Repelling Fabric? Help!

[Pepper44]

I think I have a problem. I bought a lot of fabric to sew diapers with and I prewashed it all with just hot water so it could shrink before I sewed with it. After making a Fuzzi Bunz style diaper and stuffing it with a microfiber/hemp terry insert I made I decided to pour some water on it to make sure it absorbed and didn't run off.

Instead of absorbing, the water beaded up and rolled off. I pulled out the insert and poured water on it--same thing. Then I went and got the other fabrics and they all did the exact same thing!

I know water isn't absorbed exactly like pee is, but when the terry and the hemp terry and the flannel all repel water something isn't right. My in-laws (we live with them) use Downy liquid fabric softener in their laundry. I hate the stuff so I never use it, but they pour it in the top of the post thing in the middle of the washer and it is dispensed in the wash cycle. Is is possible that the residue from that got on all my fabric?? If so what can I do to get rid of it!?! And once I solve that problem, I need to get them to stop using it and figure out how to clean it out of the washing machine for good before the baby is born in July and all her diapers end up repelling.

Or is there something here I'm missing? Could it be something other than the fabric softener residue causing all the fabric to repel? Who would have ever thought fabric and diapering could be SO confusing.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

[crbyard]

The hemp needs to be washed on hot about 5-8 times before all of the natural oils are removed. A pain, I know. It will absorb more and more after each wash. You can tell by how much liquid remains trapped in the fabric after the final spin cycle is completed. As for the fleece, I still can't get my Malden Mills micro fleece to stop repelling. I have tried every advised method and no luck. Hopefully yours will work out.

Christina

[Kari_mom]

I don't think you have repelling issues yet. Check out the sticky at the top of the forum about how fabrics absorb and repel. Most fabrics do not get wet when you just pour water on them. Shooting water at them with pressure on top will get them wet. Lots of water will get them wet. Think about how wet your t-shirt gets if you just dribble some of your drink versus being shot at by a water gun.

Christina is right though, you do need to wash up hemp before it absorbs as well as it can.

Longterm, the fabric softener might be a problem. Will they switch to dryer sheets? They don't seem to be as much of a problem. I would stay away from microfiber liners if you can, or use lay-in liners that you can replace easily if the in-laws don't budge on the fabric softener.

Christina, have you tried your pockets again? I was looking at the (so cute) picture of your dd the other day, and I thought the pockets might be too big to work well yet.