In wk. 2 of CDing and need some help- long

ktpaladino

Hey guys! So I've been on the board for about 7 or 8 months which was really helpful when learning about the different types of diapers, doing laundry and prepping, and building my stash, but now that I've started, a few questions have come up. My daughter is 5 weeks old but has only been fitting in her cloth for about two weeks since she was a 5 pounder. Here are some things I'm wondering about:
I'm using 3/4 a scoop of Tiny Bubbles but still have a few bubbles present during the final spin. Should I cut back to 1/2 a scoop? My stash is pretty small- 9 AIOs and 6 workhorses with covers.
Do you wash on hot or warm? Does it disinfect the diapers better when you use hot water?
My first rinse cycle is 27 minutes, then the wash cycle with an extra rinse is 73 minutes. Then to top it off, the diapers are taking two 45 min. dryer cycles on high heat to get dry. Holy crap...is there any way to shorten this washing/drying process? I did not anticipate it taking so damn long. Does my washer and dryer just suck?
The EBF staining is really bad. I know it doesn't mean the diaper is dirty, but of course I am wondering if they are really getting clean enough. Will the staining ever stop bothering me? LOL. Is there any way to get the stains out other than sunning? There is NO sun right now where I live.
When I change her fitteds, the entire fitted is soaked all way up to the back and belly, through and through, even though I am changing every two hours or less. Is this normal, or should I try to add extra absorbency of some sort? She seems to be really uncomfortable in the fitteds...I think she is a stay dry kinda girl!
What is the best way to judge when to undo rise snaps? She seems kind of in between right now, where the diapers are a little loose with all the snaps undone and a little snug with them snapped up. How many pounds was your LO when they transitioned from the newborn dipes to the one size dipes? She is about 8 pounds currently.
I'm loving the newborn Swaddlebees/Blueberry Simplex AIOs, but I guess who doesn't? I would like to get more one size simplex but don't really want to spend $25 a diper, even though I know it's totally worth it! Does anyone know of a good place to nab some of these on sale? Being a CDing newbie, I'm not keen on seconds, but am now considering it if there is a place where I can buy these gently used. Any help would be appreciated!

Robi1

I do cold quick wash, hot wash, cold rinse. All together, the washing takes about 1.5 hours. I air dry my diapers. If you are doing 2 high heat cycles every time and washing regularly, that will wear your diapers out really fast. My suggestion would be to air dry them (you'll probably need more than 15 diapers to do this, but you'll need more anyway). Maybe get a dozen prefolds since you already have covers? Those can take a beating. They don't dry very fast though. I'd get/make some dryer balls to speed up the drying. 

I often wash in the evening and hang dry overnight when I know I won't need the diapers, and they're dry by morning. That might not work until your LO sleeps longer at night. 

Fitteds are supposed to get soaked through all over. Try a fleece liner if she is uncomfortable with the wetness. As long as you're not getting leaks, you shouldn't need to add absorbency. She'll probably outgrow the newborn diapers soon, though. 

My 5 pounder fit into one size around 2 months/9 pounds. 

YellowLily2013

I'm assuming you have a high efficiency washer/ dryer. And that's what is taking so long. I don't have one but was astounded by how long it took while trying to wash at my moms. No advice there, but hot should be fine, but the sanitize setting gets too hot.

You can cut up some microfleece to have the stay dry effect for her. And if you have doublers you can add them by laying them in the cover between the fitted and cover.

Just terminology help.
Seconds - are second quality new diapers that may have minor defects. These are typically bought directly from the manufacturers. And you can sign up for email notifications / Facebook to be in the loop when these sales happen.

Used - can be purchased many places, typically from individuals who no longer the the particular style or their lo has out grown the diaper. Some cloth diaper websites also sell used from their trials.

ktpaladino

I purchased GroVia and Best Bottom hybrid systems for her one size stash, but am still looking to add a few AIOs since I like the ease and convenience of them.
Yes, I have a HE machine. It sounds like it's normal for it to take so long...I just didn't realize! I'm not sure how to adjust the temp for each PART of the he cycle- it makes you pick a temp for the whole cycle I think. But I'll look into that!
I'm looking for both seconds and gently used. Thanks for the recommendations!
When it works out that I can wash at night, I am going to try air drying and then finishing in the dryer, and will look into these dryer balls! Thanks!
The fitteds with covers are already so bulky on her that I can't imagine adding doublers and inserts, so I think I'm just going to have to change her every hour. She'll probably be growing out of her newborn workhorses anyhow!

YellowLily2013

Also, aio and fitteds will take longer to dry. And make sure you're cleaning out the lint each time. I think you have to for HE machines, but like i said, I don't have one.

And the bulk will die down once they get bigger. So don't make too many assumptions early, as it can change.