Need your advice! Natural fibers that stay soft when line dried?

[navyswag]

So I love my diapers and inserts that stay soft when I line-dry them and don't need to be fluffed in the dryer afterwards. I'm thinking of switching my entire stash to those types of diapers/inserts to save time and money but that's a different subject. My question is, are there any natural fibers that don't stiffen like crazy when line-dried? My cotton inserts and my OBV-topped bamboo inserts do and I'm thinking of switching to hemp or bamboo for my heavy wetter. Also part of the reason I need everything so soft is because of my LO's super sensitive skin. Oh the joys of a sensitive-skinned heavy wetter!

[hilaryisinked]

IME hemp, bamboo, and cotton all feel crunchy after being line dried.

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[MomBecks]

Thirsties hemp pfs stay soft when line dried because they're jersey knit. Birdseye stays fairly soft too. Of course it helps to shake them when you get them off the line to fluff.

[Textile_Mike]

Originally Posted by afkohler So I love my diapers and inserts that stay soft when I line-dry them and don't need to be fluffed in the dryer afterwards. I'm thinking of switching my entire stash to those types of diapers/inserts to save time and money but that's a different subject. My question is, are there any natural fibers that don't stiffen like crazy when line-dried? My cotton inserts and my OBV-topped bamboo inserts do and I'm thinking of switching to hemp or bamboo for my heavy wetter. Also part of the reason I need everything so soft is because of my LO's super sensitive skin. Oh the joys of a sensitive-skinned heavy wetter!

Diapers lined with poly linings will be soft after line drying (DiaperMaker pique, microfleece, suedecloth). They are often better for sensitive skinned babies as they allow more air movement between the diaper and skin (moisture and ammonia are the prime irritants -- not the fabrics or fibers).

If you prefer cellulose fibers (cotton, bamboo and hemp), it's going to be a combination of fiber and knit construction. In order of softness, is bamboo, cotton, then hemp. As for fabric softness Jersey and Interlock are thinner and made with finer yarns, they will be softer than pile fabrics like fleece, terry, & sherpa and flannel. The only exception is velour - it is always soft - but be careful as velour has a much shorter life!

[bigmamakelsey]

I think cotton flats stay soft.

[navyswag]

Thanks all!

[RockinLou]

I line dried for 18 months, and they always felt stiff (I had an all cotton stash) but the baby's body heat relaxed the fibers and they felt soft within a few minutes of being worn. If I put a not so soft line dried prefold on my daughter, and opened the diaper up 5 minutes later, it was soft. Just something to consider before you destash entirely (because that gets expensive too!)

[TrennaII]

Birdseye cotton, but most important is rinsing all the detergent out.

[lakemama]

My bamboo prefolds (Imagine) stay pretty soft when hung to dry. More so than anything else I have.