Line dried prefolds are stiff & scratchy, what gives?

Jennifer - posted on 07/01/2010

When mine are stiff like that, I do like some of the other ladies - throw them in the dryer (with no heat) with some Nellie's PVC-free dryer balls for 15-20 mins...and viola! Soft again!

Maria - posted on 06/28/2010

Vinegar works for me too. If they are still a little stiff, I just beat them up a bit as I am folding. They have never given my bb any trouble.

Majaliwa - posted on 06/28/2010

Also, the key with vinegar working is to add it to the final rinse cycle. Adding it to the wash cycle won't help. It has to be one of the last things that touches the diapers before you hang dry them in order for them to add the softeness you're looking for.

Majaliwa - posted on 06/28/2010

I second Kris' comment: Vinegar helps to kill bacteria - including the bacteria linked with yeast infections.

Kris - posted on 06/27/2010

Oh vinegar and yeast infections... LOL sorry your dr gave some bad advice.. it happens from time to time right? Vinegar kills yeast. I used to add a little to my daughters bathwater when she had it. It really does help...

Kris - posted on 06/27/2010

Our drier stopped working, only does a air cycle... so we line dry everything and yes the prefolds come out like that... is awful. But... if we put them in the drier after we bring them in and let them tumble for a bit they get very very soft. Like even more than they did when we used the drier alone.

Star - posted on 06/27/2010

Sometimes the velcro just needs to be cleaned with some stronger velcro, as tiny fibers build up in it and make it less effective. A mom once gave away all her AIO diapers to me because she said the velcro "didn't work." I just cleaned it out and they are great. As for the stiffness in the diapers, vinegar doesn't help mine with that (I'm in humid/hot TN) but it definitely helps with smells and bacteria. My doc said it could encourage yeast infections though.
The stiff diapers irritate my little mover's sensitive skin, so
i am going to try the fleece liner mentioned before. We usually throw them in the dryer with dryer balls to fluff them, but as another mom said, rubbing the fabric together does the trick too!

Melanie - posted on 06/26/2010

This is why women used to be chained to their ironing boards! Although it adds an additional step, running them over with a quick iron on the steam setting (I add a little lavender water) will do the trick.



Obviously, this only applies to prefolds! I wouldn't recommend ironing covers or AIO's.

Katrina - posted on 06/26/2010

@ Alison-Sounds like you use bummis? Us too! Do you put your covers in the dryer? That can make the velco wear quicker. The other thing that I sometimes do is hand wash my covers instead of throwing them in with the prefolds.

Lucy - posted on 06/26/2010

Another solution is to line dry, then put them in the dryer on air, or fluff (whatever your setting is called with no heat).

Melanie - posted on 06/25/2010

Vinegar does nothing for me. If I find the diapers are stiff/scratchy, I just rub them together as I'm folding them. The friction softens them up considerable.

Maureen - posted on 06/23/2010

sometimes if they're stiff, throwing them in the dryer for a few minutes with a dryer ball works to fluff them up. This is what I used to do with my clothes when we had a gas dryer with no gas. We'd line dry the clothes, then throw them in on air dry to fluff them.

Melissa - posted on 06/22/2010

My step mother says to use white vinegar. She uses it for her bathroom mats and they come out so fluffy! I tried it with my inserts and it works great , it also gets out any poopie smell!

Alison - posted on 06/22/2010

I have had issues with diaper rash on the kiddos, so have cut up several extra fleece blankets into pieces that serve as little fleece liners between baby's skin and the diaper. It wicks some of the moisture away from the skin. It also serves as a buffer for the line-dried diapers but I do exactly what Majaliwa suggests and use vinegar in the fabric softener door of my front loader. I also add a cup of baking soda to each load. Yay, cloth diapers! However - on several of my Whisper Wraps, the velcro is giving out - any suggestions? Thanks!

Majaliwa - posted on 06/21/2010

I'm Dallas! Yay for dry heat :-/

Sarah - posted on 06/21/2010

Hmmm...indoor rack is an interesting idea. Celeste if I remember Austin correctly you have that dry heat. Could have something to do with it? Just a guess.
I want soft to touch my baby's skin too just trying to figure out how to work within my limitations.
Thanks mamas!

Majaliwa - posted on 06/21/2010

You want to put the vinegar in the final rinse cycle. In fact, when they're done they will actually have a hint of vinegar smell to them. I use a Downy Dryer Ball and fill it halfway with vinegar and toss it in the wash so it opens during the final rinse cycle (fyi - this only works for top loaders). If you have a front loader you'll need to add it to the rinse dispenser of your machine.

Celeste - posted on 06/20/2010

Hmm, I do use vinegar although I use it to soak for about 20 minutes before the wash. And my prefolds were like cement when I put them on my indoor rack. I live in Austin which is HOT inside and out ;) Maybe I'll try pointing my box fan at them?

Majaliwa - posted on 06/20/2010

Folding it over the line usually doesn't help. They'll just dry stiff in a folded over position :-)

I haven't seen the stiffness cause any issues at all (big or small) - its just that you want something soft to touch your baby's skin and when they dry hard they feel hard and scratchy.

I have also found that drying them on an indoor rack works as well. It takes a little longer but they won't come out scratchy.

Sarah - posted on 06/20/2010

Does the stiffness cause a big issue or do you just have to use more ointment? I'm due in a month, using prefolds, and have no dryer. Would it help to fold them in half over the line? Wasn't sure about that. Clothesline not the cleanest thing in the world, you know. ;)

Jamie - posted on 06/20/2010

That usually happens when they dry quickly in still air. If it's too hot with little humidity or little air movement, then mine get stiff like that. And even then vinegar is no match for the stiffness.

Majaliwa - posted on 06/19/2010

Distilled White Vinegar.

Kelly - posted on 06/19/2010

What type pf vinegar do you use?

Majaliwa - posted on 06/19/2010

one word: vinegar!

add 1/4 cup of vinegar to your final rinse cycle and that will keep them soft when they're line dried.

Jenny - posted on 06/18/2010

Same thing happens with my hemp or bamboo inserts/doublers. Usually I'll line dry them 90% dry and then finish them off in the dryer. That usually makes them nice and soft again. If I leave the hemp ones out for a really long time on the line they come in completely stiff (they could pretty much stand up on their own). I've never had trouble with them staying stiff after a cycle of wash/dryer though.