New to CD!

AB87

I've decided to try CD my almost 4 month old twins. I posted about this on the multiples board a few days ago and was glad to find out that several other multiples moms have had success. I just received 6 BG freetimes in the mail today and I have an assortment of Alvas and Kawaiis on the way. I also bought 2 BG 4.0s from rediaper.com.

I have a few questions that I hope some of you can help me out with:

1. What detergent should I use? I bought Tide original powder. I have read good and bad things about it but it is one that is readily available to me. I have a Kenmore front load HE washer.

2. How do you wash your diapers? I have read so many different opinions on wash cycles that I'm afraid I won't do it right. I know eventually I will probably have my own system but I would like to have somewhere to start.

3. Do you prep MF and bamboo inserts with detergent? I know to prep them separately.

Any other tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. I feel a bit overwhelmed! Thanks!

daffy2k

I am still fairly new to cloth as well, I have been cloth diapering my 3 week old since birth.  

1. I use Nellie's Laundry Soda for my cloth diapers and all my clothes.   It's one of the recommended detergents on the Diaper Jungle detergent chart, it's Eco friendly and I find it cleans really well!

2. I also have a Kenmore HE washer.  Right now I do a Cold Rinse & Spin cycle but select No Spin.  This adds some extra water and weight to the drum.  I then add my detergent and do a Bulky Bedding cycle on hot with an extra rinse.  After the water rinses my detergent from the dispenser, I add a bucket full of hot water through the detergent dispenser just to make sure there is enough water.  I don't know if it is actually necessary, but I figured it only takes a minute and I didn't want to get to a point where I had any kind of build up to deal with.

3.  I don't have any advice for your bamboo as I don't have any yet.  From what I understand Microfibre only needs to be washed once when new, no real need to "prep" 

DiannaVB

1. We use Tide original powder in our old top loader.

2. Warm prewash (soak, agitate, spin), Hot wash with detergent, cold rinse, cold rinse all at max water level.

3. Yes. 

martha919

1. I use BumGenius but you don't have to. I would def use Tide if DD wasn't sensitive to it. When we're out of BG I want to try Trader Joe's Cleanliness is Next to Godliness Powder as it scores the same on the chart that I saw and is cheaper, lol.

2. Warm rinse-spin, hot wash with detergent (it rinses but I have no idea if it's cold or hot or what), cold rinse-spin. I use the appropriate water level for the amount of diapers. There's debate about this--some say that you should use more water than you technically need (i.e. for a small load, medium water level), but some say that this prevents the diapers from agitating well...you'll figure out what works for you.

3. Yes.

PokeMom

1. We use Tide and haven't had any problems yet. I would just use it and if something happens, like a sensitivity or something else, then look into others. I will warn, though, that with some diapers using a detergent not specifically made to be CD friendly will void the warranty. 

2. I'm still dealing with EBF runny NB poo, so I throw those in with a warm prerinse by themselves. Then I add the rest of the dipes for a warm prewash. I do a hot wash with my Tide, then a cold rinse, followed by a second cold rinse to make sure all detergent is out.

3. I prep them with detergent first wash. MF: prep with detergent and dry, done. Natural inserts: prep with detergent, dry, then just run washes without and dry. Sometimes I do another detergent wash, but it's mainly to get the oils and stuff off before use, not because they're soiled. I don't want to run the risk of detergent build-up before they're even used.