When we think of winter, we think of lush warm layers, open fireplaces and rainy day movie-marathons. This is great news for us—but it’s not so great when it comes to drying cloth nappies.
If you use EcoNaps cloth nappies you’ll know how thirsty our bamboo inserts are. This absorbent fibre is great for little bottoms, but it means that inserts take longer to dry, especially in winter.
So how do you dry your cloth nappies effectively in winter, without racking up a ridiculous power bill? Here are 6 of our favourite tips to speed up the drying process, even on dreary days.
1: Hang your cloth nappies outside
Hanging washing outside doesn’t need to be reserved for summer days. If it’s not raining, take them out. Even if your nappies only see a few slithers of sunshine throughout the day, you’ll be surprised at how much drying progress can be made. Plus fresh air helps them dry faster too.
2: Hang your cloth nappies undercover
If you’ve got a covered area outside—like a carport, verandah or deck—this is a perfect spot to hang your nappies. Even if it’s grey and gloomy, they’ll benefit from the natural airflow that comes from being outside without getting wet. Airflow is a key factor in drying time.
3: Use a clothes airer and get mobile
Grab a small portable clothes airer (aka clothes horse) and you’ll have the luxury of transporting nappies around the house with ease. Pop them by a sunny window, move them near a heater or fireplace (not too close!), place them over a ducted heating vent, or pop them under a ceiling fan. Any of these simple options will offer your nappy inserts a little drying boost.
4: Use a peg hanger & go high
A peg hangar is a very handy accessory when it comes to hanging cloth nappy inserts. If you’ve had them hanging outside all day but they’re not quite dry, simply bring the whole peg hangar inside and find a high place to hang them overnight—without having to rehang everything. Heat naturally rises and will help your nappies dry faster. Hot tip—the hot water cupboard makes a great overnight drying spot.
5: Buy extra cloth nappy inserts
If your inserts are taking longer than a day to dry, and you’re running low on the regular, consider adding an additional set of inserts to your cloth nappy stash. The covers dry really fast and you can use them again. Adding extra inserts is an economical way to build your cloth nappy supply while taking pressure off your laundry turnaround time (a sweet relief).
Bonus tip:
If your nappy inserts are feeling a little crunchy once dry, simply scrunch them up in your hands to soften them. Also before hanging them up to dry, make sure you give your inserts a gentle shake and lay them flat to keep them looking newer for longer.
Over to you!
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