Laundry advice needed for a newbie

[adelaidejane]

Hey everyone, I'm new to this board - and to the whole cloth nappies thing. Well, when I say "new to", I mean "I haven't personally done it myself". My older sister is very pro-cloth, and she's one of the main influences behind my decision to try it myself!! I'm 25 weeks pregnant with my first baby (a girl!), and getting really excited!!

I wanted to ask this board advice on washing cloth nappies when living in an apartment complex with a communal laundry. I live in Minneapolis, MN, and it costs us $1.25 for a load of washing, then another $1.25 for a load of drying (outdoor line-drying won't be an option for at least the first couple of months, during the winter, and clothes-lines don't seem to be terribly widespread here -- but we're getting a clothes airer to have in the living room to cut down on dryer use). At this point in time, Hubby and I do laundry once or twice a week and it's not unusual for us to spend $15 - $20 for laundry in one day. I can only imagine how much more it's going to be once I'm washing nappies every other day... There aren't any facilities within our apartment to hook up a machine of our own, but I am planning to get a big plastic tub and a Li'l Squirt thing for rinsing (sidenote: since moving to the States nearly 14 months ago, I have never seen a twin-tub machine - and Hubby never saw one til he visited Australia. Are they just an Aussie thing maybe??)

Anyway. I like the idea of using AIOs (mostly to make it as stress-free as possible for Hubby ) but at my recent blessings-way I was given a stack of terry flats and fitteds, and am willing to use those (and buy more) as well, especially since they dry quicker, etc.

Here's my issue: all the nappy websites I've read mention specific washing instructions, such as - "wash for one cycle on cold with detergent, then on one or two cycles on hot with no detergent". If I were to follow instructions like that, nappy-washing is going to become a huge financial strain on us -- or it just won't happen at all.

Here are my questions: Can I "get away" with only one cycle of washing, if I rinse pooey nappies first in my bathroom? How much/what detergent should I use? Would you recommend hot or cold washing? How do YOU do it?!

Any advice, stories, experiences, or help will be very much appreciated. Thanks!!

[Toria]

I only use one cycle & don't seem to have any problems. Just pop the nappies into my front-loader, flick the dial to the temperature setting I want (normally 30 deg), add detergent, turn the spin cycle down to 600 rpm & hit the go switch. Return in an hour or so to hang nappies on line.

Nappies have been 'rinsed' beforehand, by using the little squirt when required & then tossed into a dry nappy bucket.

Maybe I haven't paid enough attention to any laundry instructions I've seen, but I've never noticed anything abut multiple cycles per wash. With a front loader that takes a minimum of an hour per cycle, there is no way I can spend over 3 hours getting nappies washed, never going to happen.

Good luck with your pregnancy & nappy use

[~*Rebecca*~]

I do a pre-rinsh which isn't a full cycle and then a full cold wash.

If you had a little squirt and could get rid of most of the poo you could possible get away with one full wash.

How annoying not having a machine in your appartment. I think if you got enough nappies you could wash once or twice a week like I do.

[Eilleen]

Welcome to the board Jane!

A little squirt will definitely be really helpful for you. The only reason why I do a cold rinse cycle (not a full wash) prior to the wash is 'cause I don't use the little squirt.

[Superwoman]

Hi Welcome

It's worth having a go!! And if you find you have problems, then you can change track. If you are planning on breastfeeding you won't have smelly nappies anyway - but they may not get all the stains out with tumble drying - no big deal on the terry flats as they're cheap enough - might be a problem if your AIO have a white inner - so see if you can get ones with coloured inners.

[Ali]

I'd also be tempted to keep your dirties in a (closed) bucket of plain water. Should help keep any stains from setting, especially if you are leaving the wash for a few days. Just change the water daily.

[adelaidejane]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

Originally Posted by ~*Rebecca*~

I do a pre-rinsh which isn't a full cycle and then a full cold wash.

If you had a little squirt and could get rid of most of the poo you could possible get away with one full wash.

How annoying not having a machine in your appartment. I think if you got enough nappies you could wash once or twice a week like I do.

That would be my ideal situation (well apart from having my own washer ) - I'm well on my way to that, and we still have plenty of time to buy more.

Originally Posted by Superwoman

Hi Welcome

It's worth having a go!! And if you find you have problems, then you can change track. If you are planning on breastfeeding you won't have smelly nappies anyway - but they may not get all the stains out with tumble drying - no big deal on the terry flats as they're cheap enough - might be a problem if your AIO have a white inner - so see if you can get ones with coloured inners.

Most of the AIOs I have already have colored inners, so I think I shall continue to buy them colored.

Originally Posted by Ali

I'd also be tempted to keep your dirties in a (closed) bucket of plain water. Should help keep any stains from setting, especially if you are leaving the wash for a few days. Just change the water daily.

Ooh, good hint! Just plain water? Like, no Napisan or whatever other solutions or anything?

[poppychicken]

I believe Napisan wrecks PUL, which is the waterproof lining on most modern nappies - the care instructions often say don't use Napisan. I dry-pail though so can't comment from experience.

[Lousmum]

I've only just started doing a pre-rinse before my regular full (usually) cold wash, but occasionally hot wash. I don't have a little squirt, and one of the reasons I recently started doing a pre-rinse is because I just couldn't be bothered rinsing the rest of the poo down the laundry tub (that which didn't come off in the toilet). I think you would do fine with just the one cycle if you can find some other way to get poo residue off first. I think three cycles for one load of nappies is a bit of overkill tbh

[Sheree Scott]

Hi there!
I dry pail then pre rinse and do a normal warm load with whatever else fits in (I have the priveledge of washing daily to 2nd daily though, so have room for other washing in the load). I reckon if you place the used nappies in a bucket of water with lid and changed daily that would replace the pre-rinse. I don't think you would need napisan or equivalent, in my experience - I did this with my DD1, except I used a prewash soaker on the poo rinsed ones, but nowadays I wouldn't see a need for that! The reason I didn't use water in with the bucket of used nappies this time is that I didn't have somewhere out of reach of toddlers and preschoolers to put the buckets this time - different house.
As for stains because of dryer or lack of sun, perhaps try putting the poo shadowed (!!) nappies on the airer by the sunny window, stain side to the sun - it's the only thing I know that will get them out. I remember the winter before last which had lots of indoor drying I used to long for a sunny day to get the poo shadows out!!! (Along with orange juice stains, tomato based stains etc)
Enjoy building up your stash!!!!
cheers,