RE: A million and ONE questions
With these diapers, I would just throw them in the washer 2-3 times in warm or hot and you'll be good to go. They will continue to get more absorbant as you wash them, but they will be fine.
I didn't mean to make my wash routine sound complicated! I think it's simple. I wash once in cold with a soak cycle. I then wash again on hot.
Sometimes I add other stuff, but usually not.
There is generally no need to prepare covers. I wash my covers along with my diapers and I hang them to dry. Putting covers in the dryer will age them faster.
HTH,
Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)