reaching absorbancy in hemp

[blondeviolin]

I've got a few hemp inserts. Like five. I hear that they have to be washed a few times to reach absorbancy. Here's where I have issues...I don't want to run my washer 5-6 times for like five inserts. And I'm not doing diaper laundry quite yet (full term, so now we just wait ). Can I just run the inserts through with some of my regular loads of laundry??? (Y'know...whites, darks, towels...) I know All F&C isn't good for my pockets, but I assume it's okay for the inserts. Or is there another way to "prime" them without having to waste up all that water and electricity?

And totally off from my question but I got some newborn dipes in and they are SOO CUTE. My newborn and small stash are pretty well stocked, and now we're working on the mediums!

[love2bmom2chris]

You can put them in with regular clothes but you are suppose to wash the hemp on hot. So, if your regular clothes don't go on hot, then I would say no. What about boiling (or near boiling) water on the stove? Never tried it but I guess you could boil, let it cool down, dry and do it all over again 5-6 times??? Not sure though.

[blondeviolin]

Originally Posted by love2bmom2chris What about boiling (or near boiling) water on the stove? Never tried it but I guess you could boil, let it cool down, dry and do it all over again 5-6 times??? Not sure though.

This'd work for me too...I guess. LOL Wonder if it actually works?

[~stacy~]

I think some people use soap in the water when they boil their hemp. I have never done it myself. I would just go ahead and throw them in any wash you run with warm water and just do it more than 5-6 times. It's just to get the oils out of the hemp to make it more absorbant. The laundry detergent will do that in warm, or even cold too. But it would probably take a bunch more washes than doing it in hot. But if baby isn't here yet, I think you should have time. GL!

Stacy

[Kelolsen-and-Padawan]

When I bought six hemp inserts I actually washed and dried them about six times in a row - I spent all day doing it I just used the small setting for the water. It definitely sucked, having to run the washer so many times. I guess it would be okay to wash them w/ something else, but I'd still wash themon hot and I'd use the detergent you use to wash your dipes.

[tinkletraps]

Boil them on the stove with a squirt of Dawn for about 1/2 hour. Then run through 1 normal diaper wash (with the rest of your stuff) and they should be fine.

[lovencloth]

I was also going to suggest that if you do wash it with everything, just make sure you do not use softner. I have also wondered (but have never tried) stripping new hemp with vinegar. Boiling sounds easier to me, but I never wash my hemp more than twice prior to use, the diaper wahms that I know prewash the hemp at least once to preshrink it so it may have already been washed once. I have never had trouble with only washing mine twice, but I just might be really lucky when it comes to hemp!