Dry Pailing/Rinsing/Soaking?

[Hollybolly]

This may seem like a silly question but forgive me as I'm virginal to modern cloth

Can someone tell me does soaking ruin the nappies - is that why most people believe dry pailing is better?

Would you guys mind sharing with me your reasons for dry pailing, or soaking, or pre rinsing, whatever you do?

I know its not nappies, but with the tea towels from work, (which are horrendous most nights covered in garlic, food scraps, raw chicken/meat etc etc) I soak them overnight in a bucket with a little bi carb, (no lid) rinse them the next morning & wash them.

If I were to do this, would it damage the nappies long term from soaking them?
Maximum time I'd soak them is overnight as I wash everyday for the restaurant, so nappies will just slide into my daily washing routine.

Thanks in advance

[ss_storm]

Hmm..I had a few MCN's when DD was a newborn and at first I soaked them because I used terry flats as well and mum suggested I soak them in a bucket of water until I washed them..TBH I think I actually ruined the MCN's because they always seemed to leak/feel damp on the outside after that. Now alathough I don't have any MCN's I just dry pail the terry flats, and rinse any that may have got poo on them (I use nappy liners which usually catches most of it). They come up perfectly everytime.

[Hollybolly]

Thanks, storm

I'm starting with prefolds & covers & will definately be using the liners as I want to preserve everything as much as I can

I'm thinking I may just dry pail, but rinse with the little squirt for yucky ones.
Just wasn't sure if soaking did damage them (not so much the prefolds I guess, but definately the MCN's, as when DS was in cloth, there was only terry flats around back then!)

Curious as to hear everyone elses ways as well

[~clover~]

I always thought it was more because when people soaked they usually used nappy san or something similar & that can ruin the nappies. I've never soaked them. Not sure about just water.
Maybe with washing machines today its simply coz there is no need? They do wash pretty well. I don't soak terry flats either & have never had a problem.

[Arimeh]

We rinse the poopy ones, but dry pail the wee ones - and then after rinsing the poopy ones, dry pail

We don't soak cos it could shorten the life of the elastic. We don't soak in napisan cos that can stuff up the absorbency.

So we just do that - and then if there is a HUGE poopy one, or its been longer than a day, then we do a pre-wash, wash, and then extra rinse.

Otherwise we just wash in liquid, with canestan in the fabric softener part.

HTH

Can't wait till your bubba is here holly

[LimeSlice]

Check out the Nappy Network website, some awesome info on there!

But basically, like Mel said, it shorten the life of the elastic and some fabrics.
It is also just not necessary - it will have very very little effect on stains and ease of washing.
It is a waste of water, in effective and quite frankly (as I am sure you will discover if you try wet pailing for a newborn ) a total waste of time and energy! lol
I washed daily the whole time Charlotte was in cloth - things get festy lingering longer than that in Perth during 40 degree summers And found it was just SO much easier to toss them in the bucket and then in the wash than wrestle with a bucket full of skanky water.

HTH

[~Kim~]

I have to admit, I did soak my prefolds in plain water overnight. Newborn poo is gross and we don't have a little squirt.
Not sure I'd do it to elastic though.