[lovemyfamily6]

I just found out that I've been using twice as much detergent as I'm supposed to for our diapers, which is probably why our little one had a bleeding bottom.

I thought I was using the right amount, but I just found out that I wasn't.

We have GMD brown edge prefolds. We trifold and lay in a Thirsties or Bummis cover. We need new covers anyway because we have mediums and our almost 2 year old is 30 pounds. Using them this way instead of pinning or with a snappi, is it possible that the brown edges could work all the way through potty learning or will they be too small in a large cover?

Is there a way to save my prefolds that have apparently been washed with twice as much detergent needed for a year and a half? I never saw bubbles in the rinse cycle, but it makes sense that detergent build up would be the culprit. Is it too late and are they too far gone to save? Do I just need to buy new diapers and start over?

I'm hopeful but I guess I won't hold my breath.

Thank you!

 

[Vancouver Mommy]

You can definitely save them, but they need to be stripped. Google "stripping cloth diapers" for the instructions.

 

[chely7425]

I have no experience with the size on GMD prefolds but I would try boiling your prefolds to get the detergent build up out of them!! It might be a bit time consuming but it would probably get your dipes back to square one.

 

[lovemyfamily6]

I just googled stripping and it says to do that if they stink, but they don't stink at all. They don't smell wonderful, kind of stale, but not smelly or like ammonia.

I feel like I've kind of done that before with hot washes/no detergent and I don't see any bubbles in the water.

This is such an ordeal. I'm so frustrated. I want to stop using disposables but I don't want my little guy's bottom to bleed.

 

[chely7425]

What kind of detergent were you using? Do you know if you have hard or soft water?

 

[lovemyfamily6]

We use Allen's. I don't think our water is particularly hard or soft. We live in town and we don't have problems with build up or difficulty rinsing or stains on our dishes/toilet/sinks.

 

[lovemyfamily6]

It does say to turn up the water heater for stripping. I haven't done that before. What should the temperature be? I just keep reading about turning it up, but no specific temperature.

 

[Vancouver Mommy]

If they don't stink and you aren't getting bubbles in the rinse cycle then maybe they're OK. Mine get really smelly when there's a build-up.

 

[lovemyfamily6]

It's so weird that we did fine for 15 months, then bam! Red bottom quickly turned to bleeding bottom. I'm frustrated because I want them to work but I can't have his poor bottom bleeding.

 

[Nillarilla]

Just a thought but maybe there is a bacteria or something fungal in them. I would add some tea tree oil to the wash and sun them.

 

[CultivatingMyRoots]

Are you sure it's the diapers? Food allergy or yeast can cause rashes, yeast especially will make skin bleed. Did he (or you, if you're bf'ing) go on antibiotics lately? Is he eating a lot of sugar/starches?

Without bubbles or a bad smell, I wouldn't think it was detergent build up, and especially so quickly.

 

[lovemyfamily6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nillarilla Just a thought but maybe there is a bacteria or something fungal in them. I would add some tea tree oil to the wash and sun them.

How much tea tree oil? I don't have any, would I just get that at a hfs? Is it antibactial/antifungal?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CultivatingMyRoots Are you sure it's the diapers? Food allergy or yeast can cause rashes, yeast especially will make skin bleed. Did he (or you, if you're bf'ing) go on antibiotics lately? Is he eating a lot of sugar/starches? Without bubbles or a bad smell, I wouldn't think it was detergent build up, and especially so quickly.

Yeah, it's the diapers. He's 23 months now and this started at 15 months. We went through three months of trying to find a solution because every time he would be fine in disposables, but within a day of cloth, he would be red/bleeding again, fastest after poop. I took him to the pediatrician and she ruled out yeast. He's been in disposables now for 5 months with no rash at all.

 

[chely7425]

I think if it were me, I would boil all my prefolds to make sure anything and everything in them was dead and they were really really clean. You might also try getting some fleece and making some stay dry liners, maybe his skin is sensitive to wetness?

 

[lovemyfamily6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chely7425 I think if it were me, I would boil all my prefolds to make sure anything and everything in them was dead and they were really really clean. You might also try getting some fleece and making some stay dry liners, maybe his skin is sensitive to wetness?

Would this work instead of tea tree oil? Do I just boil water and put diapers in for a period of time? How long should I leave them in the boiling water? Then just wash normally?

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions. I appreciate it.

 

[mamasthree]

I would wash them with no detergent, hot hot water and a couple tablespoons of bleach.

 

[mommietime]

In your situation I would go ahead and do 2 things:
1. run them through a regular cycle with bleach instead of detergent in the wash . Add to the water, not the bleach cup on your machine.
2.Turn your water heater all the way to max. If you do this, you don't need to boil. Run them 3 times on a plain water hot wash with the heater to max. Be very careful at the sinks and tub/shower while you are doing this - that water will scald you quick, so turn the water heater back down when you're finished!

Try that first.
If it doesn't help, find a product called bac-out, and try that.

 

[chely7425]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovemyfamily6 Would this work instead of tea tree oil? Do I just boil water and put diapers in for a period of time? How long should I leave them in the boiling water? Then just wash normally? Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions. I appreciate it.

Just take as big a pot as you have, bring water to a boil and put your diapers in for 10 minutes. It is defintiely time consuming because you can't stuff the pot and you have the change the water every couple boils but you should theoretically only have to do it once!! After they are boiled just wash like normal.

 

[brietta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chely7425 I think if it were me, I would boil all my prefolds to make sure anything and everything in them was dead and they were really really clean.

I tried all methods of stripping before I finally boiled our diapers and then dried them outside in the sun, and whatever it was that was causing all sorts of redness/irritation on my son went away instantly! I still don't for sure if it was detergent build-up or bacteria of some sort, but the boiling takes care of both. Definitely worth the effort, especially because it doesn't cost anything but your time.

Good luck.

 

[Marcimama]

As for sizing, I use gmd brown edge with my 2 year old tri-folded in a cover. If you want to pin or snappy you might need bigger, but I think mine will last through potty learning...

 

[momma-molly]

I would bleach them. If there is any kind of bacteria, fungus or ammonia, it'll kill it - Fast. To really be double sure that they are okay, I'd soak them with a quarter cup of bleach, do a HOT wash and then boil them.

If he still gets a bleeding bum, I'm out of suggestion. Bleach works for us when we have rash problems. I can always tell when my diapers need bleach because she gets little raw spots - even though I can't smell anything on my dipes. It's exactly like you described, just a stale smell.

There is another thread around her where a poster suggested soaking the diapers in vinegar for several hours, maybe try that if you don't want to use bleach.