Just smile, that’s what I should have done. Instead, I said, “you did what?!”
My sweet husband has taken over morning diaper changes for Sterling. Not for any other reason really besides the fact that if left up to me poor Sterling would be in the same diaper till mid-morning when I suddenly realized I had forgotten. I blame that on having a newborn.
For the past couple of weeks Sterling has worn Flip disposable inserts to bed. I haven’t found the time yet to strip his diapers…yes the ammonia has returned. I’m starting to feel like a not-so-expert cloth diaper blogger.
Anywho, the other day (mid morning) I remembered Sterling’s diaper and asked Michael if he threw the inside away.
With the cutest smile from both him and Haley he said, “well, it looked like you could just flush it. Kind of like a big wipe.”
“You flushed it??”
The good news is there wasn’t a toilet mess for me to clean up. Apparently, it did flush. Obviously, this is not recommended! If he tried it again I’m sure the results would be much messier.
I didn’t hear the story correctly. I was just informed that it did in fact get stuck! Michael had to double bag his hand and pull it out of the toilet. That’s so much funnier!
WAIT!! Michael just corrected me again (this is the 2nd edit). He stuck his bare hand in to retrieve the insert and (his words) pulled out the long rat then put it in the double bag. Okay, now that is much funnier!
I should have just smiled and said thank you. After all, I wouldn’t want him to think I didn’t trust him with that job ;)
In other news, did you know that your HE FL machine probably has a minimum water temperature at which it will operate? Oh, yes. Mine is 59*.
Do you know what that means if your machine is in the garage and a rare super cold front hits south Texas? It means this mom of 5 (2 in diapers) couldn’t do laundry for 2+ days!
This is one incidence that my cloth diaper addiction is totally justifiable. Camden is down to about 10 diapers now.
You should have seen how full my massive capacity machine was. Thankfully they are all in the dryer now. I was afraid the cold would set in again before I was done resulting in another mid-cycle shut down.
This was something I never considered (and probably won’t need to again) when we bought a FL. Have I mentioned how much I dislike the cold?
Nicole says
I know this is considered to be a total cloth diaper no-no but…I was having stink issues and switched from the recommended amount of detergent for cloth to the recommended amount of detergent on the box of Tide. I use Tide original powder and have a top loading washer. I fill the scoop up to the line between the 1 and 2 usually for a large load. I have not had any leaking or stink. In fact the diapers absorb better now (I think it is because they are actually CLEAN) than they ever have and they smell WONDERFUL! There are no suds in the final rinse and no adverse reactions on my boys bottoms. I know everyone says it is bad, but I go with what works and this has been working for us. :)
Krysta Bauer says
I agree on the full scoop of detergent! I think we have been shooting ourselves in the foot using 1/2 the amount. Seriously how can diapers….really dirty laundry….get clean with 1/2 the normal amount of detergent? I wouldn’t even think of washing my hubbys work clothes in 1/2 the detergent because they wouldn’t get clean. Why did I think my diapers would get clean?
I too have the cleanest smelling, best absorbing diapers since I started using a full scoop to the 1 line (at least) and using Tide.
Autumn Beck says
I’ve started using a huge scoop of RnG (that’s what I have right now) and my diapers smell SO much better!
Krysta Bauer says
Yeah!
Keri B. says
Have you ever tried BioKleen Bac-Out? I used to get horrid wet dog smell morning diapers until I changed my laundry routine. The diapers would seem clean (smell & appearance) until peed in, then Whoo Doggy! It would almost burn your eyes.
Now whenever I take off a wet/dirty diaper I spray a couple squirts of BioKleen Bac-Out (50/50 mixed with water) on each diaper or insert (pull inserts out of pocket) before putting in a hamper, not a wet bag or pail. Between the Bac-Out and extra air circulation, I’ve yet to have the ammonia stinkies return (going on 6 months now). And yes, I do have a HE machine.
Heather Estey says
ah, dont know if it will help, but we switched from rRCG Hard Rock a few months ago to our homemade detergent, which is simply borax (1 cup) washing soda (1 cup) and a bar of Ivory (grated)(and all three mixed together). I use 2 TBS in my HE FL, and it has eliminated those problems with ammonia (I have twin girls who are 11 months old). We have extremely hard water, and vinegar, etc, just makes things worse. Could you try that Autumn, and see if it works for you? I find the less I use of the detergent the better my diapers are in the end due to the low water flow of the washer. And by the way, yes, washing soda and borax are two completely different products! :) Your story cracked me up! Our Hubbies would make great friends!
