Can this stash be saved? (gross toploader question)

[MaiMama]

Our washing machine went out *months* ago and my cloth dipes have sat there unwashed all this time. :bag Most were just wet in, but not all. Disgusting. I know.

What steps do i need to take to salvage the stash? They're mostly pockets.

I did have a frontloader, but now I bought an older top loader. It doesn't have a prewash cycle, so I'm not sure how to do this.

Do I run water and leave the top open to have them sit in it a while?
Do I run the cycle twice?
6/9/12 minutes?
or on gentle?

I have available Borax, baking soda, a box of Sun, vinegar, as well as Purex that's probably got too many additives in it.

[DoulaClara]

:hugheart I think I'd go ahead and write them off as a loss. I hope someone has some good ideas for you, though, if you really and truly want to keep them.

[MarynMunchkins]

I'd get some BacOut and OxiClean, but I'm not sure you can salvage them.

[trustingGod2]

You can try stripping them or sunning them for awhile first then washing or running one wash then sunning it may take days if it works at all.

my wash goes like this

1 cycle on cold with Oxi Clean
1 cycle on hot with a squirt of Dawn and vinegar to rinse
1 cycle with detergent
1 cycle for extra rinse

[greengirl19]

If it's ok with you to waste some water . . . I'd try. Do a few long soaks/rinses. If you don't have a soak cycle them just run a short cycle without any soap and stop it before it spins or drains. After 2 or 3 rinses I'd do 2 cycles of hot wash/rinse/extra rinse. I know this is a lot of water. Then hang them outside for a day or so. If they smell clean after this (you might still have stains) then I would test to see if they still hold water. And if they do, then try using them on a baby!

[JessicaTX]

I have a top loader. I run it on cold but leave it open to sit overnight. In the morning I close the lid long enough to spin them, reset it to hot wash, hot rinse and add soap, then do a second cold rinse when it's all done. I always turn it to the longest agitation time possible, I don't know what's recommended =)

[Waterlogged]

put them in the top loader. on hot. leave the lid open. soak for a long time - 4hours?. repeat. smell-test them after each wash.

[ilikestrawberryjello]

:duckI've used bleach on my pockets before... :duck So I'd probably soak, wash with bleach, then wash again to get the bleach out.

[Katydid]

So they sat in the washer wet for a few months? Not sitting in water, but just wet, right? Is there any mold or mildew?

[Waterlogged]

i've used bleach with my pockets too. :giggle

but not very much, and then you have to rinse rinse rinse rinse...

[MaiMama]

They were not stuck in the washer during that time. She'd pee (or poop) in them, and I'd put them in a plastic bag. So they weren't all totally soaked the whole time.

I just pulled them out. I trashed the most disgusting pooped-on ones.

a hemp insert had been almost completely eaten up :jawdrop

There is some mold/mildew on a few, but there are some that look just fine. :shrug3

They are soaking in water today.

I appreciate all the feedback as I try to figure out what to do tomorrow.

---------- Post added at 12:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:26 PM ----------

Where do you get bac-out?

[Soliloquy]

You can get bac-out at a hfs or online. I'd definitely try to save them!!!

Id do lots of washing on hot. Borax is great for getting stink out. Wash over and over with Borax but no detergent.

[Katydid]

Ah, OK... I misunderstood. I've done that before, BTW. :shifty Not for months, but definitely for weeks. They were gross, but a couple of hot washes later, they were fine. :shrug

[MaiMama]

I just put it together that I've got to get stuff ready to sell at a consignment sale by Thursday, and now my washer is soaking dipes. Do you think I'll have enough time to get them clean enough to dry if I do an overnight soak?

Oh, and Lisa, how much borax to you use per load?


And would anyone actually try to save the mildew poopy ones too?



I've been getting "great deals" ($5/pack or less with coupons and sales) for sposies, and it's a budget buster. While I've avoided doing other things today, I'm glad to finally be facing this one. Dreading something is almost always worse than actually doing it.

[Waterlogged]

i wouldn't dry them until you're done washing them. if you really *need* your washer (and can stay on top of it), take them out wet and run your other load, and then keep washing them.

[MaiMama]

would you just soak all night tonight before trying to wash, or go ahead and start washing?


I agree that drying soon would be a nightmare. I just wished I'd popped in my consignment pieces first. :doh oh well, it's ok.

[Waterlogged]

maybe start washing? they need the agitation and the rinsing.

in any case, you could pop your consignment stuff in quickly, and then resume the process. just don't dry them until you're reasonably sure they're clean. and then perhaps sun them (if you have sun)...

[TenderLovingWillow]

This happened to me too. I let them sit in the bathtub overnight with a bit of dawn and borax, and then, the next morning I agitated them for a long time.. (15-20 min??) with the broom handle, drained the tub, repeat, then I took the whole load, and stripped them, and then washed them several times.. Maybe 4? They were fine. Not a fun job though..

[MaiMama]

Yeah, stripping is a whole 'nother issue. :sigh

They're agitating now. What stinks is that most of these are going to be too small for her now. :doh

[MaiMama]

The borax seemed to work great! I couldn't smell a thing. I didn't do the dirtiest, but I might the next round. now to see if I can squeeze one on her to see if they still work.