Lesson 3:

Why do you need to prepare your CD?
To remove the left-over chemicals from manufacturing.
How do you prepare your CD?
For shells: Soak overnight in COLD water. Wash once with a little detergent. Line-dry under the sun.

For inserts and boosters: Soak overnight in HOT water, especially natural materials like bamboo or hemp (You can also boil bamboo and hemp for 15 minutes). Wash once with a little detergent. Line-dry under the sun.

Why and when do you need to strip your CD?
If your nappy has an odor, if your nappy is leaking or has a decrease in absorbency, it means that it is time to strip wash. Maybe you are using too much or the wrong detergent. Maybe you are washing it improperly.

How do your strip your CD?
Put the clean nappies in the washing machine. Add a few drops of non-moisturizing dishwashing liquid. Rinse and rinse and rinse until there are no more soap suds. Line dry under the sun.

Oh, and remember, CDs will only achieve full absorbency after about 8-10 washes! So, keep washing!

More about the Modern Cloth Nappy here!