Most common rash types:
Urine
Detergent
Ammonia
Yeast
Bacteria
Ok now that we know what may be the issue how can you tell which your dealing with? If you have a strong stomach try goggling, detergent diaper rash, urine diaper rash, yeast diaper rash, bacterial diaper rash, so on. This will give you some graphic images to compare to.
If your not of the hardened strong stomach type, then proceed to the elimination strategy.
NOTE! Catching any type of rash early is key!!! At the very first signs of irritation you need to act! The faster you catch it the faster you can fix it, and.... the faster you catch it the longer you have to figure out exactly what is going on before things get trip to the dr worthy.
I will list the types of rash in order of most common and the provide solutions for you.
Urine:
Urine induced diaper rash is likely the most common cause. This will happen if kiddo is sitting too long in wet pants with the urine touching their skin. There are a few pretty easy things you can do to fix this.
For day time, change your baby more often. It seems obvious but really! If baby is sitting in wet pants they will develop skin issues, so change them as often as possible to keep their delicate skin dry!
If using prefolds either switch to pockets or use a stay dry liner such as wool or fleece against their skin to wick the urine immediately away. This will be very helpful for over night when you do not want to wake them to change them.
Add absorbency. The more absorbency wicking moisture away from the skin the less moisture to sit on skin. If you are noting damp clothes or bedding at night then this is extra important. For pockets add an extra insert, for prefolds or aio try laying a doubler inside to suck up extra moisture. Make sure it is hemp, cotton or bamboo. When paired with a stay dry barrier many folks find this a power combo.
Add a protective layer of moisture repellant to their skin. If you know they will be in their undie extra long and you won;t be able to change them immediately when they wet, then try slathering their nethers with coconut oil, or a wetness barrier of another sort. Warning not all moister barriers are cloth friendly! Do your research, pick something that won;t leave you stripping your diapers, or lay a disposable liner into your cloth when using this method.
Give diaper free time. Airing out their bum will do wonders especially after being in a damp diaper extra long. Rinse their bum well, then let them air dry! If possible let them get some fresh air and sun shine on their nethers This is a known cure for many skin ailments! And diaper rash is no exception! If weather allows, lay out a towel or blanket and let your wee one play outside in the sun for a bit. Or if there is a spot in your home were the sun shines in through a window, give little some diaper free time in that spot, lay a towel or blanket down on the floor int eh sunny spot. Trust me, baby will love it!
Detergent:
This is likely the second most common cause of diaper area irritation. Using the wrong detergent that is not suited to sensitive skin such as detergents with heavy perfumes and chemicals can cause terrible reactions in sensitive folks like young babies and children, as well as using too much detergent or not properly rinsing items.
First step is make sure you are using an appropriate detergent such as one that says free and clear. Also make sure you check the detergent charts listed here... http://clothbumsblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/washing-series-detergents.html and that you are using a detergent appropriate for diaper laundry. This will eliminate reactions in sensitive folks from unneeded additives.
Second, rinse! Rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse! I highly suggest the following wash regimen...
One full wash cycle with cold water to lift and release urine before it can bind with detergents.
One full hot or warm cycle wash with detergent to clean. (I suggest hot but water should be just cool enough your hands could hand wash in it.)
Two full wash cycles on hot or warm with nothing added just to fully rinse.
One cold rinse only cycle, just to be sure.
HE machines may need more! Yes that is 4 full cycles for regular machines and up to 8 for HE machines. But if you do this you should not get build up and.... you should not need to strip!
Ammonia:
Ammonia burns can happen when urine becomes trapped in the cloth. This can happen if the urine is allowed to bind with the detergent and does not get rinsed free in the washing process. This can also occur when diapers are not rinsed properly and urine is allowed to build up turning to ammonia.
Easiest way to defeat ammonia burns and issues is to wash more regularly every 2-3 days, never more than 4 days between washings, and.... rinse better! I suggest the following wash regimen to eliminate ammonia build up!
One full wash cycle with cold water to lift and release urine before it can bind with detergents.
One full hot or warm cycle wash with detergent to clean. (I suggest hot but water should be just cool enough your hands could hand wash in it.)
Two full wash cycles on hot or warm with nothing added just to fully rinse. (Stop and smell! do they smell clean and fresh? If not they are not clean, see our Odors document or our Stripping document in the Washing series.)
One cold rinse only cycle, just to be sure.
Ok that covered the easy ones. And I really hope you tried the above stuff before moving on, if you are not sure what kind of rash your dealing with. If the above did not work, or you already know that this is not your issue, lets address the dreaded yeast and bacterial issues that so many parents fear.
Yeast:
Yeast is likely the most commonly feared issue for cders. Mention of yeast often leads to giving up on cloth or even tossing an entire stash into the trash. I am here to tell you you can beat yeast and cd!
I am going to provide an initial process example for killing off yeast then I will provide maintenance solutions to manage and prevent it from coming back.
You discovered you have yeast, and need to kill it dead without tossing or destroying your stash... here is how.
Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, and anything hemp, bamboo, cotton or microfiber with no waterproof pul in it.
