Newbie to washables - can you talk me through a few things?

[Isawbumperkissingsantaclaus]

I'm just starting to dabble in reusables and have a few questions:

1. What temp to wash at? I only have a few so I just chuck them in with the rest of my wash at 40. Is that ok, even if they are pooey? (bf baby)
2. Pailing - wet or dry? How to minimise smells and what the longest I should leave them?
3. What to put dirty ones in when out and about?
4. I've got some paper liners but they don't seem to be doing much good. Any advice?

Thanks!

Hi.
1.)40's fine, but I didn't put in wash with other stuff after I stopped BFing.
2.)Dry - I used to leave them for a few days. I think the worst smell is from the pee. Best thing to do is to leave pail outside with lid off for half an hour (if you can't wash them) to get rid of moisture. You can also add a drop or two of tea tree oil.
Out and about was annoying - I just used a carrier bag.
Paper liners are better once you've stopped BFing and have put LO on solids. Not much point till then - then they are great.

If putting in with your other washing I would put nappies on a cold rinse first to get rid off most of the stuff on/in them and then add your washing after that.

Dry pail, I found stains set in the nappies if left for more than 48 hours. Wouldn't reccommend leaving longer than 72 hours. I wouldn't add tea tree directly to the pail as it can rot the elastic but drop some on a cotton wool ball and tape to the lid of your bucket.

I use a wet tote bag for out and about.

Never bother with liners, too much of a faff for me

I do wash at 60 but know many wash at 40. I dry pail, and I wash every day so not sure howong they could be left for. When out I have an old bread bag for wet nappies, used liners, wipes etc.

you can buy a washable nappy bag from somewhere like thenappylady.com the advantage over plastic bags i find is that they don't get so stinky. i wash at 40, dry pail and often put nappies with only wee on them in with other stuff. works fine for me.
HTH

forgot about smells- if i washed every couple of days, there was never really any odour if the bucket had a lid on, but tea tree on cotton wool is a good tip.

1. I wash at 40 and just do nappies, fleece liners and washable wipes.

1. I wash about every 3 days or so and I wet pail as I found leaving them dry pailing for that long stained some of them.

1. I've got 2 wet bags so that I can use one while I'm washing the other. The one I got from The Nappy Lady was crap imo (didn't pull closed properly). I got 2 from Flame's website (bumfluff nappies) and they're gorgeous and work really well.

1. I found paper liners were ok when the poo was really soft (it was easier to chuck it than wash off the nappy iyswim, now I use fleece liners and dunk them in the loo to wash the poo off.

1. usually 50 as been getting some really nasty nappies (dd teething I think). But 40 works fine then every week or so I would do them on 60. If you can dry them on the line (even partially) the sun gets rid of any staining.

1. Dry. I use a couple of drops of lavender in mine. I was every two days so the smell doesn't really build up (as long as you put the lid on the nappy bucket)

1. A tote bag - like we used to use for swimming. Bought from Tommee Tippee but they've stopped doing cotton bottoms now

1. I use paper liners and think they work really well. Saves having to sluice all the dirty nappies in the loo. They seem to make a difference with wet nappies too - dd's skin is definitely drier than if I don't use them.

Make sure you use a barrier cream on lo's skin too.

hth

thanks for all the replies, they've been really helpful

Norma's bags are the Bambinex ones btw