how critical is hot water for washing?

[homestyle]

Hello all! I'm doing some early research into cloth diapering (I'm 12 wks preg with our first), and I'm seeing a lot of suggestions on washing diapers with a hot wash after a cold prerinse. How critical is this using hot water in this step? Our  apartment (in Germany) has only a cold water hookup for the washing machine. Has anyone had any success with long term cold-water-only washing of their diapers? I am leaning toward an all-in-one system like bumgenius ... but maybe a different system would be better with only cold water? Am I setting myself up for smelly disasters in the future by using only cold water?  

Thanks in advance for any wisdom you might have to share with me. 

[la mamita]

we did handwashing with no hot water for months 3-10 of DS's life, when we lived in peru where running hot water was not present. we also did linedrying in the sun which made things very white and smell fresh. although i wasn't opposed to using bleach on very rare occasions, like when DS came down with a stomach bug.

eta: i didn't do AIOs though, so i don't know about laundering those. we had prefolds and covers, a much easier system imo.

[coffeegirl]

Personally, I use hot/warm water on everything (exclusing some stained items and the cold pre-rinse for the CDs.) You should be ok with cold though, as long as you wash and rinse the diapers well enough.

Is it possible that you could throw a couple kettles of boiling water to your wash as it's filling up, to at least warm the water when you're washing dipes?

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

If you have a front loader i wouldn't get AiO's, especially if they are made of synthetic materials. The AIO's i had with ds never got very clean once we moved and and bought a front loader, i imagine w/o hot water that would make the problem worse. Pockets may be a better fit if you have a front loader and can't use hot or warm water.

[nia82]

Your washer doesn't have a heater? Usually washers in Germany are hooked up to cold water supply only, and the washer has a heater for 30/40/60/90 degrees celsius. At least that's all we ever had growing up and what my parents have now (a Bosh front loader).

Our diapers come out fine in a front loader. We have a model that allows for extra water which I use and it works fine. Also, at my parents' house the diapers did great on 60 degrees celsius Baumwolle-Programm. I used Ecover powdered detergent which is available for purchase at DM drugstores and Edeka supermarkets and all the Oeko-stores... Are you sure your washer doesn't heat up the water? Even our DDR washer did that....

[homestyle]

Thanks for all your comments, everyone. I have a lot to figure out in the next 6 mo!

nia82: Thank you SO MUCH for this point on the internal heater. I only know that when I set our waschmaschine on 60 (or even 90!), everything stays cold cold cold. But this machine is really a hunk of junk. I plan on getting a new one very soon in any case, and will make sure the new one has a heater. Reading your post makes me think that this feature is standard. I am breathing a sigh of relief. I've only lived in Germany for a year -- and in our old apt the washer just worked, so I never questioned how, you know? This current washer was free, and free is about the value of it (spin cycle doesn't work, have to drain it of nasty-smelling water frequently = so much fun for my preg lady nose). I am more motivated that ever to go get a new one. Hopefully for not too much. It's great to hear you had success with the front loader. As you know, there aren't a lot of top loaders here (and the ones I have seen don't really work like a USA top loader, anyway). 

Thanks again, everyone!

[nia82]

Oh that explains it, it's broken ;) Luckily, new good washers aren't nearly as expensive in Germany as they are in the US (we had to dish out $1000 for an LG, but with 5 year warranty, cause you never know). And they should come with a built-in three year warranty (gotta ask my dad if that applies to washers, but all electronics and such do!). Happy machine hunting! My parents swear by Bosh washers, they had no luck with Bauknecht and Privileg. On a side note, I had never seen a toploader til the US! I think my parents have one of those here: http://www.promarkt.de/WAE2834P/BxqsFFZ7U8IAAAEm29Mf6dSm-detail.html (the machines are smaller, you won't fit a queen comforter in there, but I think that's ok!).

[homestyle]

It is totally broken -- I just didn't realize how broken until now. I spent a bit of time today looking at new washers (at Saturn, if you know it). It's just like you said with respect to the internal heaters! I didn't buy one today, but if we get one there they will bring it up into our apartment (1. etage) and even take away the old one! I'm so stoked at the thought of this evil machine going far, far away!

Speaking of top loaders .... the current evil machine is ... wait for it ... a top loader! But these top loaders are nothing at all like the U.S. top loader. It's basically the same design as a front loader, but with the access lid on the top (so the "wheel" turns the clothes around in the same way as a front loader or as a dryer, not like a U.S. top loader). It's nuts I tell you! But it probably does save water. 

I hear you on the machines being smaller, in general. It's funny how quickly you can get used to things. I am so used to our fridge here -- which is about the size of a U.S. dorm fridge. I only thought of it when I saw an old picture of my husband standing next to our old fridge in the U.S. ... that thing was huge!  I do miss those large freezer compartments, though.

Thanks again, Nia. 

[Logan]

It seems you have solved the problem now, but I just wanted to say that we used only cold water for my son's diapers and never had any stink issues or problems. We used soap nuts, and I honestly think that detergent is the main cause of any repelling or smell issues and not the water temp. I only do hot for washing loads I know have something really dirty (like when there's a bug)  in it or if there is oil on something as oil stains are impossible to get out without warm/hot water.