On April 2, 2009, I asked, “What is your biggest issue with cloth diapers?” It’s amazing how time doesn’t change the answer much.
I’m a mom just like you. I am busy, my to-do list is way too long, there is always someone needing something, I hardly have time for a shower, and I can never catch up on laundry. So the last thing I need is cloth diaper problems.
One problem that I can’t stand is stink! Stink when they pee, stinky poop, stinky diaper pail, stink when I dump them in the washer, stink stink stink.
Some of the stink I can’t do anything about (poop will always stink) but others I can prevent or coverup.
To help with the diaper pail smells you’ll remember my recent post on Lil’ Outlaws Pail Pardner. I bought a mini-mason jar salt shaker from Walmart to dispense it and now I’m always deoderizing the pail, carpet, laundry baskets…
I have several different scents and all of them are good! Jacklen lives near me (yeah for me!) and I love that she has a product that remedies/prevents a stink problem.
Another product I can’t live without is Bac-Out Stain and Odor Eliminator. When Sterling was born all the laundry was handled by my husband for more than a week. When I started washing the cloth diapers again I found that all the Bac-out was gone. I told myself that I’ve cloth diapered years without Bac-out so they should be fine. A week later everyone in the house was disgusted by the stink!
Every time Paisley would pee the smell would knock us out! Paisley uses pocket diapers with a Blueberry microfiber/hemp insert. Without Bac-out these types of inserts are bound to smell.
Bac-out also eats away all those nasty bacteria that if not washed out will cause stink issues of their own. The natural enzymes in Bac-out must be thoroughly washed out so as to not cause a rash on your child, which is why I use it in the pre-wash.
Our week without Bac-out has prompted me to stock up and buy in bulk! Problem #2 solved.
As long as I don’t have to deal with disgusting cloth diaper problems then I can effectively survive this chaotic time in my life. It’s nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel though. I am beginning to feel that a routine is on the horizon and that I may possibly be able to resume my career as chef, maid, chauffeur, referee, coach, teacher, gardener (ha! my 2 barely surviving ivies are laughing at that), and handyman.
What are your biggest issues with cloth diapers? Is it stains? Leaks? Rashes? Let me know and we can work through them together. I’ve probably dealt with it in some way and there’s no need for both of us to lose our sanity over it!
It’s funny to go back and read about your own life. Things are so much busier now than they were 2 1/2 years ago but overall I’d have to say it’s much more peaceful. Routine will help with that.
I don’t use Lil’ Outlaws Pail Pardner anymore but I would still recommend it.
What cloth diaper issues are plaguing your life right now?
I’m excited to try my Bac out after reading your post. A few questions: do you use it everytime you wash your diapers? Also, after the prewash, do you do a wash in between Bac out & detergent? I usually do a regular wash without detergent, then another wash with.
Hi Ester! Are you doing the wash without detergent as your pre-wash or is there an actual pre-wash before that? I don’t use it every time, but you can. I put it in my pre-wash. And then just start a cycle with soap right after. So my routine is warm prewash(bac out goes here), hot wash with tide, cold rinse, hot rinse. done :)
I am new to cloth with a one year old, started her at about 9 months of age, I use BG pocket diapers and AIO, I have found the diapers smell when you overcrowd for the washer, I really do not like my washer it is a top loader energy saver and the water just does not fill up enough, I use Country Saver Det. ( have hard water) And the used RLR one time, may give BacOut a try, expecting baby boy end of April.:)
I am buying the gallon size bottles of Bac out stain and odor.. What would you say the 3 large squirts would be equivalant to?? maybe a 1/3 cup???
Thanks in advance :)
yes, it is 1/3 cup
Why can’t you use peroxide in the wash?
you can :)
Autumn,
This site: http://kellyscloset.com/news/gro_soakers.html says that BacOut will cause PUL deterioration. Since most of my stash has PUL, this greatly concerns me… what do you know about this and what have you found, especially using it with every load for an extended time? I love the way it erases stink, but don’t want diaper deterioration!!
