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| I need some help in determining the problems I seem to be having with my OS diapers. Ive had my baby in ME OS cloth diapers since one month old...she's 6 months old now...about a month ago she developed a really bad bum rash (raised blotchy spots and very very red) on the thigh area and so on. I got ointment prescribed by the doc. and switched to disposables (ugh!) to help the rash go away. Finally yesterday the rash was clear and gone gone gone, so I made the switch back to cloth, and the darn rash is back with a vengeance!!! I do a dry pail system and wash my diapers in Ivory Snow /Baby Soft Purex and Oxy Clean (BTW, never using again as Ive seen the postings on how bad these are on the diapers) but Ive been doing this all along and the rash just popped up one day. Should I clean my diapers of all chemical buildup and try again? Im not sure what to do?!?!? But I don't want to give up cloth diapering...has this happened with anyone else? How do I clean my diapers of all agents that could be in them? Im guessing its this and not the actual diapers...although I have thought that maybe its the moisture on her skin?? I don't know...please help in any way you can. Thanks! |
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| sounds like detergent allergy, my dh is allergic to baby soft purex (it is not hypo-allergetic) he became so sensitive to detergents that even became allergic to natural stuff, I had to rinse and rinse all clothing and bedding and use no detergent, in fact I got a front loader to make sure, anyway, I now only use a quarter to a half of recommended amounts of detergent and I also skip detergent every now and then. I am extra careful because this kind of thing happened to my dh three times! and once with my third child (I thought shampoo would be gentle for diapers, I used suave coconut and totally messed up my thirds skin) I would recomend taking diapers to a laundry mat if you dont' have a front loader and watch to see if all soap is rinsed out, and rinse and rinse them, and use little detergent as possible, I am presently using 'method' from target and its not bothering anyone. |
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Personally I thought it sounded like a yeast rash. Is that what the cream the doc gave you was for? An antifungal? If so you might need to treat your diapers as yeast can be very tough and survive normal hot water washes. Not always, sometimes it's just fine, but it is theoretically possible. I don't have much time right now to type it all out but you can search past threads about treating yeast for more info. Although, the fact that it came back so quickly doesn't seem like yeast... I'd definetly start by stripping the diapers to see if it helps. Then again, if it was a detergent thing, you wouldn't think it would take a month of disposables to go away... Hmmm, sorry, I don't suppose all that's much help...
imamom4sure, just curious why you would recomend a front loader for getting rid of detergent build-up? Front loaders use very little water and are known to sometimes create build-up problems because of it so I'm just curious as to what advantage they would have? Stronger spin cycle?
Karen. |
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| front loader usually has glass door so you can see how much suds are in the wash (it can take many washes to get detergent out of clothing also, it can ring out more water and thus more soap, It takes forever to rinse out all the soap in a regular washer, even though front loaders use less rinse water, and thus you must you even less detergent, they rinse out way better and leave less residue in clothing |
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Well, with a top loader you can just open the door and see directly inside, so the glass door isn't really an issue... Sometimes it'll stop agitating, but that's a good thing as you can see the suds better (as opposed to when it's agitating there's sometimes bubbles that could be mistaken for suds).
They do spin better so leave less water in clothing, but most people find they actually rinse less well than top loaders and leave more residue in clothing because they use so much less water. Front loaders are kinda infamous in the cloth diapering world to sometimes cause problems (not always of course, but people do usually have more trouble with them than with top loaders when it comes to cloth diapers). I've even seen it advised that people with a front loader seek out a top loader in order to more easily strip their diapers. The key in stripping is lots and lots of water so top loaders have that advantage even if they do remove less water in the spin cycle.
Sorry, don't want to seem like I'm arguing with you, it's just a very unusual recomendation...
Karen.
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I didn't think youre argueing, it seemed you were just asking, anyway, I bought front loader because I wanted to rinse out sudsy water, but if folks use same amount of detergent that they use with top loader or wrong detergent, I can see them having problems, I've used front for 4 years now, and no more hives in family since. and my clothes are cleaner and dry faster.
btw, from my experience most top loaders lock during the rinse cycle, so you cant just check at this time. |
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Hmm, I've always had top loaders (used at least 4 different ones so far in my lifetime) and mine have never locked. They do have a safety feature that they stop agitating though... I've been telling people to check the rinse cycle for suds for years now and I've never had anyone tell me that they couldn't do it so I don't know how common that is. Worse comes to worse, couldn't someone just push the button in to stop the cycle, check the water and then start it up again?
