Stinky Diapers!

I have been getting SO many questions about stinky diapers. Although I have addressed this issue in pieces in parts of my blog- I wanted to take a minute to talk about this issue in more detail.

The best advice I have is to check out the diaper manufacturer’s website for washing instructions and tips. Every diaper is different and has different needs.

I think that much of the stink problem can be attributed to detergent residue. It is SO important to find a good detergent that works with your water type. I can’t offer much advice about this except to experiment until you find what works best for you. I found this article on the Country Save website particularly interesting.
http://countrysave.com/announce.php

Try stripping your diapers. I would recommend using Dawn dish detergent (the plain, original blue kind). Add ½ T. to your top loader or ½ t. to your front loader. Just include it in your washing cycle every week or every other week.

I have previously posted on this blog washing instructions for cloth diapers. If you are having problems with stink, try adding a cold rinse cycle before and after the wash. Rinsing diapers before the wash cycle will help to remove some of the pee before the diaper is washed with soap.

Microfiber is another stinky culprit. It is a super absorbent material, but has no antibacterial properties. It can hold stink miraculously well. While most pocket diapers can not hold up to bleach, inserts can. Try washing just your microfiber inserts with a capful of bleach. Yes, we can all agree that bleach can be yucky stuff- but in the winter when the sun is not an option bleach may be necessary.

I have had specific questions about stinky FuzziBunz. I found some helpful information in the FAQs section of their website.
http://www.fuzzibunz.com/faq.php

Also check out the BumGenius website:
http://www.bumgenius.com/help.php
They recommend using bleach once a month.

Also check out these articles from the Knickernappies Blog:
http://knickernappies.blogspot.com/2010/11/dont-just-accept-that-your-cloth.html
http://knickernappies.blogspot.com/2010/09/tips-for-dealing-with-stinkies-how-to.html

Hope you all will find this helpful!