# Neighbor concerned about bacteria in the shared washer. What do I do?



## achintyasamma (Aug 4, 2004)

One of my neighbors has a newborn and my boys are 2 and 3 mos. Ds1 is mostly out of diapers, but his occasional misses and ds2's diapers are washed in a machine that is shared by 5 families. My neighbor is concerned about health issues related to sharing a washer with a cding family. She asked her pediatrician, who said that bacteria could be transferred through residue in the machine if we're not using bleach (we're not). A friend of hers who cd's suggested that I could soak the diapers with bleach first and then the bleach would come out in the wash. I'm not willing to do this and am somewhat adverse to the idea of using bleach at all. She is currently washing her baby's clothes with bleach to kill any possible bacteria, and I don't want her to have to do this either. Does anyone know of a natural way to disinfect the machine that is friendly to baby's skin and clothing fibers? I think it should be safe if we're both doing a hot wash, but I don't think I can assuage her concern. We are practicing ec with ds2, though we use a lot of diaper back up. I'm thinking I may need to be more attentive to taking him to pee and wash the diapers by hand if no one has any ideas.

UPDATE:
My neighbor is genuinely worried about her baby's safety. While it's unfounded worry according to my way of seeing things, I need to be flexible enough to make some kind of compromise. She spoke to the women in charge of faculty housing and we received an email stating that diapers should be soaked in bleach before being washed in the machine. My husband spoke with this family today and both their ob and their ped. have now told them that there is a risk of e. coli infection. They believe this is greater than the risk from other kids' and adults' vomit, underwear, etc. They are okay with us using a natural alternative to bleach in the diapers if their ped okays it (I'm thinking this isn't likely







). I was looking at the bac-out and oxygen bleach from the biokleen website, but nowhere does it say that it kills bacteria. Is there anywhere I kind find information about the effectiveness of these kinds of products for a purpose like this?
Right now she is washing a bleach load empty before her clothes, but she thinks this should really be our responsibility. DH mentioned the idea of wiping the machine with bleach, but that didn't really take off for some reason. He'll mention it again when he sees them next. Running an empty load is really too wasteful (energy, water, and $1.15 each time). I think if we pushed it, the company that owns the machines would say that no one can dictate what we wash or how we wash it so long as it is not flammable. What can we do from here???????


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

Is this a coin operated machine? If so, have her pour some bleach and run a hot wash before she does her laundry. If you dont have to pay to use it, you can clean the machine when you're done.


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## Shenjall (Sep 14, 2002)

I'm not one to be dishonest - but I cant help but suggest telling her you are soaking them in bleach first. Then dont.

I agree that the hot washes would suffice.


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## Erinok (Sep 11, 2006)

when my son was newborn, and I was using disposables, I had leaks all the time where pee or poop got onto his clothing. I don't really se the difference between washing the clothing and washing diapers. I'm sorry, but someone who is that much of a germ freakprobably shouldn't be using a shared washer (there are much scarier things out there then baby diapers!)


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

I actually think the idea is absurd & wouldn't hesitate to tell her so.


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## achintyasamma (Aug 4, 2004)

We pay to use the machine with a prepaid card. I don't want her to have to run an empty load, as it seems wasteful to me. Maybe I could just rub down the machine with some diluted bleach. Anything natural I could use instead?


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## Brilliantmama (Sep 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Erinok* 
when my son was newborn, and I was using disposables, I had leaks all the time where pee or poop got onto his clothing. I don't really se the difference between washing the clothing and washing diapers.

Yeah, if she has a baby, she will eventually have pee leaks or a blow out where pee or poo gets on baby clothes. While she may feel good about using bleach, I don't think that you should HAVE to.

Unless there is a rule that you may NOT wash cloth diapers or any urine/poo clothes (even older kids accidents) then I would say that your Hot cycle system is fine. If she chooses to wipe it with bleach or use bleach in the wash, it is her decision.

I would just tell her that your system gets the diapers very clean and does NOT contaminate the washers, but if she would like to, she can still bleach.


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rmzbm* 
I actually think the idea is absurd & wouldn't hesitate to tell her so.

Umm this... and if shes using bleach HERSELF anyways then why is she worried that you are not??


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## mysticmomma (Feb 8, 2005)

Peroxide and vinegar with some TTO.


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## jbmill2 (Oct 15, 2006)

vinegar in the first rinse and tto in the wash should kill any bacteria.