*Personally*, I have never had a problem. HOWEVER, this warning should be heeded and one should be aware that anytime you use a product not on the manufacturers recommended list you could be nullifying the warranty.
I’ve had great luck with Thirsties PreWash as a presoak for removing stains and stink. I also love the Thirsties SuperWash (which is a liquid) for washing. Follow up with drying out on the line and it’s almost a guarantee the stink and stains will be gone.
I’ve never heard of Bac out, but I like to hang my diapers in the sun to help bleach stains and kill bacteria.
I use BacOut in my pre wash as well (thanks so much Autumn for the tip! It’s a lifesaver!). As my detergent, I use Charlie’s Soap. I have never had a single ammonia problem – my diapers come out clean every time, and I have never had repelling issues even though I use Grandma El’s. That having been said, I have heard that Charlie’s Soap can cause rashy bums on certain sensitive babies and with very hard water, so keep that in mind. Of course, for harder water I have always been told Country Save is one of the best options. I just use Charlie’s because it’s a super great value. So it might be worth trying.
With regard to bulk and onesies…one step ahead sells a onesie snap extender so that you can fit the onesie over the CD. We love them!! They definitely make onesies last longer.
My problem with onesie extenders (I have some from Gerber) is that many companies use different snaps so they don’t fit each kind of onesie! I find that very annoying because my child is tall, but medium build so he grows out of onesies length-wise well before weight, but I can’t keep using them all cause the extenders don’t fit the snaps! grrrrr. Thanks for the tip, I’ll try these extenders and maybe they’ll fit more kinds of onesies. :-)
The one step ahead ones are of varying sizes so they fit a greater variety of brands…but there are some that they don’t fit.
When I exclusive used prefolds, I never had stink. When I added some microfiber, they stunk terribly. Prefolds or Motherease OS are the only way I know to avoid the stinkies.
My biggest problem with cloth diapering is leaking. My SH has had wicking with almost all of his CD types: BG 3.0 One Size, Bummis covers over various pre-folds, and all out leaks with his Soft Bum Omnis. I noticed some of my BG’s were seconds, so I have took those out of rotation and replaced them with BG 3.0 AIO (which I like much better: no leaking AND no stuffing, I wish they were still available). But I can’t figure out why my Bummis Covers are wicking! I don’t even dare using my Omnis during naptime or nighttime! I have thought about contacting the manufacturers for help, but who has the time to call multiple companies. I really wish I could turn my entire stash into Sized BG’s. Until that day, I just have to use the occasional disposable to give my resolve a break.
Your wicking problem with the prefolds might not be the covers, it might be the diapers. You may want to try striping them. If that doesn’t work you can try using a doubler to catch extra pee. I just use two prefolds at one time (especially at night~ my baby is a super soaker at night! : ) ) You might want to consider changing your detergent if striping helps. I love soap nuts, but there are other good ones out there. Hope this helps! : )
Try throwing the covers in the dryer on high for 10 minutes. Make sure you let them cool before using so you don’t ruin the elastic. I was told this helps to close any holes by melting the fabric back together. I worked for me. Just don’t do it all the time, once every couple months is all you should have to do.
Like Amy T.- night time diapering. I was having major stinkies (ammonia) a while ago – before summer came around and could sun them out. It’s better day time now, but if I put a cd on my 30 month old (part-time diapered) at night it reeks and she gets very sore and red.
I also have a 2.5 month old, and just recently started to notice ammonia smell on her in the morning as well. They don’t use any of the same diapers.
I rinse cold (twice for older dd’s dipes), wash warm with RnG (add extra water and usually soak for a bit), wash warm with vinegar.
Oh, and anybody know how to get bac-out in Canada?
Amazon sells Bac Out … that is where I have been buying it .. but I just talked out local health food store to keep it on the shelf!! Not sure but some of the amazon sellers must ship to you!!
