[mamaMAMAma]

We moved a few months ago and the new house has a front-loader. DH is concerned that the front-loader might not get the diapers clean enough since it uses a lot less water. The dipes come out of the wash fine, no stains no smells. But, we found pieces of solid poop in the trap last time!!

DD is 3 and only poops in the dipes (she refuses to poop in the potty), but we're working on that one. We're expecting in spring and I wanted to make sure the washer is good enough to handle a newborn's pees and poops.

 

[abigailvr]

I have a front loader and when my DS was a newborn the dipes went straight off the baby and into the machine. Well, actually to the pail first, but no rinsing before I put them in the machine. He's 15 months now and I rinse the poopy diapers before putting them in the pail, to remove most of the poop, but that's because I don't wash every day and I think they'd get very stained and stinky if I let them sit.

What I'm trying to say is: it should be fine for newborn poop.

 

[apmama_in_pa]

I too have a front loading washer and I love it. We just got it in January and I think it clean the diapers better than my old washer which was a regular one. For my 4 month old I don't rinse the poop since she is BF, but for my 2.5 yr old I do. My routine consists of doing a cold soak with a little bit of detergent, then I turn my machine to the Whitest Whites setting, add a presoak, and every other time I add Calgon Water softener (we have hard well water). They are really clean after that and into the dryer or outside they go.

HTH,

 

[tippytoes26]

We just got a front loader.. maytag neptunes.. and I'm concerned too. My babe is 20 months and I only dump poos that fall of on their own into the toilet.. everything else goes to the pail. NO DUKING. We do two washes.. the first on hot with tide HE, and the second on warm with sportwash and an extra rinse. I haven't really noticed anything "bad".. but I'm just no comfortable with the small amount of wter used. I know for regular laundry, it's just wonderful and we actually have fewer stains. But for diapers.. it just seems like if you put pee and poop saturated diapers in there, you need a fair amount of water to rinse it away.. otherwise you are just washing dirty diapers in dirty water. But, so far, no problems and we are on our sixth diaper wash. I wish my machine had the option of running a rinse cycle only before running a washe like we normally did with a top loder and rotary dials because then I didn't feel like dirty diapers were washing in really dirty water for the first wash, but the best I can do is a wash with no detergent. And that takes something like 45 minutes.. that's too long in my opinion if I'm going to run two wash cycles afterward. I'm entirely too lazy and pricness to "dunk" diapers *LOL*. I think that most of the problem is in my head and not in the cleanliness of the diapers, but I am extra vigilant of diapers now before they go into the dryer. Truth be told, I think we have fewer stains, and cleaner diapers.. but I can't for the life of me see how that is possible with so little water. I think maybe it drains and adds water throuout the cycle and that keeps dirty clothing from washing in dirty water. Anyway.. if I end up with a problem, this board will be the first to know!

Amber

 

[janiemerle]

I guess it depends on what type of front loader you have. We sucked it up and bought the LG front loading washer (and dryer). It has it's own water heater inside and offers a sanitary cycle.

I keep diapers in a dry pail. Poop goes in the toilet, diapers get thrown in the pail. I wash about every other day or so. Just throw the dipes in, set it on sanitary, prewash and extra rinse, add a little MelaPower to the prewash, baking soda in the wash and turn it on. Never had a problem.

Even with the rest of the laundry on a regular cycle, I use just a little detergent, wash & rinse once. Never a problem. And I swear our clothes have never looked as clean and smelled as fresh as they do now.

 

[ctdoula]

I have a Neptune and have no problems. A couple of things.... front loaders like the Neptune DON'T continue to wash clothes in the dirty water (like a top loader). Even though they use much less than a top loader, they use fresh water many times throughout the cycle. The diapers are tossed through the water, then the water changes & it does it again. Also, my Neptune has a rinse cycle, so I rinse in cold before washing. I use &

my minishower.... no more cleaning chunks out of the inside of my washer

I will occasionally do an overnight soak for my peace of mind when I think we're getting the stinkies. I boil water on the stove, then put the diapers in the pail & add hot water & a scoop of Oxyclean. I leave them there overnight & in the morning, I spin them out & then wash as usual. Works like a CHARM

HTH
Amy

 

[MallowMom]

We have a Fridgidaire FL, which is almost the cheapest one you can buy. It works GREAT on our dipes. My DS is 15 mos and has solids poos, which I always flip into the toilet. I wash every other day or so and use a dry pail. No dunking.