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## danaalex (Mar 19, 2003)

the load that is done after diapers is probably the cleanest load that goes through the machine LOL. the hot water should kill anything that might be considered a bacteria.

if you are getting rid of most of the poop before they go into the machine, there isn't too much to worry about. urine is sterile and the dipes shouldn't hold onto anything, even if your child had a bacterial infection that was shed via eliminated waste.

i wonder who her ped is. i'm from newark, de.







you could always use bac out on your dipes before they go into the washer. you can also tell her that a nurse from christiana (used to work there) who has used cloth diapers, and washed them, for over 5 yrs now says that her newborn will not get bacteria from you washing your dipes in the same machine. and she can email me if she doesn't believe it


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## mimid (Dec 29, 2004)

How about taking an old bleach bottle, rinsing it really well and pouring some water in it and then you can act like you're bleaching if she sees you?

But really, what is she going to do with the clothing from blowouts and accidents?


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## GypsyGrin (Nov 7, 2006)

Quote:

She is currently washing her baby's clothes with bleach to kill any possible bacteria, and I don't want her to have to do this either.
You are a good friend that you're willing to make her problem (paranoias about germs) your problem too. I don't know as I would be so generous (i.e. I'd just let her wash in bleach if it bothers her); good for you.

Maybe get a can of Lysol spray that says clearly on the label "antibacterial" and just spray the inside of the machine for her. She'd not claiming there's smears of feces or anything left in there (ludicrous), right? If it's just the "bacteria" then something like that should put her mind at ease.

As far as the ped goes,

a.) I knew some pretty freaky strange people that were pre-med when I was in college. The person that barely scrapes by gets the exact same degree as the person that graduates at the top of the class.

b.) Interpretation goes a long ways, and I've seen people pump/twist/present facts to pressure others into giving the answer they are hoping to get.


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## Tofu the Geek (Dec 2, 2003)

Perhaps this study is why the ped believes there is bacteria? http://www.laundry-alternative.com/lurking.htm


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## somanythings (Jul 9, 2005)

I agree with a pp that you could supply the laundry room with either lysol, or some of those "wipes" that have lysol or clorox on them. That way, if she is concerned about the machine's interior, she can wipe/spray it down, leaving your chemical contact at a minimum, and her fears assuaged.


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## amandapanda9 (Aug 7, 2006)

I think it's nice that you are concerned for her but since it is a shared washer, there is no reason that you should have to go to a lot of extra trouble just because she's paranoid about it....you have just as much right to use the machine for your needs as she does...and definitely don't start hand washing your dipes because of this....maybe try to find some online articles that help explain to her that the washing machine should be okay assuming you use the proper techniques....I would assure her that you rinse the dipes out before throwing them in the wash and that the hot water will kill the bacteria.....what you are throwing in there really isn't much worse than when her baby has blowouts on his/her clothing (or when she washes her own or her hubby or her kids undies in there). I can't believe she would rather bleach her baby's clothing though...I could not imagine bleaching my baby's clothes and then putting them on him! I would maybe explain that if she's still worried, the best thing would be to run a hot water cycle with just bleach before she uses the machine....I know it seems wasteful but it should put her mind at ease and that way she wouldn't be bleaching her baby's clothing and you won't be bleaching your dipes (definitely don't do that). Or get some TTO and wipe the machine out when you're done (or tell her that she can)...it has natural antibacterial properties and is much more gentle than bleach is.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

Does she use bleach when she washes her underwear?


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## amyleigh33 (Nov 2, 2006)

My little one's not born yet, but I share a washer/dryer with 2 other apts. and both neighbours are like, really weird and anal about stuff (many examples), so I have been concerned about having similar problems, except neither of them have any kids, so I can only imagine they'll be even less sympathetic than your neighbour.

I basically agree with everything Amandapanda said just before me... Those are all things that I'll keep in mind, too. And I also agree that they're public machines and you can wash whatever you want in them. Does she not realize that if she's using public machines, you never know WHAT has been in it? An adult could have "soiled" himself and then washed his clothes in there - IMO, way grosser than baby poop. Unless she checks everyones laundry before they put it in, how would she know? That being said, I totally empathize with not wanting to cause trouble - I know some neighbours can be such a pain in the butt that they'd tell the landlord or something and that would suck.

Personally, I believe 100% that the chlorine bleach she's dousing the kids clothes in is far worse for the kid than the minute potential for exposure to bacteria from the machine.

Hey, do you know any science geeks that could do a bacterial swab of the machine after you wash diapers; and after she does her laundry to prove that there's no more bacteria after you use it than her? That would be super cool.


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## danaalex (Mar 19, 2003)

great article. show it to her. so, while even if YOU are washing dipes, it states that SHE has bacteria from her UNDERWEAR. so, if she is concerned about your dipes then she needs to be bleaching her underwear.

it is probably best for HER to continue using bleach on HER clothes then. it seems as though that is what the article is suggesting too. either using more hot water, or running bleach through your washer or clothes. so, i would tell her to continue using it on ALL of her clothes because HER underwear has bacteria too.


