Cloth nappies driving me mad!

[bigbang]

Hello!

DS has been in cloth since 6 weeks old, he is now 19 months. We use pocket nappies (loads of different ones) and two parters with wool pants at night. He has had nappy rash on and off for about 6 months, he is in sposies sometimes as it helps the rash.

Anyway these nappies are actually sending me insane. They never seem to get clean, they smell of wee even after they have been washed and I am sure they are what is irritating his bum. The night nappies are stinking in the morning, really really strong make-your-eyes-water not normal stench. I wash them with a quarter powder, rinse or two before and after normal wash, dry on the airer/radiator/ very occasionally tumble dryer. Every so often I do a bio wash at 60.

I feel like I have tried everything with them. I thought maybe I wasn't using enough powder, so increased it for a couple of washes to half powder, no difference. I have also tried 'stripping' them, tried 2 washes without powder plus about 10 rinses, no difference. I have tried soaking them in vinegar (not the pul) and tried bi carb, and have run out of ideas.

I really hate the things at the moment! I am expecting number two and the plan was to use the same nappies, I can't be doing with buying a whole new set but cannot put them on another child as they are.

Anyway, please help if you can. I don't know what else to try or what could be going on with them. Is there a fail safe stripping method? Or do I need to do something else? I expect I have been doing everything wrong all this time! Please offer any pearls of wisdom I am ready to try anything! Thanks.

soak them in a mix of white vinegar and cold water overnight, then rinse really well in cold water. Prewash in the machine on cold before washing at every nappy wash. Wash at 60 (or 95 if you have cotton) with detergent- full dose if in hard water area and half dose in in soft water. Then rinse againa nd dry.

It's quite usual for a morning nappy to really burn the eyes particularly during teething. Try not to breathe over it when changing.

Also wet pail in cold water and a dot of tea tree rather than dry pailing.

If all else fails, you can try routinely adding a dessert spoon of Nappy soak powder to your main wash. That always helped when we went through the stinky nappy stage (although we don't use pockets or wool).

It might help to do a prewash too? I know some people have had good results from using bio instead of non-bio.

Oh god....the stench of those morning nappies...

I ended up using bio powder and an occasional 60 degree wash, if that fails try some napisan. Also a cold rinse before washing and an extra rinse afterwards.

It's the amonia in their wee but believe me it is worse in a disposable!

Would it be highly inappropriate to suggest that you go the disposable route and forget the cloth nappies?

Just being logical.

More expensive than inappropriate I reckon ABetaDad

It could also be a wee infection or baby needs more fluid to reduce the concentration of the urine.

I've found hanging nappies on line for a few days in sun or rain gets rid of that smell or chuck in some sanitiser like mio fresh.

Thanks for the replies.

It is tempting to go down the disposable route yes, but I am not going to fork out for paper pants for the rest of his nappy wearing life when I have paid for nappies already! Its true, they smell worse than even the eye burning night nappies, and I started using cloth because, well, I don't like disposables!

I do always give them a rinse before and after the main wash, and have tried using bio regularly but I found it made his nappy rash worse. Rock and hard place! I live in London so water is very hard, I use a 'magno ball' which is supposed to stop limescale forming or something but I don't think it does much tbh!

I will get some nappy soak/napisan and soak them in vinegar again too. Does the nappy soak ruin PUL, I thought it did but may have dreamt it? And will not breath changing those morning nappies- or get DP to do them

Cheers for your suggestions!

No wee infection- he drinks loads and when he wees on the floor in his potty it is pretty dilute. We also live in a flat with no outside space so line drying is not possible

I use soap nuts in my wash, softens the water and it stays in for the rinse (thames valley here too) means you can use far less detergent. It was the 60 degrees that made a difference tbh.

Mine went through stages when it was bad and other times when you wouldn't notice tbh - mio fresh worked for us.

Don't give up - disps are such a con! They can be good when have nappy rash for healing ongoing problems but in the long term financially and env they are far better.

def linked to teething! It's all coming back!

I put some bicarb of soda mixed with vinegar in the nappy bucket. Works well!

Also I don't use them at night, I use the naturebaby ones. With a pull-up as he was leaking every night(can't remember make at the mo. the one that is biodegradable, I re-use the pull up over the top as they act just to keep in place)

I have also used soapnuts in the past but was never convinced that they cleaned anything! I still have them somewhere so I will give them another go along with powder.

So do you think wet pailing is a good idea too? I have always dry pailed as I heard it prolongs the life of the nappy but maybe I should try a wet pail. How do you do it? Just fill the bin part way? Do the nappies not float on top (I have visions of having to put my hand in a bucket of wee water to 'sink' them)?

I have to go to bed now, the pregnancy is draining me, but will check in again in the morning, thanks for helping me out, very much appreciated.

Wet pailing with just water will prolong the life of the nappies as it will dilute the amonia in the wee.

I use about 10 halves of soapnut and just a small amount of detergent, they def come out softer at the end!

I used cloth for a year, for all the right reasons.

Now i use disposables. With no guilt. And would never go back.

The pseudomiddleclasshumuseatingblahbabble about cloth out there is shocking. Don't get me started. I actually work in the 'green' sector, and am shocked at how many mothers are so evangelical about this issue, whilst causing far more environmental 'damage' though other lifestyle actions.

Clth is a middle class, hypocritical, holier than though cult that sucked me in for a while.

Just buy some pampers woman and make your life as easy as it should be! You know you want to.

I'm afraid I'm not middle class and couldn't afford disposables...........

I think she was looking for helpful suggestions.

So go and spout your class shit somewhere else.

dastardlynmuchwee

Well I was holding back a bit with my earlier post - but I wholly agree with you.

I just do not get how washing a load of nappies can be any more environmentally friendly than disposables.

If we collect the methane from the landfill and make electricty and heat out of the waste I think disposable nappies might actually be better for the environement.

Cloth just seems to be step back in time.

Don't ven get me started on 4 x 4 driving women who use cloth nappies and take 3 long haul holidays a year.

can I suggest you used disposables overnight to avoid the morning nappy issue? I switched DS into overnight dispies because I couldn't get him to stay dry overnight in cloth - it halved the washload.

I use Natures Baby disposables, which don't have so many nasties in them (cornstarch seems to be the main "ingredient") - and I only use 1 dispy a night - so 7 dispies a week and half the washloads - makes it greener than being all one or all the other (imo).

The difference is AbetaDad your ideas don't make sweeping statements but are actually valid points. If landfill could be effectively re-used or methane extracted to create electricity then the whole country would be onto a winner - whether people use cloth or disps.

I personally use cloth because it is cheaper, I don't like the gels in disps and prefer natural fibres next to my kids skin. The debate over the environment in terms of electricity usage in mnaufacture and usage is inconclusive. It is the landfill which cannot be debated.

It is a matter of choice and most people use disposables. Most of them also drive 4x4s and leave their nappy sacks in hedgerows!

great post dastardly - you have me in the wrong type cast I'm afraid!

And - in disposables sometimes as it helps the rash! (Er, and then i put him back in cloth and he gets sore)
Jeez. Whats the point.

Abetadad - exactly. I used them for a year as i weighed up the research (sketchy on both sides). IMO - and i work in this area - you are bang on! Cloth, lentils, organic, then jet off to France to my holiday home to discuss how awful all these uneducated pampers types and their slogan t-shirts are. Is nowt s'queer as folk!
Its the smugness i can't abide. Use cloth by all means but don't pretend you have some upped hand on green and clean living.