Awful rash

Lizzy0809

I don't post a whole lot but I'd really appreciate some advice. My son is 14 months old and I've been CDing since he was 3mo with no problems until we moved about a month ago. I had an awesome top loader that worked perfectly (still have it but in storeage). Right after we moved I was using my parents front load Engery saver washing machine and my little guy got a TERRIBLE diaper rash. Open sores, bleeding, swollen and hot. Pretty much over night, bad ammonia smell so i thought maybe an amonia burn? It was awful. Went to the pedi and she had me apply Vaseline. It took 2 weeks to completely clear up. Stopped using the front load and now I'm using a crappy top loader (thinking I may need to get my trusty top loader out of storeage).

It's now been two weeks since i started back with CDs (used sposies while he healed), and yesterday he woke up again with a red hot broken diaper rash! I'm so frustrated. He's back in chlorine free sposies and I stripped my diapers again today. I'm just wondering if this sounds like purely a wash problem? I did notice this time around that he was fine with the CDs (prefolds) until I tried his microfiber pockets, coincidence?

Oh, the rash is just on his back side, nothing on the front. My wash routine right now is: rinse in cold, wash in hot with rockin green, wash in cold with no soap. 

 

If you read all of this, thank you! Any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated. 

OhSewCrafty

It sounds like your diapers may need a serious stripping. How are you stripping them? Do they smell when they are dry? When he pees in them?

We had this issue and it turned out to be hard water mineral and soap build up that was holding the ammonia in. The second DS would pee it smelled AWFUL. We did a strip with RLR and a gazillion rinses Now we use Funk Rock once in a while and Bio Kleen oxygen bleach and it helps. Microfiber likes to hold in stink/minerals/crap.

In other news, toddler pee is the freaking worst. 

ETA: fixed a word

Lizzy0809

They don't smell when they're dry, but yeah they smell pretty strong when he pees in them. 

Last time I stripped them with funk rock. This time I did an overnight soak in rockin green, then stripped them this morning in funk rock, the another wash in rockin green and I've rinsed them 3x, about to put them in the dryer.

 Thanks for replying, any yes toddler pee sucks! I so wish he was ready to potty train right now so that I didn't have to put anything on his poor bottom! 

OhSewCrafty

Lizzy0809:

They don't smell when they're dry, but yeah they smell pretty strong when he pees in them. 

Last time I stripped them with funk rock. This time I did an overnight soak in rockin green, then stripped them this morning in funk rock, the another wash in rockin green and I've rinsed them 3x, about to put them in the dryer.

 Thanks for replying, any yes toddler pee sucks! I so wish he was ready to potty train right now so that I didn't have to put anything on his poor bottom! 

I'd definitely try RLR. Its about $2 a packet and you only use about half for a whole load of diapers. You add it instead of soap, but you will be shocked the amount of suds and crap that come out of your inserts!! I only stripped the microfiber and left the covers out for their own wash (since they weren't the issue). It took a whole hell of a lot of rinses to get rid of the bubbles, but in a top loader it shouldn't be bad (I have a HE front).

Also, have you tested your water? I found out I had really hard water through this process. Changing to Hard Rock and using more soap helped prevent future build up. 

I was seriously ready to throw the microfiber away and buy new, but this worked. Good luck!!

Lizzy0809

Thanks! It's just called RLR? I do have hard water (well water out in the country), so maybe that's the problem. I switched to hard rock a while back but befor that I was using a liquid detergent, something mountain? Can't remember the name. I really hope I can fix this. I love CDing, well until now I did!

OhSewCrafty

Yup, RLR Laundry Treatment. If you know you have hard water for sure, you might just want to incorporate this into your routine every few months. I know we'll probably have to. Good luck!

hispenguin

We have hard water as well, and I always have some RLR on hand just in case we start to have stink issues.

I just want to add that I've found it helpful sometimes to add some Calgon to each load to help soften the water. I also found that even RnG hard rock just wouldn't cut it for us, and I had to switch to Tiny Bubbles. Never had an issue with TB.