Today there is no need for a wet pail. Its not only gross but can also be dangerous. With the help of a mini shower or other hand held bidet you can rinse diapers so there is no dunking or swishing in the toilets. Washing diapers isn't as time consuming or gross as you imagine.
Rinsing/Dunking/Dumping: Bf poo doesn't need to be rinsed out before placing in the washer but some choose to do this anyway. I think it reduces stains. As babies get older and start eating solids you will need to dump, dunk or rinse the diapers first. If its solid just roll off into toilet and throw the diaper in the pail. If its not so dumpable you will either need to rinse or dunk. If you don't like the prospect of dunking you'll want a mini shower. After the diaper has been rinsed just throw in the pail till wash time. If you have 2 in diapers you will want to wash every day or do 2 loads every other day. Don't overload your washing machine. Don't do more than 24 diapers at a time max. You don't want to let diapers sit soiled or wet for too long. Mold and mildew will set it and/or can break down the fabric and cause holes. There is no need to wet pail (soaking diapers). This can be nasty and hard to do as you have to then drain the water. Make sure your pail has a locking lid. At least one that is securely closed. A pail liner isn't a must but keep the pail cleaner. Also good for those that have to transport their diapers to a laundromat or to another floor.
Washing: Throw in washer and do a prerinse. If your washer doesn't have a prerinse, just turn it on the rinse cycle. Do a full wash with 1/4 to 1/3 the recommended amount of detergent for that sized load. You can use hot, cold or warm water for your wash. Personal preference. Hot water will be needed to prep diapers for first use, like prefolds and inserts. Do a rinse at the end of the wash to make sure all the detergent is out. Then throw in the dryer or hang to dry. Hanging to dry causes stiff diapers, but they will last longer. Any diaper with elastic will wear out sooner if put it in the dryer. Think underwear and socks - how long do they last with frequent washings?
No-No's
Bleach - besides being bad for the environment, bleach will shorten the life of your diapers. It's also difficult to make sure its washed out. Bleach and ammonia don't mix and when urine hit the diaper, if there is any bleach in the fabric baby will get a nasty chemical burn.
Fabric softener - Fabric softener can make your diapers less absorbent because of the coating that makes the fabric feel soft. Its really bad for anything micro fleece, repelling fleece is a terrible problem. You don't need fabric softener, liquid or dryer sheets, to keep your diapers soft. Make sure you are getting all the detergent out, use vinegar if you have to, dry on a lower heat setting if you are really having a problem.
Enzymes - Beware of detergents with enzymes. They have been known to cause diaper rash.
Whitening agents - Have been known to leave a film behind on diapers that is impossible to remove. This will make your diapers repell water.
Lanolizing Wool Covers
How Do I lanolize? Most online diapering stores sell wool wash that contains lanolin. You can also look at knitting stores that sell wool yarn. A good wool wash is Eucalan. You can make your own, but you def don't want to use anything like woolite. Here you can find a video to lanolize:
My wool is sticky, what happened? You probably over lanolized. You can wash it in some baby soap a few times and that will take the stickiness away, but over lanoized shouldn't be a problem.
I just washed my wool cover and it smells like wet dog! What happened? Ah, yes. Well Wet Sheep smell like when dogs get wet. This is why they sell wool wash in pretty scents. Don't worry. When it dries it won't smell!
What happens if I felt my wool? Try hair conditioner. You can soak the wool cover in a hair conditioner bath. You may be able to unfelt it a bit. Otherwise the cover could now make a great doll cover! Or use it for a nb, sure never to get leaks!