Rebecca - posted on 03/15/2010 ( 6 moms have responded )
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I was using cloth diapers for the first 6 or 8 months, but had to stop using them because my son was getting bad diaper rash. we tried different soaps, but none of them made a difference. His father was the same way as a baby, but i'd still like to use them. Any suggestions?
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Jan - posted on 03/17/2010
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All the washing and rinsing still adds up to a a lot less water and energy use then it takes to make disposable diapers. And according to other mama's I know who have metered water, you will actually use less water to wash two loads of diapers a week then you will use to flush the toilet once your child is potty trained, plus when washing diapers the water that goes into the sewer is treated and reclaimed by the land, the plastic in disposable diapers will not break down for hundreds of years and all the chemicals are not good for anyone to be exposed to espeacially not 24/7.
Lisa - posted on 03/16/2010
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Thanks for the tips! WIth all that washing and rinsing, cloth diapers aren't really that environmentally friendly anymore. You need efficient washing for them to be so. The environment is the main reason I want to use them, so I'll have to try the other tips (food and covers) and think this over. Thanks!
PS. For those of you who are nursing - breast milk is very good on irritated skin!
Majaliwa - posted on 03/16/2010
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In my experience the four most common culprits of diaper rash with cloth diapers are (1) detergent, (2) wash routine (3) diaper covers that don't breathe well or (4) their food.
(1) Here is a list of recommended cloth diaper detergents that leave absolutely no residue on the diaper that can irritate baby's skin. These are also approved by virtually every major diaper manufacturer:
http://www.pootersdiapers.com/Recommende...
(2) Cloth diapers should first be run through a cold rinse cycle to remove the stinkies and then through a hot wash cycle to kill the bacteria and finally through one last rinse cycle to remove any residual detergent. If you fail to run a hot wash cycle, this would leave bacteria on the diaper that would irritate baby. If you're doing this already, you may need to strip your diapers and here's a suggestion on a great stripping method that's virtually fail proof:
http://www.pootersdiapers.com/Stink-Out-...
(3) Some diaper covers breathe better than others. Ones with vents on the side like MotherEase Air Flow covers aren't the cutest but breathe very well which means they don't keep moisture against baby's skin which can irritate their bum.
(4) Since cloth doesn't absorb as well as disposable, if baby ate something with dairy or high in citrus, when it comes out in their poo it can irritate their bum. This also works the same if mommy is breastfeeding and eats something with dairy or high in citrus.
Lastly - Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm is the best at getting rid of diaper rash.
I hope this helps.
Jan - posted on 03/16/2010
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soap buildup can cause a rash, I think it is the most common culprit.
if you have been using cloth just fine and then the rash started later I would strip the diapers before I did anything else. RLR works great to strip, or a tiny squirt of dawn, although I've found the RLR to work better.
An alergy free detergent is only allergy free if your child isn't sensitive to any of the ingredients, and if you use a different soap for your regular clothes or if you ever use fabric softner in your washer or dryer residue could be trasfering to the diapers
If you have been using a stay dry layer like microfleece or microsuede then stop using it, if you haven't been using one then start. There are a lot of things that can cause rashes and some people have to try multiple kinds of fabrics and detergents before they find what works best for their child and their wash rutine and the qualities of their water. The more info you can give the more likely someone can come up with a solution.
Lisa - posted on 03/15/2010
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I have that problem too. My son just started getting skin irritation on his butt over the last week. I've switched to disposable diapers for a few days to see if it helps, but I'm confused because I always heard cloth diapers are better for their skin. I'm using a perfume free, allergy-proof soap when I wash them. I could try a wool cover and see what happens.
Jan - posted on 03/15/2010
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What kind of diapers were you using? Some kids have issues with certain materials against their skin and some can't do syntetic materials at all and others can't handle PUL type covers and need to have a fleece or wool cover instead. Also did you try stripping the diapers to make sure there is no soap residue in them?
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