Why no wet pail soak with microfiber?

[time4latte]

I can understand not soaking the PUL, but why not the microfiber?  I have an HE front loader and have had residue issues. Presoaking my prefolds has been a huge help in keeping rashes and stinkies at bay. I know this can be done with natural fibers (cotton, hemp, bamboo) but why not microfiber. I usually don't add any detergent, just plain water to dilute what my child deposits on the diapers.  I don't soak my pockets or covers, just the prefolds/inserts.... Could someone please explain the why to me?

[Galatea]

You can soak the inserts, no problem.  Like you said, just don't soak the PUL or elastic.

[Jaimee]

You can soak synthetic inserts, I just find that it leads to more stink than it helps prevent.  Unless, however, you are soaking with something like Rockin' Green's Funk Rock to get rid of the ammonia smell, but even then they say to only soak for an hour or so.  I personally never soak, but I do do a pre-rinse/spin before I wash.  This worked for me with my front loader as long as I was using a good detergent, using the proper amount of detergent, and not washing too many items at once.  I ran into major problems, though, when I was using a non-cloth diaper safe detergent (Seventh Gen Free and Clear- not free and clear...) and I wasn't rinsing enough times.  HTH!

[time4latte]

That is a huge help! Thanks.

I've only ever had a front loader while CDing and both washers (we moved) simply didn't get enough water through my diapers. My poor son has had ammonia burns because of it. It took a lot of research, trial and error before I finally figured out what it was (changing to Rockin' Green was a huge help too). I almost envy those with top loaders.

In fact, I once brought some diapers to my mom's while we were visiting and washed them in hot water (small load) and filled up her washer as high as it would go. She was peeved because of the amount of water it was using (another friend who CD'd her two kids told me it was how she got the best results). I ran out to visit another friend and I come back thinking she will have tossed them in the dryer for me only to find out, she ran as second washer cycle because they "didn't smell clean." LOL - she wasn't peeved after that. My front loaders just weren't cutting it - at all.

I really wouldn't add any detergent to the soak because it sits for a couple of days before I wash again and I know that's far too long. It has crossed my mind to add a sprinkle of RNG say 15 minutes before I run them through a cold rinse prior to a heavy duty hot water wash.

[Mom2M]

I have a front loader and use both prefolds/covers and fuzzi bunz with the microfiber inserts. I do not soak the diapers but I do add extra water to the washer.
I do one cycle (quick wash) with cold water and add a few gallons of water through the detergent opening after I have started the wash cycle. If I add it first, right on the diapers, my washer drains some of the water before starting the cycle.
I have to add a lot because the prefolds soak so much water up but you can look in the window and see where the water level is and just add enough to make it good.
Then I do a regular wash cycle with hot water and detergent, just A&H Free and vinegar, add some water but it doesn't need as much since the prefolds are already wet.
Then I do a quick wash with hot water just to rinse and check for suds and add water if needed. No stink and no rashes.
Hope that helps,
Deb

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by Mom2M 

I do one cycle (quick wash) with cold water and add a few gallons of water through the detergent opening after I have started the wash cycle. If I add it first, right on the diapers, my washer drains some of the water before starting the cycle.
I have to add a lot because the prefolds soak so much water up but you can look in the window and see where the water level is and just add enough to make it good.

Great idea if your washer will let you do that, too!  I know some people that add soaking wet towels to their wash loads b/c the extra weight will trick the washer into adding more water and as long as the towel are already soaking wet, then they won't soak up any of the additional water.  It's a PITA, I know.  I also know some CDers with front loaders that actually bought a cheap top loader off of Craig's List just to wash their diapers!