When you first purchase cloth nappies for your baby, they arrive in pristine, white condition. Many parents who aren’t provided with the most up-to-date washing information soon find themselves with stains and smells, and so here we reveal how to get your cloth nappies sparkling white again.

If your nappies are currently stained, DO NOT WORRY, follow these tips and you'll have your modern cloth nappies looking pristine white again in no time. 

Why do stains appear?

There is a lot of outdated information online about how to wash and care for reusable cloth nappies unfortunately, so if you’ve found yourself with stains, you certainly aren't the only one.

You shouldn’t have to dread your baby doing a poo in their nappy - Modern cloth nappies that have been properly washed and cared for rarely ever get stained, even when babies have those dreaded poonamis!

You may have picked up some cloth nappies second-hand and be wondering how to bring them back to life.

The most common reasons stains have appeared on nappies include:

• Not washing regularly enough
• Not washing with suitable detergent
• Not doing 2 separate washes for all nappies (a pre/first wash followed by a main wash)

Where stains appear?

Depending on what type and style of nappy you use, you’ll likely find stains appearing on the inside of the nappy directly on the material that sits against your baby’s skin.

If you use pocket nappies, these stains can be on the material pocket.

If you use an all-in-two nappy (such as NappyLuxe Snap & Go nappy), you may find the stains appear on the inserts.

On some occasions, for any style of nappy, you may find the outer PUL cover has stains on.

How to get your nappies white again?

The most effective way to get your nappies white again is to reset them with a strip and sanitise.

You’ll be surprised about how much dirty water can come off cloth nappies during a strip and sanitise if you haven’t been washing them adequately.

How to keep your nappies white?

Next you need to consider what’s amiss in your washing and care routine for your nappies to ensure you don’t start getting stains again.

Follow our detailed cloth nappy washing guide to make sure you are caring for your nappies and prolonging their lifespan.

If you have followed our washing instructions and have a baby that has particularly stainy poos, you can invest in some disposable cloth nappy liners to make the clean up easier and likelihood of getting any stains much less.

Choose a brand which makes stain removal easy 

NappyLuxe nappies have been thoughtfully designed to not only prevent stains, but make it easier for you to treat them if you do encounter any.

All NappyLuxe inserts are topped with microfleece to sit directly against your baby’s skin, a material that’s easy to clean and helps repel stains.

Other nappy brands that have bamboo, hemp or cotton sit directly against your baby’s skin, can form stains faster as the material is more porous.

For all nappies, the PUL layer cannot be soaked for prolonged periods of time, whereas the inserts can be.

NappyLuxe is therefore designed as an all-in-two cloth nappy, enabling you to treat stains with ease because you can separate the PUL cover from the inserts and soak the inserts for longer.

You are now armed with our handy tips and tricks for how to get cloth nappies white again.

Shop Cloth Nappies Now

Meet the Author

Natalie Lassen

Natalie, Founder of NappyLuxe, is an eco-conscious mother and entrepreneur who discovered the benefits of cloth nappies for her family and the environment. With a mission to create the ultimate cloth nappy, she spent years researching and testing various designs before launching NappyLuxe - a range of high-quality, easy-to-use, and ultra-absorbent cloth nappies. Natalie is passionate about sharing her experience and expertise, helping parents make informed decisions and embark on their own sustainable parenting journey.