New machine has ruined elastic in BumGenius's

[amberdee]

Oh I'm so disappointed! I've tried to do the right thing and have bought a new water-efficient front loader washing machine (Electrolux), but after 2 washes the elastic in my stash of BumGenius's has completely gone. Grrr!!
I washed them on the regular cotton (ie. 2 hr) cycle at 60 degrees. I wonder though if the water was actually hotter than 60 degrees as the washing all seemed really warm when I got it out of the machine.
Do you think it was the temperature that was the problem or is the long cycle too hard on them? I'm not sure how to best wash them now (after I replace all the elastic in them that is!)
Has anyone else had this happen to them?

[Cherie]

That's really sad!

I wish I could offer some suggestions, but I have always washed my cloth nappies (including BumG's) in my front loader on 60 degrees (the 2 hr cycle) plus I usually do a prewash if there is a lot of poo also. So far we've had no problems whatsoever, except my Baby Beehind are a bit crunchier than some friends who have top-loaders.

[Olive]

i only wash at 30 degrees, perhaps it was hotter but i doubt it, my stuff comes out warm if i do happen to do other stuff at 60 degrees, id stop washing at 60 degrees,

[amberdee]

Hmm I wish I had some way of checking the water temperature as it seems like the most likely problem... Cherie, do your nappies feel quite hot when you take them out of the machine?

[Olive]

does your machine heat the water or are the hoses attatched to both hot and cold taps?

[amberdee]

The machine heats the water itself (hence I would have thought it should be the correct temperature).

[Janie]

I wash my nappies at 40 degrees in my front loader, and so far no dramas. I would maybe lower the temp and see how you go. Very disappointing to have lost those BGs though!

Just a note, even though front loaders have longer cycles, you'll find that they are much nicer to your clothes.

[amberdee]

I'm really hoping I can fix my BGs - 9 of them! Let you know how I go...

[Cherie]

Cherie, do your nappies feel quite hot when you take them out of the machine?

No ... but because the wash cycle is so long, I tend to put on a load before I go to bed at night, and then hang them out the next morning. If they were hot when the cycle finished I wouldn't notice it because they'd be cold again by the next morning.

[Liz]

My nappies have survived better in my front loader than in mums top loader. I nearly cried when we were living with her and I watched all the fluff come off my beautiful nappies

I usually wash at 40 degrees (mine connects to both hot & cold tap) and do the occasional hotter wash if they get stinky.

The elastic has gone in some of my nappies, but I reckon that's from the odd strip wash I've done with vinegar (I do a different strip wash now ) oh, and also the dryer can kill elastic too.

It might be coincidence that the elastic was about to go anyway, and it just happened to go with your new machine.

[~Raven~]

How old are your BumG's? They may still be under warranty so check your receipts and email the store you got then from.

I've got an old top loader and it is pretty rough on things sometimes and our elastic is fine so maybe it was the higher temperature or it could be the batch.