washing everything together?

988 Views 22 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Samjm, Apr 14, 2006

Proudmomoftwinsplusone

Discussion Starter · Mar 28, 2006

I have a question. I use cloth for everything (diapers, maxi pads, cloth napkins, rags). Sometimes when friends come over and use the cloth napkins I feel like they would be grossed out that they go in the same washing machine as all those other items. My husband says, they won't think its gross if they don't know. How does everyone else feel about this?

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

Spastica

· #2 · Mar 28, 2006

Erm...I would be grossed out if I knew your dinner napkins were tossed in with diapers and femme naps...

Just me tho

I have a dog who is prone to seizures and he soils the carpet when he has a seizure. I usually clean up with towels, but I sort them for a different wash than my regular load of clothes. For my clothes, I don't use high/hot temperatures either, I may use hotter temperatures for things that are highly soiled, full of bacteria, blah blah, like my bathroom rugs or the dog's towels.

Things like cloth diapers need the hottest water possible to get rid of e.coli. Conversely, blood gets out better with cold water (oddly enough). Food stains on dinner napkins need to be treated first and then washed accordingly to the type of stain (grease based vs. wine, etc).

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Wild Flowers

· #3 · Mar 28, 2006

Weell, I wouldn't be grossed out because I do the same thing

I do admit that we don't have napkins, we just use the cloth we have. I should get some though. Everything we wash is all together, in our hottest water setting.
I don't really know, but after talking to my husband, knower of all odd things, everyone has e coli and other bacteria. It isn't until it becomes rampant/your body can't fight it that it becomes a problem. Not saying that it isn't a little gross to think that it may be on napkins. But most people I know who wash cloth, wash it well. I have never pretreated, bleached, or washed on anything but HOT, and I have never had stains or anyone breakout in sickness.

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Sillygoose

· #4 · Mar 28, 2006

Yeah, I second that. I think the clothes that get more "bio-matter" on them should be washed separately, in hot water. I wash the kitchen linens and cleaning rags as a separate load.

Proudmomoftwinsplusone

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 28, 2006

oh dear, I should have said that I although we use the same machine for everything, I do seperate loads for diapers and cloth mentrual pads. I am terribly embarrassed.

I was thinking about residue being left over from one load and getting into another load. But it seems like everyone thinks it is ok to use the same machine.

still embarrassed....

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2

Aeress

· #6 · Mar 28, 2006

I was just thinking about this. I will wash an "empty" load once in awhile to get anything potentially icky out. My in laws are visiting soon and I will probably work on making sure our napkins are extra clean for them but for us, i don't worry about it.

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jenoline

· #7 · Mar 28, 2006

I usually do a rinse or a pre-wash for things like dipes, pads, wipes, etc. After I've done the pre-wash I usually throw any other rags, napkins, etc in with it and wash on Hot.

Wild Flowers

· #8 · Mar 28, 2006

Sorry, I actually didn't think about this before posting. We don't have diapers anymore, and no mama pads, well, liners but no real pads, diva cup user here. We still have to clean up the occaisonal pee on the floor and peed on clothes. I guess that is why we just started washing everything together. But I personally still don't see a problem with it.

tsfairy

· #9 · Mar 28, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by VnJW
Sorry, I actually didn't think about this before posting. We don't have diapers anymore, and no mama pads, well, liners but no real pads, diva cup user here. We still have to clean up the occaisonal pee on the floor and peed on clothes. I guess that is why we just started washing everything together. But I personally still don't see a problem with it.

Similar with us. Since we EC we so rarely have poop on anything that I started washing everything together - urine is essentially sterile and I do a couple of loads of laundry a day so nothing has time to sit and gather bacteria. If we do have any poopy stuff it gets washed separately.

I read somewhere that as something is run through the dryer for about 60 minutes, most bacteria and other yukkies that were missed in the wash will be killed.

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CarrieMF

· #10 · Mar 28, 2006

I wash everything together in the same load, towels, clothes, pads, diapers(when I had them).

If your machine works there shouldn't be any residue or anything left over after the load is done and the items should all be clean.

Alkenny

· #11 · Mar 28, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarrieMF
If your machine works there shouldn't be any residue or anything left over after the load is done and the items should all be clean.

: I usually wash diapers seperately, because I have a full load. But I've thrown everything in together, and the cloth we grab for wipe-ups after dinner are the same ones I use to wipe the babe's bum with.

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srain

· #12 · Mar 29, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarrieMF
If your machine works there shouldn't be any residue or anything left over after the load is done and the items should all be clean.

Yeah, the way I see it is if I didn't believe the washing machine was getting the diapers clean, I wouldn't be using cloth. It seems logical then that other stuff washed in the load would also get clean-

mother nurture

· #13 · Mar 31, 2006

I wash all my cloth in the same machine, but I do a seperate full load of dipes and wipes. And for that load I always run it a few times on HOT. I do wash our napkins, placemats, cleaning rags, etc. all together and occasionally w/ clothes. We use bs and vinegar for everything cleaning, so I don't worry about it going in w/ clothes.

Sharlla

· #14 · Mar 31, 2006

I wouldn't mind that they were washed in the same machine, but I would care if they were washed in the same load.

Spastica

· #15 · Mar 31, 2006

The same load would be like taking your baby diapers to the dinner table and wiping your mouth with them. EW!

Same with adult undergarments...

jenoline

· #16 · Apr 1, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spastica
The same load would be like taking your baby diapers to the dinner table and wiping your mouth with them. EW!

Same with adult undergarments...

Everything is clean when it comes out of the wash.

I've been known to hold the diapers right up to my nose, to smell the clean fresh scent of them (particularly if they've been line dried). I doubt I'd be squeamish about wiping my mouth with them as long as they didn't have any obvious stains. But maybe I'm just weird.

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Spastica

· #17 · Apr 1, 2006

I guess I'm more squeamish about baby poopage rather than any other bodily fluid.

RiverSky

· #18 · Apr 1, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharlla
I wouldn't mind that they were washed in the same machine, but I would care if they were washed in the same load.

Definitely.

:

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jannan

· #19 · Apr 1, 2006

i rinse the luna pads first and throw everything together. who has time to do two loads? it all comes out clean

Pen

· #20 · Apr 2, 2006

I wash towels in a seperate load than my husband's work pants because it gets fuzzy stuff on them. I wash everything on warm wash/cold rinse. I line dry (unless I'm in a hurry - I do have a dryer). We are healthy.

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