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## hillymum (May 15, 2003)

Add a 1/4 cup of Borax to your wash. The following explains what it does for your laundry.

Many different forms of borates are used to produce laundry detergents, household or industrial cleaners and personal care products. In these applications, borates' unique properties serve to enhance stain removal and bleaching, stabilize enzymes, provide alkaline buffering, soften water and boost surfactant performance.
Because borates act as a biostat, they also serve to control bacteria and fungi in personal care products.

The vast majority of clothes worn in the world are still washed by hand. New trials on laundry soap bars demonstrate that borates significantly improve the cleaning action, and reduce levels of dirt redeposition, leading to brighter, cleaner clothes.

Copied from http://www.borax.com/borates2c.html


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## sandsprite (Feb 16, 2004)

Let me tell you a story.

I am a nurse in a critical care unit in a major centre. We in one year, had SARS, & RABIES, along with the usual, flesh eating disease, HIV, Chicken pox, hep A,B,C, TB, MRSA, VRE, C Difficile and any other cool going-to-kill-you bug in our ICU. AND our hospital decided it was no longer going to do our laundry. We would have to take our dirty uniforms home. So we all raised our concerns about all these bugs we were bringing home.

It turns out, that studies show that the heat in the standard home dryer is more than enough to kill all these bugs. And there is nothing that comes out of a healthy baby that far nicer than any of the bugs I get to play with at work.

I have a tenant that shares our washer, and I always do a load of plain house laundry before she gets her turn. If that is not enough for your neighbour (sometimes there is no convincing some people) you could always do one empty quick wash in the washing machine with a tablespoon full of bleach. That should be overkill.


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## mamajama (Oct 12, 2002)

Isn't it dangerous to soak diapers in bleach? I always thought the fumes of bleach mixed with the ammonia in urine is toxic.


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## newlywaaz (Oct 19, 2006)

didn't read the rest of the replies, but I wanted to add in case it hadn't been mentioned that tea tree oil is a natural disinfectant as well.


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## wednesday (Apr 26, 2004)

There's a page somewhere on the CDC website that addresses laundering textiles that have been soiled with bodily fluids. The basic message is that hot water and hot drying kill everything. Bleach is a bonus, but it's not necessary.


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## Bartock (Feb 2, 2006)

I have my food-safe certificate ( ya so what does that have to do with anything







) To much bleach is harmful, it can poison you. All you need to do to make her happy is mix 1 capful of bleach in 1 liter of water, put in a spray bottle spray the washer after use, that little amount of bleach water is enough to kill germs and sanitize, that's what we used a DQ to clean the tables, it was that or expensive sanitizer spray. I use this mixture on my counter tops after I have had raw meat on them. If that is not good enough for her and she does not be live it will kill the germs, tell her to get a hold of me and I will show her my darn certificate so she knows what I am saying is true


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## Bartock (Feb 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamajama* 
Isn't it dangerous to soak diapers in bleach? I always thought the fumes of bleach mixed with the ammonia in urine is toxic.

I don't think so, yes mixing bleach and ammonia will cause a chemical reaction and can kill you, but pee ammonia is different, I think


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## Brilliantmama (Sep 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ilovemy2ds* 
All you need to do to make her happy is mix 1 capful of bleach in 1 liter of water, put in a spray bottle spray the washer after use, that little amount of bleach water is enough to kill germs and sanitize

Honestly, as much as I would love to thumb my nose at this paranoid new mama, I think this might be the best solution so that you can all coexist peacefully.

You could offer to provide a spray bottle ($2 or so) and the bleach solution (a tiny bottle should last forever with this dilution) and just offer her this advice. You could also offer to spray it down AFTER diapers, but also leave it out for anyone who is worried about any germies (because WE all know that they are not just in diapers!)

cheap, fairly easy, and promotes neighborly friendliness.

But I still think you have the right to wash whatever you want unless there is a specific rule against it.










And I am dying to know what you decided to do!


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## littlemizflava (Oct 8, 2006)

unless she uses the machine right after you did a load of diapers i dont see anything she should worry about i share 3 washers with 45 other familys i only use one machine for diapers cause it is larger then the others what about telling her to do a wash of towels or something like that in hot water that would clean the machine if she felt anal she could do the bleach thing with that load and then wash her babys clothes after that the machine would be clean and the baby would not be subjected to the bleached clothes


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## fiveyearsapart (Mar 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ilovemy2ds* 
All you need to do to make her happy is mix 1 capful of bleach in 1 liter of water, put in a spray bottle spray the washer after use, that little amount of bleach water is enough to kill germs and sanitize, that's what we used a DQ to clean the tables, it was that or expensive sanitizer spray.









This is a what I would do.


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## lovingmommyhood (Jul 28, 2006)

What is she going to do if her babe has a blow out?? I'm assuming that clothing will be going straight into the washer without a second thought.

