The Pros and Woes of Cloth Diapers 2

Ok, so finally it's here ;) The first Woe of cloth diapering.

Washing Cloth Diapers.

So the laundry itself is not a woe at all. Unless something goes wrong. It can be a pain in your rear to find something suitable for a super sensitive skinned little baby. That would be my Dizzy. He actually started bleeding from his man parts at one point, due to his sensitivities to fragrance. Of course our uninformed Doc told us that his eczema was causing the bleeding from the very inside of the tip of his manhood. Eczema, really? Whatever, give me a new doc please, and pronto. Our new doc cloth diapered at least a few of his five kids and homeschools. He suggested trying a new detergent. And it worked!!!

Now however, that Dizzy is out of dipes but Little G is still in them, well duh. . . he's only 5 months old, we're having buildup issues. Here are a few problems buildup can cause:

Repelling (your dipes wont absorb as nicely or quickly, causing leaks and whatnot)
Icky Smells (the dirt doesn't get cleaned out as well due to the repelling)
Stains (since the water and possibly detergent can repel rather than sink in and rinse out, the stain fighting power is useless)

Repelling and Smells are the worst problems to me, but stains really bother some people. To me, it just seems that the babe's only gonna poop on it some more anyway, so what's the point?

Here are some causes:

Wrong Diaper Cream. . . . anything that doesn't state it's safe for cloth diapers is OFF LIMITS! Anything that creates a barrier on your babe's bum, will do the same on your diapers!! If you're using a widely available at the supermarket or department store brand or a perscription cream. . . . be safe and use some 'sposies. Here are my favorite brands, Northern Essence (scroll down and see their Better Butter Cream) is only available online now and Cj's Sewing Room is available at Circle Me and Top to Bottom or online. There are plenty of options out there. In fact just dabbing a bit of olive oil on your baby bum will keep eczema at bay and lots of naked time will help with rash prevention. You may be lucky enough to never need anything at all!! And remember just because it's all natural doesn't mean it's safe to use on your diapers, and most cloth friendly creams are all natural and less complex anyway!

Wrong Diaper Detergent. . . again, I don't like to use anything that's not specifically made for use on cloth diapers to wash them in. I actually use Rockin' Green or Allen's on EVERYTHING not just diapers. It's just as inexpensive as the cheap stuff at Walmart anyway, when you look at how much, or should I say how little you need to use anyway. Other than Allen's I would really stay away from anything that's a liquid. I've heard scary chemical burn stories about Charlies, but have not seen anything first hand. I tend to think it has more to do with sensitive skin than anything, but I wouldn't try it out myself. Some people swear by different 'free and clear' brands or cheaper powder detergents. I think if you're lucky and have the right kind of water you might be able to get away with it, but I can't. The cheaper a detergent is the less filler ingredients they have, so it could work I suppose. My best friend says that Country Save works great on her diapers and didn't cause any buildup at all, and I plan on trying that out soon myself, just to see. Here is a great chart to use when selecting detergents for diapers. Some of the things to avoid in your detergents are whitening enzymes (which can actually cause horrible blistering rashes on some babies according to Diaper Jungle) and soap products. The Diaper Jungle also recommends staying away from the following in your laundry detergent or wash cycle:

Bleach, due to it's wear and tear on fabrics and possibility of damaging the waterproofing of certain diapers
Fabric Softener, a big no no in the CD world. It causes that horrible buildup we talked about earlier. Don't even use it on your normal clothing, ever if you dry your diapers in the dryer. It puts a coating on your dryer that then gets on your dipes. Bad news kiddos. Don't do it! Besides most things don't need a softener of any sort if you wash your clothes with something that doesn't cause buildup in the first place. . . just like you don't need stain fighters as often if you use something that doesn't coat your clothing like commercially available detergents. For things like Fleece, that always need some static control throw some wool dryer balls or tennis balls in the dryer with them. If your clothing or diapers are a bit stiff out of the dryer add some vinegar. It helps neutralize body odor on your clothing too.
Pure soap, which causes a buildup of soap scum on your diapers. That equals buildup and repelling issues.

So my diapers are repelling or stinky. Now what do I do?

Strip 'em. And strip 'em good. Here are a few techniques to try.

A) Take your clean diapers (normal wash routine w/ detergent) and run them through 3-5 more hot washes w/out any detergents. You may even choose to turn your water heater up for the day to make sure you get the most out of your stripping. Send the kids to the park with dad though. . . don't want any burns on sensitive hands! Continue washing or rinsing until your water runs clear and suds free.

B) If you DO NOT have a HE machine you can use a squirt of dawn in your initial wash before your hot washes. This would be in place of your normal detergent. Make doubly sure to check that the rinse water is completely suds free ;)

I would like to state here that I have come across some sites recommending using the dishwasher. It's a fire hazard, use your brain.

Check out Zany's Zebra's Stripping methods and what to do if stripping doesn't work.

You can also boil your diapers, though it's a lot of tedious hot work and it's easy to get burns. I wouldn't do it if the kids are anywhere around you, somebody will have a nasty burn, so wait until they are in bed, or send them to Grandma's for the day ;) And make sure you enjoy your favorite forbidden treat while they're gone! Mine is anything with a good amount of pb on it since Dizzy's allergic. I have done this before, but without much success, which is why we're stripping again!!

You may need to wash your machines or add a water softener if things are shaping up with proper laundering. This article gives detailed instructions for cleaning your washer ;) To clean your dryer I would start by wiping it clean with a damp rag, then using hot soapy water to get it nice and clean, possibly dawn detergent. Then plain hot water to rinse it off, I would even change the water and rinse it a second time. Then spray it with a vinegar and water mix (using a 1:1 ratio) and rinse again before wiping dry. Make sure the first load through the dryer isn't your diapers, just in case!

Well, a little more informed, I"m about to go strip my diapers since we have smelly issues ourselves.

Be prepared for a break for the next two days. . . Sunday is Halloween after all ;)