Laundry Soap. I started making homemade soap to save money. It still got my clothes clean and the diapers didn't stink. As far as I was concerned, it worked and saved us money. That is where I went terribly wrong.
I didn't notice the build up on my son's Happy Heinys and no one had worn the bumGenius 3.0s in a while (he is 32 lbs and 20 months old and grew out of them around his first birthday) so I didn't realize how much buildup had accrued. One of the main ingredients in the soap is a wax-like soap. Buildup was inevitable.
When my second daughter arrived in September, I was so excited to get her in the bumGenius 3.0s I had waiting. They looked so cute but they leaked EVERY TIME. I was getting frustrated with clothing and diaper changes all the time. I must have changed diapers AND clothes (and my clothes too) every hour or two. The inserts were barely wet! I almost tossed the 3.0s...but I couldn't part with them yet- that would be an even bigger waste! There was another solution.
We have a great Real Diaper Association in our area and I went to get advice from the group leader.
Apparently, BG's suede-like fabric is REALLY sensitive to laundry detergent. She's personally had problems and around the 2 year mark, most people find that their BG's get a lot of build up and start repelling. She gave me an Anti-Repelling and Buildup Recipe.
- Separately soak covers and soakers (I used my diaper pail and a five-gallon bucket)
- Fill with HOT water. Add ½ Tablespoon of Charlie's Soap (I'd assume Rock 'n Green will work too) and a generous amount of baking soda.
- Stir and let sit for 1 to 4 hours (if it's really bad, soak them overnight). I soaked them for 6 because I couldn't find time to get them in the washer (I have three kids...I'm busy.)
- Wash again on HOT in the washing machine. Don't add more soap. Run a rinse or two.
And like magic, the diapers stopped leaking and even the Happy Heinys work better! They feel different too. I know that sounds silly but I can feel the difference. That's how bad it was.
I now use Charlie's Soap on everything. My stash is saved and so is my life from disposables or having to purchase a whole new stash!
By Jillayne T.
12 comments:
I'm so glad to have read this tip! The suedecloth on some of my Flip inserts repells terribly, so I have quit using them, after several failed attempts to strip them. Hopefully this will work and allow me to use those diapers again.
I too made my own detergent and had the same issue. I still use it on our clothes, but never on my diapers. I thought I was so clever ;)
Hmmmm.... I use home-made detergent. What was it that caused the build up? I'm out of my Nellie's soap that I try to use on my diapers only.
I had build up problems with my BGs too after only using them for a little over a month. I was using "cloth diaper safe cream" at night with no liners. My dtr started leaking at night at the waist 3 days in a row. So I had to strip the diapers yesterday. Cotton Babies (maker of BGs) recommended just a teaspoon of blue Dawn original in a hot wash then rinse, rinse, rinse. I didn't have Dawn on hand so I ran my diapers through cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse then 3 warm rinses cycles. This morning I check and no leaks on the PJs. It did the trick for now. Lesson learned I will only use diaper cream with fleece diaper liner and wash those separately.
I had the same problem with some of my diapers to the point I stopped using them and just had them sitting on a shelf. The problem with that was they were my FAVORITE diapers! Finally, I realized the error of my ways and that all they needed was a good stripping. Now they too work almost like new. It is amazing how build up can happen without you even noticing it!
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I am at the 2.5 year mark with my BG. I dont have a problem with repelling, but I do have a stink problem. Rockin Green soaks help a great deal, but I discovered that Charlies Soap was not working for me and could not help with the stink. Wonder why?
I also make my own laundry soap, but have a different "recipe" for my diapers. It is equal parts Borax, washing soda, and Oxyclean "free". I also put vinegar in on one of the rinse cycles. Hope this helps!
I have a feeling you were using Fels and the Borax/Washing Soda solution which is fantastic for clothes and towels. I bought the five gallon bucket of Charlie's and I still have my bars of Fels that I'll use for anything really bad like mildewy towels or something. Thanks for shouting out Charlie's. I love it. Only use a half a scoop for two days worth of diapers.
So glad to see this post! I'm going to have to bookmark it so when I need those instructions, I can find them. Thanks!
I also use charlie's soap...not sure if its great or not yet. I have ammonia smell every morning and not sure why???
What kind of "soap" were you using that caused the buildup? AND putting 1/2 - 1c. vinegar should prevent buildup. Were you doing that?
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