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mathmama
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| Posted: Oct 29 2008 at 6:13am | IP Logged
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I use Charlie's Soap for everything and my clothes and diapers have never been softer. I love it!
I do believe that when it comes to detergents and washing routines, it is not a one size fits all. So much depends on water type and probably even the type of washer you are using.
Beth
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Sept 22 2009 at 9:03am | IP Logged
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Can I pull this back up for advice?
I went off cloth diapers for many years, and am now back. I wash every other day. I have a front loader, so I wash twice. Once with a little bit of soap (the same soap I've been using for years without problems), and a second full wash with a small amount of soap and vinegar, and a double rinse. I sometimes use bleach on the first wash if they are particularly stained, but its not an every wash thing. I hang to dry when the weather is nice, and use the dryer when its icky out. These are prefolds. Covers get washed separately (litewraps), usually with the regular wash, and hung to dry.
My first two in cloth never had rashes...used prefolds, plastic pants and pins. I had a top loader then so I was able to use more water, but I also used fabric softener in those days.
This toddler is *constantly* rashy. Its a prickly, ugly, raised red bumpy rash. He wore disposeables mostly without problems, so I am inclined to think its not that the covers are synthetic.
He also gets marks where the pins would be (he also got marks with disposeables where the tapes are).
The last time he had a rash this bad, we were also headed on vacation so I put him in disposeables. It took somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks for the rash to clear up! 
Now here we are again. I keep thinking it'll pass, but it just isn't, so I put him back in disposeables a few days ago. 
I *really* want to continue to use the cloth. I made the investment and I feel better about it, for many reasons.
What am I doing wrong?
ETA: I forgot to mention that I was on city water with the first children and now I'm on well water. Could that be it, and if so, is there something I can do about it? Our water isn't as hard as our city water was, but we do use a water softener because the iron content is high.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Milehimama
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| Posted: Sept 22 2009 at 1:32pm | IP Logged
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Have you tried boiling your insterts to strip them?
I've only been cloth diapering for 3 months, a newborn and a 2 yo.
I bought Indian cotton prefolds from Cotton Babies, and use Dappi nylon covers.
I dry pail.
I wash with 1/4 of a load's worth of laundry soap. I make my own using Zote, washing soda, and borax. I wash in cold water, then rinse in hot water with no soap. I run them through the dryer to sanitize it; sunlight will get any stains out.
I haven't tried all-in-ones, so I can't comment on those. But there are these disposable/cloth hybrid diapers
http://www.gdiapers.com/
I have a couple of the covers which were given to me, but instead of buying the flushable insert I just use a prefold. I LOVE them. They are awesome. And, I just realized after looking at the website, I've been putting them on backwards 
I have a square of polar fleece that I lay over the prefold so the baby feels drier overnight. I like just using the cotton prefolds, because they are simple and natural. I always know they are getting dried completely and there's no dampness from washing in the layers.
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Sept 22 2009 at 5:53pm | IP Logged
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What is stripping?
I forgot to mention that I do have microfiber doublers and I think that when I use them, it does seem like its a little bit better, which makes me wonder if wetness might be the issue. Maybe he's just super sensitive? He also has eczema patches inside his elbows...
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~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Sept 22 2009 at 9:02pm | IP Logged
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Books, I was using all cotton diapers, no synthetics. I tried every conceivable combination of washing, different detergents, etc. My little guy still breaks out in sore spots after wearing just one cloth diaper.
It's got to be that the well water just doesn't effectively rinse the diapers. It sounds like you have a good washer. Mine is old and probably pretty ineffective. I would love to get a new one to see if that helps. There is a good chance I won't have anyone in diapers by the time that happens.
I am resigned to disposables for the time being.
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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sewcrazy
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| Posted: Sept 22 2009 at 9:36pm | IP Logged
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Books, it sounds like a yeast rash. I would try tea tree oil in your rinse cycle. Then maybe an extra rinse cycle. Good luck! I cloth diapered 4 out of 5 kids and with some there was a lot of trial and error.
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LeeAnn
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Sept 23 2009 at 7:04am | IP Logged
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Oh no, Molly! I don't want to think that its well water.
I googled yeast rash images. That is definitely not what we have. That looks awful!
The rash I am dealing with is more prickly looking with raised red bumps and none of that "burned red" look in between the bumps (which aren't oozing or anything like that) but its not in the groin area, either. Its along the top and back of his backside. And as I said before, he gets rashes when I use pins, too. So I started just folding the prefold into the litewrap.
Before I give up on cloth and assume its well water, is there anything else I can try?
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~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Sept 23 2009 at 8:20am | IP Logged
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Oh, the tea tree oil sounds like a good possibility.
We're not on our own well water, but we are on well water provided by the county - meaning, the water comes from wells here, is tested for safety by the county on a regular basis, but doesn't come from a water treatment facility. Here in AL. the water is quite ferrous, and hard. I do sometimes add a bit of baking soda to my wash to soften the water. I cut WAY back on deterg if I use the baking soda. I always do a vinegar rinse. I wash in EXTRA hot water every time...I actually wash my diapers on the "Sanitary" Cycle which I love.
