I'm so sick of CDing!

[Sara]

My dd is 27 months. We have used cloth since birth (we did not use cloth with dd#1). At first, I absolutely loved cloth. I loved to pick out and try new diapers. I loved to wash them and fold them neatly and put them in cute little baskets in dd's closet. But now I'm just hating them! First of all, we bought a front-loading washing machine around Thanksgiving and slowly our diapers, which had never smelled at all, began to develop a stink. Then we went on vacation in February and used disposables for 2 weeks and it was so easy to throw the diapers away, not worry about leaking, etc. About a month after we got back, dd had a stomach virus so we used disposables for another 2 weeks and again, we loved the convenience. Last week, I bought a pack of dispoables so that I could work on stripping all of dd's diapers. They stink horribly as soon as she pees and they just don't seem as functional as they used to be (we use Happy Heiny's and Luke's Drawers). I spent a lot of time stripping my diapers and doing different things to get the stink out. We ran out of disposables yesterday, so I put her back in the cloth and it is taking everything in me to not go buy another pack of disposables! Her clothes don't fit as well, her pant legs get wet if I leave her in cloth longer than 2 hours, they stink even if after I spent all of that time trying to get the stink out, and I don't want to wash them!

But I feel really guilty about all of this because I do think cloth is best and I did invest quite a bit of money in our cloth diapers. Any suggestions for me!?

[Garnet]

well, do you want to use sposies now or not? first you have to figure that out. or are you going to try and skip into ecing?

what are you doing to strip your dipes? have you tried washing them w/ some bleach? were they okay after they stripped but re-built the smell? ( i would try and extra rinse next time) what do you use to wash them? what do they smell like?

[Mother of Sons]

Have you tried washing your diapers with nothing at all? I had to do that with my cloth diapers. There was a build up of detergent in them and I had to wash them 5 or 6 times with nothing to get it all out.

[Garnet]

what she said. you wash until you see no more soap bubbles.

[Sara]

Oh, yes, I've done the washing them a million time without anything! That's why I bought disposables - I spent days washing and rewashing all of our diapers with no soap in very hot water and I used the disposables while I was doing that. When we ran out of disposables, I put her back in the cloth and the stripping hadn't helped at all. I don't want to wash them with bleach because it would ruin all the fabric (they are all prints). I've done extra rinses, the cycle for heavily soiled stuff, everything...

I'm not sure how to describe how they smell except that right when she pees, it always smells like stinky poop. So I'm constantly checking her for poop, but there never is any poop. Just stinky diapers!

The problem all started with my front-loader. I know that's the issue. With my old machine, I always soaked my diapers overnight and they always came out beautifully clean and smelling great. Now I can't soak them except for a short presoak. I love my new machine, but for diapers, I HATE IT!

I'm not sure what to do. I'm so fed up with the diapers that I feel like just giving up and going with disposables, but I feel like I need to make CDing work. I don't like shelling out $12/wk for diapers.

[Soliloquy]

The problem all started with my front-loader. I know that's the issue. With my old machine, I always soaked my diapers overnight and they always came out beautifully clean and smelling great. Now I can't soak them except for a short presoak. I love my new machine, but for diapers, I HATE IT!


I'm sorry you're going through this, but I'm thankful for the info. We almost bought a front-loading machine, but the high cost combined with the fact that I was afraid it wouldn't be good for my CDs made me go with a top-loading. Now I won't buy a front-loading until all my kiddos are out of dipes.

Could you soak them overnight in your diaper pail? Can you soak them in your machine longer by turning it off once it's filled up? I'm sure you've tried baking soda . . . have you hung them outside to dry for a day or two? Bleach is hard on the fibers and bad for baby's skin, so I wouldn't try that.

I know what you mean about clothes fitting better. There's some outfits my DD can't wear unless she's in a 'sposie.

If you can get the stink out and you're still sick of CD, you can sell them on ebay. (I wouldn't try selling the stinky ones, you'll just have to refund the money.) When we first started CDing we used Kushies, but I decided I like Fuzzi Bunz better, so I sold my Kushies for only $30 less than I paid for them after using them for 7 months.

I hope you can figure it all out. If it's driving you crazy, CD isn't worth it.

[milkmommy]

Don't feel bad if your ready to go to disposables. Even part time were using disposables at night righ now :shrug
Honestly I would consider a bit of bleach we've used it on occasion and its not done any damage to the prints etc.. What detergent are you using?

Deanna

[BeckaBlue]

:hug

have your been stripping both the dipes and covers? my dd had one cover that constantly smelled horrible as soon as she peed! it was a cheapy gerber pull-on vinyl so i just trashed it

bleach was mentioned, and i understand worrying about the prints, have you considered bleach alternative? I dunno much about them since i dont do bleach *at all* but maybe?

sorry it's become so frustrating :(

if you were to sell im sure ppl would take even the stinky ones as long as you were honest about what needed done w/ them

[PrincessMommie]

Tea Tree Oil

About 3-4 drops in your rinse....I swear by it.

[Sara]

Thanks! I'm willing to try the tea tree oil. I bought another pack of disposables tonight and will go another round this weekend with trying to get my diapers smelling better.

[PrincessMommie]

Let me know how it works for you guys Sara, I really do swear by it here.
I had stinky diapers and rinsed over and over to no avail.

