My prefolds are scratchy and pilling!

[azzeps]

Hi all,

We've been using prefolds and covers since DD was born, but we were with a service. Now, we're washing our own and use a combo of FuzziBunz as well as prefolds/covers. My problem is with the prefolds. They started out nice and smooth, but now they are pilled and just feel generally scratchy. In fact, I think one day DD had a red bottom and I think it was because she was in a prefold. I think they're good quality - they are unbleached, unlike the bleached ones we received from the service. The ones from the service were obviously very used, and were NEVER scratchy or pilled. They were always soft and heavenly. I kind of miss that huge stack landing on the porch every week... Anyway, I'm wondering if there's anything that can be done...

thanks!

[MommaShark]

Do you air dry? That can make them stiff. I'm not sure about pilling. Have you tried adding vinegar to your wash?

[Michigan Mama]

If you have hard water, some people have good luck with adding calgon...

[azzeps]

Vinegar? No, I haven't tried that. Do I just put it where the bleach would go in the dispenser? I have a front loader.

I don't air dry, so I don't think that's the problem. We don't have hard water, either. Hmm.

[messy mama]

Ecover. It's a fabric softener. Plant based, so it's OK. It makes my prefolds so soft that I want to wear them.

If you can't find Ecover, there is one called Simplicity that you can use. I've never used it but I bought some diapers from a mama that does and they were incredibly soft.

[MommaShark]

yup - in the dispenser

[EdnaMarie]

Ecover is like OxyClean and nice, but also it does depend on the pre-folds. We had some unbleached that never pilled, and some bleached that pilled and got stiff right away. It's tough to know what is going on with a particular diaper.

[MommaShark]

Where did you get your prefolds from? I can't imagine mine being like that.....

[lab80]

mine were fine until i switched to tide, they are now kinda scratchy so i bought some ecover to try (wouldnt you know it i left it in the car and dh has the car at work) so i'll have to wait to try it out. before i was using seventh generation f&c which kept them as soft as they were before but didn't help with smells very well.

for over a year we only used natural or f&c detergents, and last week i tried tide so i know that is causing the scratchy pf's. i dont care for the smell but it's better than poop. using vinegar in the rinse cycle does help some, we have pretty hard water though.

i take out my pul covers before adding the vinegar though, and will probably take those as well as my aio's before adding ecover.

[lab80]

I tried ecover and it seems to work pretty well...much softer and it masks the smell of the tide for the most part

[MoOnFiReGlOw]

I find that my prefolds go through that stage as well. They tend to get a bit scratchy and then months later they will go to nice and soft. I use vinegar in my wash and it has cut down on the scratchies I have hard water though! I'll have to try Ecover, I've never heard of it!

[VOBetz]

Vinegar helps mine feel super soft. I would try that.

[phatchristy]

Wow, I think I wrote this thread a couple of months ago LOL.

I started the oxyclean, and somehow that seemed to take care of it (was doing vinegar before).

Very hard water here, btw!