Also, not to be gross but there can be some pretty funky things on adult underwear... ie period stains, skid marks,(maybe they're not wiping good enough. lmao) discharge... Sorry to be disgusting but COME ON. If she's not monitoring every little gross thing she puts in the washer why should you?


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## siennaflower (Aug 31, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shenjall* 
I'm not one to be dishonest - but I cant help but suggest telling her you are soaking them in bleach first. Then dont.

I agree that the hot washes would suffice.

ITA with this. All evidence is to the contrary of what her ped told her and it isn't going to hurt her to believe that your diaper loads are 'safe' now...when in truth they already are...


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## achintyasamma (Aug 4, 2004)

bump...update in first post. anyone have any ideas???


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## Momsteader (Dec 13, 2002)

I would just keep going as is. If SHE is concerned, then she'll need to use something in her laundry or run an extra load. This isn't a burden to be placed on you.

Have you asked her what she does with clothing her baby might vomit on? Or have a poo blow-out? Or if a toddler had an accident? Well, she'd just put into the laundry and wash!


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## LizaBear (Feb 1, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *achintyasamma* 
bump...update in first post. anyone have any ideas???


Honestly, at this point - I think I'd tell her to go stuff it. But I'm in a bad mood tonight and it's not likely the best recourse if you want to stay on decent terms with her.


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## mama_b (Dec 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizaBear* 
Honestly, at this point - I think I'd tell her to go stuff it. But I'm in a bad mood tonight and it's not likely the best recourse if you want to stay on decent terms with her.









: Like others have said, there is probably way nastier stuff going into the washer than your baby's poop.


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## mama2mygirl (Dec 14, 2005)

I used tea tree oil with dd's diapers. (I can't believe so much time has passed! She's been out of dipes for three years!!!)


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## achintyasamma (Aug 4, 2004)

I've thought of using tea tree, but I doubt it would pass her test. Her ped has to say it will eliminate any possible contamination. I'm looking for some research-based information on the efficacy of tea tree, bac-out, or something similar. I'm also interested in any legal information about the use of public machines.


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## eclipse (Mar 13, 2003)

Um, I'd probably just say "sure, no problem, I'll soak them in bleach!" and then continue to do what I felt like doing.


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## CJ 5 (May 30, 2004)

My mother manages a huge commercial laundry for a hospital. She would probably know what you could do. If it were me I would just keep doing what I am doing and find a way to secure my rights before they pass some wierd rule in your apartment building.

Do you usually do a batch of your own clothes when you do the diapers. If so just do them second and what can she say?


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## achintyasamma (Aug 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CJ 5* 
My mother manages a huge commercial laundry for a hospital. She would probably know what you could do.

Do you usually do a batch of your own clothes when you do the diapers. If so just do them second and what can she say?

Could you ask your mom for some info? We do wash our regular clothes after the dipes. This still doesn't set her mind at ease. She was thinking of using a laundromat so she wouldn't have to use our machine, but that doesn't make sense to me because she would be sharing a machine with hundreds of people instead of just three other families. I think she's just all around uncomfortable with the idea of cloth diapers being washed in the same machine she uses. She wants everything hyper-sanitary.


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

i worked at a daycare, and the "official" sanitizing sloution was 1 TBSP of bleach in 1 QT of water. if its good enough to disinfect changing tables, clean the bathrooms, toy, tables, even the kitchen in a commercial situation like that, it will be gould enough to spray out the inside of a washer if shes so worried about it. i would offer to make up a spray bottle and keep that in the laundry room

i woukd think the hot water would be fine, but some people are anal- i live in army housing, and our building of 18 apts has 2 laundry rooms with 5 washers and dryers each for every one to share. i've had to likten to people at work (who think cd'ing is so nasty, and im crazy for wanting to do it when i have kids- if theyre kids had poop accidents while potty training they threw the undies away) complain about having to share washers with people who have dogs, lol

good luck


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## Amari's Mama (Dec 18, 2005)

you could also try GSE


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## ohiomommy1122 (Jul 7, 2006)

I am a germ/ bacteria freak and I use a shared washer w/ 6 other Apts and I just put some grapefruit seed extract in all loads ( it has great antibacterial and antivirus proprties ) GSE is also non toxic and is safe on all fabric even diapers.

I would tell you nieghbor if she is concerned she can her laudry w/ that in it to kill of any bacteria.!!

Good luck


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## rachelsmama (Jun 20, 2005)

The way I see it, the other washing machine users are probably posing more of a threat to your baby's bottom than your baby's bottom is posing to them. I'm sensitive to fragrances and a whole bunch of chemicals and I can't use public washers because too much of other people's smelly detergents get on my clothes and I end up itching like crazy. I live in a small apartment, so I use a twin tub washer that fits in my bathroom and hooks up to the tap. It's a little work, but I can wash all the diapers I want without dealing with the neighbors' washing habits or paranoia.


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## secondseconds (Jun 22, 2005)

after you are finished using the washer and dryer, why can't you run a hot water/bleach cycle to clear it out? You said it's unfair for her to do that...so why don't you?


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## somanythings (Jul 9, 2005)

I said this before, I think, but what about Lysol? Could you buy communal cans of Lysol to spray the machine or Lysol/Clorox wipes to wipe the drum afterward? I think she is being paranoid and not thinking about the grossness inherant in sharing laundry facilities, cloth diapers aside. But if you have to live with her, I think the best possible solution is letting her know you will be disinfecting the machine AFTER you use it, thus killing any residual germs, but that way you are not putting your dipes (and your baby) at risk using clorox in your wash.


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## Mavournin (Jul 9, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *achintyasamma* 
She wants everything hyper-sanitary.


Is she harrassing the other neighbors too? Because, you know, god forbid, the bachelor in 2A might have skid marks in his undies.

I'm sorry your neighbor is such a pain. I think she just needs to break in her mama-ness and get used to the fact that parenting is messy and that she can't control the world around her. Antibacterial everything is not healthy. Maybe she should think of it as developing her baby's immune system.


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## prettypixels (Apr 13, 2006)

I don't know... I don't think she's being too ridiculous given that bacteria do live on in washing machines after use. (Who knew? I did not know until this thread.) Except she should be worried about *everyone*, including herself, not only about the CD's.

Here are a few links I found...
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf264233.tip.html

Lots of ideas like there, but one link to this article at CNN...
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/...nfectants.enn/

So vinegar/borax are only about 90% effective on bacteria, which probably would not be good enough for this neighbor and her doctor (since she has involved a doctor).

Some info about oxygen bleach alternatives...
http://www.laundry-alternative.com/O..._research.html
I am not sure if that is helpful or not, just putting it there for consideration!

Also I wonder if most basic hot water cycles are hot enough to kill bacteria. My very new washer has a "sterilize" cycle which is hot(ter)... I think it is supposed to be above 150 degrees Farenheit, but I have been searching and searching online and cannot find verification of the temperature of the sterilize cycle vs. the normal *hot* cycle of a washer. I can't even find verification of *what* temperature is required to kill bacteria. I dunno if I'm having a bad case of pregnant brain or what! But I'm guessing that the water in most standard washers doesn't get hot enough to be considered sterilizing.







:

Obviously you can't use the hottest setting for *all* your clothes anyways. But then, neither can she!

Now that I've totally changed my perspective of using public landromats....







:


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## Individuation (Jul 24, 2006)

I don't think your neighbor is at all unreasonable, sorry.

I live in a 3-family house. Myself, and the AP mom upstairs, have talked about how we'd love to CD but that it is just too inconsiderate with a shared washer. We have another neighbor upstairs, and don't think it would be the right thing to do.

When a family has their own washer, it's entirely up to them what they put in it. However, when washers are shared, it is everyone's responsibility to make sure that nobody is uncomforable with what's going in.

The decision as to whether a shared washer should be used for cloth diapers is one that should be made by everyone who uses the washer. It doesn't sound as though your neighbor would agree with this washer being used on diapers. Sure, public laundromats have who-knows-what in their washers, but in the interests of communal harmony, try not to alienate your neighbors.

Also, I would certainly hope that anyone whose child has a "blow-out" is pre-washing that clothing (I have a plastic basin I use for things like that) and not just tossing poop in the washer. That's... kind of awful.


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## achintyasamma (Aug 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Individuation* 
I don't think your neighbor is at all unreasonable, sorry.

I live in a 3-family house. Myself, and the AP mom upstairs, have talked about how we'd love to CD but that it is just too inconsiderate with a shared washer. We have another neighbor upstairs, and don't think it would be the right thing to do.

When a family has their own washer, it's entirely up to them what they put in it. However, when washers are shared, it is everyone's responsibility to make sure that nobody is uncomforable with what's going in.

The decision as to whether a shared washer should be used for cloth diapers is one that should be made by everyone who uses the washer. It doesn't sound as though your neighbor would agree with this washer being used on diapers. Sure, public laundromats have who-knows-what in their washers, but in the interests of communal harmony, try not to alienate your neighbors.

Also, I would certainly hope that anyone whose child has a "blow-out" is pre-washing that clothing (I have a plastic basin I use for things like that) and not just tossing poop in the washer. That's... kind of awful.

