It's not a repelling issue, now what?
It's the diaper/protective underwear/snap pads that is repelling, now what?
It's the insert that is repelling, now what?
If you are using a product that has hemp in it, the hemp inserts will not reach their full absorbency until they
have been washed in hot (adding a pot of boiling water may help speed the process up) 5 - 8 times
and dried on high at least 2 - 3 times as this removes the natural oils in them that prevent absorption
(like water off a ducks back).
It will take about 8 - 10 wash/dry cycles to reach their maximum absorption.
This would also apply to products you have purchased used and are leaking.
You are dealing with build up problems or insufficient absorbency issues.
The first thing to do is to test to see where the problem lies!
Using a bulb syringe or turkey baster, squirt water into the diaperprotective underwear/snap pads to similate natural wetting of the products
If the water absorbs quickly through the fabric and into the insert, then you are having an insufficient insert problem.
If the water beads up on top of the inside fabric, you are dealing with a repelling issue in the diaper/trainer inner fabric.
If the water absorbs through the fabric, but also pools on the fabric (not soaking into the insert), then you are having a repelling issue with your insert.
Here' are the remedies for each of those situations:
First of all, make sure the fit is right - an gaps at the legs/tummy/back can lead
to leaks as it allows the wetness to leak out before the isert can soak it up!
So move your/your loved ones legs around and see if it gaps at all,
if so this might be your problem.
More likely, your insert is insufficient for the job.
Babies and children grow, and so do their bladder and their ability to hold in it. This can mean that an insert that has worked great, is now not up to the job!
Heavy wetters usually need more than the built in soaker - adding 1 or more lay in soakers usually will correct this problem!
If you are experiencing repelling issues in the product, then you need to strip out the offending substance and prevent
future build up by determining what is causing it.
Possible culprits are detergents (see list of common offenders on my Washing Instructions Page),
diaper creams (use diaper liners and prewash them in hot separately from
the diaper/trainers), and hard water (get a water softener or use more/less detergent).
To strip these out, add a large pot of boiling water to your wash cycle (be very careful not to burn yourself
- maybe use two smaller pots and make sure your walkway is
clear). Wash once with a tsp of Dawn dishwashing detergent and the boiling water followed by an extra rinse.
If you think you are dealing with detergent build up, start them on another wash
cycle with no detergent and agitate for a few minutes, then look at the water to see if you have bubbles -
if there are bubbles, repeat the boiling cycle (keep doing this until all bubbles
are gone). If you are dealing with ointment, oil, or hard water build up, the bubble test won't work.
If the repelling issure is not solved by doing the boiling/Dawn cycle once,
try again as a second time should do the trick. It may even take a third try to really get everything out.
As a last ditch attempt (you have tried the boil/Dawn detergent cycle at least 3 times) you can place the product in water that
has come to a boil, (I can only vouch for my products as to their durability to survive this procedure,
so check with the manufacturer of any other diapers/trainers before
trying this method on them)but turn off the heat once you have put the diaper/trainers in the water.
Let them soak for about 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.
Pour off the boiling water and put the diapers/trainers in the washing machine and do the boil/Dawn cycle once more.
This has always done the trick, but is very hard on
the diapers/trainers and should only be done as a last resort.
Once in a while, this results in snaps that are not happy snaps,
if this happens you can send them to us for
repressing, but you must cover the return shipping. Please
contact us if you need to do this and we will let you know how to proceed.
Leaving diapers/pads or soakerss in a pail too long or improper washing methods can lead to odor issues.
You need to strip the diapers/trainers/inserts by following the same
instructions as list above for repelling.
Boiling water has been proven to remove even the most nasty odor problems.
To prevent this from happening again, be sure you are using an approved detergent, not using too much/ too little detergent
use vinegar in the rinse, and follow with a quick hot cycle, wash at least every 4 days, and/or rinse soiled diapers and trainers more thoroughly.
If need further assistance for trouble shooting, please contact Ruth!
My diapers/protective underwear/snap pads are new/almost new, but they are leaking, is this normal?:
My diapers/protective underwear/snap pads were working fine, but now they are leaking, what happened?:
It's not a repelling issue, now what?
It's the diaper/protective underwear/snap pads that is repelling, now what?
My diapers/protective underwear/snap pads are developing an odor that remains after washing/gets really strong once the product gets wets- What Can I do now?: