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Sometimes You Just Need to Strip the Diaper

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Every once in a while cloth diapers need to be stripped to keep them in good working condition and clean. It removes buildup of detergent, oils, or minerals. There are many things that can build up on your diapers that can make them less absorbent.

 

What causes Diaper Buildup?

     Detergent Buildup: The most common reason to strip your diapers is detergent buildup. You know if you need to do this if they smell a little funny coming out of the dryer or stink really bad in the morning or when they are just wet. The diaper will smell stronger when it needs to be stripped than a normal wet diaper.Two ways to reduce detergent buildup is to use a little less detergent than it calls for or to use a cloth diaper detergent. 
 
Fabric Softener Buildup- The job of fabric softener is to stick to fabric. This would make your diapers less absorbent. In general I would avoid using fabric softener with your diapers because of this but it can cause buildup if used with cloth diapers. 
 
Mineral Buildup- Your diapers may get mineral buildup if you have hard water. They may look dingy and smell bad when newly wet.
 
Diaper Rash Cream buildup- Any cream can cause build up. It is generally recommended to use baby powder when possible. If you are using creams however, it is a good idea to use a fleece or disposable liner.
 

How often should I strip my cloth diapers:

We strip our cloth diapers ever three to four months, but every month or so I run then on an extra cycle just to keep caught up on it.
 

What do I need?

Method 1:  You’ll need some liquid dawn dish detergent (blue formula) and some bleach. Use 1 teaspoon for high efficiency washers and 1 tablespoon for normal washers. Wash your diapers once in super hot water. Then you’ll add 1/2 cup of bleach to the wash cycle.
 

Then do a couple more rinses with no detergent or soap in it to get them completely rinsed free of the bleach. If there is suds at the end of the cycle, keep rinsing.Method 2:  Set your washing machine on a heavy duty cycle with a hot wash and don’t add any detergent. Add your clean cloth diapers. When the washer is done filling and begins to agitate, open the lid and check for an suds. If you see any or a layer of film you will want to repeat the wash cycle until you no longer see any detergent in the water during agitation.

Method 3:  Another option is RLR. This is a water softener and is available in most major grocery stores and online. It is free of harsh and harmful chemicals. It acts by removing mineral deposits and detergent build up. You will want to wash your clean cloth diapers on a hot wash with one package of RLR added to the wash.  Continue washing and rinsing on the hot cycle until you don’t see any more suds in the washer. 

Method 4: Baking soda and Vinegar. You can put a little bit of baking soda in with the wash and fill a downy ball to the correct mark with white vinegar and put it in your wash. It will release during the first rinse cycle. Include a second rinse cycle to the wash. This is a great way to wash All in one and pocket diapers.After looking at a few different ways I decided to try method number 4: Baking soda and vinegar. I wanted to see if it worked before trying the others. They came out looking pretty good and without the smell straight from the dryer. 

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  1. If you have a good washing routine you should NEVER need to strip your diapers. It’s not a normal part of cloth diapering. Most problems are caused by using bad detergent, such as BumGenius which is actually just water softeners and soap, or way too much water. I have a HE Front loader and I do one rinse, then a wash with a 1/2 cup of borax and Tide to line 3. Then I dry however I choose. That’s it! I used to believe all the myths they tell you about cloth diaper safe detergent and TONS of extra water and I was having so many issues. Then I found the facebook group Fluff Love and CD Science and fixed everything. Go check them out and I PROMISE your cloth diapering routine and your life will get so much easier.

    • Yes!!!!! Go to fluff love. I had so many problems before … Once I got a new wash. Routine using real detergent from the lovely ladies on fluff love my diapers smell SOOOOO good
      Please do NOT strip your diapers with dawn. Even if you read on dawns own website they say do not use in a washing machine. You will ruin your diapers and your machine so please just don’t do it. Go to fluff love university ??

  2. Help! I’ve been cloth diapering my 7 month old daughter for abut 3 weeks because she had an awful rash that we couldn’t kick. I just now realize after reading yours and other blogs that Destin has caused build up in her liners. They smell funky after being washed and dried. My sweet mother in law who clothed diapered her two kiddos 35-45 years ago insists that I have to bleach them every time I wash them which I don’t think I need to b/c I think it will compromise the quality of the fabric, but in a last ditch effort I washed them in bleach to get rid of the smell, after trying to strip them with vinigor, and dish soap. The smell lingered. So I soaked them in bleach/water the next day for 4 hours. The smell lingered. I don’t know what to do with them. Are they ruined or is there a way to redeem them? I use bumgenious 4.0 pocket diapers with microfiber liners.

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