We DO pre-wash our poop diapers in cold water with nothing added before putting them in the machine. I don't think she's unreasonable either, but we're coming at this from very different perspectives. She is doing the best for her family according to her way of seeing things. We are doing the same and I'm not going to use bleach in the dipes or switch to disposables because she's uncomfortable, but I am really trying to figure out a solution. We don't use any chemical products whatsoever (except for bike repair things like WD-40 and bike oil). I'm not comfortable with the environmental impact of running an empty load or of using disposables or bleach. I'm going to try discussing some of the solutions people have suggested, and in the end, I may end up trucking to the laundromat twice a week to preserve neighborly harmony. These people are in campus housing temporarily while they search for a home to buy, so it may not be forever.

Those who suggested GSE, how much do you use in your laundry? Do you have any info on its effectiveness?


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## acro_emmy (Dec 2, 2006)

Perhaps one of those teeny apartment sized washers would work. They are inexpensive, use very little water and energy -- perfect for small loads like diapers. You can find many brand name apartment size washers for around $200.

If your really eco concious, try this: Wonder Washer - http://www.laundry-alternative.com/Washing-Product.htm

Doing nothing isn't a good option -- my last apartment had this issue go to the property manager -- he fixed it quickly with a simple sign "NO DIAPER WASHING".


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## danaalex (Mar 19, 2003)

ok, i'm annoyed for you right now. you say you live in facutly housing so i'm curious where that is, and i'm curious WHO her ped and ob are. mostly because if i know either of them i'm tempted to call them and talk to them about their stand on this.

my DH and i lived in family housing at U of De. it was before our DD was born, but we shared washers and dryers with a number of other individuals/ families and we had NO clue what was going into those machines. and they didn't know what we were washing either.

i would be more annoyed to do a load and have bleach residual bleach my clothes than i would be washing a load AFTER diapers. if i were in your shoes, i'd tell her that since SHE is the one with the issue SHE needs to use the bleach. mostly because she has NO clue what is being washed before her loads. YOU might have washed your clothes last, your neighbor might have washed their lab coats or their scrubs from the hospital, OR you might have washed your diapers. SHE JUST DOESN"T KNOW. so, she needs to be the one being proactive if she is worried about her clothes.

i'm not sure how you are keeping your cool. i know i would be irritated beyond belief if i had to deal with a neighbor like that. i am so sorry that you are going through this. and i really am interested in who her health care professionals are. and where you guys are living. PM if you are comfortable with that.


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## katiedidbug (Dec 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acro_emmy* 
Perhaps one of those teeny apartment sized washers would work. They are inexpensive, use very little water and energy -- perfect for small loads like diapers. You can find many brand name apartment size washers for around $200.

If your really eco concious, try this: Wonder Washer - http://www.laundry-alternative.com/Washing-Product.htm

Doing nothing isn't a good option -- my last apartment had this issue go to the property manager -- he fixed it quickly with a simple sign "NO DIAPER WASHING".

My friend lives in campus housing and has one of the small washers mentioned in pp. She uses it for all of her laundry and loves it. She's currently TTC, and is planning to wash her dipes in there.


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## Tofu the Geek (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

If your really eco concious, try this: Wonder Washer - http://www.laundry-alternative.com/Washing-Product.htm
That looks super nifty. It seems though that you are expected to hand wring the water out? Not sure how much fun that would be with how thick diapers are and how often you'd have to do a load in that size of machine.


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## talk de jour (Apr 21, 2005)

Why don't you just not and say you did?


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## TexasSuz (Mar 4, 2002)

I am in the minority here too. I would not be comfortable with sharing a washer with someone who put CDs in it and did not use something to kill the bacteria. The hot water in most washers is not hot enough to kill anything - that is why I wash in cold. I also feel the same way about underwear since it also can contain fecal matter. I have gone green in all my household cleaners and such but I still make everyone in the family wear white underwear and I do one load with bleach a week. Never going to give that up.

I would suggest that you go to a public laundry mat and keep peace with your neighbor.


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## skueppers (Mar 30, 2005)

While I think the other family is being a little nuts about the germs thing, I realize that many people have different standards about germs than I do.

I think if I were in this position, I would do one or more of the following:

1) Buy my own washing machine
2) See if the company providing the washing machines would be willing to install one with an internal heater and sanitizing cycle.
3) See if the company providing the washing machines would be willing to install a pre-heater to boost the hot water temperature entering the machine above 160 degrees. I might propose splitting the cost of this improvement with the other family.
4) Seek clarification from the landlord about the policies.
5) Determine whether laundry reaches 160 degrees when dried on hot in the dryers, and point out that this temperature will kill any e coli bacteria.


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## siennaflower (Aug 31, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *talk de jour* 
Why don't you just not and say you did?










Exactly! Is she going to stand behind you and watch you every time?? If thats the case then file harrassment charges since thats what that is...


