Need Help with Stains and Cleaning

[Watergirl's World]

This is my first experience with CD. Infact, into only my first week with 2 week old. I got some prefolds from GMD and the cleaning booklet that came with them is a brick. I've read and reread the entire thing countless times, only to be more confused now than before.

I purchased Rockin Green detergent, but will I also need to use vinegar,bleach, and some form of disinfectant, like the GMD manual says? How do I find the time to do all the steps that they say I need to do and when do I add the above items to which steps!!!???? Sooo frustrated, and I'm on my first cleaning!!!

It seems to take 2 hours to do 1 load with all that I'm "supposed" to do.

Also, I purchased Thirsties Duo Wraps, and can't get the BF stains out of the gussets?! Is there something I'm missing in the cleaning process? Why are the gussets white, when they stain so much?!

HELP!!! I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP BEFORE I'VE EVEN BEGUN.

-Kelly

[poppan]

Don't stress. I would start with just detergent and no additives and see how it goes -- keep the routine simple unless you find you have to add stuff to make it work. Sunning is best for EBF poo stains -- just lay dipes in the sun after washing & drying (or you could line dry).

[MamieCole]

I agree. Just do a cold soak w/no detergent, then a hot wash w/detergent, then cold rinse. Doing an extra rinse at the end is a good idea as well.

If you find after a while your dipes start to smell (like ammonia or just stink in general) Rock an hour soak w/ clean dipes in your Rockin' Green. That really should be enough.

You can also email Rockin' green with any issues you are having and she can help you trouble shoot. (Wash routine, type of water you have, amount of detergent, length of soak, etc.)

It probably won't be necessary to use vinegar, bleach, etc unless you start to have real issues with your dipes smelling, repelling, leaking, etc.

And I have no idea why Thirsties uses white edges on their gussets. Doesn't make sense to me either, but they are great covers and I never had a blow-out in them. I have been able to get my Thirsties gussets pretty clean by soaking in Rockin' Green.

Good luck and just keep it simple! You'll be feeling the CD love in no time! And congrats on your new babe!

[Happiestever]

For bf poop I rinse right away and then do two washes. First one with detergent, second without. This is what I have found to work best for me.

[chely7425]

Originally Posted by Happiestever

For bf poop I rinse right away and then do two washes. First one with detergent, second without. This is what I have found to work best for me.

This is pretty much what I do, even now with toddlers. I have a dry pail, throw the diapers in there, rinsing the poopy ones first. Every other day I throw the diapers in the wash, one cycle with soap (hot wash/cold rinse) and one without. That is it. Sometimes if I notice a bit more stinky I throw a few tablespoons of bleach in with my detergent.

[littlest birds]

happiest, that's just what I ended up doing, after YEARS of figuring out what worked

I almost never used bleach. It will cause the fabric to break down. I also never used vinegar. I used varying combinations/amounts of washing soda and borax in the first wash. (Don't know what rockin green is or what is a laundry disinfectant exactly.)

I ignored the stains. I allowed them and did nothing about them. They are poo-catchers after all. As long as they're sanitary, I didn't worry about "color changes". If you want to bother with that then do but realize you don't need to.

[Mom2M]

I use primarily prefolds and Thirsties covers and here is what has worked very well for me.
I never rinse the diapers or covers before it is time to wash, everything goes into the dry pail.

My washer has a "quick wash" which is a half hour cycle.
I do one cold with nothing in it.
1 hot with detergent and vinegar.
1 hot with nothing in it.

I like to hang everything out in the sun because every single stain comes out, even on the white gussets!

Then I usually fluff the diapers in the dryer a little bit to soften them.

Congratulations!

[Katie T]

I agree to the cold wash first with nothing in it to get the poo and pee out. Otherwise IMO you are washing your dipes in dirty water. Then the hot wash with detergent and HOT rinses. It helps get the soap out faster/better than cold. If you don't have a hot rinse option on your washer (I don't) do a hot wash cycle with no soap.

I do this and usually "rinse" up to 3 times. I check during agitation for bubbles. If I see any I run another cycle. It does take some time, but it is better then spending a whole day stripping the soap build up out of your dipes. (Ask me how I know )

I also agree the sun has amazing stain removal properties as does a oxygen cleaner (I use sun oxygen cause it is cheap). It really only seems to work in HOT water but a soak in that removes stains wonderfully.

Congrats on your new baby! It is a process but you will have the hang on it in no time.