If you want to soak your dipes in a FL, just shut the machine off mid-cycle when you see water in the drum. The water will remain in the drum and you can then add whatever you want. Soak as long as you wish, then restart the machine and let it finish washing.

Like Amy said, almost all FLs change the water in a wash cycle at least two or three times. I know that in my Fridgiaire, if I use a hot/cold wash with a rinse I get 4 water changes. So my dipes are being washed in fresh water 4 times...better than being in a big tub of dirty water for a whole wash cycle like our old toploading machine.

Also, it's a common misconception that more water and agitation = cleaner clothes/dipes. But what actually cleans fibers is the detergent you use, coupled with the water temp. Hot water cleans better than cold water no matter what machine or soap you're using. Since most of us (all of us?) wash our dipes in at least one hot wash, it's likely they're getting plenty clean.

Morgan

 

[reeseccup]

Quote:

Originally posted by MallowMom We have a Fridgidaire FL, which is almost the cheapest one you can buy. It works GREAT on our dipes. My DS is 15 mos and has solids poos, which I always flip into the toilet. I wash every other day or so and use a dry pail. No dunking. If you want to soak your dipes in a FL, just shut the machine off mid-cycle when you see water in the drum. The water will remain in the drum and you can then add whatever you want. Soak as long as you wish, then restart the machine and let it finish washing. Morgan

that's the machine I have and LOVE IT. I got it as a house warming gift and am sooooo very greatful. The only things I turn off to soak though are my woolies (yes I cheat), otherwise like my dipes I use the prewash cycle in cold with 1/8 cup detergent (you don't HAVE to use the HE detergent, as long as it's a low sudsing it'll work), then when it's done there I put on a white wash hot with a small squirt of basic-h (i'm sure calgon water softner would do as well) and let it go. I do rinse poopies with the shower head into a bucket so no more chunks of undigested food in the filter catcher (gag). Baby poo as long as it's nonchunky disolves in the wash (although if it's a paste I'd still dump in toilet what will come off and if you have a way to spray

I'd do that). I rarely have issues with my dipes and actually since I started with the basic-h I've not had any. I don't use microfleece (well I have 2 items with microfleece but don't use them very often) so that is not an issue, but I DO have a lot of hemp and some thicker

dipes that take longer to dry, but everything comes out fresh smelling and clean. Front loaders are also easier on clothing, energy/water conservative, I haven't seen a hike in my electric nor my water bill since cding, but I do notice a couple extra$$ when I get a lot of fabric in(I wash my new fabrics several times on hot and dry to preshrink before using. ) but nothing that I would have to actually budget for. BTW the cleaning action isn't in the agitation rather than the fabrcis rubbing against eachother, which in a front loader you get more of that and it's a lot easier than getting yanked around by an agitator as well as getting stuck under it and getting torn. IMO, just enjoy your machine.

 

[Sustainer]

I have a front-loader that uses very little water, and I do exactly what tippytoes26 does: only poops that fall off on their own go into the toilet, everything else goes into the pail, no dunking. My washer has no trouble getting the diapers clean. It does have a pre-wash cycle, which I use. I also use BioKleen laundry powder.

 

[tippytoes26]

I'm so glad to hear about the fresh water changes during the cycle. We watched our video that came iwth our washer, and it never mentions it (at least I don't remember it).. and I didn't find anything in the manual about that. It said it will add water "as needed" because some fabrics will absorbe the water that is first put in. I do hear water being added throughout the cycle, but I only hear water drain once (the draining water is very loud.. our machine is quiet, but the draining sounds like someone is flushing a toilet over and over *L*) .. so that's why I thought the water must be staying in the machine. Perhaps it's draining a little at a time and I'm just not hearing it. I've been using the Tide HE because laundry wasn't coming clean with the sportwash I was using.. or the regular tide. I don't mind on our clothing, but Tide on her diapers seems to really irritate her skin. Does anyone know if they make a fragrance free version? I've looked and looked for a HE detergent that doesn't have frangrance or dyes and can't find one. I just can't be pleased can I