Am I doing something wrong?

[music maker]

I've been following the cleaning directions on my cloth diapers when I wash them. However my LO is getting quite the red bottom. I'm not sure if it's because of the diapers or something else. I use free and clean detergent but I've been line drying them inside and not putting them in the dryer or outside on the line. Any ideas as to what could be causing the redness? I should also mention this has only been happening the past month. I haven't had any previous problems and he's been in CD's since summer. Thanks for any suggestions.

[icy_kat]

It could be build up or a change in his urine from dehydration or diet. We had similar issues we thought were from build up, but it turns out DD is sensitive to the acids in fruits and it would cause her urine to burn her skin.

[music maker]

It could be build up or a change in his urine from dehydration or diet. We had similar issues we thought were from build up, but it turns out DD is sensitive to the acids in fruits and it would cause her urine to burn her skin.

So is there anything you can do for it?

[icy_kat]

With build up you can try a little bit of Dawn dish soap (the original) and a million rinses (until there are no suds). If that doesn't work try seeing if he's eating anything acidic that might irritate his skin. Is he getting enough water, drinking too much juice, etc.

[beanpop]

Yes, dawn and rinse rinse rinse. If it happens again I would consider changing detergents, adding a water softener and/or adding more rinses to your routine.

[christineestelle]

Rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse!

What kind of machine do you have? How much water are you using? How many diapers are you washing? What is the quality of your water?

Hard water requires more detergent to counteract the minerals in the water that eat the detergent. More diapers = more water = more detergent. Smaller machine = fewer diapers.

Check the rinse cycle and make sure there are no suds. If there are, rinse again. And again. And again.

If they smell before you put them in the dryer, they aren't clean and you need more detergent. If they smell after he pees, then it's ammonia buildup and you need more rinses.

[JJorn]

We get all over red bottoms if there is soap left (not rinsed well enough/too much soap). Do you have your own laundry machines or do you shave them? We are having some minor issues now that we are sharing machines.

[christineestelle]

and one last thing ... it might not be the diapers.

Annie gets way bad diaper rash when she is teething. She was getting ready for 7 teeth in 4 weeks. She had diaper rash for a month. Open blisters and everything. We had to switch to sposies so we could use desitin. Her poor bottom.

[music maker]

Rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse!

What kind of machine do you have? How much water are you using? How many diapers are you washing? What is the quality of your water?

Hard water requires more detergent to counteract the minerals in the water that eat the detergent. More diapers = more water = more detergent. Smaller machine = fewer diapers.

Check the rinse cycle and make sure there are no suds. If there are, rinse again. And again. And again.

If they smell before you put them in the dryer, they aren't clean and you need more detergent. If they smell after he pees, then it's ammonia buildup and you need more rinses.

We have a newer front loading washer. Sometimes if they are really soiled I soak them, then rinse them and then I was them with the extra rinse cycle. I always wash with hot or in the sanitarycycle and I add the extra rinse cycle. Usually I'm washing about 15 diapers that were lightly soiled and one or two heavy soiled diapers that are rinsed very well. We do have hard water so maybe I will try a little more detergent. Do you think drying them in the dryer is better than on the line or wouldn't that make a difference?

[Scarlett]

I have a new front loader too, I do mine with Free and Clear as well and do them in the dryer. My daughter is VERY rash prone no matter what I do, we recently ran out of the Healing Hemp Balm which is awesome, so I have switched to CJ's BUTTer and it is WONDERFUL!!! She has been teething lately and tends to poop a lot so this has been fantastic since she can go from prefectly clear to red welts in almost no time flat.

[christineestelle]

Drying makes no difference in buildup or clean rinsing. It's all about the machine. The only thing the dryer will change is potentially damage the PUL/elastic or if you use dryer sheets, there might be a residue in the dryer itself. Otherwise do whatever you want for drying.

I've only used a FL a couple times, but I experienced that I had to have much smaller loads. Almost had to wash daily. And I had to really make sure everything rinsed clean. When I used my mom's I could see all the suds still there in the 3rd rinse. I did a full cycle with no detergent and there were still a bunch of suds.

If you have a window in the door, check the rinse cycle for suds. There should be ZERO suds in the rinse.

I figure, when in doubt, increase the detergent and rinses both.

[beanpop]

I just want to say I HATE my front loader DBF mentioned that we might be able to move this year and my first thought was "OMG TOP LOADER".

In any case, I do 8 rinses. Yes, 8. That's two full heavy duty wash cycles with extra rinses twice after my initial two rinses after detergent.

[As Is]

Could it be yeast with it being warmer? We're currently in sposies but Ds keeps getting yeast rashes and he was the same in cloth. No matter how often we change him (and strip the fluff), in the summer he always gets a yeast rash.

[Babidol]

BTW, the new top loader run exactly the same as the front loaders unless you buy the absolute cheapest washer or you buy an old used one. I researched them extensively when I was looking because I miss the soaking function that a top loader used to have. Some FL machines now have a "add water button". I've also heard that some people rinse and make the diapers sopping wet to trick the washers into adding more water.

[Cosmosmom]

I have a front loader too and talked to the women at the store and they also said to rinse them first so that they are wet to add a bit more water. But also everything I have read and what they said at the store was to absolutely NOT use free and clear soap. Which is what I use for myself. What they recommend and we will be trying is Country Save. Haven't had a chance to try it yet of course.

[Bridget]

I have also heard not to use free and clear. I sold my front loader and bought an old school top loader off craiglist. My front loader was not getting diapers clean and to be honest it wasn't washing my clothes very well either.

[Cosmosmom]

I have also heard not to use free and clear. I sold my front loader and bought an old school top loader off craiglist. My front loader was not getting diapers clean and to be honest it wasn't washing my clothes very well either.

That gives me hope that mine will be ok because I haven't had any trouble cleaning clothes and my DH works in a factory setting and gets really dirty sometimes.

[dana_renay]

According to what I've read, some of the Free-and-Clear detergents have ingredients that are supposed to help control the growth of little beasties such as dust mites. Those ingredients can apparently be a problem for some diapers. Unfortunately, the cloth diaper people that are putting this information out there aren't saying the names of the ingredients, and I have a really hard time finding the ingredients listed on a carton of detergent anyway.

[NHKate]

We also have a HE front loader. I do a cold pre-soak first, then a wash cycle on cold, with detergent and an extra rinse. When that's done, I do a hot cycle with an extra rinse. Then I set it to do more rinses. It takes a long time with a front loader! But, the good thing is that the diapers come out nice and clean. I use Ruby Moon cloth diaper detergent.

[babybluesash]

and one last thing ... it might not be the diapers.

Annie gets way bad diaper rash when she is teething. She was getting ready for 7 teeth in 4 weeks. She had diaper rash for a month. Open blisters and everything. We had to switch to sposies so we could use desitin. Her poor bottom.

This and the acid as well really makes a difference with us. Also I do know that if you leave them in wet diapers to long, they get heavy, rub and they get a nasty rash to.