If you want to get the best out of your Tickle Tots nappy, it is really important to look after them properly. We I'll run through the best practices for washing, drying and general care and why it is important to follow these guidelines.
Washing.
After you have removed a wet or dirty nappy fold close the Velcro laundry tabs. This stops the nappies from sticking together in the wash and damaging the bamboo lining and inserts.
If the nappy is dirty, flush any solids and give your nappy a rinse under a cold tap. Warm or hot water can 'set' stains and make them harder to remove.
The damp nappy can now be stored in a lidded nappy bucket until ready to wash. Never leave your nappies to soak in a sanitiser, bleach, or stain remover as this can seriously damage the waterproof PUL outer wrap, and degrade the elastic. We recommend washing your nappies every 2-3 days.
When you are ready to do a wash we recommend using a non-biological washing powder. If your nappies are particularly dirty run a cool prewash first, and then wash at 40degrees. It is unnecessary to wash at a higher temperature to clean your nappies, and this can cause premature degradation of the PUL waterproof layer. Use the recommended quantity of detergent as too much can cause a build up on the nappy.
It is not advisable to use a fabric softener on cloth nappies as this affects their absorbency.
Drying.
Tickle Tots nappies use bamboo as their absorbent layer. This allows us to have an incredibly absorbent nappy that is also very slim fitting, however bamboo does take longer to dry than manmade fibres such as microfibre, or cotton.
For the original tickle tots AIO take out the booster if used and turn inside-out to dry. This will speed up drying time a lot. They can be line dried (this will take approx 24 hours dependent on conditions), or tumble dried on the LOW setting. Please don't tumble dry on a higher setting or leave next to a direct heat source. We have seen a lot of damage to the PUL and even the Velcro on some nappies from this kind of treatment ☹️
For the hybrid nappy Tickle Tots 2's the boosters can be popped out of the wrap and tumble or line dried (again, use the lowest tumble dryers lowest setting). The wrap is best line dried and shouldn't take long to dry, and this will prolong its life. Peg the main booster so there is maximum air flow through it to speed drying time further.
General care.
Run a cleaning wash through your washing machine once a month to keep it in tiptop condition. I do this by running it empty on a hot wash with no detergent but sometimes with a mineral bleach, or even white wine vinegar to clean it.
Sometimes your Velcro can get clogged up with fluff. It makes sense to de-fluff your Velcro every so often to keep it working well. Use a comb (nit combs are great for this!) and tweezers to clean them.
Make sure you store your nappies when they are completely dry (particularly of storing them between babies!) and out of prolonged direct sunlight. Keep them in airtight vacuum bags if storing for any length of time and give them a wash before using them on the next baby.
If you look after your nappies well, they should last you at least two children, and be a reliable and cost effective nappy. We really want you to get the best out of your Tickle Tots nappy, have you got any top tips for caring