I have heard of alot of people having problems with ammoinia. This is what I have found to work. I will not boil my diapers on the stove But I have found that if I turn up the water heatter to the hottest setting it works. I will rinse my diapers. While they are rinsing I turn up the water heatter. I then use I scoop of charlies soap, 1/2 c. baking soda and a small amount of liquid calagon, a water softner, and let them soak over night. This has really worked. I have read some articules saying vinager is bad for the diapers because of the ammonia, that it could actually make it worse. I have one friend who will do every other wash with just one cup of baking soda and a cap full of calagon. So far this has worked for me. I hope this helps.
Yes, I have heard with the type of water you may have the vinegar may do the opposite of what you want it to do.. If you have hard water.. dont try vinegar..
I live in Fairbanks, AK and am expecting my first child in January. My husband and I are both committed to trying CDing and have been doing tons of research. Winter here means extremly cold (-40F), dry weather with about 2 hours of weak sunlight until about March. There seem to be many benefits to drying diapers in the sun, but is there a comprable alternative when there is no sun?
I’ve always dried mine in the dryer. Drying racks inside work.
I live in “Sunshine State” Florida and don’t dry mine outside ( ; Between humidity and scattered/unpredictable showers it’s just easier to dry them inside. I have a clothes line that I put up in my garage (attached to the wall and ceiling – not pretty but it works). In the past I’ve also used a drying rack or hung them on my shower rod in the bathroom with no problems. Good luck!
I had trouble with things stinking a lot until I started using the Thirsties prewash in every diaper load. The pail still stinks when I dump the diapers into the washer but the bathroom doesn’t constantly smell like ammonia/urine. I love Thirsties–I don’t think I would have survived cloth diapering this long without it!
My cloth diaper issue!? The bulk!
It’s definitely not the issue I thought I would have, not even one I anticipate – when I decided to CL I geared myself up for the laundry (it’s not too much), the stink (actually, not bad – there was an ammonia issue with our nb sized diapers after a while, but we have a new batch and so far I’ve been able to avoid it), the inconvenience (barely more than a disposable). But I didn’t know that the bulkiness of the diaper would bug me so much. I feel like I’m missing part of his baby-hood: his cute little baby bum. We took a 10-day trip to Hawaii and chose to do disposables – what was my favorite part of the trip? My baby’s tiny bum!
He’s 4 months old and skinny. I have seen Autumn’s recommendations for a trimmer diaper, but my main reason for CDing was budget. So, we use GMD prefolds or flats with a Bummis cover. The bulk isn’t quite as bad as he’s gotten older/bigger but still a “bummer” (ha – pun) for me.
Anyone want to console me?
Even with the flats you have bulk? There’s no reason you can’t enjoy a tiny bum on a budget! There is quite a variety of Made in China pockets that really do work and are trim with just 1 microfiber insert. I encourage you to buy one SunBaby or any other name of basically the same diaper and see if you like it.
I think I would have to agree with the ” bulk” complaint. I have a girl and though I can usually dress her in cute dresses or t-shirts and a CD, there are onesies she cannot fit in b/c of a bulky bottom. We cloth diaper part time for now as my stash consists of only a few diapers, AIO , pocket, AI2. Prefolds and a terry cloth flat. I enjoy CD’ing, haven’t had a problem with stink since I have a breastfed baby whose diapers have been washed and soaked in RNG from the beginning, and I think they’re adorable. But definitely gonna agree with the bulk statement.
I am so glad to hear that it’s not just me! I too feel like I am missing a part of her baby-hood. We do lots of naked time where we lay down a bunch of blankets and waterproof pads and we let her just scoot around naked. We get to soak in all the tiny tush cuteness we can stand before we have to bulk it up with cloth.
I might be the only one in the world that thinks this, but I find my son’s puffy butt adorable. We call him “The Penguin.” Yes, that means he stretches out his clothes a bit more, but he is happy and definitely healthier because of the cloth.
No you’re not the only one!!! I love the fluffy booty….
