My cloth nappies smell

Stripping is required when

1.Nappies start to smell when baby pees in a clean day nappy (ammonia build up).

2.Night nappies smell very strong of wee in the morning (ammonia build up).

3.Baby has thrush.

1. Ammonia build up:

This is caused by an incorrect wash routine and is characterised by a strong smell of urine when baby wees in a clean nappy. Nappies are not getting cleaned properly. Go through the check list below.

Wash routine check list

1. Is the machine ¾ full? Not more or less. Nappies need agitation to get clean.

2. Do you have hard water? Nappies must be washed at 40`C if hard water is present. Powder detergent must be used and 10% bit more. NEVER wash our covers on 40`C - you can add the covers to clothes below 30`C.

3. Are you using a detergent on our list? If not, we recommend it for our nappies which will prevent and treat build up. Do not use any type of baby detergent, it is not suitable for cloth use. Do not use detergents that are not on the list. Omo has not given good results.

4. Is the machine cycle on the cotton/ longest (minimum 2 hour cycle).

5. Are the nappies being rinsed in the machine before the main cycle?

6. Are night nappies being prewashed in the machine for one hour the day they come off the bum. This really works. If the nappy is only hand rinsed and left in a basket, the chances of build up are high. See our wash page on how to wash night nappies.

2. Thrush

Thrush spores live in cloth (nappies, boosters, cloth wipes and liners) not covers and unless treated, will reinfect baby. Strip nappies immediately.

You can cloth diaper using flats IF the nappies are hot ironed after each wash. The heat kills the spores. When using cream, use a disposable liner to protect the nappy.

How to strip

Strip clean nappies and boosters only. Not covers or fleece liners.

1. With oxygen bleach

Use Roodt bio bubbles (oxygen bleach, follow the instructions on the packet). Leave the nappies soaking for a good few hours.  More than one treatment may be needed if the build up is severe. 

Note Oxygen bleach is a natural product. If nappies still smell after the treatment consider doing a chemical bleach strip below.

2.Stripping with chemical bleach

In the bath
1 cup bleach for a full bath (30 nappies).
1/2 cup bleach for a 1/2 full bath(15 nappies).
1/4 cup bleach for a 1/4 full bath(under 10 nappies).
Add enough cold tap water to cover the nappies.
Dilute bleach in a jug of water first, then mix into the bath water before adding nappies.
Keep nappies in the bath for 30min, and maximum time of 45 minutes. Mix around a few times during this time.
Follow with a warm (30 degrees), short wash (add detergent, no softener) in the machine to break down the bleach. This step must be done.

In the machine
Add half a cup of bleach to a litre of water in jug and mix. Add this to your detergent drawer once the machine has filled up with water.
Run a cold wash.
Run a warm wash(30 degrees) (add detergent) to make sure bleach rinses out.

Email us if you are stuck.