Eco Sprout washing Instructions

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Before reading this, please note it has originally been written aimed at an American audience that have top loading washing machines. Top loader washing machines are popular in America and work differently to the front loading (High Efficiency (HE)) machines we have here in the UK. We have made soem minor changes to the document for UK use but there are places where you may still see HE machines referred to.

First Time Users:

If this is your first time using Eco Sprout detergent, we HIGHLY recommend you soak your cloth diapers with our detergent first. This will help to draw out any build up left behind from previous detergents including soap, grime, minerals, and softeners that are deep inside your nappies and inserts. This will also help to prevent rashes that can occur when switching or mixing detergents. It's easy!:

Fill a tub, washing machine, sink or bucket with enough HOT water to fully submerge your nappies in. Here in the UK if you have a front loading washing machine, the tub method usually works the best in order to get enough water.
Use 3-4 tablespoons of Eco Sprout detergent mixed in with the hot water, less detergent for fewer nappies.
Add all your nappies and inserts and let them soak for 3-5 hours. Overnight if possible for a really good soak.
Drain all the water from the tub or washing machine.
Wash all the nappies and inserts again with 1-2 HOT water washes/cold rinses with NO DETERGENT at all.
This will completely rinse out your diapers and they will be nice and clean!
Once this is done, you may continue to wash the diapers with your normal wash routine.

Basic Washing Instructions:

Have you already done the Eco Sprout soak for first time users? Then you are ready to begin washing your nappies as normal*.

Do a pre-soak or pre-wash on your nappies first. If your machine does not allow these settings, then you can just do a basic or quick wash in cold. This will help minimize staining, remove any loose particulates, and fully soak the nappies to dilute and pull out the urine. If your nappies are heavily soiled and need an extra boost you can add a small amount of detergent.
Add Eco Sprout and do a HOT wash/cold rinse. Using the recommended amount shown on chart below.
Add a second final rinse.
Enjoy nice clean, fresh smelling diapers!
Another routine that works really well for people is this:

Do a pre-wash, soak, or quick wash as above, but use HOT water instead of cold. No detergent unless heavily soiled nappies need a boost - then you can add some detergent.
Add Eco Sprout and do a HOT wash/cold rinse. Using the recommended amount shown on chart below.
Add a second final rinse.
Enjoy nice clean, fresh smelling nappies!

Type of machine	Type of Water	Amount of detergent

High Efficiency front loader	Soft Water	1-2 TBSP
High Efficiency front loader	Regular Water	2-3 TBSP
High Efficiency front loader	Hard Water	2-4 TBSP

** The above chart is the recommended amount of detergent for an average size load of nappies (15-20 nappies). If you are washing a smaller or larger load, you can adjust the amount of detergent accordingly.

An important note about water level: for top loading machines, you only need enough water for the diapers to be able to freely move around and rub against each other. If you are doing a smaller load and setting your machine to use the highest level of water, you will either need to increase the amount of detergent being used - to compensate with the large amount of water, or decrease the water setting of your machine.

Do you have hard water?

Hard water contains more minerals than regular water. These minerals neutralize a portion of the detergent balancing out the PH of the water. For detergent to work effectively, you need to add more detergent. This will help break down the minerals in the water so that they do not re-deposit back on to your nappies. Start with the lowest recommended amount of detergent and then adjust up if necessary. Some people find it extremely helpful to add a cap full of Calgon to their wash cycle to help soften the water.

HE Machines AND Soft Water?

Sounds confusing? We know :) But once you get a routine that works...stick with it! It just might take some trial and error to get it just right. IF you have soft water AND an HE machine, you will only need to use 1-2 TBSP with an average load of diapers. Why? HE machines require less detergent and so does soft water. When you put the two together...you get to use the least amount of everyone!

Helpful Tips

*What is "normal"? I wish we could give you the magic answer...but washing cloth nappies takes a little bit of trial and error to find your perfect wash routine. A lot depends on your machine and the type of water you have. Here are some simple things you should know:

Making sure you get enough water through your nappies. This is key to getting a good clean, and an effective rinse. In top load machines, don't over do it! There is no reason to have your washer fill to the tippy-top unless you are washing 25+ nappies. Instead, fill with enough water to allow your nappies to move freely. This allows you to use less detergent and get a more effective wash. If you choose to fill to the tippy-top, simply use more detergent. The more water the better in front loading HE machines!
One of the most important steps to washing cloth nappies is to do an extra rinse at the end of your cycle. But only 1 extra rinse is needed. Adding extra rinses will not get rid of ammonia. Adding more than one extra rinse can cause a mineral build up with hard water and is not recommended.
The amount of nappies you wash at one time is important. Small loads where the nappies float around in the water is not as effective as adding a few more diapers to the wash so they can rub up against each other and help with the cleaning routine.
Too many nappies and they will not get clean enough because there is no room to agitate around and rub up against each other.
This doesn't have to be complicated....you just need to figure out what works for you and then keep it simple!

Having difficulty with an HE machine? The hardest part about washing cloth nappies in an HE machine is getting enough water through the diapers. My family follows the above washing routine (with the hot pre-wash setting) and we have not had any problems. There have been several suggestions made by others to do things like add a wet towel to the load to trick the machine into thinking there is more laundry, or soak the nappies first before adding them to the machine. Both those tricks will work. But we want it to be as simple as possible! A lot of people have great success with the following routine regardless of the type of machine you have: 1. Cold wash with no detergent. 2. Hot wash with detergent. 3 Extra rinse at the end.

Nappies need a pick-me-up, but you have no time for a soak? Then just do a mini-soak or super-wash!

For the mini-soak with a top loader:

Fill your machine with hot water (only enough so your nappies will be fully saturated with a little extra water).
Add 3-4 TBSP of detergent depending on load size (agitate water so detergent dissolves)
Add nappies
Let nappies soak for about an hour and then wash
Drain
Run one wash cycle in hot without detergent
No extra rinse needed

For a super-wash with an HE machine or regular top loading machine: Since many HE machines do not allow for a soak here is an alternative option:

Pre-wash in hot water with 2 TBSP of detergent
Hot wash/cold rinse as normal but increase the detergent by 1-2 TBSP of what your normally use
One extra rinse in cold water

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