Rinse out newborn poop before washing?

Kristie - posted on 11/02/2010

I also didn't do any rinsing with my diapers. I starting when my daughter was 2 months old and never rinsed. I didn't soak them either, just put them in the wet bag that I had inserted in a trash can (the kind with the foot pedal to open the lid) and then washed the bag and the diapers all together. I did do a rinse cycle first then washed on hot and dried on hot. Like Kathy said, if there are stains, just lay them in the sun to dry and they should look better.

Kathy - posted on 11/01/2010

I tried rinsing the newborn poop once, it was an exercise in futility. No need to bother (oh how I missed those days once we started solids). If you do want to get rid of the stains, you can hang the diapers on a clothes line for a couple of hours on a nice day for some sun "bleaching." ps - you didn't ask, but we found Kissaluvs to be the best for containing breastmilk poop,

Lerin - posted on 11/01/2010

I always rinsed them out in the sink asap, squeezed them out and put them in the pail. If you get as much excess water out as you can, then I don't think you'd have a problem with the wetbag. I never used a sprayer, and I never dunk them in the toilet either. Only once we started solids, I took an old plastic spatula from the kitchen to scrape them with, but rinsed them out in the sink. Good luck.

Nicole - posted on 11/01/2010

Thanks, Kim. That's really good to know!

Kim - posted on 11/01/2010

You should wash your washer anyway, not just because you cd. This is what I do. Cleaning is really simple. Fill the washer with hot water. Add 1 quart of chlorine bleach - no detergent. Allow the washer to run through its longest wash and spin cycle. Immediately fill the washer with hot water again and add 1 quart distilled white vinegar . Run the longest wash and spin cycle again.

Using the bleach and vinegar will clean away bacteria, soap scum and mineral deposits from the wash basket and hoses. This is especially important if you live in a hard water area and should be done every three months. Every washer should be cleaned at least twice per year.

Nicole - posted on 11/01/2010

Thanks everyone! I probably won't worry about trying the liners because stains don't bother me and we have a septic tank so we wouldn't be able to flush disposable ones anyway. Does anyone have a good "recipe" for washing your clothes washer once in a while? Or is this not necessary?

Kim - posted on 11/01/2010

I didn't do anything. Just tossed them in the pail and washed them later. I use the diaper sprayer or dunking method now that he's on solids. Diaper liners aren't necessary until they are on solids. The flushable ones won't catch the bf'ed poo anyway. The washable ones merely save you from staining but bf'ed poo stains sun out so easily that it's not worth the effort. At least I didn't think so.

Tyrae - posted on 10/31/2010

You can also get diaper liners, they just go right inside the diaper against the baby's bum and collects all the poop (for the most part) in that, they are disposable, (or you can get reusable ones to clean). It will also help keep your diapers stain free and you don't need to worry about spraying or scraping it off!

Christina - posted on 10/31/2010

My baby is four months old and I've never worried about rinsing it. Just throw it all in the washer and it comes out clean.

Majaliwa - posted on 10/30/2010

Hey Nicole - if you're breastfeeding then you don't need to rinse out the diapers before washing but you may want to just because its poop afterall. My husband hates it so I rinse them, but when he's not looking I don't (*smile*) and it doesn't seem to matter.

As for the poopy over-spray, I use a bucket I got from the dollar store and hold the diaper in there to prevent poopy over-spray.

In regards to the zip up wet bag, I wouldn't worry about it. I have a diaper pail in the laundry and keep a zip up wet bag in the bathroom where I rinse out the diapers. I toss them in the zip up bag and when its full, I tote it to the laundry room and empty it into the pail. As long as you wash every 2 to 3 days you don't have to worry about bacteria or anything.

Tricia - posted on 10/30/2010

With sticky poop that doesn't come right off, you can dunk in the toilet, scrape with a poop spoon, or spray with a diaper sprayer. That said, I didn't start using any of those methods until my son started eating solid foods, and we never had a problem with just washing our BF newborn prefolds. As a side note, the poop spoon is way more cost effective than even the cheapest sprayer, and it doesn't risk any overspray. Hint: buy a thrift store spoon that doesn't match the rest of your silverware, and wash it in the bathroom sink rather than the dishwasher.