# Why do you need a prewash / cold rinse before washing?



## discoclare

As the title says: why do I need to do this? I know I need to rinse after the wash to remove powder residues but am unclear on the function of the pre-wash.

Also while you're answering, nappy experts, do you wash at 40 or 60oC?

thanks.:thumbup:


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## Lliena

It just gets the poop off better and can help prevent possible staining. I dont prewash though I use the rinse and spin cycle on my washer, then wash with soapnuts at 40 degrees :D


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## nervouspains

wss^^

mainly for me, to help with stainings... I also wash at 40 unless I want to give them a good clean, prob every 3 weeks il do a 60 degrees wash xx


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## discoclare

Lliena said:


> It just gets the poop off better and can help prevent possible staining. I dont prewash though I use the rinse and spin cycle on my washer, then wash with soapnuts at 40 degrees :D

Oh OK. I've been rinsing her nappies in some cold water quickly (or holding under the flush) before putting in the pail.

I have just ordered a sample of soap nuts as I keep seeing people on here going on about them.


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## Lliena

Yeah I do that with the nappies too if they are dirty with poop. I love soapnuts they really work for the clothes/nappies and the nappies smell so nice if you use some essential oil in the fabric conditoner draw too (bout 8-10 drops). I still use normal soap powder for really dirty clothes though. But havent needed to buy a full box for ages cos it lasts now!


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## Eala

I don't rinse before I wash them :shrug: I use liners in all my nappies, and now that her poo is pretty much solid, I just flush it down the loo. When her poo was less solid, I just flushed the nappies/liner in the loo to get it off!

Never had an issue with staining. I've used various powders etc over time, and am running down my last box of Persil non-bio then I'm going to start using eco balls :)


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## LittlePants

If you cold rinse first, it flushes most of the wee, and any remaining poo off them, before you wash, so the washing water is cleaner. Wash normally at 40ºC and occasionally at 60ºC, and if there is any illness , tummmy bugs etc, wash at 60ºC.
Washing with ecoballs, and a little Ecover laundry bleach will remove stains, and clean your nappies without the need for extra rinses.


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## Mynx

I always use a prewash, especially if we have a particularly poopy load of nappies. I do rinse them off before putting them in the nappy pail tho.. the last time I didnt, the nappy ended up stained :( Brand new white one too! 
I usually wash at 40 degrees with a little Bold 2 in 1 and sometimes some Bambino Mio sanitiser and every now and then I'll do a 60 degree wash if Evie has been poorly. I use the extra rinse function on my machine too. It just reduces the need for a strip wash in the future!


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## Rachel_C

Cotton Babies (who make bumGenius, Flips and Econobum) have recommended that if you have a newer, more energy efficient machine you should always do a prewash as well as putting a wet towel in with the wash, both to increase the level of water being used. They say that otherwise, the detergent is more likely to build up in your nappies and cause harm to the elastic.


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## Mary Jo

I always do a cold rinse and spin cycle, even though I rinse my pooey nappies before they go in the machine. My husband told me something about urine and hot water setting stains - I think I had some item of clothing leak dye into the wash and, despite having colour catchers in, some of my white muslins got weird random bright pink marks, and he blamed the urine (I wash bibs, muslins and wipes all in with the nappies). It might be a load of crap but ever since I made sure to do a cold rinse first. Then I wash with soap nuts at 50C (or 60C if he's been poorly).


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## Rachel_C

I'm not sure about urine setting stains but hot water does. The Romans used to use urine to wash their clothes, before soap was invented!


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## MrsRabbit

I do not know how hot the hot water is in my washer. As hot as it comes out of the tap which is steaming.

I only do a cold rinse when I have lots of poopy diapers in the load. Otherwise I do a full load[longest HEAVY cycle] with soap and then another regular shortest cycle to rinse with Vinegar.

I only do the extra rinse because the pockets seem more picky than the prefolds. With prefolds I didn't even do a rinse after but now I do to make sure to rinse out the microfiber. Don't need soap build up.


