alternative to Napisan?

Morty_007

Hi all,
Is there anything I can use as an antibacterial alternative to Napisan in my nappy washes? Napisan is SO expensive!! I am using tea tree oil in the bucket to soak.

Many thanks in advance
Morty

Hardup_Hester

I used to use an eggcup of bleach to a bucket of water, cheap, but probably would not be considered 'green' nowadays
Hester

Curv

I use tea tree oil to soak too. Then I wash the nappies (I have terry squares) and fleecy liners on a 95 degree wash using biological detergent. Occasionally I'll throw in a capful of Ace bleach if there have been any really BAAAAAAAD nappies. Not terribly OS, but very, very clean and germ-free.

Hapless_2

Boots do their own nappy soak.

evilwitch

I dry pail using tea tree oil then wash at 40 using non bio with white vinegar as final rinse. Stains usually dissapear after being left in sunshine for a while

bumpybecky

I don't soak at all. It only makes them smell (worse) and I always miss the loo when I empty the bucket and end up sloshing smelly stuff all over the floor :eek:

Do you really need antibacterial stuff in the soak / wash? I've been using cloth nappies for years (three children for at least 2 years each so far) and never had a problem not using antibacterial stuff

Morty_007

excellent thanks all.

I haven't been able to find boots own nappy soak...be very interested to find out more about it.

I bleach the worst stains out in the sun on the line, don't fancy using actual bleach on the nappies though and I feel that a 95 deg wash kind of defeats the purpose of reusables n a day to day basis but I do the whole lot on a 95 degree wash once a month to be extra sure.

Normally wash mine on 60 deg in non bio with a spoon of napisan.

Grumpysally

Ecover do a sanitising powder that you add to the wash. Don't know how that compares to nappisan. Also you can pick up Vanish powder or similar in pound shops.

Seakay

Extract from "Natural Stain Remover"

"Soak Wet nappies in a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar mixed into a bucket of water, then wash in hot water.
With soiled nappies, empty faeces into the toilet, rinse the nappy in cold water [my Mum used the flush of the lavatory] and then soak for several hours in a bucket of warm water to which has been added 1/4 cup borax dissolved in 1/2 cup of hot water. Wash as usual and add 1/4 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
If possible, always dry nappies in fresh air and sunshine."

lil_me

I used to use the Boots stuff a lot, ask in your local store, it's usually near where the other washer detergants etc they do in my local one. http://www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp?productid=1028317&classificationid=1013458 I think I remember it working out half the price of napisan per kilo, but that was 4 years ago now.

mossstar

I recently finished 4 years of cloth nappies (phew!) and I never used to bother either.... i'd use a bit of tea tree oil when I could afford it, but otherwise just dry-pailed and used the sunshine up when it was around!

x