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1. Fold the soaker in
half lengthways and place it on the nappy cover
with the white microfleece side next to baby's skin. The
soaker is used in the same way
for both boys and girls. 2. The natural gusset in the cover holds the
soaker in place. 3. Stretchy sides and tabs close for a
perfect fit. See below for more tips on using The Green
Nappy. The Green
Nappy Company nappies will last longer and remain in good condition if you
follow our simple instructions to care for the fabrics. 1. Shake, wipe or scrape any solids into
the toilet. (You should do this with disposable nappies too - check the small
print on their packaging!) 2. Put soiled nappies in a dry bucket with a
sealed lid. Close the tabs to prevent covers from joining together in the wash.
Do not soak the nappies. Alternate covers
throughout the day unless soiled. When away from home, the nappy can be placed
in a bag and added to your bucket later. 3.
Gentle wash (cold recommended) within 4 days. Tip dry soiled nappies into
the washing machine. No need to soak and no need to handle the nappies. If you
have a front-loader, use plastic tongs. If the nappies are very soiled, an extra
rinse before the wash cycle is recommended. Use a gentle cycle (eg "woollens" or
"eco" setting) and a slow spin speed. "Heavy-duty" or "cotton" wash cycles are
not necessary and may damage your nappies. 4. Use a gentle washing powder such as one
labeled “earth-friendly”. Use half the recommended amount. Too much detergent is
a common cause of smelly nappies. Do not use
detergents or nappy-soaking solutions with enzymes or brighteners, as
they leave a residue on fabrics reducing the absorbency and occasionally causing
skin irritation. 5. Rinse well to remove all traces of
detergent. Do not use fabric softener or vinegar
rinses regularly as they destroy the waterproof qualities of the
covers. If the nappies are adequately washed they are odourless. If they retain
a smell, use less detergent and rinse them more (eg extra rinse before or after
the main washing cycle). 6. Line
dry in the sun. Soakers and covers don’t even need pegs, unless it is
very windy. Nappies can be tumble dried if necessary however it is not
recommended for covers and the more they are tumbled, the faster they will wear
out. Hemp and
Bamboo These
fabrics will increase in absorbency over the first 6-30 washes. They may
also shrink a little. We have prewashed the hemp fabric once only. You may
occasionally notice some small fibres on your nappies. These are not harmful but
can be easily pulled out. Stains The
fabrics used in your nappies tend not to stain. A few hours of sunlight is
usually enough to remove any stains. For stained soakers vinegar can be used for
the final rinse (use the fabric softener dispenser for this). Vinegar should not
be used on the waterproof covers, apart from an occasional strip-wash (see
below). Leaking This may
happen if oil-based barrier creams are used making a water-repellent surface on
the stay-dry microfleece layer. This can be removed by strip-washing (see
below). Children who pass large amounts of urine, for example overnight, may
require a Booster for more absorbency. Soaking, frequent vinegar or bicarbonate
rinses or using the wrong type of detergent (see below) can permanently ruin the
waterproof qualities of the Covers. Detergent Residue Too
much detergent can build up in the nappies causing them to retain smells and
leak. Check that detergent is used sparingly and that the nappies are rinsed
thoroughly. Do not use bleach, whitening agents, fabric softeners, brighteners,
enzymes or stain-guard products. Strip–washing to remove
residues Occasionally the nappies may require a thorough wash to clean off any oils, detergent or other products that may have accumulated. This can be done using a hot wash with 1/2 cup of bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 cup vinegar, then a second rinse cycle with water only. This process is safe for both covers and soakers, provided it is only done occasionally. Tips and TricksWee leaking out of the leg holesThis is a common problem when the nappies are new as the stay-dry surface of the soaker can repel fluid at first. Soakers need to be pre-washed at least 6 times, sometimes more, in order to strip away the oils, such as hemp oils, that are present in the cloth from manufacturing. Soakers can be tested by pouring warm water onto the stay-dry layer to see if it goes through. If it runs off the sides without being absorbed, then it has not been fully pre-washed. To save water and avoid prewashing, the soaker can be used upside down (with a nappy liner such as Eenees - available through our store) for the first uses. During pre-washing it is important to allow the soakers to dry fully before wetting them again, in full sun if possible. The other common cause of leaking is the nappy being fitted too loosely. The nappy should be snugly fitted around the waist and thighs. If the baby has thin legs, it can be tricky to get a snug fit at the thighs. This can be overcome by pulling the front Velcro strip upwards at an angle before securing. Wetness coming through the front of the nappyThis is a common problem in little boys. Ensure that the penis is tucked downwards when the nappy is put on. Pull the soaker further to the front so that there is more absorbency where it is needed. How to Increase the AbsorbencyOften needed for little boys (and some little girls too!). You may notice that when you change your nappy the front of the soaker is soaking wet but the back of it is dry. You can increase the absorbency at the front of the nappy by folding the bottom layer of the soaker in half underneath the top layer with the stay-dry layer. A booster can be added to a soaker folded this way to give a very absorbent yet still trim nappy, allowing longer between changes. Changing from Disposables to Cloth If you are ued to disposable nappies, you will probably find that you need to change their nappy more often with cloth. The nappy should be changed at least once for every feed for a newborn. If your baby drinks more at certain times of the day, they will wee more too! The Green Nappies have a different design to disposable nappies and they need to be stretched quite firmly as the tabs are closed. Our fabrics are stretchy and designed to work when they are stretched. Putting the nappy on too loosely will result in leaks, particularly around the legs. The nappy should be firm enough that there is no space between the nappy and the baby's legs, but not so tight that it leaves marks. Newborn Poos Three
ways to make it easier to empty runny newborn poo into the
toilet: (i)
Use biodegradable nappy liners such as Eenee nappy liners – then you
simply pick up the liner and flush it (ii)
Use a Little Squirt hose. This is a DIY toilet attachment which uses
water from the cistern via a spray hose to clean nappies directly into the
toilet. (iii) Use a plastic spatula to scrape the poo off.
If you are running out of clean covers but don’t want to do an extra small load of washing, consider rinsing a few covers in the laundry basin and adding them to your other washing eg clothing. They dry in an hour or two and are ready for use again. I prefer liquid detergents as powders sometimes clump up on the nappies. I recommend these detergents as they are gentle, better for the environment, Australian-made and good value. Recommended detergent brands (use ½ recommended
amount): Earth Choice Green Power Definitely don't use any detergent that contains enzymes, brighteners or bleach. Some eco-friendly detergent brands contain an enzyme called "cellulase" - this should be avoided as it can break down the nappies. I recommend keeping two nappy buckets, one at the main change station and the other next to the toilet. Any nappies with solids can be taken to the toilet and emptied into the toilet, then placed straight into the bucket. Any other issues? Please contact us so we can improve our troubleshooting information!
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