The Science of Water

You have probably heard the terms “hard” and “soft” water, but what do they mean and how do they affect the way you wash your modern cloth nappies?

Put simply, hard water is water with lots of mineral deposits. It’s generally not harmful to your health, but it can make it more difficult to get your laundry sparkling clean.

In Australia, the water ranges from very soft to very hard.

The easiest way to tell if your water is hard is to froth up some soap in a sink full of water. If it doesn’t lather up well, your water is probably hard. Soap makes lots of bubbles in soft water. 

Other tell-tale signs are a film left on glass shower doors, water spots on clean dishes, dull-looking hair and clothes that never seem to get that fresh, clean look.

The problem with washing nappies in hard water is that the minerals make it difficult to rinse out all the detergent, which can lead to build up and nappies that are not as absorbent as they should be.

And the fact is that hard water just doesn’t clean as well as soft so your nappies (and clothes) could be left looking grey and dingy.

So what can you do if you have hard water and are washing nappies often?

1/ Use a commercially available water softener in the rinse cycle. Look out for them in the detergent aisle of your local supermarket. But go easy on it with your nappies - as with all detergents and additives, experiment with a little bit first to make sure your baby doesn't have a reaction.

2/ Experiment by using a little more detergent in the water – sometimes this actually helps.

3/ “Strip” the nappies more often. Start with clean nappies and wash them in super hot water without detergent (be sure to check the label to see how hot the nappies can tolerate - it is not necessary to strip wash pop-in shells). Then rinse again in a hot cycle if possible. Check the washing machine to see if there are any bubbles in the water and repeat this step until there are no more bubbles in the water. No bubbles means there is no soap build-up. Dry your nappies in the sun if possible - sunshine is great at getting rid of stains and killing germs. 

4/ Finally, you could consider buying a water softening tank. This is the most expensive option, but you will notice the difference throughout your home – cleaner dishes, shinier hair and, of course, bright, fresh laundry.

Do you have any other tips for washing nappies in hard water? We’d love to hear them.

© Oz Baby Trends 2012