Why do my nappies smell all of a sudden?

Why do my nappies smell all of a sudden?

Around this time of year, most of this glorious country we live in is rejoicing in some warmer, drier Spring weather. What's not to love? You sure can't beat the lovely sunshine and slight breeze we've been having in Sydney every day this week for nappy drying effectiveness!

But something we do get asked around this time of year is: Why have my nappies started to smell lately? They don't smell after they've been washed and dried, but as soon as my baby pees in it, there is a pungent smell of dirty wet dog that is overwhelming!

Eww gross huh!

Well, first of all, you need to get strip washing and pronto! I often recommend two really good rinse cycles at the end of the strip wash too – plenty of plain water to rinse every last bit of detergent out of the fabric.

But why does this happen sometimes? Well let me tell you. It's actually quite simple and quite logical.

1. In winter, the nappies are not exposed to much sunlight. UV is a natural bleach and the warmth from the sun plus the dry outside air plus a natural breeze help to get the fabrics bone dry. Whereas, drying indoors makes it hard to get the fabric completely dry – any dampness in the fabric will lead to smells developing.

2. More so than point 1, though, is detergent choice. 99% of detergents contain ingredients that just seem to build up inside the fabrics, starting to coat the fabrics and lock in some of that dank smell. (If this is the odour-causing culprit you will really know about it because your nappies will also start to be less absorbent than they once were.) To avoid this situation, try to find a detergent that is not salt based and contains absolutely no additives (perfumes, softeners, brighteners or any other enzymes).

3. Last but not least, and this is a point that often gets overlooked these days, but you really need to use plenty of water in the wash cycle! What with the relatively recent invention of economic washing machines that use very little water, one could be forgiven for overlooking the potential need to use more than the machine's "standard" setting. But trust me when I say this – bamboo fabric will not rinse clean with a small amount of water. (The same will go for any absorbent towel.) Using more is not going to break the bank – you are still using way less than it would take to manufacture disposable nappies for your baby's nappy-wearing lifetime!

So there you go – that's my top 3 tips for smell-free cloth nappying!