Thank you so much for this post! I am definitely ordering some BacOut now, the only complaint my husband has about cloth diapers is that our house and daughter constantly smells like urine. I hope this takes care of the problem!
Stinkies are definitely a problem around here. Has anyone tried the Bum Genius Odor Remover spray? Does it work?
Ann Marie – For your #2 question, wool diaper covers might help (they “pull up”, so there is no velcro or snaps to deal with). It makes for a bigger butt, though, even if you use it with fitteds (as opposed to using it over AIOs or pocket diapers).
My question is: How do you soften hemp fitted diapers? My Tiny Tush hemp/cotton blends are not too bad, but I think they are starting to get a little crunchy. And given recent multiple blow-outs (like 6 poops in 27 hours!), my 13 months old is getting a little reddness/dipaer rash (from the poop/acidity, not the diaper). Just want to make sure the diaper is as soft as possible during this time of discomfort for him. Thanks!!
With fitteds and prefolds you can use a natural fabric softener every so often. It is wonderful to have them soft again!
What would be considered a natural fabric softener? I use dryer balls in every load and don’t think I have a crunchy problem. I love the Thirsties hemp inserts because they have cotton on the outside and they are super absorbent!
I go to our local (which isn’t very local for me because I live way out in the country… haha but anyway) health food store, Whole Foods, and on their cleaning products aisle they have a laundry softener made by Ecover. I get the “sunny day” scent. It smells really good! I had read around CD forums and sites that it was great for cloth diapers. I bought some and after I used it the first time, HOLY MOLY!!! I had no idea how stiff and crunchy my dipes had gotten until I pulled them out of the dryer after using Ecover softener. It is FABULOUS! They’re like butter!! I don’t use it every time just maybe every two weeks or so to soften them up again. On the front of the bottle it says, “Makes Ironing Easier, Naturally Softens And Freshens Your Laundry, Ideal for Baby Clothes” and the ingredients are listed as : “Plant based cationic tensio-active surfactants, water, salts, natural plant based fragrance and 100% biodegradable preservative.”
I have not noticed any repelling or lack of absorbency after using it at all. For the record though, I only use Sbish mutlis & fitteds and BumGenius Elementals which are made of organic bamboo & cotton terry, bamboo fleece, and 100% organic cotton respectively. So I can’t vouch for how it works on other types of fabric, but I would certainly give it a try! … Sorry for the novel! HTH :)
I wrote a reply to Nikki below… I thought both comments were from you…whoops! I have obviously still not woken up this morning! Anyway, I wrote about trying Ecover fabric softener. It works GREAT for my cloth diapers!
Right now our biggest problem is leaky diapers. We use pockets, fuzzi bunz sized and bum genius mostly. She’s a year old but still in the small Fuzzi Bunz and on the lowest rise on the Bum Genius. So I’m not sure if they’re leaking because she’s got such skinny legs, if she needs more inserts because she’s peeing more, or if there’s some other problem with the diapers.
Is it major leaking or wicking? When she wears the FB are they tight on her?
I would say it’s usually wicking and only sometimes is there a major leak disaster.
When she wears the Fuzzi Bunz they are tight enough to have no gaps around the legs, the elastic is stretched a little bit but not all the way.
I had MAJOR leak issues with BG 4.0 and FB, I was about to sell them because I was DONE! Finally I realized it was because of the “cd safe” diaper rash cream I was using (Grandma El’s). The liner was repelling, I could see the pee in bubbles on the liner. A test I did was that I used the diaper as a cover instead of a pocket (which you can’t do if the inserts are microfiber). I used prefolds to stuff so instead of stuffing, I put them on top of the liner. I didn’t have any leaks using them this way, so I was pretty convinced that the liner was the issue. I did some serious stripping (scrubbed the liner with Dawn, rinsed really well, even in the dishwasher). For some reason (perhaps because they are made of natural fibers) I didn’t have the same trouble with the prefolds. Perhaps the cream creates a residue on the synthetic fiber that the liner of the pockets is made of.
Even after figuring out the above issue, I was still having trouble with FB leaking. I realized it was because I wasn’t tightening the waist enough. Once I figured that out, they stopped leaking. I didn’t even know the elastic for the waist was there because it is hidden so well.
My daugher had the same problem. She is 22MO old and only 22 lbs. We figured out that she is just too small to get the pressure on the diper needed to make it asorb. The stay dry liners (fleece microsude, etc) need a tight skin contact to get through. No matter what pockets we put on my daughter she would leak and im talking puddles on the floor and the insert still dry. We use prefolds or an all in one that does not have a stay dry liner. Prefolds seem to work the best we never have a leak and she can soak a whole diaper many times a day. Hope that helps.
I would have to say the biggest issue for us right now, well there are 2:
1. Our 4 year old is developmentally disabled. We are working on PL’ing, but it is a painstakingly slow process, so he still requires diapers during naps and at night. Trying to find a diaper that will hold the amount of pee he puts out without it being ridiculously bulky is really difficult.
2. Our 17 month old has mastered the art of removing both velcro AND snap diapers! Not sure how to outsmart her on this one???
Ann Marie – Not sure when your worst time of day is for trying to keep the diaper on, but if it’s at bedtime/naptime when unsupervised, I recommend using the backwards jammies trick. I would put my daughter in a zip-up sleeper, but put it on backwards. With a zipper up the back, there was no getting to the diaper. The little footies twist around easy enough to accommodate the change in design!
I bought Bac-Out on your suggestion, Autumn, but would love to know exactly how much you use in the pre-wash. I’ve just been squirting it in there willy-nilly…so far it’s definitely cut down on the ammonia smell, so I think I’m using enough, but I hope I’m not using too much!
Laurie — I spray bac out on all poopy diapers after I’ve sprayed them in the toilet. I have no stains and no stink. So you can do it that way instead of putting it in the actual wash. Just make sure you do your initial rinse on cold because hot will cause the bacout to be ineffective (your actual long wash cycle should be hot though).
3 big squirts
Thanks!
Exactly the answer I was looking for! Just bought some to try and was wondering exactly how to use it since it’s a spray. Thanks. :-)
How much bac-out, and does it only come in liquid or in powder too (only saw liquid on amazon)?
I believe only in liquid and you use 3 big squirts.
Stink… both diaper pail and post washing. I think I’ve I got it mostly figured out. Line drying helps, but then results in stiff (like I started them) diapers.
And stains. Yep… the breastfed only poop, which stains, stains, stains. and if it stains, is it really getting clean?
Yes you can have stains and they are still clean. The poop can dye the fabric. Sun will fade the stains.
For those with ammonia issues – I’ve had great success with fish tank ammonia remover. I’ve gottent the tablets at Walmart for about $5. I use 3 tablets in a full washer of hot water and let the diapers soak for a few hours, then rinse a few times. Then wash as normal – they always come out smelling great and the ammonia problem is gone.
You can buy Bac-Out at drugstore.com. They often have shipping discounts and sales.
I bought some Bac Out but I am not sure how much to use. I pre rinse all my dipes and inserts with cold water. I do a cold wash, then a hot wash and if I added bleach to the first wash, I do a third wash with cold water. I have always used Bum Genius Diaper cleaner, but now I am trying EcoSprout.
Thanks,
Marissa
I’ve heard that BG detergent is really good. I didn’t like ES that much. For the Bac-out you use 3 big squirts.
We had ammonia and barnyard odors about a year ago with DD who was 18mo. What worked for us and our Fuzzibunz was doubling our Charlie’s or RNG to 4T for a long hot soak. Then we kept the detergent level higher from that point on and have no trouble. Now she’s potty trained at 30 mo, but we still use BGs and Happy Hempies with 2 big inserts for naps and bedtime. We get only the faintest ammonia from overnight.
You can get Bac-out in bulk on Amazon, with free shipping on prime. My DD seemed to get rashes from it, though.
My biggest problem right now is stink. I havent changed anything about my routine but my diapers stink so bad even after they are washed. I have tried stripping them, extra rinses, washing more frequent. Nothing is working, so my next step is to switch soap. I dont know if its the cause but ever since rockin green changed there formula that is when I noticed the problem, So Im going to try something else to wash them. Any one with any tips?
I had terrible amonia problems and found http://thecloththatcounts.wordpress.com/ Since I followed the stripping and wash routine here (including using regualr old Tide powder) I have not had a single stink or amonia problem since.
The link doesn’t take you to a specific post. If you could please find the one you are referring to that would be helpful ;)
Original Tide is all I can recommend. stuff is great, though hard to find since they only make Ultra now. RnG did not work for us either.
I used to have problems with stinky diapers…ammonia stink mostly. When we moved to a new house that had a soft water system it took just about a month for that ammonia stink to vanish. It was amazing and such a blessing on my eyes and nose.
Autumn (or anybody else that might know!!) – where do you buy Bac-Out in bulk? We have been using it for nearly 3 years now and I swear by it, but I’ve only been able to find it in small bottles at our local health food store and it’s usually quite expensive unless I happen to catch it on sale. Would love to buy in bulk! Any place online that doesn’t charge crazy shipping fees?
Lori,
The best place (price, speed, customer service) is Amazon. They have a neat subscription plan too, that gets you a good discount. Basically you sign up for an automated system that ships your Bac-Out every month (or I think you get to pick how often) and you get billed when they ship it out. The subscription is for a year. It has saved me time and money. However, you have to be a diligent bookkeeper b/c it can be a bill that is easily forgotten & throw off your entire checking account! I’ve been so freaked out about this happening that I wrote it on my calender that hangs on my fridge and I set an alarm on my iPod touch to go off to remind me that my Bac-out is being shipped and billed :) Hope this helps…
Autumn, I got BacOut but am not sure how much to use in the prewash. I don’t want to use too much.
Thanks!
I would like deteails on how to use the Bac Out as well.
Rashes are my big problem. I battled an on/off rash issue for almost 8 months and finally got rid of it with repeated washings with OxyClean and NOT using Rockin’ Green anymore. But then 2 months later, my son got this other THING … it’s kinda gross but it’s like clear bubbles and pus at times, I managed to get rid of it with Bacitracin and washed the diapers again with tea tree oil but… no clue. No clue why these things keep resurfacing!!! I thought CD was supposed to be better for rashes but it hasn’t been for us at all. :(
Julie, see my comment @ M. Sun and the rashed caused but yeast. I was trying for months different antifungal treatments, but the rash kept coming back. Looks like we won, and from July have not seen single symptom. You may ask your pediatrician if the tratment I posted below would help you …
A
My biggest issue right now is yeast & diaper rash. I know some element of the rash is non-yeast since it started before we started the antibiotics, but some is yeast because it got much worse after we started the antibiotics. I’m trying to figure out how to keep his butt diapered, while going coverless and treating the whole stash for yeast. I use a mishmash of stuff, mostly mixed AI2s. Specific questions I’ve been tackling:
How to treat the inserts, cotton, hemp, bamboo, microfiber.
How to treat the stuff with PUL, covers, wet bags, pail liners, etc.
How to treat the fitters and flats that I’m currently using to go coverless, and I barely have enough to make it through a day.
How to treat the pocket diapers I use at night
I ordered wool thinking it would be a better option than a PUL cover for when I have to use a cover (also I’ve been meaning to try wool), but then I got uncertain about the wisdom of exposing it to the yeast. And wondered about how to treat it.
I’m also trying to treat his clothes.
Am I missing anything I should be treating?
How do I know if a treatment was successful before I reinfect the baby?
So much of what I read as I research this stuff disagrees. One place says use sun, one place says that yeast can heal itself after sunning. One suggests using baby powder to keep the baby dry, one says that talc is dangerous and cornstarch feeds yeast. One site swears by vinegar in the rinse, one says vinegar feeds yeast. It’s mind boggling.
