No soaking needed... not hot washes either. We wash daily...I do a prerinse with just the nappies in to rinse all the poo out then I throw in the rest of the washing and the powder (we use euca powder) and do a full warm wash....a cold wash would do just as well I guess but definitely not a hot hot wash...it ruins the laminate and the elastic in the nappies. I don't use liners generally, only time I use a liner is if I put a zinc type cream on his bum for bad nappy rash which is once in a blue moon

and definitely no bleach or napisan..bad bad things they are!!