Anoyone using shared laundry/laundromat?

[marielizabeth]

We are going to stop using our wonderful diaper service because I'm going to stay at home with our son (almost one year old!) for this next school year (I'm a teacher) and we need to economize in order to make this work. I am hoping to do the diapers on my own either in our building's laundry (top loaders) or the nearby laundromat (front loaders). I have so many questions!

1) which machines to use? top or front loaders?
2) which detergent? GMD recommends Tide Free for shared laundry
3) should I try flats (instead of pre-folds)? they would wash out easier, but seem harder to change, especially on my little squirmer.
4)I'm thinking I want to start using flushable liners to make clean-up easier. Good idea? Too much if I go with the flats?
5) It also seems like a good idea to get a Potty Pail or other system to give diapers the first "rinse" at home, before taking them to do a hot wash with detergent and oxygen cleaner. But will this mean a huge bag of heavy, soggy diapers to lug to the machine? Would I have to wash them every day? I think I can realistically only do every three days.
6) Would I have to run an entire extra cycle in lieu of being able to do just an extra rinse?

Yikes. This sounds like a lot of work. I love cloth and don't want to switch now, but geez. Who has been there and how did you do it?

[Katie T]

I can only answer some of your questions, but I definitely say top loader hands down!

You could always try the tide free and change it up if you have issues.
I may just try what you use on your regular laundry depending on what it is.

Do you already have diapers? If you already have prefolds I would just keep using those and get flats if you feel later you need them.

Sometimes for my flats I just fold them into a rectangle and put them on like a prefold. (I have a wiggle worm as well lol)

I have never used liners or even know what the potty pail is, ok just googled it and if you know of anyone who is a little handy they could make you the same thing for much cheaper. Then if you don't like it you aren't out 60 some $. I know of people who love their sprayers but I have never used one.

Good luck, I am sure you will get it figured out.

[Sharlla]

i used laundromat with ds2 dipes. i rinsed out poopy dipes at home. used a dry bag method and used top loaders. washed 1 cycle on hot. used sun laundry soap. i used a variety of dipes that i washed 1x week
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[faeriecurls]

I'm going to be using a laundromat too - our only option right now. They are front loaders only though. I was planning on using a sprayer and possibly liners as well. I also was planning on trying Rockin' Green for all of the baby's clothes. I don't know if it will work out, but that's our current plan.

[marielizabeth]

Thanks for the tips and encouragement! I ordered some pre-folds and some flats, so we can decide based on what works. I also realized there's no way to install a sprayer on my toilet, so we're going to go with liners and a quick rinse in the tub. I'm going to try Tide Free and oxygen cleaner. Rockin' Green looks great, but I'm concerned that it is clean rinsing, and in the laundromat it would just work on the gunk left in the machine and not clean the dipes. But I could be wrong about that.

[marielizabeth]

Quick update, in case anyone needs the info. I've been using GMD pre-folds and flats with liners. I do a quick rinse with cold water of each dipe in the tub. Then we do a hot wash in the building's top loader with Tide Free (not quite to first line on scoop) and some extra oxygen cleaner. Then another hot wash, no detergent. Diapers are clean and smell great. But, I have to go back to work after all and we'll probably just revert to using the diaper service, because I can't imagine coming home and rinsing daycare dipes . . . these GMD pre-folds sure are great, though . . .