Start your baby on some kiddie probiotics. I use a good one called reuteri. About 5 drops a day. This should help fight the yeast from the inside, as treating just the symptoms from the outside is clearly not helping. Plain bulgarian yoghurt is rich in probiotics to. Feed as a snack and u can use it topically on the rash as well. This was recommended by my paediatrician.
I was fighting the yeast for 8 months trying different washing formulas and topical cream. What finally worked out very quickly was:
FOR THE BABY:
1) high doses of probiotic (not these based on lacti-bacteria but on “good yeast”) = ENTEROL (this is the name we have in Europe, you may got it under different names)
2) PIMAFUCORT cream – this consists of antifungal agent + antibiotic+ hydrocortison = as the ifection is usually mixed this worked well
FOR the DIAPs
1) wash in higher temp (60 Celcius)
2) sanitizer = NAPPY FRESH
3) tea trea oil 10 drops added to rinsing cycle
you should see significant improvement within 4-7 days
we just went through the yeast infection. I switched to sposies for the week, so I could use the creams and clear it up. I gave my son a warm bath with baking soda in the water. let him dry out. than PAINT on his butt some mylanta, and then let that throughly dry, than put on diaper cream with zinc oxide, than powder and the diaper. I did this, and by the next morning he was looking a LOT better.
For the diapers, I used bleach, did 2 HOT water washes, and I did turn up the water heater. The water needs to be 130 or higher to help KILL the yeast. THAN i did dry on HIGH heat. The only downshide to that, is some of the WAHM diapers I own the PUL melted. Which tells me they used PUL from joanns. Only one wahm offered to replace they rest said tough luck on it. This was really the first time the diapers saw the dryer, I do prefer to sun them, so be careful with WAHm diapers
I did another wash on them, and then I did Sun them
I always hate it when people reply with ther own blogs but I literally just did a post on how we treated yeast and it worked really well.
awesomeclothdiapers.blogspot.com
Good luck!
Hi M.Sun,
I am a Lactation Consultant and deal with many babies and mommies who are at a constant battle with yeast. Okay, first let me address vinegar. Vinegar IS great at combating yeast – it DOES NOT feed it. Yeast thrives in an alkaline environment and vinegar is acidic thus destroying the environment that will allow the yeast to grow. With that being said, I usually recommend that everything that has come in contact with both mom’s and baby’s infected yeast areas be washed with vinegar (bibs, bras, pillow cases, etc). However, I am not a diaper expert, so you will need to ask Autumn what she recommends for the diapers.
The greatest help for combating yeast and the one that yields the best results is using a reputable and organic pre and pro biotic supplement for yourself (if breastfeeding) and for baby. Simply open the capsule and pour into baby’s formula or food. This influx of healthy bacteria will stop the yeast from growing. If baby is eating solids try and stay away from fruits / sweets until the yeast is completely gone. Continue to use the pro and pre-biotics to prevent it from coming back. If you are breastfeeding I would recommend you also stay away from sugars, sweets, white flour, white pasta, etc. until you and baby are completely cured. If you are breastfeeding, both you and baby will need to be treated at the same time or you will continue to pass it to one another. This is not just for yeast in the mouth, but yeast in the diaper area too – believe it or not. Also, if your baby is a girl I would NEVER use baby powder on her. A female urethra is very short and the powder can enter through the vagina, causing infections and some studies have even blamed baby powder for cancerous cells in the reproductive system. A little bit of cornstarch is better for rashes, but NOT for yeast, it will create a great environment for the yeast and will irritate baby even more. With all this being said, have you gone to the doctor to get an anti-fungal cream? If home remedies have not work,it may be time for medical intervention. When you get the anti-fungal cream be sure to still reduce sugars and to take the pre / pro-biotics. Hope this helps!