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## CJ 5 (May 30, 2004)

If this were a free washer I might have a different perspective but since it is a pay washer it is just like a laundromat. If you go to the laundromat you have no idea who is doing what. We had a neighbor who was a mechanic. He washed his oil covered clothes in our washer. I did asked him to put a bit more degreaser in his loads so the residue didn't get on our clothes and that was that. Asking someone to soak their diapers overnight in bleach is ridiculous. I am sure she will get the laundry person to ban the washing of cloth diapers.

Edited to add: I asked my mom for advice. She is the director of a HUGE commercial hospital laundry. It handles disabled and mentally challenge patients so she defenitly knows about poop. She also cloth diapered all of us back in the olden days with gerber prefolds.

Basically she told me that her washers run their water at 120 degrees and that she NEVER used bleach with bodily fluids unless blood is involved and in that case they have special agents for that. She mentioned that her laundry does use special soap comprable to chlorax for colors but in ultra small quantities to preserve the life of the cloth. ( she even said that the bleach content of it was insignificant) She said that soaking your diapers in bleach is ridiculous as it is the agitation and the actual soap that kill viruses and bacteria. The studies people point to about residual bacteria do not take into account the fact that the person washing after you ALSO uses soap. She thinks the woman is being completely unreasonable and that you might suggest that if she is concerned with her own clothing to add a little biz or chlorox 2 to her own wash water so that she can be assured that regardless of who is using the machine her clothes are hypersanitized. She was sure that wiping down the washer with bleach afterwards was overkill and if you were concerned at all you could do as I recomended and add 1T bleach to your rinse water.

She did stress that you should prerinse your diapers ( without soap) to loosen anything and assure that the soap penetrates your diapers but thats just common sence.

I doubt any of this would convince your neighbor. I think you could easily solve the problem by not being confrontational and let her know that you understand her concerns and that you will add a small amount of bleach to your rince water ( whether you do or not) and wipe out the barrel when you are done. If there is more than washer let her know that you will only use one of them to do your laundry so she can avoid it entirely or that you will do a batch of your own clothes following the diapers to ensure that she doesn't have to deal with it. I would also talk to the person in charge of the laundromat and get that approved. Don't tell them what soap you use and don't go into environmental details as I think it will just stir up a mares nest. I hope you can figure things out.


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## Proverbs31 (Aug 15, 2006)

I use a community washer and am a CDer as well. I can understand your neighbor's concern because I get the willies thinking about someone else's butt-crack residue getting on the towles I use to dry my face...but at the same time it IS a community machine and that's the risk we take. I have the same concerns about people using liquid fabric softener in the machines too, but that's my problem and I can't expect them to stop using softener (unless I convince them that vinegar works just as well







) because it may ruin _my_ diapers. Before I wash my clothes I give the washer a quick wipe-down with a very diluted bleach/water solution, and just out of courtesy I do it after, too.

I would just let her know that you are wiping down the machine aferwards with sanitizer, and if that's not enough, oh well. If she's that much of a germaphobe then I am shocked that she would even _use_ a community washer, and there really isn't anything you can do to please her. You shouldn't have to make a trip to a public laundry or switch over to disposables because of someone else's hang-ups, as long as you are willing to meet her half-way by wiping down the machine.


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## vietsabien (Aug 31, 2006)

I don't think that hot water will kill any germs unless it is boiling hot. I'm surprised she isn't afraid of other people's gross underwear washing in the same washer that she uses. It's her problem, not yours. I would just tell her that you're soaking your diapers in bleach and then not.


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## skueppers (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *vietsabien* 
I don't think that hot water will kill any germs unless it is boiling hot.

The reason I mentioned 160 degrees F specifically is because that's the temperature at which e coli is killed.


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## rachelsmama (Jun 20, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *vietsabien* 
I don't think that hot water will kill any germs unless it is boiling hot.

You don't need to kill all the bacteria, only the species that cause infections in humans (that can live at body temperature) and those are killed at temperatures far cooler than boiling. Bacteria that can survive near boiling temperature find body temperature too cold.


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## Ambyrkatt (May 27, 2005)

Wow...this thread has really gotten me concerned. We CD (in our own washer) and do not use bleach or hot water. I have gotten in the habit of adding a half cup of vinegar to the 2nd rinse to help get rid of poop smells, but now I'm wondering if that's enough.

A few posts back it was mentioned to add GSE to the wash. Anyone know how much is a good amount? I generally wash 2 dozen dipes at a time.


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## LizaBear (Feb 1, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ambyrkatt* 
Wow...this thread has really gotten me concerned. We CD (in our own washer) and do not use bleach or hot water. I have gotten in the habit of adding a half cup of vinegar to the 2nd rinse to help get rid of poop smells, but now I'm wondering if that's enough.

Yes, it's enough.


