Cloth diapers - The Saga Continues

Hello Cloth Diapers!

I did a post a while back about cloth diapers and the learning curve. Well......We're back to that. Because I've been one frustrated momma again!

After all that time, research, sweat, and tears, those stinkin' microfiber diapers stopped absorbing again! After a frustrated growl and very loud WHAT NOW!!! I went back to the inter-webz to look at what might be causing all the seepage. I couldn't find anything that would help. SO I start seriously scrutinizing my already nit-picked over diaper routine.

I found something....something so common place as to seem insignificant that I had never even thought to consider it.

Dryer balls.....(and yes I took this opportunity to say balls as a curse word)

Wool dryer balls, lovingly wound, felted, and gifted by my mother-in-law, and very happily received by me.

Those innocuous, common place, helpful little balls were completely derailing my attempts to successfully use my cloth diapers!

You see, sheep naturally produce this stuff called lanolin. It helps them shed water, and helps keep their wool from felting. I have a strong sensitivity to this stuff, but the dryer balls weren't putting enough onto my clothes to have a reaction so I never thought about it. But apparently there was enough of a coating coming off those balls to repel the liquid the diapers were meant to absorb.

I stopped using the dryer balls with the diapers, and washed and dried like I was prepping them for the first time. AHHH much better!

But then I noticed they still had a faint smell after being washed. I had remembered some detergents used Epsom salts to act as a water softener, and surfactant, so I added that to my diaper detergent concoction. Now the recipe reads as follows:

1 part baking soda
1 part washing soda
1 part oxy
1 part Epsom salts

Use: 1 scoop per load (scoop came from old oxy container that I store diaper detergent in)

I also started washing the diapers differently after reading even more about how H.E. washers work

Rinse and spin on warm
Wash once on warm with cold rinse
Wash again on warm with cold rinse
Rinse and spin on cold
Rinse and spin on cold

Yes that makes three rinse cycles after all is said and done. I did try to add extra rinse at the end of the wash cycle but it just didn't seem to work as well for whatever reason.

Little A's bum is happier, I'm happier, and we are loving life. Now pardon me while I stop her from pulling all the laundry out of the hamper......again.