Washing Machine Survey-help me find a washing machine that washes nappies effectively

[AliT]

The history: We bought an ASKO Water Saving Front Loader a while back, but it just doesn't cut it washing nappies. My theory is that it just doesn't put enough water through, even on high water level, to get the urine and poo smell out of our nappies. We've tried all the usual suggestions, to no avail, so it's a new washing machine for us!

The questions for those who have a fairly new washing machine:
What machine do you have?
Does your washing machine wash your nappies effectively?
How long from start to finish does it take to wash your nappies? Do you have to pre-rinse them by hand or do any other special treatment?
Does anyone have a water saving machine that washes nappies effectively?

I'd like to hear from those whose machine doesn't do the job too, so I can avoid another bad result!
Thanks everyone, I'm looking forward to your responses.

Ali.

[~clover~]

I have a Fischer & Paykel Smart Drive.
It has water saving features. I have had no problems with nappies at all. I usually put them in on a heavy duty wash, more so if they are dirty, & will sometimes give dirty ones an extra rinse. But other than that I can not fault my machine at all. I love it to bits!!
It is a top loader, so uses more water than a front loader.

[Visitor7]

I have a Fisher & Paykel Aqua Smart. It's a top loader, but designed as a front loader. It has a function for nappy washes, so does a rinse first, then a gentle wash. I've never had any issues with it not washing effectively. Washing time, I'm not sure actually as I've never timed it. I'll report back next time I do a nappy load The Aqua Smart is a water saving machine (as it's designed as a front loader).

[~clover~]

I haven't actually timed the cycles on my machine. The heavy duty wash would probably be about 40 minutes I guess. It soaks for a few minutes.
I have done wet nappies on a quick wash plenty of times. Takes about 10 minutes depending on load size/fill times.

[allycat06]

We have a Whirlpool 6th sense front loader. It a water saving model (4.5 star water saving rating). It's a bit over a year old and we've never had any issues with it. Nappies come out great everytime. I flush the poo down the toilet and dry pail, we don't use liners. I do a nappy wash every second day and use a daily wash setting which is 40 degrees and takes 50mins. Every fortnight I put them through a heavy duty 60 degree wash with pre rinse and soak which takes about 2.5 hours (not including soaking time). Good luck finding a new washer...love ours and would highly reccomend it.
Hope that's helpful

[halltribe]

I just have a simpson front loader water saver model. When I wash nappies I use the timesave, prewash and extra rinse, 40Degrees, its takes 1 hour 35 min and my naps come out smelling fine. I do 11/2 to 2 buckets of nappies in this.

[alioops]

I have an Electrolux 7kg front loader. I normally stick my nappies in with DH's work uniform every night so they are done at 40 degrees which takes 2 hours. We haven't had any problems with cleanliness, in fact they are cleaner and smell better then my old clunker of a water wasting top loader

[LimeSlice]

]Top loading Fisher and Paykell here about 7 years old now, but we have never hadany issues with nappies at all - even on the shortest cycle and one rinse
I swaer by my washer and having had a Simpson, an LG frontloader piece of crud, and two F&Ps the F&P wins hands down.

It is fairly large 8 kg from memory and cost about $500 (7 years ago). Love and hope it never dies lol

[~Raven~]

I have a bosch front loader and it's wonderful. Every month I do an intensive wash and I've never had to stripwash DD's nappies

Just checking though how do you wash them? Do you do a pre rinse at all? Do you use hot water? Maybe you just need to do a longer and more intensive cycle that drains and replaces the water rather than a higher water usage one. My intensive wash with pre rinse takes 3 hours!

[Cassius2]

we bought our bosch front loader about 8 months ago and haven't had any problems at all. washes the nappies great! for the really *intense* dirty nappies i throw the bulky stuff down the loo and throw it in the machine. depending on smelliness we either do it on the mixed load wash or on one of the hotter washes. (either 57 mins or 1h12mins). HTH! (this machine is really great on water usage too).

[~Kim~]

I'm another FP fan. I just use the regular cycle. Takes less than half an hour.
I always use cold and rarely prerinse - only if there's a really mank one

[AliT]

Wow, thanks everyone for your amazing feedback! Sounds like you're all in nappy heaven!
Raven here's what we're currently doing for every wash, which just gets the nappies clean - ie no smell:
Rinse each of the 3 year old's nappies by hand as we take them off her
We use paper liners in every nappy.
Dispose of poo in the loo & rinse off any eccess
Pre-rinse in the machine
Set the machine on heavy duty, 60degrees, high water level. Trick the machine into putting twice the water it intends too in. This cycle does it's own pre-rinse on top of the one mentioned above, and lasts about 2.5 hours.
Do an extra rinse at the end of the heavy duty cycle.
We sometimes also have to wash the pooey nappies entirely separately.
I think I'll definitely be getting a new machine!
Ali.

[LimeSlice]

Wow Ali - that is a lot of water!

To get rid of the smell, add a few drops of tea tree or lavender to your wash AND rinse cycles. Also, use NO 'commercial' detergents at all. Get a hold of some Eco Store detergent, or the Eartch Choice works well also. Make sure you only use at most HALF the recommended dose per load.
The smell you are talking about more often comes form the build up of the detergents in the nappies.

Dry your nappies in the sun or at least on an airer as much as possible - not the dryer.

Also, this will allow you to do a single cycle wash - so no need for extra rinses at all - saving you time, money and most importantly, the environment! (No point having a front loader to save water if you use 3 rinse cycles anyway )

HTH

[briggsy's girl]

I have a Fisher & Paykel Aqua Smart. It's a top loader, but designed as a front loader. It has a function for nappy washes, so does a rinse first, then a gentle wash. I've never had any issues with it not washing effectively. Washing time, I'm not sure actually as I've never timed it. I'll report back next time I do a nappy load The Aqua Smart is a water saving machine (as it's designed as a front loader).

i have this too and love it! we've never had any problems with cleaning the nappies. think it takes about an hour from memory (just under maybe)

[~clover~]

I don't use any powders or detergents on nappies at all & only wash in cold water. I do strip wash every month or so. Hot water with earth choice d/w liquid. I usually wash once then rinse twice.
I only do that for stains though. I've never had a problem with smells. Bi carb can be used too, which can get rid of smells, so maybe try that

[AliT]

Thanks again everyone.
Yes Lime Slice & Clover, I've tried most of those suggestions, to no avail. Unfortunately the only detergent that doesn't freak my machine out is Omo! Thanks anyway.

[Visitor7]

47 minutes is the time length on my nappy wash cycle

[meow]

I LOVE our machine and have no hassles washing nappies.

What machine do you have? Ours in an LP fuzzy logic 5kg turbodrum top loader. It's getting on a bit but I'm pretty sure they still make similar upgraded ones.

Does your washing machine wash your nappies effectively? Yep!

How long from start to finish does it take to wash your nappies? Do you have to pre-rinse them by hand or do any other special treatment? We use fleece liners and cloth wipes which we clean poo off with the little squirt in the toilet first. A full bucket load is half a machine load which I set to hot, gentle wash and it takes 30mins.