Troubleshooting - Funk, Ammonia, Rash (Oh My!)

KatieEl

Hello ladies, thanks in advance for any advice that you can offer me on this one!

My LO is 6 months and up until now we've had no issues with our cloth diapers.  (Normal wash routine is warm rinse, hot wash with 3 T Rockin' Green, 2 additional cold washes.)  However, lately I've been having a couple of issues that I thought were unrelated, but now I'm not so sure.

My LO has a really red bum crack, and after pooping (when the ammonia diaper smell is at it's absolute worst) the inside of his crack (the fleshy skin part, not the anus itself) has tiny little fissures of blood.  It's hurting him and breaking my heart.  I've been slathering him up with Grandma El's, checking his diaper compulsively, and giving him at least 30 minutes of naked time.  At first I just thought this was a run of the mill (albeit bad) diaper rash, but now I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the ammonia smell in his diapers.

At the same time this bloody/rash business is happening, I'm working to combat the ammonia smell in his diapers.  Worst after overnight, but noticeable at other times too.  I added a soak with the Funk Rock Ammonia Booster, but that did not take care of the problem.  I just finished a load where I soaked the diapers overnight in the Rockin Green detergent and rinsed in hot water until well after the soap bubbles went away (about 10 diapers).  This is the cleanest/no-odor that we've had, but I' ve yet to try them out on the kid yet as they just finished drying.  

If this doesn't work, does anyone have any suggestions for getting rid of this ammonia smell?  Could the ammonia smell in the diapers be causing the rash?  Should I use the Flip disposable inserts until this clears up?  Any and all suggestions very, very welcome.  I feel like I've been doing diaper laundry non-stop for a week (with no end in sight and little to no improvement!).  Thanks in advance!

KatieEl

As a thank you have a fluff picture!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x7xr9h6ntwb679g/2014-04-29 08.13.47.jpg

freezorburn

Any changes in diet recently? Sometimes new foods can cause irritation -- either stuff baby eats directly, or it can come through breastmilk.

Also, some people just don't have good results with Rockin' Green. You might get better results with another detergent.

KatieEl

He started solid foods about a month and a half ago, but the rash/smell had really only been in the last few weeks or so.  Could there be a delay in that?

I'm definitely willing to switch detergents, but we've been using the Rockin Green since day one and haven't had any issues with his diapers until now.  Would it still be likely to be a detergent problem?  Recommendations on brands to switch to?

freezorburn

What foods have you introduced so far? Anything acidic?

Sometimes it can take a while for a detergent problem to develop. There are a few CD detergent ratings charts out there, so it really depends on what's right for your family. Budget might be a consideration. Do you have a history of skin sensitivities to any detergents? That might eliminate some brands from consideration. A lot of people on this board like Tide but we have family members with eczema so we opt for detergents like Country Save, Tiny Bubbles, and Miocare, which don't have brighteners, enzymes or artificial fragrance.

TJ1979

I would do a hot water strip of all your diapers, like 3 hot washes with no detergent. Then a load with 1/8-1/4 cup bleach, then a few more rinses. Then switch detergents. Pinstripes and polka dots has a great detergent chart.

KatieEl

So far he's been (mainly) eating: strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, apples, avocado, zucchini, broccoli, greek yogurt, hummus, apple sauce, quinoa, sprouted bread, wheat pancakes, eggs, ground beef, chicken, pate, and cheese (all kinds).  The only really acidic one is the strawberries, I think.  Which, to be fair, he does love, and has eaten recently.  I'll hold off on giving him any more of those and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks for the chart tip, I found this one.  Which I'll take a look at!

KatieEl

TJ1979:  must have been replying when you were!  That chart does look great, I'm going over it now.  As far as the bleach, this is a dumb question I'm sure, but I never use bleach.  Do I fill up the the washer (top-loader, if that matters) with water/bleach and then add the diapers once it's full?

KatieEl

One more bleach question, do I use this on just the inserts?  Or the outer shells too?  (We use primarily pockets).  Thanks!

freezorburn

Okay, so there is a possibility that some foods could be part of the problem. In addition to the strawberries, you might want to also hold off on the apples and raspberries. You might find this chart helpful: pH of common foods

km_md

DD has really bad reflux so she has lots of acid and she gets red in that same area that you are describing, although not as bad. I've been using CJs and it has been working really well and gets rid of her redness. She still does get the redness but I'm sure that it is because of her stomach issues.

I would also recommend a hot water strip and a switch of detergent. We were using RnG as well and it just didn't get the diapers clean. I just started using Nellies and so far it seems much better. But the pinstripes and polka dots chart that PP mentioned is a big help so you can find something that works for you.

KatieEl

freezorburn: Thanks for the acidic foods chart, that was helpful.  I'll error on the side of caution for the next little bit, for sure!

km_md:  Nellies was the detergent I was leaning towards after looking at that chart, so glad to hear that anecdotally it has worked well for you!