Bleach?

[trekkingirl]

So I figure I can probably bleach prefolds to get out newborn yellow poop stains but what about AIO diapers like Kushies? Anybody know?

Oh and what is the longest the diapers can sit in the pail before washing? DH uses sposies when I'm at work so we could probably go quite a while without washing but is that bad for the diapers?

[treeoflife3]

You can sun the poop stains out.  After washing, put them out side in the sun still wet.  Sometimes it takes a few times (rewetting them) to fully get rid of the stains, especially on older baby and toddler poop but no bleach is necessary for stain removal.  You can also use oxyclean free and clear or borax to soak your load in before washing to help with stains as well.

I wouldn't let diapers sit for longer than like three days.  after that, they can start to grow really yucky things and then you WILL need bleach.

[Ola_]

I second the sunning suggestion - I just tried it the other day and the stains went away on most of the diapers I put out there.  I just used one of those folding metal drying racks and set it up in the backyard.  I wouldn't bother to do it every time, the stains will fade as you use and wash them anyway, I was doing it on newborn diapers that I'm about to pack away.

Oh we wash every other day even though we haven't run out of clean diapers yet by then, I wouldn't go more than three days either.

[Jaimee]

The longest diapers can go without washing is one week (I learned this working for a diaper service, which only picks up once a week).  After one week they will start to attract bugs and start to grow (it's true... missed pick-ups required special attention to get them back to proper hygiene standards).  If you plan on letting your diapers sit longer than 3 days, I would highly recommend spraying each poop diaper with BacOut enzyme spray (after removing any solid food poop) before you put it in the pail.  The spray will prevent the growth of bacteria, hence help prevent odor and staining.

For your current stains, sunning will work wonders in just a matter of hours.  If you lay them out on towels (as opposed to a clothesline) just turn them over in about an hour so the other side gets sunned as well.  If you have any particularly stubborn stains, sprinkle with lemon juice and lay them out in the sun, then rewash.  Works like a charm AND kills fungus and bacteria.

But to specifically answer your question, yes, you can use bleach on prefolds without issue and you can use it occasionally on your premium diapers as well.  I would never recommend weekly bleaching of premium diapers, but you can do it on occasion when it is necessary- like they are infected with a nasty virus like rotavirus.  Bleach can irritate baby's skin, so I recommend extra rinses after a bleach wash.  An alternative to bleach in the wash would be oxyclean.  BioKleen (also the makers of BacOut) makes an environmentally friendly oxygen bleach.

[trekkingirl]

Thanks ladies! As allways you're a huge help. I love MDC

[kristihern]

I used prefolds and British terry diapers in the 80's (from ads in Mothering), urethane covers.  Soaked them in a tall pail until their weekly washing.  The pail had a scoop of detergent (before liquid was available) and the key ingredient, a cup of borax. All of the liquid and yuck got dumped out in the utility sink before laundering, then the whole week's worth of diapers went into the machine with 1 cup each of detergent, bleach, borax for a hot wash cycle, hot dryer cycle.  I think now it would be 1 cup Ecos or the like.  Extra rinse cycle.  4 babies in 5 years, no rashes to speak of, and the diapers looked good, too.

[trekkingirl]

welcome to MDC mama!