Laundry help (FL)

[mrsteapot]

We are finally almost all settled in after our big move and I'm about ready to make the switch back to cloth after a few years of disposables. I have an older LG front loader, it does have a sanatize setting, but I'm not sure if it has an add water feature or not.
What is the routine for front loaders and cloth diapers? Oh yeah, and we are in base housing and line drying is a complete no go (although I'm pretty sure that once our fence is out I could sneak one or two out for a little sun-bleaching ) I'll mostly be using pre-folds and ME Sandys.
Any and all help or tips to make this work are greatly appreciated!

[poppan]

We PL'd some months ago, but my routine in an FL was:

1) Wash cycle on HOT (I used sanitize on occasion, but not routinely, as I did not want to overly stress elastics) with pre-wash added, with detergent. I used the delicates cycle for a higher water level, but still had to wet pail overnight pee dipes prior to washing, otherwise the wash water got way too dirty.
2) Followed by a second wash cycle on WARM, no detergent, as a super rinse. I tried just adding an extra rinse to the first wash cycle, but it wasn't enough.

[mrsteapot]

Okay, thanks. What did you do with the wet pail? dump the whole thing in the washer or pull out the dipes and dump the water in the toilet?

[JessieBird]

I have a 4-yr old Frigidaire and use mostly typical AIOs made of PUL, microfiber and fleece. I also use some organic cotton prefolds and bamboo soakers/doublers. They all go in together.

Here's my routine:

- I use a drypail. No rinsing or soaking, though poop of course goes down the toilet first.
- Hot wash on quick cycle with nothing but 1/4 c calgon (natural water softner, I used to get terrible build-up stink before starting to use it but I believe that this has more to do with my well water and not the fact that I use a FL).
- Hot wash on heavy cycle, extra spin and extra rinse, with 1/4 c calgon and about 1/8 c of Nature Clean.
- I have never needed to add extra water.
- Dry on a rack indoors or on the line outdoors depending on the weather. Cotton and bamboo items get fluffed in the dryer for a few minutes once dry to soften them up. (That is AWFUL that clothes lines aren't allowed where you are - it used to be like that in cities around here but our provincial governments are increasingly forcing cities to reverse such bans.)

Here are my top two FL tips:

- The load must be full. Most FLs do not work well with small loads because they will not get to their full spin speed. It is the extreme spin capability that makes FLs so effective with less water than a TL. Without the power of the spin, nothing gets clean and the load remains soaking wet with dirty pee water. I have a LOT of diapers and only wash every 5-7 days so that the load is always full. When in doubt, I add a towel or two. (BTW never had any stinky pail or stinky dipe problems due to washing so rarely, I know some people would find this gross but it works for lazy old me!)

- When not in use, always keep the door to the washer open at least a crack. FLs are notorious for growing mildew very quickly, especially on warm days. The smell then gets in the clothes/diapers and is very difficult to get out. After every wash, I also spray down the inside of the washer, being sure to get the rubber rim seal, with water mixed with a few drops of tea tree oil to prevent mildew growth and keep it smelling fresh.

Hope this helps and good luck!