Clean diapers should smell clean. If they don't, it may be time to strip them. Stripping cloth diapers is sometimes necessary to remove buildup of detergent, oils, or minerals. If you are using a cloth diaper safe detergent and avoiding rash creams, you probably won't need to strip you diapers more than every few months - if at all. If you are using a detergent that does not rinse clean or that does not work well in your water, you may need to strip your diapers as often as every month. Never, ever use fabric softener of any kind on cloth diapers. Not only do they contain toxic chemicals, they can ruin your diapers and make them stop absorbing.
When to Strip Cloth Diapers - If your cloth diapers are repelling (losing absorbency) or are smelling bad even when clean or freshly wet on, they likely need to be stripped.
Detergent Buildup - The most common reason for needing to stripping cloth diapers is detergent buildup. You'll know there is detergent buildup if your cloth diapers smell funky when they come out of the dryer or if they smell really bad (lime ammonia) when your child wets on them. Pee always has some smell to it, but if a freshly wet diaper burns your nose or a morning diaper smells extra strong, it is time to remove all the detergent buildup.
Some detergents leave residue behind, causing buildup on the fabric. Another common cause is using too much detergent for your water. In most cases you should use 1/4-1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. You'll need more detergent if you have hard water, less in soft water.
To strip detergent buildup, fill the washer with the hottest water you can and your clean diapers. You might even want to turn your hot water heater up a bit for this, but be sure to turn it back down immediately to reduce the risk of burns (safety experts recommend keeping your hot water heater set to no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid potential disasters if small children turn the water on themselves). Then, agitate the load on the highest setting for a full cycle. Now, rinse in warm and check to see if there bubbles when the load agitates. If you see suds, there is a detergent buildup. At the end of the cycle, spin the water out and repeat until there are no more suds. This may take 3-4 washes if you have a lot of buildup. You can also add a commercial water softener to the first wash to help remove buildup (Calgon makes a readily available water softener).
If the buildup is caused by minerals, diaper rash cream, or fabric softener you may need to follow the more extensive instructions on my web site.
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