CDs and bleach

bluecrab1020 · November 2012

Also posted this on the CD board...

I was shopping at a CD store the other day and was talking wash routines with one of the sales girls. She mentioned that she adds 1/4 cup bleach to a load once per month. Well today I smelled a bit of ammonia when I put dirty dipes in the washer, so I thought I would try the bleach. But now I am concerned and second guessing this. Tell me I didn't just ruin half of my stash. Do I need to do extra rinses or anything special when bleaching? Can bleach residue hurt DD?

JennH28 · November 2012

I dunno about the bleach thing but my CD store told me that if you get an ammonia smell after a wash it is probably due to a detergent buildup [seems backward I know] and if they smelled after a wash to wash again with no detergent. And to plan to do this once a month or so. It seems weird but it actually works. And it taught me you really do need to use as tiny an amount of detergent as they say to.

linzeek44 · November 2012

I'm curious too. I think some of the diaper's care directions say to bleach once a month or something.. but I could be making that up. I haven't bleached ours yet.

kegallagh · November 2012

No, you won't ruin the diapers. I would definitely do an extra rinse or two to make sure it's all out before DD wears them.

That being said, I've used CD for nearly 2.5 years now and have never used bleach. PP is right - an ammonia smell is generally due to detergent build up. A full wash routine w/o detergent should help. Line drying in the sun (tough this time of year, I know) also does wonders for ammonia.

bluecrab1020 · November 2012

Thanks for the responses, ladies!

kegallagh:
No, you won't ruin the diapers. I would definitely do an extra rinse or two to make sure it's all out before DD wears them.
That being said, I've used CD for nearly 2.5 years now and have never used bleach. PP is right - an ammonia smell is generally due to detergent build up. A full wash routine w/o detergent should help. Line drying in the sun (tough this time of year, I know) also does wonders for ammonia.

re: amonia

Is it normal to have a faint ammonia smell on dirty diapers? I have never noticed it before and I just smelled the ones I was washing. They seem fine. (I did throw everything I bleached back in for one more wash w/out detergent.)

discohiker · November 2012

I use 1/2 cup whit vinegar in the first rinse and bleach one a month.... minimal rockngreen in the actual wash, extra rinse.... no issues so far

kegallagh · November 2012

Faint ammonia as in just urine? Sure, normal. Any nose-burning type of ammonia smell isn't. I'd try vinegar.

jussagirl02 · November 2012

I've been wondering the same thing. My stash is mostly BumGenius and the package says to do a wash with bleach once a month. I've been too chicken to try this. I've been CD since LO was 5 weeks old and she's 11 weeks today and haven't done a bleach wash yet and my dipes seem fine so far.

BillyMollyEmmy · November 2012

I wouldn't use bleach... .but that's just MO. I feel as though a vinegar and lemon soak, followed by a few good rinses, does the same thing without the chemicals. I feel like maybe those companies encourage bleach to keep your diapers looking all white and pretty... but the sun does that, too.

kateinitaly · November 2012

Every now and again we used an oxygen bleach on ours. We use AlmaWin Oxygen Bleaching Agent Concentrate. It has no optical brighteners and is vegan-friendly. I figure if I'm going to use bleach it should be the most "natural" possible. We havent seen any adverse effects on the diapers or the baby's skin. Once I added a drop of tea tree oil to help with smell, too.

superned · November 2012

I have used bleach several times after dealing with a yeast diaper rash. No issues here.

I also use vinegar in the first cold rinse to help with ammonia.

I don't think a regular routine of using bleach is necessary, but it won't hurt and is actually necessary if you're dealing with something like yeast.

ourlifeflyingby · November 2012

superned:
I have used bleach several times after dealing with a yeast diaper rash. No issues here.

I also use vinegar in the first cold rinse to help with ammonia.

I don't think a regular routine of using bleach is necessary, but it won't hurt and is actually necessary if you're dealing with something like yeast.

How much vinegar do you use in the rinse? I think I'm gonna start doing this!

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