Here are a few ideas I have Books...and keep in mind I don't have nearly as much experience cloth-ing as some of the other ladies here...
** Your washing powder could possibly be the culprit, even though you've been using it for years. Consider tide free, a small thing of charlies, allen's natural, another soap for sensitive skin - just something small to try.
** I'd strip them so you can start fresh and eliminate variables one at a time.
Stripping cloth diapers
Helpful details on diaper washing with more on stripping
** The bleach might be an irritant on his tender skin. Stop bleaching for a bit and use vinegar as a disinfectant only.
Don't know if any of these options are ones you haven't tried, but I thought I'd throw them out there. I haven't had problems with rash. I thought at first maybe a heat rash for your little guy...but since you said it cleared up after you put him back in disposables I'm thinking it has something to do with your cloth dipes. I'd like to think stripping might help you out and maybe you can figure out what's causing this problem for him. Hope you can! If not - sell em' and go get some Pampers and start clippin' coupons!
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Sept 23 2009 at 8:54am | IP Logged
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OK, I'll try another detergent. And I'll strip first. Right now since he's in disposeables, I can get them all stripped and cleaned at once.
I've been reading at Green Mountain diapers. My 5th child I also tried to move into cloth but he got a nasty rash and I gave up quickly. But right now, at night he's in a Happy Heinies pocket diaper and isn't having any rash problems at all.
I am beginning to think this is a wetness sensitivity. My 5th who got rashes with my regular diapers/plastic pants isn't having any problems with the pocket diaper that has that knit polyester-ish wicking fabric in it.
And I've also noticed that my current rashy one seems to do a bit better when I always use the microfleece doublers, which probably wick to a certain extent, too. And since the rash is on his cheeks/higher backside, I'm wondering if the laminate is touching his backside as the prefold (unpinned) sometimes slips forward?
#6 was also weaned, recently, so his eating habits have changed and he is pooping several times a day, which isn't helping.
After I strip the diapers (and change detergent), I'm thinking of maybe trying a cover that has a knit on the inside, and maybe giving those snappi things a try? Does anyone know if they work?
I also read on Green Mountain that well water with high iron content can benefit from some powdered softener occasionally (Calgon)? I've never used that, but I'll give it a try. And cease and desist with the bleach.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Dec 07 2009 at 7:21am | IP Logged
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Just thought I'd update y'all, since I know this is a common search topic.
I stripped the diapers. I was really surprised to discover how different they felt after stripping. I bought the snappis...they are *awesome* and we don't have any more rashes due to pins. They are cheap and definitely worth the money to continue to use prefolds but without pins.
The rash went away and we had no problems for 3 months.
But close to the three mos. mark, we started with the rashes again.
In my un-scientific opinion, its either the well water or the front loader that just does NOT get diapers as clean. So I stripped them again. I'm thinking I'm going to have to do this every 3 mos or so.
I also had to start using bleach on the first wash. They just aren't coming clean enough otherwise (well or front loader again, not sure which???). So I wash/rinse several times afterward to make sure its all out.
I tried the water softener as recommended on some diaper sites for well water. It tripled the amount of suds in my washer and I had to rinse 3 times to get it all out (even though I use a teeny amount of soap...Tide Free)! I'm not sure if that means I have terribly hard water and I should use the softener more with less soap, or if I should just leave off the softener altogether. Haven't figured that one out yet.
It wasn't a wetness or issue with the covers, btw. We are using litewraps, bummi's snap whisper wraps, and one mostly cotton diaper cover. It doesn't seem to matter as long as the diapers are super duper clean.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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sewcrazy
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Books, I am happy that it is going better with cloth dipes! Sometmes its just a matter of trial and error.
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LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: Dec 07 2009 at 9:12am | IP Logged
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Books -
Not about diapers specifically, but about well water. Most city water is chlorinated, and well water is not. When we first moved to a well I was really surprised at a number of little things, like how quickly a black moldy ring developed in the toilets. Then it dawned on me that the little bit of chlorine in the city water kept certain things under control. So maybe the absence of chlorine in your well water is the reason (or a contributor) to the diapers not seeming as clean?
Peace,
Nancy
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Dec 07 2009 at 9:39am | IP Logged
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hylabrook1 wrote:
Books -
Not about diapers specifically, but about well water. Most city water is chlorinated, and well water is not. When we first moved to a well I was really surprised at a number of little things, like how quickly a black moldy ring developed in the toilets. Then it dawned on me that the little bit of chlorine in the city water kept certain things under control. So maybe the absence of chlorine in your well water is the reason (or a contributor) to the diapers not seeming as clean?
Peace,
Nancy |
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Maybe? We don't get black moldy rings, but we have a heavy iron content and get orange rings if we are out of salt in the softener. I started up with a little bleach because they just didn't smell clean even after 2 washes that included vinegar. It still had that ammonia-y smell. 
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Cloth diapers, one more time