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## rachelsmama (Jun 20, 2005)

This thread keeps reminding me of a Myth Busters episode. They were testing the idea that you should put your toothbrush at least a certain distance from the toilet or else you would end up with fecal bacteria on it from fine spray from the toilet. They did a pretty decent experiment with toothbrushes placed all over the studio and found fecal bacteria on all of them. And yet nobody was sick. We are normally exposed to all kinds of bacterial nastiness in small enough amounts that it doesn't really matter. I tend to believe that the scary stuff that some people report finding in washing machines is pretty much harmless because it is in such small quantities.


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## Ambyrkatt (May 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rachelsmama* 
This thread keeps reminding me of a Myth Busters episode. They were testing the idea that you should put your toothbrush at least a certain distance from the toilet or else you would end up with fecal bacteria on it from fine spray from the toilet. They did a pretty decent experiment with toothbrushes placed all over the studio and found fecal bacteria on all of them. And yet nobody was sick. We are normally exposed to all kinds of bacterial nastiness in small enough amounts that it doesn't really matter. I tend to believe that the scary stuff that some people report finding in washing machines is pretty much harmless because it is in such small quantities.

Good point. It's easy to let yourself get paranoid, isn't it?


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## lab (Jun 11, 2003)

I saw a 20/20 type program a few years ago where they mentioned that the average washing machine contains a quarter cup of feces in it at any given time....










a 1/4 of a cup!!!

I always wash underwear and socks in hot water and I always wash them twice.


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## skueppers (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rachelsmama* 
We are normally exposed to all kinds of bacterial nastiness in small enough amounts that it doesn't really matter. I tend to believe that the scary stuff that some people report finding in washing machines is pretty much harmless because it is in such small quantities.

I'm in total agreement. A lot of people in the US, in particular, seem to be way too concerned about germs.

I believe that exposure to germs in relatively small quantities is part of what actually keeps us healthy, by providing our immune systems with something useful to do. There have been a number of interesting studies in recent years to back this up.


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## danaalex (Mar 19, 2003)

makes me think of the beginning and ending of the "war of the worlds" movie. we have built up resistances to the bacteria/ germs/ viruses/ etc. that we come in contact to on the daily basis.

and i still have to say, that the washing machine is probably cleanest AFTER the load of dipes







at least i know mine is LOL boiling hot water and vinegar. that next load of clothes gets a nice clean drum to get washed in.


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## wannabe (Jul 4, 2005)

I would tell them you've been using bleach, but not use it.


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## Mamma Mia (Aug 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TechnoGranola* 
Perhaps this study is why the ped believes there is bacteria? http://www.laundry-alternative.com/lurking.htm


Quote:

*A national study commissioned for the Oakland, Calif.-based Clorox Co., which makes bleach and financed Gerba's laundry study*,shows that only 15 percent of all washloads - though half of those with whites use bleach, spokeswoman Sandy Sullivan said.
Iiiiinteresting.

To the OP: That study shows that simply washing your underwear in the washing machine can contaminate that load and the next with e. coli. So this neighbor should use bleach in every load if she is concerned. There is nothing to show that washing cloth diapers increases the risk. People are not dropping left and right with e. coli after doing their laundry, so I'm guessing this is another alarmist study. But it does show that bacteria is present regardless.

Perhaps letting her know this and spraying the washer with lysol will give her a little peace of mind. FTR, no one in my family or building with 48 apartments ever got e. coli from the washer when we used cloth dipes. Nor have they when I have washed *ahem* skid marked undies from my dp.


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## TexasSuz (Mar 4, 2002)

I am really surprised at the number of people who said to tell the neighbor you are using bleach and then don't do it. That is so dishonest. I hope I have better neighbors than that. But then again I value honesty in any relationship. And I have the best neighbor in the entire universe!

Go figure...


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## TwelveOaks (Sep 5, 2006)

So, Achintyasamma, what did you end up telling your neighbor?

I think you are really nice for caring about how your neighbor feels (even though _we_ know she shouldn't worry about it! ).

I am thankful I don't have to worry about sharing a washer - whew!


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## achintyasamma (Aug 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TwelveOaks* 
So, Achintyasamma, what did you end up telling your neighbor?

I think you are really nice for caring about how your neighbor feels (even though _we_ know she shouldn't worry about it! ).

I am thankful I don't have to worry about sharing a washer - whew!

We're still negotiating. We're hoping to compromise with us always washing a load of clothes immediately after doing the dipes and wiping the machine with a bleach solution after our second load. My husband will be home today, so one of us will go and talk to them.

And to second another pp, the idea of lying to my neighbor doesn't sit well with me. I have a really good friend in this bldg, and she can't understand why I'm breaking my head over this instead of just telling her that I use bleach, but that's a moral no-no for us.


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