Hard Water Help

[mathematicalmessymamma]

I never had problems with my CD's at our old house. We moved recently and are now on well-water that is SUPER HARD. In fact the people we bought the house from warned us that we really should have a whole house water softener installed. But that is not in the budget.

I use Calgon in every load and still I get very little foam from the detergent. I am having major ammonia issues! I am planning to strip again tomorrow but so far stripping hasn't done much good. I have a feeling the problem is build up of water minerals. The problem is - they say to strip by rinsing until the bubbles are gone. But the bubbles are gone after 2 rinses and I am still having ammonia issues! :scratch If the problem is mineral build up from the hard water and I am stripping in the same hard water - how does that help rinse away the minerals?????? Is there a different stripping method for super hard water? I'm using Rockin Green Hard Rock (for hard water) detergent along with the Calgon and still it doesn't seem to be softening my water enough. :sigh

Any ideas?

[bec28]

:popcorn

I have this exact same problem! I stripped them the first time by boiling them and that worked for a few months, but I just did it again and it lasted maybe two or three washes. Now they stink worse the ever! I tried dawn the other day and like you, there were hardly and suds in the second wash. I don't know what to try next.

[mathematicalmessymamma]

:bump

Anyone solve the hard water problem? Anyone? ....Anyone?

[Barefoot Bookworm]

I was hoping for answers here too. My kids can wear their diapers for 9-12 months and then BAM, rashes each time they put them on. I'm assuming it's a hard water issue because I've tried different detergents and ways of washing them...

[mathematicalmessymamma]

Well, I'm a little :( that no GCM (who was on today anyway) had the magical answer to all my hard water problems. I still stripped today. I used a lot of blue Dawn and baking soda in the first wash/rinse (I paused the wash cycle and soaked it for an hour too). In the second wash I added Calgon and vinegar to the rinse. Then I did several more wash/rinses with nothing. They are now on the line. We'll see how long it takes for the ammonia smell to come back. I'll update as I keep experimenting.

[MTmomma]

Have you asked the ladies at rockin' green if they have any suggestions? They always seem to be really willing to help people troubleshoot if they're having issues. Hope you get it figured out!

[twentysixcats]

We have hard water issues too, but it sounds like not to the extent you do! For me, I tried Hard Rock and it made my daughter's skin break out. I stripped with Calgon and still had ammonia issues. At the time, I was using all pocket diapers with microfiber inserts. I ended up replacing my whole stash and switching to cotton prefolds. That has seemed to do the trick. I haven't had any rash or smell issues since I switched. I read somewhere that microfiber tends to hold on to minerals in the water, and that if your water is hard you should choose a natural fiber. :shrug3 It worked for me; we've been in prefolds for 4 months and have no issues.

I love cloth diapers, but I *HATE* troubleshooting them!! :-)

[Macky]

We used to be on well water out here and only recently got on the river water pipeline. Our well water was so hard that it was basically "liquid rock" as they say (I know because I was testing water for a new aquarium and our water was off-the-charts hard). I was having to clean with CLR every few days or deposits would clog up all our faucets and the shower head. My neighbour had her kitchen faucet's spout actually break off in her hand; it had corroded through and was only two years old.

I solved all our smelly CD issues by washing in cold. Never had a smell since and they were clean. I never post my solution anymore, though, because people just tend to go "Ewwww!" and move on. :shrug My washing machine only used hot water from the heater downstairs, which is turned down because there are children in the house. It's not like a hot water wash cycle is boiling the diapers clean. What's the difference washing on cold as far as sanitation? I can't see one. The diapers came out soft and smelling like any other clothing item. Never any issue with skin reactions. Good enough for us!

[nanookmama]

I'm in the same boat. I just heard from a mom in my complex that Hard Rock + Calgon works for her, but that was shortly after I bought Tide powder to try.

A friend of mine mentioned cleaning out the washer with a cycle of bleach can help clear out any buildup that's in the machine. :shrug3

Today I ran bleach through a hot wash and tomorrow I have a plan:
1. Diapers + RLR + Tide + hot wash
2. Diapers + hot wash + no detergent
3. Repeat until bubbles are gone
4. Line dry (this may or may not work out)
5. Fold and Pray

[twentysixcats]

A friend of mine mentioned cleaning out the washer with a cycle of bleach can help clear out any buildup that's in the machine. :shrug3
Oh yeah, I was reading my washer manual recently and they recommend doing this every month. (I have a front loader.) I'm going to try and do that and see if it helps.