Molly says
I have found that OxyBoost works great for keeping away amonia smell. I do a cold wash with Charlie’s soap then a hot wash with 1 oz of OxyBoost with an extra rinse. Keeps the stink away for a long time. I hate stripping, now I have to do it a lot less often. It also works well as a presoak to get all kinds of stains out of clothes clothes. A little bit goes a long way! Good luck! Thanks for the funny story.
http://www.oxyboost.com/productPages/oxyboost.html
Thyme says
I had asked earlier about if you’ve used Tushies before. I just used some and they are amazing. And the best part is that they don’t have any of the gelly crystals or the dioxin. FLIP inserts AND gDiapers both have the gel stuff.
I have a 20% off an Amazon diapers purchase, that I’d be more than happy to give you, and they also have their Subscribe and Save (I could explain the whole process to you, if you wanted.) I bought 120 Tushies delivered to my door 2nd day ship (free) for $20. Let me know if you’re interested in the Amazon code. Having all these healthier disposables made me feel better about using them for a week when I had to flu. :)
Autumn Beck says
Awesome! I’d love the code, you can reply to the email broadcast (if you don’t receive them you can sign up by clicking the email icon on far right)
Tammy says
Hillarious! At least he was trying to help.
Dana says
I actually use tubs with soaking water in it with about two tablespoons of baking soda in them each (their small). I use pre folds and the rubber pants that you get at wally world. Little to no budget really(pre folds are borrowed and are about 20 years old). I have two Thirsties Duo Wrap Snaps. I have two kids in diapers both 18 mnths and older. I use baking soda in the washer about 1/2 Cup to 1Cup each load with All free and clear washing liquid only half of one load size and peroxide. This and sometimes washing them in the bathtub by hand letting them soak for 1/2 an hour was the only way to get the nasty smell out of them. Then they go in the dryer like normal. Now they dont smell at all(ask my sister-in-law and mom).
Esra aytul says
I have a question regarding ammonia stink? Is that happens on micrifer inserts or all of your diapers including cotton inserts as well??
Autumn Beck says
It affects all of them in our case. We have microfiber, hemp, cotton and bamboo.
The Domestic Yogi says
Girl, you just made my day. That was hilarious! Plus, my dd stays in her diaper too long in the morn too sometimes. I use the disposable inserts at night in my g’s. That is what happens when you a have more than one! Just found your blog. Can’t wait to read more! :)
Krysta Bauer says
Autumn, I have watched your ammonia struggle, and after recently battling the ammonia burns myself I can sure relate. It took over 3 years for my problem to develop but I believe I have found the solution. Here it is….your diapers simply aren’t getting clean and bacteria is building up and causing you grief. If you follow my washing instructions after you rid your diapers of the bacteria you shouldn’t have this repeat problem. The problem probably isn’t with the detergent your using, but with your wash routine. You need to “help” your detergent work its best when washing cloth. This information is after hours of research (which I am sure you have done too!) and a very helpful thread over at diaper swappers.
First you need to do all rinses and washes in HOT water. It just simply gets things cleaner. Then because you have hard water now, add a scoop (or two) of washing soda to your wash cycle and use a FULL measure of detergent. You can also add a scoop of oxyclean (or generic) to the wash to help whiten and lightly disinfect. For complete details and how to get the bacteria out it would be easiest to link to my web page, but I don’t want to do that without your OK.
Quite a chuckle your hubby has given us today. My hubby would of made me fish the thing out of the toilet!
Autumn Beck says
Krysta, I do wash and rinse in hot. Is Borax washing soda? I’ve been adding Borax to the wash for about a month now. You may add the link.
Krysta Bauer says
Link: http://www.totwraps.com/pages/Washing-Instructions.html
I am still working on adding more details…like the answer to your Borax question.
Borax is totally different from washing soda. Washing soda you will usually find near the Borax in the laundry aisle. It looks almost the same as a box of baking soda, but it says washing soda on it. The box is yellow and it is made by arm & hammer. You probably will have to get it from your local grocery, not a wally world.
Washing soda is a water softener, and a cheap one! When you soften the water the detergent can work better. I just have to test everything, so I started my diapers washing with just detergent. Then I add about 1T of washing soda and it was amazing how much more suds I got. If you still aren’t getting much suds it is safe to add more washing soda. I know we are usually so afraid of suds when rinsing cloth, but we need them when washing cloth. Even low sudsing Charlies Soap, suds a lot more when adding the washing soda.
Emily D says
I thought suds were no good for HE/ FL ?? Can you use washing soda in one?