Place your clean items into a bucket or wash tub. Fill with hot water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 1/2-1 full cup of white vinegar! Let soak over night or 8-12 hours. This will kill any yeast in the cloth!
Remove from bucket removing excess water and place into your washer (or proceed by hand).
Using appropriate load setting run a hot wash cycle with 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda in the wash cycle.
Run one extra, hot wash full cycle.
All in ones, two in ones/ all in twos, pockets, covers, and anything with pul.
Place your clean items into a bucket or wash tub. Fill with skin temp water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 1/2-1 full cup of plain active, live yogurt such as Nancy's! Let soak overnight or 8-12 hours. This will kill any yeast in the cloth!
Remove from bucket removing excess water and place into your washer (or proceed by hand).
Using appropriate load setting run a hot (but skin bearable) wash cycle with 1/4 cup baking soda in the wash cycle.
Run one extra, hot wash full cycle.
Wool:
Place your clean items into a bucket or wash tub. Fill with tepid water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 1/2-1 full cup of white vinegar! Let soak over night or 8-12 hours. This will kill any yeast in the cloth!
Remove from bucket removing excess water and proceed by hand as normal. Covers may need a lanolin treatment after.
Silk:
Place your clean items into a bucket or wash tub. Fill with tepid water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 1/2-1 full cup of plain active, live yogurt such as Nancy's! Let soak over night or 8-12 hours. This will kill any yeast in the cloth!
Remove from bucket removing excess water and proceed by hand as normal.
Ok we have killed your yeast, now how do you keep it gone?
Give diaper free time. Airing out their bum will do wonders especially after being in a damp diaper extra long. Rinse their bum well, then let them air dry! If possible let them get some fresh air and sun shine on their nethers This is a known cure for many skin ailments! And yeast is no exception! If weather allows, lay out a towel or blanket and let your wee one play outside in the sun for a bit. Or if there is a spot in your home were the sun shines in through a window, give little some diaper free time in that spot, lay a towel or blanket down on the floor int eh sunny spot. Trust me, baby will love it!
Provide skin healing soaks. I suggest, yogurt baths, apple cider or white vinegar baths and baking soda soaks. Run enough warm water to cover babies bum add yogurt, baking soda or vinegar to the water and let baby soak. I suggest 2 tbs up to 1/4 cup depending on amount of water.
Allow baby to air dry, if possible in the sunshine. Wait till fully dry before diapering. You want no moisture trapped in.
After each diaper change rinse bottom well and I suggest smearing a thin coat of plain yogurt onto their bum and allowing to air dry fully before rediapering. You can also use a very light vinegar and water rinse at each diaper change. 1-2 tsp of vinegar dependant on size of bottle.
Try using prefolds instead of pockets until babies yeast issue is fully cleared up, as they are easier to sanitize. Other option is laying a cotton, hemp or bamboo insert inside your pocket or aio, tio/ait, this will provide an easier to wash barrier between the yeast and your more delicate fabrics.
Ok now for maintenance washing:
Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, and anything hemp, bamboo, cotton or microfiber with no waterproof pul in it.
One full wash cycle with cold water to lift and release urine before it can bind with detergents.
One full hot cycle wash with detergent to clean and 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda.
One full hot wash cycle with no detergent.
One full hot wash cycle with 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar in the wash cycle.
One cold rinse only cycle, just to be sure.
All in ones, two in ones/ all in twos, pockets, covers, and anything with pul.
One full wash cycle with cold water to lift and release urine before it can bind with detergents.
One full hot or warm cycle wash with detergent to clean and 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda.. (I suggest hot but water should be just cool enough your hands could hand wash in it.)
Two full wash cycles on hot or warm with nothing added just to fully rinse.
One cold rinse only cycle, just to be sure.
Wool:
Place your clean items into a wash pan. Fill with tepid water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 2 tbs of white vinegar. Let soak for 20 minutes. Hand wash as normal.
Silk:
Place your clean items into a wash pan. Fill with tepid water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 2 tbs of baking soda. Let soak for 20 minutes. Hand wash as normal.
Sunning:
Some items can be dried fully in the sun such as flats fitteds, prefolds and inserts. Always pay attention to fabric care needs. Fully drying items that can bare full sun will help kill any bacteria still hiding.
Shorter stints of sunning will help items unable to bare full drying in full sun. Try sunning covers, pockets, and anything with pul for 20 minutes, then removing to a shady or protected area to prevent sun damage.
For very delicate fabrics such as wool and silk try sunning for only 10 minutes before removing to a protected area.
I also suggest checking out our topic on sanitization in our Washing Series if you are dealing with yeast or Bacteria!
Bacterial issues are less thought of but more sinister than yeast, yet they can still be handled without giving up on cloth. Garlic is going to be your friend! Garlic is known to cure yeast, strep, staph and other nasty bugs!
I am going to provide an initial process example for killing off the bacteria then I will provide maintenance solutions to manage and prevent it from coming back.
You discovered you have a bacterial issue, and need to kill it dead without tossing or destroying your stash... here is how.
Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, and anything hemp, bamboo, cotton or microfiber with no waterproof pul in it.
Place your clean items into a bucket or wash tub. Fill with hot water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 1/2-1 full cup of white vinegar and three whole cloves of garlic that have been bruised and scored to release juices, stir well! Let soak overnight or 8-12 hours, stirring ever so often. This will kill any bacteria in the cloth!
Remove from bucket removing excess water and place into your washer (or proceed by hand).
Using appropriate load setting run a hot wash cycle with 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda in the wash cycle.
Run one extra, hot wash full cycle.
All in ones, two in ones/ all in twos, pockets, covers, and anything with pul.
Place your clean items into a bucket or wash tub. Fill with skin temp water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add three whole cloves of garlic that have been bruised and scored to release juices, stir well! Let soak overnight or 8-12 hours, stirring ever so often. This will kill any bacteria in the cloth!
Remove from bucket removing excess water and place into your washer (or proceed by hand).
Using appropriate load setting run a hot (but skin bearable) wash cycle with 1/4 cup baking soda in the wash cycle.
Run one extra, hot wash full cycle.
Wool:
Place your clean items into a bucket or wash tub. Fill with tepid water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 1/2-1 full cup of white vinegar and three whole cloves of garlic that have been bruised and scored to release juices, stir well! Let soak overnight or 8-12 hours, stirring ever so often. This will kill any bacteria in the cloth!
Remove from bucket removing excess water and proceed by hand as normal. Covers may need a lanolin treatment after.
Silk:
Place your clean items into a bucket or wash tub. Fill with tepid water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add three whole cloves of garlic that have been bruised and scored to release juices, stir well! Let soak overnight or 8-12 hours, stirring ever so often. This will kill any bacteria in the cloth!
Remove from bucket removing excess water and proceed by hand as normal.
Ok we have killed off the bacteria, now how do you keep it gone?
Give diaper free time. Airing out their bum will do wonders especially after being in a damp diaper extra long. Rinse their bum well, then let them air dry! If possible let them get some fresh air and sun shine on their nethers This is a known cure for many skin ailments! And bacterial issues are no exception! If weather allows, lay out a towel or blanket and let your wee one play outside in the sun for a bit. Or if there is a spot in your home where the sun shines in through a window, give little some diaper free time in that spot, lay a towel or blanket down on the floor int eh sunny spot. Trust me, baby will love it!
Provide skin healing soaks. I suggest apple cider or white vinegar baths with hole bruised and scored garlic cloves. Run enough warm water to cover babies bum add vinegar and garlic to the water and let baby soak. I suggest 2 tbs up to 1/4 cup vinegar and 1-3 cloves depending on amount of water.
Allow baby to air dry, if possible in the sunshine. Wait till fully dry before diapering. You want no moisture trapped in.
After each diaper change rinse bottom well and I suggest using a very light garlic vinegar and water rinse at each diaper change. Get your squirty water bottle you use for bottom rinses, add a bruised and scored whole clove of garlic and a bit of vinegar to it then fill with water. 1-2 tsp of vinegar dependant on size of bottle.
Try using prefolds instead of pockets until babies bacterial issue is fully cleared up, as they are easier to sanitize. Other option is laying a cotton, hemp or bamboo insert inside your pocket or aio, tio/ait, this will provide an easier to wash barrier between the infected skin and your more delicate fabrics.
Ok now for maintenance washing:
Prefolds, flats, fitteds, inserts, and anything hemp, bamboo, cotton or microfiber with no waterproof pul in it.
One full wash cycle with cold water to lift and release urine before it can bind with detergents.
One full hot cycle wash with detergent to clean and 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda.
One full hot wash cycle with no detergent.
One full hot wash cycle with 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar in the wash cycle.
One cold rinse only cycle, just to be sure.
All in ones, two in ones/ all in twos, pockets, covers, and anything with pul.
One full wash cycle with cold water to lift and release urine before it can bind with detergents.
One full hot or warm cycle wash with detergent to clean and 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda.. (I suggest hot but water should be just cool enough your hands could hand wash in it.)
Two full wash cycles on hot or warm with nothing added just to fully rinse.
One cold rinse only cycle, just to be sure.
Wool:
Place your clean items into a wash pan. Fill with tepid water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 2 tbs of white vinegar. Let soak for 20 minutes. Hand wash as normal.
Silk:
Place your clean items into a wash pan. Fill with tepid water till items are starting to float freely and covered. Add 2 tbs of baking soda. Let soak for 20 minutes. Hand wash as normal.
Sunning:
Some items can be dried fully in the sun such as flats fitteds, prefolds and inserts. Always pay attention to fabric care needs. Fully drying items that can bare full sun will help kill any bacteria still hiding.
Shorter stints of sunning will help items unable to bare full drying in full sun. Try sunning covers, pockets, and anything with pul for 20 minutes, then removing to a shady or protected area to prevent sun damage.
For very delicate fabrics such as wool and silk try sunning for only 10 minutes before removing to a protected area.
I also suggest checking out our topic on sanitization in our Washing Series if you are dealing with yeast or Bacteria!
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