Stripping Cloth Diapers

By: Laura

Yep, that's right, I'm still using cloth diapers.  Ella is now 17 months old and my washer has been going none stop since the day Ella fit into her BumGenius diapers.   Though I've washed them over and over again, they still show minimal wear and tear, which is amazing.  My detergent of choice, Rockin' Green seems to keep the diapers clean and fresh, but as of late I've had a bit of a problem in the clean department.  About two weeks ago, Derek hung up the diapers in the basement and I went down the next morning to see if they were dry.  The stink in the basement overwhelmed me (a nasty, fishy smell).  Needless to say, I washed the diapers again, but to no avail.  Finally, I bleached the liners thinking that would most certainly do the trick, but again, the smell prevailed.
   At last, I realized that the stink was caused by diaper rash cream.  I read online (while searching for a solution to my problem) that diapers could smell fishy after the use of maximum strength diaper rash creams.  Oh, right, yes, I know you're not supposed to use diaper rash cream with cloth diapers, but sometimes I do, and then two weeks ago I went overboard with it.  Ella wore disposable diapers over the holidays and a horrible rash came of it, so, once we were home I was trying to get rid of it big time.  Big mistake with cloth diapers.  Anyway, the solution to the problem was: stripping the diapers.  So, let's begin the step by step process.  It's really not too bad.

Begin by rinsing the diapers 3 times or more in extremely hot water (turn up the hot water heater as high as it can go.)

Next, soak the diapers in dawn dish soap (1 tablespoon or so.)  Soak the diapers in HOT water until the water cools down enough to immerse your hands.

Then get your scrubbin' on with a brush.  Work on any stains on the diapers.

Rinse and remove the diapers from the sink and begin the rinsing process in the washer.  Rinse and spin the diapers until there are no more soap suds in the water.  Hang to dry and you're ready for use again!

 And there you have it.  If you're at your wits end and you need a solution to a stink or stain, stripping is the answer.  Let me know if this works for you or if you've used any other successful methods to remove smells and stains.  Good luck!