absorbency quicker. Some suggest that you just wash a few times then start using them. But change more frequently at the beginning until they reach their best absorbency eventually.

Washing temperature and tumble drying

Washing temperature should be no higher than 35 degrees. Cold rinse. If you need to use tumble dry, make sure the temperature is set to "Low".

 

Sizing

MC Nappies are one size fits most. There are five rows of snap buttons on the nappy. The top two rows (1s &2nd rows) are for waist and leg fastening. For size small: fold the bottom row (5th row from the top) of snaps up and clip into the 3rd row (from the top); For size medium: fold the third row into the fourth row of snaps up For size large: just leave it as it is.

Would it fit newborns?

The nappy will fit 3kg-14kg, or beyond. It depends on the size of your baby. It will fit most newborns in general if they are not too skinny and long. Otherwise you just wait till they grow rounder and fit into the nappy. The same goes for toddlers. Some toddlers are 20kg but still fit into Size L. Some toddlers are 15kg but do not fit into the nappy anymore because of their size.

Drying

Line-drying is the ideal way of drying your MC Nappies as the sun sanitises and bleach out any remaining stains. It is also the most economical and environmental-friendly method. You should place the inner side of the nappy facing the sun. But the nappy shell is best air-dried in the shade as this helps prevent elastic going brittle. The inserts are good to be line-dried in full sun or tumble-dried in low. If the weather is not permissible, you may tumble dry them on the LOW setting. Tumble drying is not recommended as it will shorten the lifespan of your MC Nappy. To shorten drying time, try to add a dry towel to the dryer. The inserts will take longer to dry. The nappies should be much quicker. An alternatively way to shorten nappy shell drying time is to roll it up in a towel to remove excess moisture, then hang it up and air-dry it.

Detergent and softener

Normal washing detergent is good to use, providing it does not contain bleach or softener which will reduce the absorbency. Use 1/4 or 1/3 of normal amount is enough. No softener or bleach should be used

Soaking or dry-pail?

No soaking is required. Try to avoid Napisan or other soakers. The soakers break down the absorbent components of your MC Nappy. You should leave you MC Nappies in dry pail and wash them every 2 days.

Changing the nappy

You should change it every 2-3 hours or when the insert is saturated. You may use flushable liners on the top of the inner nappy if you wish. Remove any solid waste and flushable liner into the toilet. You Can do a quick rinse under the tap before putting your nappy in a pail.

 

 

My nappy is leaking

A normal nappy in good condition should not leak. If it is leaking, try to find out the reason causing it so that you can fix the problem:

• Make sure you adjust the nappy properly so that it fits your baby. The nappy itself does not hold moisture, the moisture gets sucked through to the insert placed in the pocket. Therefore, they need to be placed close to the body, not too loose;
• Make sure you change the nappy every 2-3 hours or when the insert is saturated, otherwise it will leak through to the side;
• The nappy may not have reached its full absorbency yet. Do a few more wash/dry cycles so the nappy starts function properly;
• Sometimes using two inserts will solve the problem;
• If you have been using the nappy for awhile now, maybe it's time to do a strip wash.

Strip wash

After a few months of usage, you might have a leaking or smelly nappy. That is due to a build up of residue (detergent, cream or other chemical) which reduces the absorbency, even if you have been following the instructions carefully. You might want to do a strip wash.

1. Make sure your nappies are washed and dried
2. Run a hot wash (no hotter than 60 degrees) with 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar or a few drops of dishwashing liquid Run a normal wash, cold or warm with no detergent.
3. Check the water while they are being washed - If you see soapy bubbles, keep running them through a rinse cycle until they are gone
4. If you have done 4 rinse cycles and you are still seeing bubbles, do another hot wash, with no detergent and no hotter than 60 degrees
5. Keep rinsing until there are no bubbles.
6. Line dry your nappies

Do I need more inserts?

You may need an extra insert if your baby is a heavy wetter or you may need it for nap time and night time.