So I did the tea tree oil and seriously it did work for us...so now I do the drops in a rinse about every 2 weeks or so...

[wuzzie]

Oh, yes, I've done the washing them a million time without anything! That's why I bought disposables - I spent days washing and rewashing all of our diapers with no soap in very hot water and I used the disposables while I was doing that. When we ran out of disposables, I put her back in the cloth and the stripping hadn't helped at all. I don't want to wash them with bleach because it would ruin all the fabric (they are all prints). I've done extra rinses, the cycle for heavily soiled stuff, everything...

I'm not sure how to describe how they smell except that right when she pees, it always smells like stinky poop. So I'm constantly checking her for poop, but there never is any poop. Just stinky diapers!

The problem all started with my front-loader. I know that's the issue. With my old machine, I always soaked my diapers overnight and they always came out beautifully clean and smelling great. Now I can't soak them except for a short presoak. I love my new machine, but for diapers, I HATE IT!

I'm not sure what to do. I'm so fed up with the diapers that I feel like just giving up and going with disposables, but I feel like I need to make CDing work. I don't like shelling out $12/wk for diapers.


I soak mine in the tub overnight and then spray bleach on the tub afterward.

[LauraK]

For my happy heiny's and fuzzy bunz I did what they recommend here:
http://www.happyheinys.com/web/info/careguide.php
Handwashed the diapers with dishsoap.

I also switched to www.charliesoap.com (http://www.charliesoap.com). This detergent is AWESOME! I just use the powder. It is also economical and works well in front loaders. It rinses so clean that I hardly have to do a second rinse now (although I do just to be safe). HOpe that helps or your dd decides to PT.

[mama2mychildren]

Sara, no advice but wanted to tell you I COMPLETELY understand. At 18 months we started using sposies at nighttime and miraculously she started sleeping through the night. I still used CD during the day until she told me she didnt want them anymore. Now, frankly, its so much easier. It never seemed like work when she was younger but once she started running around and clothes became slimmer and she started peeing so much more heavily, the sposies were a godsend.

I do understand the dilemma though. I feel bad for buying all this stuff and not using it and I feel bad every time I throw a sposie in the garbage. But then I remind myself how many diapers I DIDNT throw away by CD an infant and CD for a year and a half and it makes me feel a bit better. I guess its all in your perspective and whats easiest right now. The worst part is the looks friends give me when they see that I "gave in". You know, the "I told you it wasnt easier" looks.

[Katherine]

I'm not a veteran CD'er since we've only been using them for 6 months or so, but if you're convinced it's the machine, maybe you could try washing them in a different machine just to see if you can get the lingering smell out?

Do you have a friend or family member that would let you borrow? Or would it be worth it to go to a laundromat? (I haven't been to one in years, so I don't know how expensive they are now) :shrug

Just out of curiosity.. what is it about front-loaders that doesn't work well for dipes? anyone know?

[Havilah]

Paula, I think it's the fact that front-loaders use sooooo much less water. It's the volume of water in the top loaders that allow it to really clean the dipes and rinse them well :)

[Katherine]

Ahh! good to know... Thanks. :)

[KoalaMommy]

have you tried bac-out? it's supposed to be a good bleach alternative. I also use TTO with great results.

[lumpofclay]

Have you tried putting vinegar in your rinse?

How'd the TTO go?

[Keiko]

This is what I do (we used to have stink, but haven't had any problems since I switched to this):

1. Prewash cycle on cold with 3 or so drops tea tree oil (I guess this is a presoak cycle?)
2. Heavy duty cycle on hot/cold with 1 tablespoon detergent and about a 1/4 cup borax
3. Line dry in the sunshine

[cornflower]

You know, I think it's okay to switch to sposies for awhile. :grin

I have a couple of friends (and include me here too!) who after faithfully CDing for 2+ years, ended up going to sposies for either awhile or until potty learning was complete. Sometimes the switch to "easy" sposies for a couple of months makes you say, "What? Why am I spending so much $$$$ on sposies?" and then you switch back to CD a thankful, frugal mama. And then sometimes you say, "Sposies are where it's at! I'll do CDs again with another baby, but I don't feel like it anymore with this one!" And I think that's okay.

Sara - your DD has been in them for 27 mos!!! That's 27mos of non-land-filling sposies. That's 27mos of soft cloth on her bum...

You've done what worked for you and your family, and now you are re-thinking that. It's okay. :)

[OneSillyMommy]

itu, we bought a front loader last year, and i had a hard time as well. I have started soaking the bm ones in the laundry tub overnight before i wash em. I also use tea tree oil and baking soda in my wash cycle, and in the fabric sofener compartment, i put vinegar. I do an extra extra rinse in hot water under the prewash setting on mine as well at the end. It is much better. Though i'm hoping we'll be done soon as she's 2 1/2 and praying she'll get "potting on the toilet " down pat this summer. :pray :hug2

[tree_hugger]

You might like to pursue some of these links, courtesy of the cloth nappy gurus over at mdc. :tu

Troubleshooting Stinky Diapers (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=48095)

Front Loaders vs Top Loaders Discussion (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=48095)

If it's so easy, why doesn't everyone use cloth? (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=619)

HTH. :heart