No way to put it nicely - Emersyn has blisters on her vagina and bottom... This happened awhile ago when I switched to new detergent - I switched back and the issue went away, however over the past few days I've noticed the blisters have come back, and no amount of cream seems to make them go away....
I have come to two possible conclusions - after months of no reaction whatsoever, she is now developing an irritation/reaction to microfleece, OR we are finally getting detergent build up in the staydry layer of the diapers I'm using (most of which are microfleece). I'm not sure where to start trying to fix the problem - for fixing the build up I just need to strip the diapers, but am a little apprehensive about putting my pockets in a hot wash, because last time I did that all but 1 of the diapers delaminated... For fixing an irritation to microfleece - well, I just cut out the microfleece!
I think my little plan of attack may be to put her in prefolds for the next couple of days, and during that time strip the diapers I've been using lately (because there seems to be a core group that I reach for at the moment)... My thinking is that her bum SHOULD clear up in prefolds, and then I am going to introduce microfleece LINERS into the mix - if her bum starts getting horrible again, I can pretty much come to the conclusion that it's the microfleece causing the issue. If her bum stays normal - I can put her back in the diapers I have been using - and if her bum stays normal still, I can determine that it was build up that was causing her bum to go all nasty. If it gets rashy again, I guess I strip those diapers again and cross fingers that after 2 strips it's all back to normal.
Beyond that - well, I hope there IS no beyond that. I love cloth so much & hate when I'm having issues... If I end up needing to keep her in prefolds, then so be it... I like prefolds... and I like ANY cloth diaper 50,000,000x more than a disposable!
Stay tuned...
Showing posts with label stripping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stripping. Show all posts
Oct 15, 2011
Sep 6, 2011
Nuts about Soapnuts
I will start by simply saying Soapnuts are AWESOME.. and they are by far my favourite 'detergent' for washing cloth diapers.
Most of you probably haven't heard of them before - basically they are a fruit that is grown on trees, and when they are wet they release Saponin - natures own soap. Unlike manufactured detergents, the suds are very mild - which makes it perfect for use on cloth diapers. Soapnuts can be purchased as the dried shells, powder and liquid... and can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- in the dishwasher
- liquid soap
- body wash
- shampoo
- cleaning and detoxyifying food
- cleaning jewellery
- natural pesticide
- dandruff control
- window cleaning
- general cleaning
I was very wary before I used them the first time, I didn't really understand how something so... natural.. could clean anything well enough - especially cloth diapers, which obviously have the potential to get very stinky. My first use was just using the shells in the machine - and I was blown away when I took out a microfiber insert out of the machine, put it up to my nose and couldn't smell anything. AT ALL. There was no ammonia smell, no poo smell, just no smell at all. They smelt FRESH. I put them to a second test with a load of clothes, and again the clothes came out smelling nice and fresh, and were clean.
I was quite happy using Soapnuts this way for some time - then read that you could make your own liquid detergent, so decided to give that ago. I was never too sure with my Soapnut shells, whether or not they could go through another use or not, so figured that with liquid I wouldn't have that problem. I boiled up about 15 shells in 4 cups of water for half an hour, and at the end I had a murky brown coloured liquid, which I allowed to cool and then bottled. Again I was a bit wary before trying the liquid - but afterward the results were the same as with the shells - if not a little better.
From then on I've been using Soapnuts liquid on my diapers, and occasionally on our clothes - for some reason I prefer to use manufactured detergent on the clothes, I think because of the scent. That said, you can easily add scent to soap nuts, by using a few drops of essential oils with the wash. Another reason for the manufactured detergent with our clothes, is that while Soapnuts CLEAN really well, they aren't really able to cope with stains - and with two children at daycare/preschool, their clothes come home covered in all matter of dirt, paint and other messes associated with fun. As with the scent though, you CAN use various natural agents to remedy stains - I find lemon juice is really good for helping with minor stains, and to give clothes/diapers a bit of a brightness boost.
