Stripping in a Laundromat!

[mamayogibear]

Up until recently I have been washing dipes every 2 or 3 days in the Hair washer I have. It is the uber compact portable model that holds like 6 lbs of cloth. I would 'heavy' wash with bs and sals suds then 'light' wash with vinegar as a rinse cycle. I only line dried everything since I don't have a dryer. This has worked beautifully for about 7 months (for my sons first month I washed by hand!) until the washer started leaking really bad a month ago. It is under warranty but they have not been able to get the part from Japan yet. I think I might void my warranty and go to home depot soon. 

So for the past month I have been hiking or biking once a week the  mile or so distance to the laundromat. I use the largest machine because I can't believe how many diapers we actually have here! I wash in the machine that has the 'extra wash' and 'extra rinse' cycle and use the same ingredients as I did at home. I use the dryer there to dry because I am not going to lug heavy wet diapers back (although I think there just about as heavy when dirty:)

Bottom line. Now they stink! I need to strip them. I think it is from residual detergent being left by people who use extra soap because it's a big machine even though there are giant labels saying ONLY USE 1/2 OF DETERGENT!!!!! One time they came out reeking of fabric softner so I did the whole wash rinse routine twice. Before moving into my little shack I call a house I rented a room in a house with a HE washer and dryer and stripped my now 3 yo daughters diapers and trainers with 2tbs of Dawn dish soap. It was really bubbly and I ended up running the machine three whole cycles in hot before it was bubble and scent free.

I need to strip diapers and have to do it at the laundromat but I don't want to spend four hours and a ton of change there. Any suggestions?

Cheers!

ETA: We use organic cotton and hemp prefolds and fitteds and our covers are all handwashed wool. The covers still smell yummy despite having stinky diapers stuck in them!

[LadybugMamma]

cant you just boil them in a big pot on the stove to strip them? then hang dry. it would take a while but you wont have to go to the laundromat or spend the money. that is how i primed mine, i didnt even have a huge pot, just the biggest one i have, I set up an assembly line type thing, dry diapers:stove with pot:big bowl to transport:left side of sink to rinse to cool:hand rung out:landry basket to transport:drying rack on the deck.  I had to add some water and Dawn a few times.

[mamayogibear]

That might work if it was just dried on urine but I think the diapers have detergent buildup from the public machines. I really want to know how to use dawn at the laundromat so they don't bubble over and get me kicked out of there! I am thinking of splitting it into two loads but still using the extra large machine to reduce the chance of bubbling over.

Also I am so over handwashing anything other than wool!

Originally Posted by LadybugMamma 

cant you just boil them in a big pot on the stove to strip them? then hang dry. it would take a while but you wont have to go to the laundromat or spend the money. that is how i primed mine, i didnt even have a huge pot, just the biggest one i have, I set up an assembly line type thing, dry diapers:stove with pot:big bowl to transport:left side of sink to rinse to cool:hand rung out:landry basket to transport:drying rack on the deck.  I had to add some water and Dawn a few times.

[Petite Bottoms]

Boiling gets the detergent residue out too.

When you go to the laundry mat is it possible to rinse the washer out with vinegar or lemon juice to try and get some of the residue out?

[mamayogibear]

Well I had a chance to strip some of my diapers at the laundromat. I used a machine right after a lady who used 7th generation dergent so if there was residue it wouldn't be that bad. I ended up washing with dawn and doing and extra wash and rinse then washing again with nothing in the machine. I was only able to bring some of my diapers since I was able to get an unexpected ride to do laundry. I think they are good now and don't smell.

I think I might just try to fix my miniwasher on my own and not have to deal with the laundromat anymore. Afterall it's summer and drying in the sun is free:)

[mamayogibear]

Yay my haier just got fixed. I hope it stays sunny enough to dry a load of dipes outside today!