[mathematicalmessymamma]

Ashley: I too found that cotton prefolds do not hold on to odors like microfiber. I switched to all cotton diapers a while ago. I still use pocket diapers but I stuff them with a pre-fold. I never had to strip my cd's at our old house once I switched. But this new house's water ... even the cotton holds on to the odors

Robin: I'm going to try the cold wash thing. I was wondering if maybe the hot water was locking in the odors. I always line dry in the sun and that disinfects them as far as I'm concerned.

Might call Rockin Green this week too. Thanks for the ideas everyone. I'll get it figured out eventually. :sigh

[twentysixcats]

Please let us know if you figure out a solution.

[mathematicalmessymamma]

Please let us know if you figure out a solution.

Will do!

[Lady TS]

When I was CD'ing, we had hard (iron) water. My beautiful white CPF's turned into crunchy-ish, off-color(reddish) dipes in the course of a year. :(

I did use RLR, but that stuff is SO hard to find locally. :-/

I think the PP is onto something with the cold water wash--our hot water heater at the time was old and I'm sure filled with iron deposits. Whenever I did hot washes, it turned stuff red/orange. (My hair even turned color enough that people were asking if I dyed my hair! :blush)

As an aside---we went through I think 3 home water softener systems (like what you get at Home Depot/Lowe's) and they just would not do the job anyway--spent so much money on salt for those things too! Ask around--there may be a place that will let you rent a machine that actually works(they come and test your water to determine what you need), for cheaper than what you would pay for a machine/salt. It took us something like 6 years to finally find a company we are happy with, and we don't use near the amount of salt we used in the past!

[delightedmama]

Just wanted to throw in that we have really hard water and use pocket diapers, but have never had a smell issue... and now I'm wondering if it's because we wash on cold? We don't have water heaters where I live so it's the only option :shrug3

[mathematicalmessymamma]

Well, I washed on cold for a week and they did always come out smelling clean! But I am still having ammonia smells if she wears a diaper more than 2 hours. Night time diapers are AWFUL smelling by morning. And her diaper rash really flared up. So yesterday I washed on warm and did 6 warm rinses. The rash is gone and the ammonia is better but not gone. My latest thought is that warm wash might be cold enough not to lock in odors but still warm enough to better disinfect and keep rashes away. Still troubleshooting and going through lots of Calgon! :sigh

[nanookmama]

My little RLR strip didn't completely eliminate the ammonia, but washing in Tide seems to be keeping it from building up.

I read somewhere that using flats (or receiving blankets) can keep ammonia problems at bay. The material folds out so there is nowhere for ammonia to 'hide' in the fabric. :shrug3 I tried using a receiving blanket on my little baby and that went fine (less bulky than prefolds!) but haven't tried it on the toddler yet. That will be the true test I think.

[Macky]

Two of us have posted that we've washed on cold the entire life of some (or all) diapers and have never had a smell (and we've never had a rash issue either), so I'm wondering if once that smell is in there it's in there for good. It sounds like everyone who washes on cold has no issues and the ones washing in hot/warm are having the problems. I can't help but think that's the key. If you started out with new dipes and washed in cold from day one, I'll almost bet money you won't have a problem anymore. I've lost count of the number of threads I've read about umpteen zillion ways to wash or strip a diaper (in hot water) and it seems no one ever presents a definitive solution for every type of situation (detergent/fabric combo) as long as the water remains hot. Just an observation. :shrug

[mathematicalmessymamma]

Two of us have posted that we've washed on cold the entire life of some (or all) diapers and have never had a smell (and we've never had a rash issue either), so I'm wondering if once that smell is in there it's in there for good. It sounds like everyone who washes on cold has no issues and the ones washing in hot/warm are having the problems. I can't help but think that's the key. If you started out with new dipes and washed in cold from day one, I'll almost bet money you won't have a problem anymore. I've lost count of the number of threads I've read about umpteen zillion ways to wash or strip a diaper (in hot water) and it seems no one ever presents a definitive solution for every type of situation (detergent/fabric combo) as long as the water remains hot. Just an observation. :shrug

I do think you are on to something. UNfortunately, it's not in the budget to replace my whole diaper stash. :( So I'm still stuck dealing with the diapers I've got.

