Nappy troubleshooting

Fit

# One of the most common problems with babies and nappies, whether they are reusable or disposable, is that leaks will occur. Nappies will leak if they're not put on and adjusted correctly. One size options are very popular with cloth nappies. It is important to make sure they are adjusted properly as your baby grows and changes shape.

# For premature or very small babies, try using newborn and x-small nappies as this will ensure that the nappy will fit snugly on your little one.

# Cloth nappies sit lower at the back than disposables do. If the leaks are occurring at the front, especially if it's a boy, try to bring the front of the nappy higher by pulling it lower at the back.

# Make sure that the leg elastic is sitting in the crease at the top of the baby's leg and not round the thigh. The elastic should be tight enough at the leg and the waist but loose enough so you can slide a finger under the elastic. If the nappy is too loose, you may get leaks around the leg holes.

# Sometimes, nappies leak if they are too tight. If a nappy is squeezed tight against the baby, it cannot hold as much liquid. This is usually seen with the wetness being more prevalent around the leg holes and might be an indication that it's time to move up a size or rise setting.

# Similarly, if clothes are too tight over the nappy, the tightness might 'squeeze' the liquid back out of the nappy. In this case, try going up a clothing size.

# Check that all the absorbent parts of the nappy are tucked right in to avoid the liquid leaking into the clothes. Similarly, ensure that clothes are not tucked into the nappy.

Absorbency

# Brand new cloth nappies should be washed once or twice before first use as this will increase absorbency. Some materials, such as bamboo, can take up to six washes to reach their full absorbency. You can still use the nappies but might need to change them more often until they reach maximum absorbency.

# Understand which fabrics works best for your situation. Fabrics like bamboo and hemp are a lot more absorbent than microfibre but they absorb liquid at a slower rate. A mixture of fabrics is normally a good idea.

# As your baby grows, they will pee larger quantities so you might need additional inserts and boosters. When babies are entirely milk fed they will pee more. Once they start eating solids, the amount of liquid that needs to be absorbed will normally decrease. If the nappy is heavy with liquid when you change it, it is highly likely that you need a booster.

# If your nappies and inserts don't seem to be as absorbent as they used to be, it may be that you have a build-up of detergent in the fabric, caused either by using too much detergent or inadequate rinsing. Modern washing machines are very economical with water and you may need to do an extra rinse after washing the nappies. A good long wash followed by several rinses should sort this out. This is normally referred to as strip-washing. Powdered detergents work better than liquid ones.

Stains

# Stains do not mean that the nappies are dirty but if you prefer your nappies and inserts to be nice and white, then hang them outdoors in daylight. There is enough UV even in weak winter sunshine to bleach out most stains. If you do not have an outside area, hang nappies next to an open window.

Damaged waterproofing

# If you can see wet patches on the outside of the nappy that are coming through the actual PUL fabric, then the nappy or wrap may be damaged or faulty or just getting very old.

If you're still stuck as to why your nappy is leaking, email us on info@theclothnappyco.com and we will help!