I have no idea what I'm dealing with here..

[AFWIFE87]

My pockets have started to repell (that's when the urine leaks out and it's not being absorbed, right?!) I would like to say that I'm still new to CD'ing since I've been off and on for the last 1yr and half.
Here's my story: I thought I'd be thrifty and make my own detergent. I looked up a couple of recipes and had found good reviews on a certain one you can make in your home. So, I went to the store and bought bars of Ivory soap, Borax and Super Washing Soda. I come home mix it all together and started washing my dipes with it. At first, no problems. Then my toddler started leaking through.. I thought what is going on.. he has never leaked through a cloth diaper before. Then I rain water over most of my diapers and the water did not soak in it stayed on the diaper. On top of that my son started getting a weird rash.. he rarely has diaper rash, actually he's only had it once from really cheap disposables. Nothing would touch the rash.. until I stopped using my cloth. I thought that's strange. Then I realized it's ammonia burn or what have you. So we stopped using cloth (and the fact that I'm horribly sick when I get pregnant) until I could figure this thing out. Now that I'm feeling better and wanting to jump back into cloth I have to first deal with the problem at hand. What is wrong with my diapers?!!? Please help! I have heard wash them in Dawn until there are no more bubbles.. or use white vinegar? I am boiling my inserts now because they are repelling too...

[JaimeeRooker]

Don't use soap to wash them. I wash with dawn, borax, washing soda and oxy clean. 2 rinses gets all the soap bubbles out. ThRy come out with no smell what's so ever. Good bad or otherwise. No smell!

[AFWIFE87]

Originally Posted by JaimeeRooker Don't use soap to wash them. I wash with dawn, borax, washing soda and oxy clean. 2 rinses gets all the soap bubbles out. ThRy come out with no smell what's so ever. Good bad or otherwise. No smell!

So that was probably the culprit.. soap. See, I've never had a problem with smell though just the repelling and ammonia burn. Thanks hun

[Almacham]

I would strip them with Dawn (hot wash, hot as you can, with a squirt of Dawn). And then get a different detergent. I agree with the pp - soap & pockets usually don't mix well.

[MomBecks]

I tried Kirk's Castile soap with my homemade detergent and got major repelling I've used Fels Naptha for quite a while without any issues, though. Not sure what the difference is, but it seems to wash out much better. I'll have to try Dawn now too

[Simply Sanity Creations]

Its the Ivory.... Use Fels Naptha instead.... After you strip, obviously

Sanity, who is currently laying in bed incubating a Tiny Human, and using her Droid2 to browse DS

[nappymaven812]

I recommend you use Tide F&G powder or Gain works for some people. I use Tide F&G powder and I never have stink or build up. I've tryed a lot of different "cloth diaper safe" detergents and I got ammonia with all of them. I don't know what you mean by, you have had ammonia burn problems but no stink. The ammonia has to be really bad for it to burn you baby and it stinks really bad too. Do you mean it was the soap that was causing the ammonia do to soap build up?

[AFWIFE87]

I have figured it out.. it was the homemade soap that I was using. But after stripping and then it happening again.. we have hard water. EXTREMELY hard water, and not to mention and extremely old washer.. those two combined my diapers are not getting throughly cleaned therefore getting build up. I can't wait to move and get a new washer. Lol. Thanks ladies for your input!

[momEmac]

I make my own detergent too. You could add extra washing soda to help with the hard water. I also put dawn in my detergent when I make it up (I do a liquid) along with fels naptha. So far it's working great! I think with homemade detergent it's about finding a combination that works for you. I also spray my poopy dipes with Bac Out, helps them come clean and not stink as much.