We do a cold rinse then a hot wash with detergent and extra rinse. We use Ecos Free and Clear detergent. I line dry anything with PUL and use the dryer on a low setting for everything else. I use a little bleach every few months.
What is your wash routine? I read somewhere that the first rinse cycle isn't necessary so I wonder if we should drop that!
papaya / 10343 posts
Cold quick wash on heavy soil high spin + 1 line of original tide then a hot heavy duty wash on heavy soil high spin + 4 lines of original tide then toss in the dryer on medium.
I used to use various free and clear detergents but we had recurring stink issues so I finally gave up and used tide.
pea / 23 posts
Warm quick wash with half cap of detergent, followed by hot long "whites" wash with full detergent. I don't dry anything with PUL either. But I dry my inserts on high.
Check out Fluff Love University. That website has specific recommendations based on your washing machine.
And, I wouldn't skip the first rinse. That's what gets out the surface poop/pee so that you're not doing your long wash with that nastyness in it!
cherry / 126 posts
I've found that the first cold wash/soak is necessary. We have a front-loader without a soak option, so I do a short cold wash, then a normal hot wash. Line-dry the covers/pockets and tumble-dry the prefolds. Washing on our 'extra hot' option or on the sanitary cycle has been enough for us to get the occasional super stubborn poop smell out. I also laying stuff in the sun to get stains out.
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
@DesertDreams88: ewwwh! 
I'll stick with the cold rinse!
pomegranate / 3595 posts
I just switched to the BG liquid detergent and was surprised to see the directions changed--I had been using their powder detergent and following their routine: cold pre rinse, full wash on hot, extra rinse. The new one is "pre wash" with half of the detergent, then full wash, then extra rinse. I think I am going to use our "speed wash" setting for the first cycle. I dry everything on the line.
@hawksaz: thanks for this reminder--I wasn't sure what was best for our new washer and this new detergent!
persimmon / 1281 posts
Cold rinse, hot wash with country save detergent & most times I do an extra rinse but sometimes I forget
Eta- I read not doing the cold rinse & throwing right in the hot wash is essentially baking the pee/poop into the inserts. Ew
Eta #2- off topic...we just started solids and I'm so close to using disposables until they become "plop-able". I just about throw up every time I have to rinse an insert in the toilet. And I use liners, but they don't always catch everything....I suppose I'll get used to it eventually...right???
pear / 1503 posts
I used the recommended settings for my make/model from Fluff Love: normal cycle, cold wash, heavy soil, no detergent; followed by heavy duty cycle, hot/cold, deferent to Original Tide HE powder to line 1. I hang pockets and AIOs on the line in my laundry room. Inserts, and wet bags/liners go in the dryer on medium low with wool dryer balls to speed up drying and prevent static in the microfibre.
pear / 1503 posts
@Portboston: I stopped doing an extra rinse because it's putting more wear and tear on the diapers unnecessarily. Also, if you have any sort of hardness in your water at all, you are depositing the minerals back into the material. The detergent keeps it from binding with the cloth in the main cycle. We were getting repelling because of this, and had to strip all the diapers/inserts. Not fun! Haven't had to do it since, tho.
To answer your other question, it does get easier. At 11 months, LO usually has very ploppable poos, and has for awhile. They stink really bad, tho!!! We gave up on the liners because they got all twisted and didn't seem to hold the solids properly. They might now, but we don't feel the need to use them.
persimmon / 1281 posts
@Astro Bee: good to know! I will forget about the second rinse permanently!
Yes I have the same problem with the liners but I figure at least they catch a lot of the waste. But I do feel like I need a face mask, holy moly they stink!!!! I can't wait until they are more formed though, at least that takes away one of the gross factors!!!
pear / 1837 posts
Well shoot. Having stink/repelling issues with diapers with LO2... I wonder if it's because I am foregoing the cold wash first. I think I just forgot about that step... So after I strip them I'm going to add that back into my routine, then heavy duty wash. Been using Method detergent but I think I'm going to get Tide just for diapers. I line dry everything.
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