Detergent/Stripping Question

steffaneh

For the past year I have used a homemade laundry soap (which really doesn't contain any soap) made of borax and washing soda (that's it). I've never had issues with my diapers but now my son keeps getting rashes like every couple weeks. It will clear up for a week and then come back. It can't be detergent build up since I don't use soap right?

I haven't ever stripped my diapers either because again I don't use a soap based detergent. I also haven't ever bleached my diapers either for fear of damaging the PUL.

Also my son automatically smells like ammonia after he pees which had never been a problem until like a month ago.

Does anyone know what the problem may be or have any suggestion on what to do?

Rrrrrachel

Almost no laundry detergent contains soap. You can absolutely get detergent build up without soap. Sounds like you have ammonia build up, though, hence the instantaneous smell when wet. Is his rash kind of like an all over sun burn?

I'd do several washes in hot hot water and no detergent. Is probably also bleach to get rid of any bacteria. I don't think occasional bleach harms pul. It's never harmed mine, at least. You could also use something like ocyclean, but it's not as broad spectrum.

CLLDLL

I agree with Rrrrachel's hot water rinsed and one bleach suggestion. Bleach first. Then lots of rinsed. Consider using a bit less detergent I'm future washes.

zaraceligon

Depends of what kind of diapers you have, you can also treat ammonia problems by boiling the diapers. You need to rinse the inserts or prefolds, then boil them follow your wash routing.

TJ1979

I didn't think you were supposed to boil PUL.
I agree with the hot water strip.

zaraceligon

You cannot boil pul at all. But you can boil microfiber. As long you wash the cover with hot water is fine. What has the ammonia,or any kind of build up is the inserts. The only diapers that you cannot boil are all AIO diaper.

zaraceligon

By the way, if you boil the diapers, do not do it for more that 15min, and microfiber cannot be boil for more than 5 mn.