quick first wash question

hi girls,

I have some babybeehinds magic all in ones and a couple of mother ease nappies. I know i have to wash them a couple of times (instructions say at least 5) to get their absorbency up... but do i have to use detergent every wash?

i was planning on warm wash with half detergent first time round. and then just doing cold water no detergent for all the other washes... and making them short cycles as well.

My thinking is that the bamboo/cotton etc just needs to be wet and dried to get super absorbency. The first wash will get rid of manufacturing stuff still on the material but otherwise it shouldn't matter.

Also, with the bamboo inserts, i was going to do the same. just cold water no detergent after the first warm water, half strength wash.

advice appreciated

ps the bbh instructions say to wash in warm water, half strength detergent 5-10 times before use.

Sounds fine to me. The more you use detergent the more likely you are to get build-up so if you've used it once to get rid of manufacturer's residue, the rest of the washes don't need any (no poo after all) so you're really only washing for absorbency. But I did use detergent for my prewashes only because I just did it with the rest of my dirty nappies (once I had them) with quarter detergent - or with my white normal clothes with half detergent. (As didn't want to do a whole wash for just a few nappies KWIM)

i would just put some bicarb in instead of the washing powder and then nothing on other washes.

i dont use detergent when washing my nappies now anyway.
Just a rinse cycle and then a normal cold wasj with bicarb or nothing - sounds weird i know, but its fine, even if you cant dry on a line in the sun.

I don't even bother prewashing more than once now - just a waste of water IMO! They are still useable, just don't have them on bubs for as long as you would expect, so like, change after 2 hours instead of 3 or something like that.

Any new nappies of mine go straight on the kids bums now - can't be bothered with a prewash.. LOL...

Yeah, actually i only will wash my new ones once. (unless i am REALLY excited about one!!)
i think very first of all (before Mj arrived i did maybe 3...
they will become more absorbant as they go along, and newborns dont have massive bladders anyway!!!

oh good o. i'll just wash em.
i'm going to do the prewash mainly cos i just can't help myself... first bub and nesting and all... i've been holding out doing anything up til now and i've finally given into it ''the urge'' lol!
watch out washing machine!!! clothes, nappies, covers, inserts, blankets... mmmmwwwaaaahhhhhh

oxox