I think the amount of detergent people use may indeed be a factor. I think it's a factor for many folks regardless of the type of washer and it's probably worse with a front loader. But even when they really cut the amount of detergent they use, many still have problems and find it's a difficult balancing act between using enough that their diapers get clean yet not so much that it builds up. Most find it's just easier to achieve that balance in a top loader because it uses more water... And for stripping purposes, I just can't see where a front loader would be easier, it just doesn't use enough water...
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking front loaders. They're great for using less water and spinning faster which are important factors. But in my experience on boards such as this one, people do tend to have more issues using them with cloth diapers.
Karen. |
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Sounds like a rash we had on our little guy when he reacted to the detergent we were using... We stripped the diapers (like 10 washes in a front loader!) and it cleared right away after that!!
Good luck and I would definitely try using a Tide free (very very small amount) or soapnuts to wash your dipes!!! |
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Well, thanks everyone for the input, i appreciate the recommendations. Unfortunatly I don't have a front loader, so i will have to do it with my regular machine...but you say it takes like 10 washes? Yikes...but I guess thats what I have to do. The more I think about it the more Im thinking its buildup or the newer detergent. I was using Ivory Snow and don't remember her getting a rash with that...but the baby soft purex might be the culprit. It says hypoallergenic but still, that could be it. Do I just put the dipaers in with no washing ingredients and run a load that way over and over again? Should I put a bit of vineagar or what? Never done this so im not all that sure...I definatly know I want to do it ASAP so I can stop using icky disposables  . How good are soapnuts? i see them advertised and have wondered? Thanks again! |
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You may not have to wash them 10 times, it depends how bad your build-up is. Start with one or two and check a hot wash part of the cycle to check for suds. It's better to check when there's hot water in there (as opposed to a cold rinse for example) as hot water will tend to 'activate' (and rinse out) more suds than cold water will. The hotter the water the less washings it will take. If you can up the temperature on your hot water heater than could help.
Soaking in a heavy vinegar concentration ( like a few cups or more in the washer) could help dislodge the detergent and/or mineral build-up but it's not strictly necessary...
If you don't have odor problems with the diapers it could be just a very mild build-up as usually you'd get some nasty ammonia odors with heavy build-up.
Personally I LOVE my soapnuts! If it wasn't for the fact that they were shipped in from so far away I'd say they were the absolute perfect cleaning product! Residue free too, which is perfect for diapers! They're effective but yet gentle enough that some people use it as a skin cleanser and even shampoo!! Pretty inexpensive too, even if you do have to have it shipped. If you're in the US, many people have recomended a website called Laundrytree, you can check previous posts for the exact addy.
Karen. |
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| I know purell says hypo allergentic but it can't be since my dh is allergic to it. btw, in makeup my sister is allergic to physicians formula even though that is suppose to be hypo allergenic (I'm not allergic but I dont use anything but its pressed powder and that's only on special occasions) anyway, you can't always go by hypoallergenic because if folks get allergic than it is not hypoallergnic despite what it says (which is what I thought I originally posted, but aparently left out that part) LOL |
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| Re. stripping your diapers, in the interest of saving water and electricity (and wear on your diapers), if you can catch the machine before it goes into the rinse part (unless you have a hot rinse option), just let the water spin out and then start it over again at the beginning of the hot wash cycle. The cold rinse water isn't nearly as effective as the hot water in rinsing out the detergent. |
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I found that my DD started to get external yeast infections around 6months old and it was caused by the obvious amount of yeast in her urine. Her doctor told me to buy Montistat Derm over the counter and switch to disposables until the rash was gone. The rash wasn't caused by the diapers, so don't lose hope! Try pre-rinsing your diapers in the hottest water your washer puts out before the wash cycle, I feel it helps clean out the harshness in the urine.
I think a big benefit of Front Loaders is that you use a fraction of the soap. I have a Miele and I have the option of a Sensitive cycle, which is an extra rinse at the end. I always use that. If you somehow can do that with a Top Loader, I suggest it!
My DD still get's yeast infections and I know how terrible they can look. Good luck and I wish your little pumpkin comfort!
-Sarah |
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