How Many Diapers Per Load?

[chely7425]

How many diapers do you put per load? I like to have extra water for the diaper to swish in... but right now I do REALLY small loads... like 12-13 diapers, or however many we use over 2 days. We are having a 2nd baby in June and I really don't want to have to wash everyday!! Will I be able to put 2 days worth of diapers in the washer and still have them all get clean?

[ChetMC]

Depends

I think that this depends a lot on your machine, and maybe how hard your water is. I try to only run full loads, and actually top my diaper loads up with sheets and towels if I have to. I could get a reasonably full load of just diapers washing twice a week with two in cloth.

Even if I was trying to give the diapers more room to swish around though, I can't imagine only running a dozen diapers at a time. That's an extremely small load. I'm sure you can do more than that.

[chely7425]

We have hard water and a brand new top loader, I think it is a GE? It is a really nice washer and does just fine with a completely full load of clothing so I'm sure I could do more diapers... would I need to use more soap? I don't mind doing laundry every couple days but every day would get old really fast!!!!

[TeaLeaf]

I have hard water and a top loader albeit an old one. I never pass the 2/3 of the water line with diaper and only if there aren't that dirty (read poopy) and that's rare. I usually fill it 1/2 way. That's what was recommended by an article on washing diapers. More than that and you wound up with the poopy diapers not being clean and I suspect the pee ones are only cleaned in surface, too. There need to be room for those babies to swish or else they don't get washed properly... that pretty much goes for everything really.

ETA: I don't wash anything else with diapers... I usually don't have the room anyway... there is just too much in terms of bacteria and the hard water is making it difficult sometimes to get things disinfected properly... last think I want is nasty smelling towels.

I have a total of 22 AIOs and usually wound up washing around 12-14 at a time based on my washer's capacity.

Happy laundering

[Ruthie's momma]

I have always been able to put all of our dipes, doublers and wipes (except for the one dipe DD is wearing during dipe washing time) into one load. I have 24 prefolds, once had 1 pocket dipe and 2 AIOs, 9 doublers and 18 wipes. Two travel wet bags are usually tossed into the load, as well. I use a half "dose" of Country Save per load.

[MissE]

I have two in cloth right now and I was about 22 diapers (PF, AIOs, Covers, Liners, inserts) every three days.

[Leisha]

I wash every 2-3 days which means about 18 prefolds and a few pocket diapers + inserts, plus the cloth wipes. Sometimes I add a few burp cloths or soiled clothes.

My washing machine has a setting for "extra water", although I've never used it, but I imagine if I wanted to do a bigger load, I could use that option.

[chely7425]

Good to know everyone!! It looks like I will be able to wash every other day... yay!!