New to CDing - need some help!

coromble

I'm having my first baby in July and I am super interested in cloth diapering!  I had a long conversation with a friend who has used cd's for over a year now, so she gave me the scoop on what I would need to get started. 

Heres my dilemma....she said that if I have an HE washer where I cannot control the amount of water, and does not have a hot rinse, that I can not use CDs.  Is this true?  I've read things about doing a pre-rinse or throw in a wet towel...haven't seen anything about the hot rinse.

I really want to CD, but I don't want to invest all this money if it won't be sanitary for baby!  Help! 

tokenhoser

Nah, I do a cold pre rinse and can't add extra water. It's been fine. I never add a towel or anything. I do a cold rinse-and-spin, hot wash with cold rinse, extra rinse.

As for "sanitary", he poops on them. He doesn't eat them. As long as they're clean enough not to stink, they're clean enough for me. Drying in the sun as much as possible also helps.

bugandbibs

I have CD'd just fine in my HE washer for almost (yikes!) a year now.

I do a quick wash on cold (no detergent) followed by a heavy duty hot wash/cold rinse with the heavy soil load and extra cold rinse options (with detergent).

I never suggest anyone do a hot rinse unless there is some other problem going on.  Heck, half the time I only wash in warm.  It's great that you have a friend to help guide you into the CD world, but that doesn't exactly make her an expert.

The experts are a bunch of strangers on the internet.  

hispenguin

You don't have to worry. You'll never need to do a hot rinse. If anything that would just set in the stains on your diapers.

As long as you can do a pre rinse, a hot wash and then an extra rinse on your machine you are good to go! 

BrendaLou1969

cold short wash cycle with no spin (adds extra weight to the diapers to get more water)

Hot wash cold rinse

extra cold rinse

sweetky_06

Here's what I do that seems to prevent stains and my DS has no irritation and I've not noticed any diapers repelling, and I have a 7 year old HE washer:

1. Warm soak with no spin

2. Hot wash with cold rinse and extra cold rinse (Whitest Whites setting) with Tide Powder, about 1/2 - 3/4 the HE amount indicated on the scoop or else I can still smell residual detergent after they are washed.

If I know I'll be sunning my diapers I do step 1. with cold water. 

coromble

Thank you all so much!  Great advice and I'm glad my washer isn't holding me back!