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## Rachel_C

MrsRabbit said:


> I do not know how hot the hot water is in my washer. As hot as it comes out of the tap which is steaming.
> 
> I only do a cold rinse when I have lots of poopy diapers in the load. Otherwise I do a full load[longest HEAVY cycle] with soap and then another regular shortest cycle to rinse with Vinegar.
> 
> I only do the extra rinse because the pockets seem more picky than the prefolds. With prefolds I didn't even do a rinse after but now I do to make sure to rinse out the microfiber. Don't need soap build up.

Just thought I'd mention that lots of manufacturers say that you shouldn't use vinegar as it can ruin the elastic. Obviously if it works for you that's your decision but for example, bumGenius and Flips wouldn't be covered by warranty if you do.


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## MrsRabbit

Yeah I know. I have been CDing for three years - the prefolds, Bummis covers, and cheap eBay pockets have never had any issues. I have often wondered if the expensive diapers are worth it since they are so picky.


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## LittlePants

Rachel_C said:


> MrsRabbit said:
> 
> 
> I do not know how hot the hot water is in my washer. As hot as it comes out of the tap which is steaming.
> 
> I only do a cold rinse when I have lots of poopy diapers in the load. Otherwise I do a full load[longest HEAVY cycle] with soap and then another regular shortest cycle to rinse with Vinegar.
> 
> I only do the extra rinse because the pockets seem more picky than the prefolds. With prefolds I didn't even do a rinse after but now I do to make sure to rinse out the microfiber. Don't need soap build up.
> 
> Just thought I'd mention that lots of manufacturers say that you shouldn't use vinegar as it can ruin the elastic. Obviously if it works for you that's your decision but for example, bumGenius and Flips wouldn't be covered by warranty if you do.Click to expand...

I think the BG guarantee is worthless anyway, having read the thread about it!


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## lynnikins

i also do a cold rinse/spin cycle then normally a 40c wash with extra rinse on the end but when the boys are ill they get the 60c with prewash option


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## Rachel_C

LittlePants said:


> Rachel_C said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MrsRabbit said:
> 
> 
> I do not know how hot the hot water is in my washer. As hot as it comes out of the tap which is steaming.
> 
> I only do a cold rinse when I have lots of poopy diapers in the load. Otherwise I do a full load[longest HEAVY cycle] with soap and then another regular shortest cycle to rinse with Vinegar.
> 
> I only do the extra rinse because the pockets seem more picky than the prefolds. With prefolds I didn't even do a rinse after but now I do to make sure to rinse out the microfiber. Don't need soap build up.
> 
> Just thought I'd mention that lots of manufacturers say that you shouldn't use vinegar as it can ruin the elastic. Obviously if it works for you that's your decision but for example, bumGenius and Flips wouldn't be covered by warranty if you do.Click to expand...
> 
> I think the BG guarantee is worthless anyway, having read the thread about it!Click to expand...

Ah no, there has been some spectacular back-tracking by Baba Me/Cotton Babies! Either that or I totally misunderstood them, but Laura from FYP thinks I might just have been speaking to the wrong person. All you need to do is use non-bio and as long as you don't use vinegar, fabric softener or bicarb, they will normally be covered for the whole year. They've come up with some useful suggestions for improving the washing too. I should do a post about it really.


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## Aunty E

I dry pail, and wash without a pre-wash at 40% using biological and a tiny scoop of oxyclean or similar. I use the heavy soil function on my machine though. I mostly use flat terries, which positively thrive on this kind of treatment, and PUL wraps. None of my terries are stained, but if there's a particularly stinky load I use a 60% wash, and every so often I'll do one to soften the nappies up a bit.


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## mandarhino

I do a pre-rinse and then I separate the inserts from my pocket nappies. They are at least slightly cleaner to touch by that point. I do my normal washes on 40 and very occasionally on 60.


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