Autumn Beck says
excess suds are bad
Krysta Bauer says
You can use washing soda in a HE/FL. You just have to make sure that the suds level is below the seals. With my water I have little to no suds without the soda, and a “normal” amount of suds with the soda. The washing soda should make the detergent suds the amount it is supposed to. So if you are using HE detergent, it is made to suds the proper amount in soft water. You add washing soda to soften your hard water, so you are just allowing the detergent to work its best….like it does in soft water. I hope that is clear, I am a little tired now…
Britt Hailstone says
We have really hard minerally (is that a word?) water up here in the Fraser Valley (B.C. Canada) and I started experiencing the dreaded amonia right around the time my daughter turned two. Vinegar definitely makes it worse with our water. The only thing that has helped us has been adding a wee bit of bleach (I know, sounds awful – I thought so too before I finally gave in). So now we do a cold rinse, follwed by a hot wash with Country Save + approx 1/4 cup of bleach, and followed with two warm rinses. We have an old (early 80s)top loading washer … it aint pretty nor is it as enviro-friendly as the HEs, but it sure works well for us! I don’t think I could “upgrade” to a front-loading HE until my youngest is potty-trained.
Emily says
That is why I do love gdiapers flushable inserts! Whenever I use my flip disposables I feel bad for just tossing them. But I love that the gdipe insert goes in the toilet with the poop/pee and breaks up and no clogs! Sorry to hear about the crazy toilet story!
Joanna says
I think the really rank stinkies don’t usually show up till the babies are toddlers. I’ve Cd’d 5 of my 6 kids, and toddler pee is way more prone to ammonia and stinkies. Maybe because the little babies are on a liquid diet, so the pee is more diluted? For some reason my boys were worse than the girls too. I have 2 yo dd in diapers right now. At the moment our routine is cold wash with sun free detergent, a handful of water softening powder like calgon, and a scoop of sun oxyclean. Then a full hot water wash with a handful of baking soda. No extra rinses or pre-washes. My diapers come out clean and fresh, and the peed ones rarely stink when I take them off her. Occasionally I do a vinegar rinse if a load has been sitting.
Dawn says
Bahahaha! That’s a brave man thrusting his bare hand into the toilet to retrieve the ‘sposie insert, lol. I use Tide Free & Gentle for 14+ months now in awful nasty hard water with no ammonia issues (or barnyard stink, or repelling, or any of the scary stuff you hear so much about on DS) even in my MF pocket inserts. Everything just smells like nothing all the time. But I have an ancient top loader that is begging for peaceful rest (it floods my laundry room floor) but I will. not. let. it. go. until we are done with diapers. XD
Victoria says
Autumn,
I LOVE your posts – and how truly real you are!!! You are a joy to us all!
As a new cd’er, I am curious… as I suppose I have not really realized the ‘ammonia issue’ I guess-? [Here is my routine… cold rinse with white vinegar, then hot wash with Rock N Green (classic rock) detergent. I typically sunshine dry… sorry, we’re in sunny FL] My LO is nine months… am I just not there yet? I began cd’ing my three year old a few months before the baby was born (he was my eperiment-ee!) and I slightly noticed an ammonia odor a couple times after he was in his cd for an extended period of time, so I wondered if it was just credited to ‘bigger kid’ pee? I’m wondering if that’s a norm and it’s just awaiting me down the road…? Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have – and forewarning!
Victoria
Autumn Beck says
I didn’t began having ammonia problems until Sterling was 18+ months. When we lived in north Dallas and had soft water I could fix the problem with vinegar.
Emily D says
Could be the sunning. During the summer I always hang my diapers outside, and never have stink, but it’s a struggle in the winter!
crystal says
We have used purex free and clear since my son was born 4 months ago with no leaks,no smell,no stripping needed. It works,its cheap,and no issues.
tiffany says
Toooo funny! My hubs probably would’ve done the same thing.
Cindi says
Well….*grinning from ear to ear* I’m smiling enough for both of us with that awesome visual you gave us. No wait…now I feel a good old belly laugh beginning to form.
So the hot water trick didn’t work?
Maggie says
thank you for bringing a smile to my face : ) great story
Kristin says
So this may not be the best detergent for everyone but we have been using tide sport for a year. No leaking and no ammonia. My daycare mom even commented on how much she loved the smell of my dipes. I am not 100% sure they make it in HE though.
Stephanie says
How much do you use? I use 1 oz. of Allens Naturally and still find suds when I strip my diapers. Do you have to strip your diapers?
Kristin says
I use the first line for just wet diapers (I wash them separately – the wet ones don’t get an extra rinse and I use a regular wash on them, and the dirties I use a good rinse, a heavy wash and another rinse) then the second line with the first. I have stripped my diapers once, about a year ago. I haven’t had to strip them, or I haven’t had issued with them since I started using Tide Sport.
Kristin says
Oops – I meant second line in the top with the dirties.