Prepping/Washing My Stash?

[ktbug87]

I'm completely confused about how to wash/prep my newborn stash. I've been on Nicki's Diapers and Jillian's Drawers as well as each diaper companies website...and am now extremely confused. I don't want to do anything to mess up my brand new diapers...not after spending over $250 on them.

So...here's what we have. We plan on using Tide Original Powder (because I've read that it does really well. If not, please let me know!) We have a FL HE diaper.

I have:

12 diaper drive thru fitteds
6 Indian Pre-folds (non-bleached)
6 thirsties duo diapers
2 BG newborns
6 thirsties covers

My question is...what should my wash routine be for prepping and then also for everyday? And, can all of these diapers be washed together, or do I have to do certain things separately?

**Here is what is in my bitty bliss diaper drive-thru fitteds**
Outer Layer: Knit
Hidden Layer: Cotton
Inner Layer: Bamboo Velour
Snap-in Soaker: Bamboo Terry/Fleece topped with Bamboo Velour

[ExpatMama1990]

It's recommended to do natural fibers separate from microfiber, since the natural fibers have oils in them which you want to strip out before use (ie the bamboo/hemp/cotton together and MF in a separate wash)... The MF should require just 1 wash and dry to prep, the covers just need to be washed with a little detergent to get any residues from factory/transport etc out of them; I would wash those together (BG newborns, thirsties covers) warm, just a little bit of detergent, 2 cold rinses, then dry.

The natural fibers (prefolds, bamboo fitteds etc) will need a few washes to be prepped (4-5... I tend to go with 2-3 tbh and then just start using them and change more often, since they haven't reached full absorbency and just wash with my other diapers)... I use a little squirt of dawn sometimes, but a sprinkling of regular detergent works too, warm or hot wash, then I would rinse once, dry in the dryer (doesn't have to be fully dry, just mostly) then another wash with one rinse, dry, wash and two rinses... Then I'd start using them (or put them aside if baby hasn't arrived yet).

I'm not 100% sure what the content of the Thirsties Duo diapers is, but you get the idea!

You may also want to check the washing instructions for each diaper, if you're worried about voiding the warranty. Some companies only cover you if you wash on warm and won't if you wash on hot etc etc...

I use Tide powder and my every day routine is a short cold wash and rinse with no detergent (to rinse out pee and poop (NB poop is fine to go straight in the washer, but once they start solids, you'll need to dump it into the toilet before washing)) longer warm wash with detergent and then two (or more) rinses; I check once the second rinse has filled to see if there are bubbles/murkiness in the water, then might run a 3rd rinse if need be.

Hopefully that makes sense!! People have different routines, but there's a start! It's really simple once you get into the swing of things.

[plumpkin]

You prep according to the material of the diapers. Your prefolds need to be washed and dried around 5 times because they are unbleached. Most bamboo needs to be done around 3 times and synthetic materials only need 1 wash and dry. You should not prep your synthetics (suede cloth, micro fleece, microfiber) with your natural fibers because of the oils in the natural fibers. In your situation I would boil the prefolds for 20 minutes with or without a squirt of dish soap. I've done it both ways and don't really see a difference. Then I would throw them together with the bamboo diapers and wash and dry together 3 times using a little bit of Tide for the first wash and then just hot washes for the other 2. Just wash and dry the synthetics and covers together once and they are ready to go. You can even wash synthetics and covers with your baby's clothing or towels to prep them.

For your regular wash routine everything can be washed together. Do a short wash or rinse in warm or cold (cold will stain less but warm will remove more urine and poop). Then do a long hot wash with Tide (I recommend using the full amount according to the package if you have hard water; if you have soft water you can use less). Lastly, do a short wash with nothing for the final rinse. Some just do an extra rinse hear but I like doing a short wash esp since you are using commercial detergent. You want to make sure everything rinses clean. If you are getting too much sudsing in your FL, you can adjust the amount of detergent you use. But if you use too little your diapers will not get clean. You can dry everything in the dryer but you may want to line dry your covers. I think the dryer is great for sealing/resealing PUL so I always dried all my pockets and covers in the dryer. HTH & GL

[KarenCmomto4]

I'll just add that I don't think the drying in between each prep washing is necessary at all. I never did this with any of my diapers (and I've prepped lots of diapers in my time!) and they were just fine. This is actually a relatively new recommendation, I never saw it before a few years ago. Honestly it doesn't make sense to me really, the goal is to wash out the natural oils in the fabric and the dryer isn't doing that. Some say that the heat from the dryer will also help shrink the fabric to make it denser and more absorbent, but that's a really minor issue and one trip through the dryer at the end of prepping will do the same thing. Much simpler to just toss them in the washer with a little detergent, and then come back every so often and turn it on again (with a smidge more detergent each time, except maybe the last).

Separating the microfiber from natural stuff is important though, the good news is that this means you can just toss the covers/micro inserts into a regular load of laundry (towels, undies, whatever...).

Remember also that the only really important 'rule' is to not prep microfiber with natural fibers. Other than that it's really not something you can mess up or that can 'ruin' your diapers. The worst thing that can go 'wrong' during prepping is that you don't do it enough and your diapers aren't as absorbent as they could be. Not fun perhaps if this causes leaks, but not that big a deal and only temporary anyway...

Karen.

[ktbug87]

Thank you so much, everyone, for your help! I really appreciate it!