Help me strip prefolds

MrsMFEO · August 2014

Hi, new here! I have a 3 month old and we've been in this size prefold for less than 4 weeks. They're starting to stink and are dingy already and I suspect it's an ammonia smell.

I have an HE front load and use Country Save, 2tbs. I do a short cycle on cold with a presoak and extra rinse. Then heavy cycle, hot water, extra water, extra rinse.

So if these need to be stripped, how do I decide which way to do it? Hot water rinses, bleach, blue dawn, vinegar? Thanks!

Into+the+Kitty · August 2014

Do the diapers agitate against each other? You usually only need to add more water if it's not rinsing out properly.

What do the diapers smell like? Do they smell fresh out of the wash or only after being peed in?

MrsMFEO · August 2014

They smell unusually bad after he's peed. I do think it may be a problem with not enough water. I plan to go ahead and add the two wet towels, which I haven't done before, and use the delicate cycle instead of the speed wash for my first rinse. As for now - I'm running them through on a few hot washes, no detergent, to see if that works.

TJ1979 · August 2014

What do they smell like?

countrycotton · August 2014

Is the detergent in your first cycle? The first cycle dosent really need detergent, it's just to get the pee out. The second wash is where you want the detergent, that us where the real cleaning happens.

MrsMFEO · August 2014

No, the first cycle is water only, but I think I need to get more water in there - I'll change to the delicate cycle and add wet towels. I use detergent in the second long hot cycle.

I did about 3 hot rinses yesterday, we'll see how they turn out after drying.

They smell... I don't know... Like too much pee, or like they've been sitting wet too long.

MrsMFEO · August 2014

They go in a dry pail, I wash about 18-20 every two days.

Also, I use California Baby diaper rash cream and often skip the fleece liner. Is that my main problem?

TJ1979 · August 2014

I would be surprised if you really need to add additional water for only 18-20 prefolds. How many covers?

MrsMFEO · August 2014

It states it's cloth friendly and I don't see residue, but it's white too. I have a planet wise liner in a trash can with a lid.

I use wool covers, so the wash only has prefolds, a few flannel wipes and the pail liner. I also don't see the need for more water, I already use the water plus option. Our diapering system is so simple that I can't imagine what else could be done.

TJ1979 · August 2014

True. But still. Something isn't adding up here. Anyone else use Country Save? Is 2 tbsp too much? What type of water do you have? Ammonia smell makes me think detergent build up, but then the prefolds being dingy makes me think they aren't getting clean enough. Are you open to changing detergents?

MrsMFEO · August 2014

I'll try that, thanks!

TJ1979 · August 2014

But you have to fix the problem first. If it is buildup and you switch detergents, it'll still be built up.

ComeMai · August 2014

I love Country Save for our dipes. I use 3/4 of a scoop for a super plus sized load in an old school top loader with hard water. That is prob about 2 Tbsp. In an HE it may be too much.

MrsMFEO · August 2014

I have 4 more boxes of country save, so it would be very impractical. I have started using less as one time I over did it and they came out very stiff. I don't think we have hard water.

The load that I just rinsed in hot a few times is ready for use, so I'll be able to report later today if that worked.

TJ1979 · August 2014

If you have soft water, you would need less detergent.

mrshudson618 · August 2014

MrsMFEO said:
I have 4 more boxes of country save, so it would be very impractical. I have started using less as one time I over did it and they came out very stiff. I don't think we have hard water.

The load that I just rinsed in hot a few times is ready for use, so I'll be able to report later today if that worked.

It would be more impractical to keep using it if it is the problem.

Inconvenient, yes, impractical, no.

MrsMFEO · August 2014

Update: thanks for all your help! I ran everything through about 4 hot water rinses and they no longer stink as soon as he wets them. I've switched to a delicate cycle for the first rinse(more water), took the lid off the pail (I'm surprised this didn't cause more house stink), and I'll use slightly less detergent. Thanks!

jess9802 · August 2014

I'm going to go against the grain and say you need more detergent. And more water.

I sort of get the concern about detergent buildup causing repelling with microfiber, etc., but cotton prefolds and flats are about the most forgiving type of diaper you can have. I've been using cotton flats for more than two years. I use Desitin for diaper rashes, use Tide up to line 2 on the scoop, and have never had problems with buildup, barnyard, or ammonia, and I live in an area with soft water.

If your clean diapers stink when baby pees in them, they are not clean, and IMO buildup on cotton prefolds is unlikely.

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