How do I "strip" used flannel???

[peypeymama]

OK! I'm about to jump into the world of diaper making. I think I've read enough threads to make my eyes fall out of my head, and it's time to just get in there.

With the new baby coming, I want to go cloth from the start. Which leads me to my Q.... I have a old 100% cotton flannel duvet that would be perfect for diapers. How would you go about stripping the fabric to make sure all the fabric softener, etc. is removed?

Thanks for your help!

[StrawHatBrat]

a tsp of dishsoap in the washer with it... wash and dry on hot a couple times. That should do it.

[Kari_mom]

Just like you would strip diapers. Wash initially with detergent. Then rinse, rinse, rinse in hot water until the suds are gone. If you have hard water, adding Calgon will help. Lowering the water level helps too. I like using Sportwash from Walmart, it helps remove detergent residue. Use it in your initial wash.

Welcome to diaper sewing!

[peypeymama]

Sounds easy enough!

The word "stripping" made me think there was some serious effort involved to get the results... like stripping paint.

[boscopup]

The big effort in stripping diapers is that you have to keep going back to the washer and setting it for yet another hot wash cycle. When I've had to strip, it's sometimes taken 10 hot washes (plus extra rinse!) to get all the suds out.