How do I prepare my prefolds?

Got some brand new junior joy prefolds from the classifieds to try with my 1 yr old, but how do I wash them to get to full absorbency? Do I need to do a 60 wash first or can I just do a few 40 degree washes. Do I need to use detergent each time?

Thanks in advance

I dont bother prewashing things at all. just chuck it on your LO with a little bit of extra boosting, or change sooner for the first few wears and then you should be fine

Thanks, they are a bit big though so need to shrink them a little with a wash or two

fold them the wrong way round to make them smaller. You normally place the prefold, shotest edges horrizontally, longest vertically, and fold the longest edges into the middle so that you fold along the stitch lines. Do it the other way so the stitch lines are horizontal and you fold the shortest egdes into the middle. hope that makes sence. it makes the prefold shorter without having to fold the ednges over and making it bulkier

Yep that makes sense, so instead of folding along the lines I turn it round landscape and fold that way?

Yep that makes sense, so instead of folding along the lines I turn it round landscape and fold that way?

yep
You explained that so much better than me I have used the same size prefolds since birth with my LO and just folded them the 'wrong' way until he was big enough for me to fold them the right way.

Yep that makes sense, so instead of folding along the lines I turn it round landscape and fold that way?

yep
You explained that so much better than me I have used the same size prefolds since birth with my LO and just folded them the 'wrong' way until he was big enough for me to fold them the right way.

Thanks for your help!