Hot or cold wash?

[MordecaiAliVanAllenO'Shea]

Ok, another question . I've looked at a lot of sites and previous threads and can't find the answers, so....

1. Is hot wash to help with bacteria with poos only or does it make nappies more absorbent by "fluffing" the polar fleece etc?

2. If you have no soiled nappies, only wet ones, do you still need to warm or hot wash or is a cold wash fine?

Thanks for any help,
Mel

[Rainbowbrite]

Hot/warm is to kill bacteria but the sun is great for that. If your going to line dry in the sun then cold wash is fine. I just put them all the machine on a rinse cycle after dry pailing, then add the washing powder & wash with cold water. If its raining, i use warm only because they'll be chucked in the dryer

Hope that helps

[MummyCharmzy]

I find even when line dried they just come out a LOT better when hot washed rather than cold washed. Actually DP washed a load in cold last night and I rewashed them today in hot as I was so unhappy with them lol

[Rhoxie]

Most detergents wash better in warm or hot water.

Also there are natural oils, fats and chemicals in poo and urine and most of these wash out better in warmer water.

A good example would be when you wash your kitchen dishes - they wash up ok in cold water but it's easier and you get a cleaner finish if you use warm or hot water (esp on glassware ).

If your nappies are washing fine in cold water and you are sun drying then I wouldn't really worry too much about it as the sunshine will get rid of any minor marks left from the wash as well as sanitising.

[FourAngelKisses]

I do mine in a hot wash, simply to remove all of the scum buildup in the machine. I guess that after reading this, I can admit that they do come out better than they did when I was just washing them with cold water (for 9yrs, LOL).

[OM]

I only wash in cold but I do whenever possible hang on the line to dry not use the dryer!

[tickle]

If I didn't have a front loader I wouldn't wash hot. It would cost a fortune and my hot water system wouldn't cope, I'm sure!
I think a cold wash is fine as long as you line dry in the sun.

[gremily]

Hmm, I don't know if washing in cold water is that good for nappies, even if you are going to dry them in the beautiful sun.
From reading different sites recommendations they've always said wash in hot to kill the germs. Sun is just the added bonus (I find sun drying gets rid of smells).

Like tickle I have a front loader so it uses very little water, so washing in hot isn't really a problem (it's the only load I do in hot water anyway).

[reAllytee]

Straight from ozclothnappies.org :

How do I wash cloth nappies?

This is a very personal choice, however the standard recommendation is to wash in warm water with half or less of the recommended amount of detergent. Many people prefer a fragrance-free, enzyme free detergent to reduce the risk of skin reactions. Popular brands in ozcloth include Amolin, Purity, Earth's Choice, Aware, Eco Store, Tri Nature, Planet Ark, and Omo Sensitive.

You can wash in cool or hot water if you prefer (so long as your nappy manufacturer recommends it), use a nappy wash or not. Residue from nappy soakers can cause skin irritation and are not necessary. Some people choose bicarbonate of soda, borax or vinegar to wash or rinse with - however this is not recommended by some nappy manufacturers: please check first, as sometimes these substances may cause wicking, stink or even destroy your elastic. In most water types and washing machines, natural soap flakes are not recommended for nappy washing, as the buildup can cause the fabric to repel and leak. Fabric softener is also to be avoided for this reason.

For us personally we just use a cold rinse then a cold or warm wash depending on how we are drying the nappies

[FourAngelKisses]

Not sure if anyone knows this or not, but products like Napisan shorten the life of your washing machine, so if you use it in a nappy bucket, rinse them well before putting them in the machine.