Last week I needed to make another batch of liquid soapnuts - and got to thinking that it'd be SO handy if I didn't need to add extra things to the wash to help with stain removal and softening fabrics, and on a whim decided I would ADD lemon juice and white vinegar to my liquid I had finished making. While the liquid was cooling I added to the glass jar/bottle the juice of 2 lemons, and also 1 cup of white vinegar. I had no idea if it would ACTUALLY work - but I figured if it didn't, I could tip it all out and just make another batch of the liquid. The liquid cooled, and I poured it into my bottle with the vinegar/lemon juice mix, and we were good to go.
Because some of my diapers were getting a bit 'crunchy' from drying them inside on the clothes airer, I decided to use my liquid on the diapers first... they came out of the machine smelling nice and fresh, and I then put them in the drier - and much to my delight, when I took them out my prefolds and inserts all felt LOVELY and soft... and just a little crisper [ie white]. I figured my mixture had been a success, but wanted to know if it would last for more than a couple of days [particularly the lemon juice element] - but am happy to report that a week on, the diapers are coming out exactly the same as they did in that first wash. Usually I keep my detergent under the washing basin, where it is cool and dark, but decided to keep it in the fridge in hopes that that would prevent the lemon juice spoiling. So far so good. I'm also wondering NOW if adding a certain amount of lemon juice will leave the diapers smelling lightly of lemon, but I have no idea if that's even possible. I may experiment at some point...
As a little side note - in the 4-ish months I've been using Soapnuts on my diapers, I've not once had to strip my inserts, which prior to Soapnuts, was something I had to do once a month. I have absolutely NO issue with stinky microfiber now.
 |
| Soapnuts in their dried shell form |
- in the dishwasher
- liquid soap
- body wash
- shampoo
- cleaning and detoxyifying food
- cleaning jewellery
- natural pesticide
- dandruff control
- window cleaning
- general cleaning
I was very wary before I used them the first time, I didn't really understand how something so... natural.. could clean anything well enough - especially cloth diapers, which obviously have the potential to get very stinky. My first use was just using the shells in the machine - and I was blown away when I took out a microfiber insert out of the machine, put it up to my nose and couldn't smell anything. AT ALL. There was no ammonia smell, no poo smell, just no smell at all. They smelt FRESH. I put them to a second test with a load of clothes, and again the clothes came out smelling nice and fresh, and were clean.
 |
| up close an personal with a Soapnut shell |
From then on I've been using Soapnuts liquid on my diapers, and occasionally on our clothes - for some reason I prefer to use manufactured detergent on the clothes, I think because of the scent. That said, you can easily add scent to soap nuts, by using a few drops of essential oils with the wash. Another reason for the manufactured detergent with our clothes, is that while Soapnuts CLEAN really well, they aren't really able to cope with stains - and with two children at daycare/preschool, their clothes come home covered in all matter of dirt, paint and other messes associated with fun. As with the scent though, you CAN use various natural agents to remedy stains - I find lemon juice is really good for helping with minor stains, and to give clothes/diapers a bit of a brightness boost.
Last week I needed to make another batch of liquid soapnuts - and got to thinking that it'd be SO handy if I didn't need to add extra things to the wash to help with stain removal and softening fabrics, and on a whim decided I would ADD lemon juice and white vinegar to my liquid I had finished making. While the liquid was cooling I added to the glass jar/bottle the juice of 2 lemons, and also 1 cup of white vinegar. I had no idea if it would ACTUALLY work - but I figured if it didn't, I could tip it all out and just make another batch of the liquid. The liquid cooled, and I poured it into my bottle with the vinegar/lemon juice mix, and we were good to go.