Stink! Lol! I had some NASTY stink last week. I was using tide ultra. I tried hot rinses, no suds appeared so I tried using more detergent. It didn’t work. I caved and used a little bleach since it was the middle of the week and I work full-time. It helped, but I don’t want bleach in my regular laundry routine. I switched to regular liquid tide and some calgon, the microfiber inserts and pockets smell fine, but the BG Elementals still smell a little. They especially smell when peed on. I thought I might try some bac-out since I don’t think I have build up (since there were no suds when I did my hot wash). Any other ideas? I would love to get the issue resolved this weekend. I have a front loader, in case that’s important.
I would definitely give Bac-out a try and then lay them in the sun to dry.
My biggest problem with diaper washing is finding detergents to take out the smell that I don’t mind having in my kitchen sink. (I have a portable washer that hooks up to the faucet in the kitchen). I used to use Rockin Green but it stopped working and now I am using a cold prewash, hot wash with Sunlight, then cold rinse with washing soda.
Maybe you can do some suggestions for me and people in a similar situation who have a portable washer and no dryer. I dry them inside with a floor fan blowing on them to speed drying time.
How much bac out do you use in the wash? If I spray it on the diapers before putting them in the pail, how much do I dilute it? My main problem is that every once in awhile, I open my diaper drawer and it smells a tad stinky like not all of the diapers got quite clean. I often do the sniff test when they come out of the wash too. Any suggestions? I just put my MF inserts through a bleach wash, but I am at a loss as to how to make sure my shells are clean. It is the drawer that the shells are in that stinks. TIA. I am so glad for your blog.
What detergent are you using? You use 3 squirts of Bac out.
I use Purex Free & Clear or RNG Soft Rock. My Bac Out came in a spray bottle. How would I measure it or how many sprays should I do?
Night time cloth diapering. Don’t think we’ll ever be able to do it. When the little guy was a baby he had eczema on his bum and it was aggravated by the wetness so cding at night wasn’t an option. We’ve also dealt a lot with ammonia. I now have that under control for daytime use, but it still leaves burns if we try to CD at nighttime. Our little guy also had yeast when he was an infant. We’ve got that taken care of, but the yeast starts to rear its ugly head if we’re not careful and leave him wet for too long, too often (the ped. said that he’d probably have issues with it til he potty trained. Thankfully, we’re careful and he hasn’t had any major flare-ups). A while ago I just resigned myself to the fact that we’ll just need to use disposables at night. We’re doing what we can during the day to reduce our waste by cloth diapering.
Bummis makes a fleece liner that wicks away moisture pretty well. I use them with my overnight diapers and they feel dry in the morning. They are very thin and made to wick moisture only, so you would lay them on top of a doubler or whatever you use at night. You can find them at greenmountaindiapers.com- At the price of $5 for a pack of 5, you may find it worth a try!
We go diaper free at night- I lay dd on a waterproof pad and put a prefold under her- when she wakes up and goes I give her a wipe and switch it out. Working great in our bed so far- we’ll see if it still works when she’s more mobile. Way easier for me than a change in the night and rash is clearing up.
Hi my problem is with bad rashes on my daughter, esp around her vergina area, I have done everything I could think of, stripping, bleach, etc, nothing works and she gets a rash maybe after a day of going back into clothes, any advice would be great thanks..also I hate stink too and having a problem with it as well
What does the rash look like? Have you consider yeast?
yes we took her to the doctor the first time and they said it could be yeast and I did the bleaching and stripping of the CD and when I put her back in, bam she gets these red blisters , and rash once I take her out and put her in the diapers she is fine, once it heals and she is back in CD she breaks out, after a few runs at the peds they think she cant handle the cloth, Am I doing something wrong?
I recently ordered some Bac Out (1st time user) and it’s on the way. My question is: how much do I use?? I realize that I’m supposed to use it with the cold pre-rinse cycle, and I’m excited to get the stinks out, but my son has EXTRAORDINARILY sensitive skin (like me, poor guy) so I want to make sure I use enough to work well but not too much to irritate him later on. Thanks!
3 squirts
Ammonia, ammonia, ammonia and now some barnyard stink. Using bac out but think I need a different detergent.