I will say that the ammonia has not come back in my bleached prefolds since stripping and then washing in cold. It's my organic cotton AIO diapers that are holding on to the smell. I'm wondering if nanookmama is on to something and the smell 'hides' better in thick diapers that don't unfold in the wash. I'm also wondering if organic unbleached cotton holds on to smell more than bleached? :shrug3

[nanookmama]

I do think you are on to something. UNfortunately, it's not in the budget to replace my whole diaper stash. :( So I'm still stuck dealing with the diapers I've got.

I will say that the ammonia has not come back in my bleached prefolds since stripping and then washing in cold. It's my organic cotton AIO diapers that are holding on to the smell. I'm wondering if nanookmama is on to something and the smell 'hides' better in thick diapers that don't unfold in the wash. I'm also wondering if organic unbleached cotton holds on to smell more than bleached? :shrug3

My organic AIO diapers are holding the smell too.

I'm kicking myself for having done so many hot washes. I wonder if the ammonia smell is set in by heat the same way protein stains are set in?

[delightedmama]

Has anyone tried stripping with hydrogen peroxide? I washed on hot for a week once (doing combined laundry with family on vacation) and had success with 1c. hydrogen peroxide in a load with no detergent. (They had just barely begun smelling though, so not sure if it can be "too late" for those of you having more serious problems).

[bec28]

I have not heard of that before. I'll have to give it a try. :)

[Aerynne]

I do think you are on to something. UNfortunately, it's not in the budget to replace my whole diaper stash. :( So I'm still stuck dealing with the diapers I've got.

I will say that the ammonia has not come back in my bleached prefolds since stripping and then washing in cold. It's my organic cotton AIO diapers that are holding on to the smell. I'm wondering if nanookmama is on to something and the smell 'hides' better in thick diapers that don't unfold in the wash. I'm also wondering if organic unbleached cotton holds on to smell more than bleached? :shrug3

NO, don't replace them!! I was at that point, too. My water is 24 grains hard but I found a great solution. Turn your water heater up as high as it will go, then an hour later, throw all your (clean) diapers in a soak cycle with a quart of vinegar and leave it overnight, or at least 8 hours. Works great! You'll have to do it once a month or so.

If you think you can't afford a water softener, look into a nuvo H2O. We got one just this year and it is much cheaper than a regular one and it uses citrus filters instead of salt. Works great! (come to think of it, I haven't vinegar soaked my diapers in months and they don't need it).

[Soliloquy]

Has anyone mentioned Borax yet? It's a natural water softener and unlike Calgon has no fragrance or anything.

We rent a Culligan otherwise we'd be in the same diaper pail. :yes2. 33 grains.

Anyone try SA8? It'd from.AmWay, I've never tried it but supposed to be like RLR.

Appliance stores also sell this stuff for periodically removing build-up from your front loader. I've never tried it, though. Citric acid is how I removed the build up from my DWer, don't know what it would do to dipes, tho.

[mathematicalmessymamma]

NO, don't replace them!! I was at that point, too. My water is 24 grains hard but I found a great solution. Turn your water heater up as high as it will go, then an hour later, throw all your (clean) diapers in a soak cycle with a quart of vinegar and leave it overnight, or at least 8 hours. Works great! You'll have to do it once a month or so.

If you think you can't afford a water softener, look into a nuvo H2O. We got one just this year and it is much cheaper than a regular one and it uses citrus filters instead of salt. Works great! (come to think of it, I haven't vinegar soaked my diapers in months and they don't need it).

I've hesitated to do too much with vinegar bc I've heard it is so hard on elastic. Have you noticed the elastic in your dipes going out quicker doing this?

[cobluegirl]

I have heard that citric acid works well in dishwashers....might be good in the laundry too.

[Aerynne]

I've hesitated to do too much with vinegar bc I've heard it is so hard on elastic. Have you noticed the elastic in your dipes going out quicker doing this?

No, but you don't have to soak the covers. I use prefolds, so my diapers don't have elastic.