 |
| Soapnuts liquid - shaken up so you can see the suds that form |
Because some of my diapers were getting a bit 'crunchy' from drying them inside on the clothes airer, I decided to use my liquid on the diapers first... they came out of the machine smelling nice and fresh, and I then put them in the drier - and much to my delight, when I took them out my prefolds and inserts all felt LOVELY and soft... and just a little crisper [ie white]. I figured my mixture had been a success, but wanted to know if it would last for more than a couple of days [particularly the lemon juice element] - but am happy to report that a week on, the diapers are coming out exactly the same as they did in that first wash. Usually I keep my detergent under the washing basin, where it is cool and dark, but decided to keep it in the fridge in hopes that that would prevent the lemon juice spoiling. So far so good. I'm also wondering NOW if adding a certain amount of lemon juice will leave the diapers smelling lightly of lemon, but I have no idea if that's even possible. I may experiment at some point...
As a little side note - in the 4-ish months I've been using Soapnuts on my diapers, I've not once had to strip my inserts, which prior to Soapnuts, was something I had to do once a month. I have absolutely NO issue with stinky microfiber now.
Apr 13, 2011
It's Stripping Time!
Not THAT sort of stripping!
There comes a time in every diapers life, where it becomes stinky & seems to be less absorbent than it should be - and this happens because of detergent build up (and other substances) within the fibres of the diaper (I find it generally only happens with microfiber inserts). The way to get rid of this general stinky nastiness is through a method called 'stripping'. There are various ways to go about 'stripping' (and no, none include a pole) - but my personal favourite is just putting the inserts through a decent hot wash & hot rinses, until no more detergent bubbles appear in the water. I also add white vinegar for the last rinse, because white vinegar is magic - it helps neutralise the uric acid (which leaves the body via the urine) & the detergent residue, while at the same time softening the inserts.
Stripping isn't a fast process, so I will keep updating this blog post throughout the day (with photos too!) as I work my way through stink killer that is stripping.
TO BEEEEEEE CONTINUED!
UPDATE ONE: Apparently in order to strip diapers (or do any form of washing), one needs to actually have a water supply! Seems the council have turned off our water in order to do some repairs!
UPDATE TWO: We're back in business... water is back on. So here it is, my stripping cycle...
and then it's done! The machine stops, the inserts come out & go into the drier.... 90 minutes later they're nice and dry, soft & NOT SMELLY, and get stuffed back into the pockets from which they were removed.
There comes a time in every diapers life, where it becomes stinky & seems to be less absorbent than it should be - and this happens because of detergent build up (and other substances) within the fibres of the diaper (I find it generally only happens with microfiber inserts). The way to get rid of this general stinky nastiness is through a method called 'stripping'. There are various ways to go about 'stripping' (and no, none include a pole) - but my personal favourite is just putting the inserts through a decent hot wash & hot rinses, until no more detergent bubbles appear in the water. I also add white vinegar for the last rinse, because white vinegar is magic - it helps neutralise the uric acid (which leaves the body via the urine) & the detergent residue, while at the same time softening the inserts.
Stripping isn't a fast process, so I will keep updating this blog post throughout the day (with photos too!) as I work my way through stink killer that is stripping.
TO BEEEEEEE CONTINUED!
UPDATE ONE: Apparently in order to strip diapers (or do any form of washing), one needs to actually have a water supply! Seems the council have turned off our water in order to do some repairs!
UPDATE TWO: We're back in business... water is back on. So here it is, my stripping cycle...
 |
| Step 1 - all the (clean) inserts in the washing basket, ready to be stripped |
 |
| Step 2 - all the inserts in the washing machine, ready to be stripped |
 |
| Step 3 - eureka! We have water! Inserts are put in a HOT wash, with no detergent |
 |
| Step 4 - rinse cycle - lots of soap bubbles in the water coming out of the machine, keep rinsing until the water is free of soap bubbles |
 |
| after 3 rinses there are no soap bubbles in the water, just bubbles from the water rushing out of the hose. You could quite easily finish your stripping cycle here - spin the diaper inserts as usual & then hang them out or put them in the drier |
 |
| Step 5 - I now add 1/2-1c of white vinegar |
 | ||||
| Into a final (lower water level) rinse the white vinegar goes... |
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