Fuzzi Bunz STILL repelling!!!

[JillyD]

I am soooooo frustrated. I feel like i have done everything and these diapers are still repelling. I have two dozen of the things and am about to give up!!! I am hoping that someone out there can help.

The diapers are 3 years old - i am using them on my second kiddo - we just took them out of storage. Before using them, I washed them (always with Charlies) once and then ran them through 2 cycles "just to make sure" they'd be clean and fresh.

They started repelling just as we were done with diapers with DD. I tried a bunch of things to get them to stop repelling. I contacted FB and they recommended washing with oxiclean once and then running them through multiple hot wash/cold rinse cycles. I did that and more. Before I stored them, I stripped them (many hot water wash/cold rinse cycles) again and then just put them away hoping they would not do this when I used them again in the future. No such luck.

So, looking for other ideas on what to do. I have not used bleach at all and only use Charlies detergent. I dry them on med in the dryer.

What can i do to fix this??? What have you done that works????
Thanks thanks thanks in advance.

[justmama]

when you stripped, what did you use? did you use dawn? I have always found that a hot wash and a quirt squirt of dawn work extremely well? Maybe they aren't repelling but they just don't fit your child well? Are the inserts themselves repelling or just the pockets? Try a natural fiber insert like a flat instead of microfiber maybe? Do a vinegar soak for a few hours and then wash on hot with dawn? I am only throwing some ideas out there because it sounds like what you did should have worked.

[JillyD]

yup - done the vinegar, the dawn, and the oxiclean. still repelling. I can't even tell you how many times i have washed these things. i just ran them with a water softener...hope it works! fingers crossed b/c I have no backup plan.

[JTA Mom]

What is repelling, the inserts or the pockets themselves?

Ami

[DevaMajka]

Are they repelling ON the baby, or just when you drip water on them? They will look like they repell if you just drip water, when actually they will work when on the baby. They need the force of the pee to let the pee through.

I'd try using something cotton as an insert, then go from there. If the cotton insert is wet, it could be your inserts. I have microfiber cleaning towels, and they seem to repel water, and they have never been washed with fabric softener.
If the insert doesn't get wet, and the fleece is repelling, here are some ideas that I've read about (but don't actually have experience with, so go at your own risk. lol) I've read that RLR is good for stripping, or you could try bleach for stripping. Also, I've read that someone on diaperswappers, as a last resort, poked holes in the fleece of her pockets because they were repelling.

I hope something works! Good luck.

[JillyD]

This is driving me crazy nuts!! The water softener didn't work. I believe it is the fleece that is repelling. I'll put a diaper on him and after the first pee his clothes are totally soaked. Usually the pee goes up and out the back of the diaper (not the legs) which tells me it is more certainly repelling.

At this point, I am not sure what else to do. ugh. I really want to fix these diapers. sooooooooo frustrating.

[JTA Mom]

If it's the fleece pockets themselves, try this:

a toothbrush and dawn (or any grease fighting dish detergent). Scrub dawn really well onto the ENTIRE fleece part of the cover. Let sit 24hrs. Wash on hot. Let dry.

Repeat if still repelling.

I had to do the above 3 times to get desitin out of my Bumgenious pockets. It works, but MUST be left on at least overnight if not 24hrs. You need to give the detergent time to break down the oils.

Honestly, if dawn doesn't work, I'd be surprised. It will get rid of oily or greasey residue that can cause repelling.

I doubt build up is your issue. With all the rinses you've been doing, and the water softener, I don't think that's the issue.

Ami