The bottom LINE

If you’ve decided to use cloth nappies instead of disposables for your baby, here’s my tried-and true method of cleaning them. Plus, how to handwash silk and an easy way to rid your feet of calluses. Baby steps!

Wendyl Nissen OUR GREEN GODDESS CLEANING CLOTH NAPPIES CAN BE A BREEZE

READER LETTER OF THE WEEK

Dear Wendyl,

I am expecting a baby and my mother-in-law recently gave me two dozen cloth nappies, which is lovely. The problem is, I have no idea how to wash them and was hoping you might be able to help me? I want to use them and show her how much I appreciated the gift.

Erica

Dear Erica,

Congratulations on your baby and what a lovely gift from your mother-in-law. Most parents who use cloth nappies say that once you get into a routine, it’s no more difficult than using disposables and, of course, you get to feel like a saint for not filling our landfills with plastic. The mistake many cloth-nappy users make is that they think they have to use commercial soakers and bleaches to keep them clean. What you are actually doing is loading up the cloth with chemicals, which don’t wash out and can cause nappy rash.

Here is my tried-and-true method for washing nappies:

1 Soak the soiled nappies in a bucket to which you have added ½ cup baking soda.

2 When you’re ready to wash them in the machine, use a fragrance-free laundry powder, but use half as much as you would for a normal wash.

3 In the final rinse, add 1 cup white vinegar to rinse out all the soap residue.

4 Hang in the sun to dry.

Sunlight is a powerful, free and completely natural bleaching agent. Plunket nurses used to say “an hour in the sun and you’re done”. If you have some tough stains to remove, try dabbing with lemon juice and salt, and placing the nappies outside in direct sunlight. You’ll be amazed at the results.