How many times do you wash new nappies before use?

Hi girls, how many time do you need to wash nappies before use? I guess it depends on different fabrics? I have bamboo prefolds and some microfiber boosters and some pocket nappies which have PUL outer and microfleece inner I think. I think I remember reading that bamboo needs a few pre washes before use is that right? TIA :D

I washed all my bamboo fitteds and boosters 5 times before using :)

Bamboo & hemp you should hot wash & dry 3 times before use. They will take around 10 washes to reach maximum absorbancy.
Anything else should be fine to be washed just once in cold water.

:redface: I usually use mine before washing them in the first place, but seeing as you have time once or twice should be enough. You change a new baby so frequently that they rarely have time to 'soak' a nappy, so the fact that it isn't at it's 'max' absorbancy shouldn't be an issue.

Up to you though.

I wash mine 3 times before use.

Thanks for the replies everyone! Good point Kim about a newborn not soaking a nappy anyway I hadn't thought of that. ;) I have washed everything once and the bamboo took ages to dry (like all day). I might wait until I don't have any other washing to do one day so the bamboo can take up the whole line and wash them all again along with another wash closer to when bubs is due, so that will be 3 all up.

Thanks again :D

wow why the need to wash so many times?? i would have thought once would be enough? do you do the same for new clothes/ bedding?

loula it's to increase absorbency rather than a cleanliness thing

depends on the situation at the time.
if i have a stck of washng to do i'll wash 3-4 times(bamboo) if it not bamboo or i dnt have a heap of washing to i only do them once

I thought that might have been it,

Can you also tell me can i put mine in the wash with other items if i dont use FC??

Thanks and great thread

if im only washing a couple of no poo ones i'll wash them with clothes and things.
wats fc?

Yeah, for a first wash, or strip wash I wash them seperately, since I use hot water & only do a small load, but otherwise, my terry flats go in with towels & other nappies will often go in with other clothes, as long as they're only wet.

Skybie (hello hon, long time no see ;)) I'm guessing fc is fabric softner, Loula correct me if I'm presuming wrong? If you did mean fabric softner than nappies can't be washed with it from my understanding. I'm glad this thread is helping someone else too cause when I posted it I thought surely this info is on BB already :redface: I manily wanted to know about the amount of washes for absorbency, I didn't want to go putting the prefolds etc onto bubs butt and find they leaked or didn't absorb :o

I'm like Kim - I'm originally from Qld and we had water restrictions, so I didn't want to waste water on just getting the absorbency up (and they will still absorb after one wash, they just won't be ok for like a 4 hour stint, more like 2 or something).

I usually have new nappies on the kids after one wash, and just replace after an hour of use or something.