The Yeast Monster: How to Properly Strip Your Diapers of Yeast and Yeast Spores

Does your infant get a reoccurring diaper rash that literally tears your little ones booty up? I'm talking, raw, bleeding, and no matter what you do you can't get it to go away? A rash so bad that every time you change your little ones diaper your heart shatters and you want to cry? Yeah, I've dealt with that too. It's literally the worst thing in the entire world. I'm no doctor and I sure am not qualified to diagnose your child's diaper rash so I recommend that any rash that bad you get it looked at so that you can get the proper creams to clear it up as quickly and effectively as possible, but let me just tell you, that's no ordinary diaper rash. In the experience that I have had with it, after countless doctors appointments, I feel pretty confident to tell you that it is most likely yeast. If you didn't already know, your little one can get yeast rash's when you cloth diaper them. Yeast commonly grows in warm dark places and that of course tends to be a diaper. More specifically, a cloth diaper. If your little one has sensitive skin like my child does, a yeast rash can turn into the war with the yeast monster. Let me right now, if your child has a yeast rash that keeps coming back no matter what you do, you're dealing with yeast spores, not just yeast. Did you know there was a difference? I sure didn't. After literally months of dealing with horrible rash over horrible rash I was at my wits end. I was about two seconds away from throwing my cloth in the garbage (okay not really) and going back to disposables. I couldn't bear to see my little baby boy with such horrible rashes on his bottom! It just wasn't fair. That night after I had a mommy meltdown I stayed up and did over three hours of research, reading website after website, blog after blog, trying to figure out how to stop this evil yeast monster and how to be able to keep my little man in cloth. All signs pointed to Tea Tree Oil and Grapefruit Seed Extract. 

Tea tree oil is a natural antifungal and antibacterial treatment that is cloth diaper safe. This will kill any yeast that is on your diaper. I use tea tree oil ever other wash now with cloth diapers. It may be a little over kill but I figured it's safe on my diapers, so why not be preventative. If after using tea tree oil your child still gets the rashes then you're dealing with spores. Grapefruit Seed Extract is the only natural way to kill yeast SPORES. If you do not kill the spores your yeast will keep coming back. 

After realizing that I needed to do some serious stripping, I spent seven, yes seven hours washing and stripping my diapers. It was absolutely ridiculous, but it worked. Baby A hasn't had a yeast rash in months thanks to my dedication to getting the yeast monster out of our lives for good. Here's how you can properly strip your diapers and be done with the stress and heartbreak of awful yeast rashes.

First and formost, turn your hot water heater onto it's highest setting possible. You will need scalding hot water to properly clean and rinse your diapers.

Bye Bye Yeast:
1. Rinse your diapers to get the stinkies washed out a little

2. Do a regular wash with no soap

3. Rinse the diapers three times 

4. Add eight to ten drops of Tea Tree Oil and wash your diapers on regular

5. Rinse diapers 

6. Rinse them again

Optional Step (if you have yeast spores in the diaper, this is a must): Add five drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract

Optional Step: Rinse diapers

7.Wash diapers with Cloth Diaper detergent

8. Rinse Diapers

9. Switch to dryer on HIGH or sun dry

If you still have a severe amount of yeast in the diapers you may need to repeat this procedure two-three times before putting your child back in them. It only took me one time to strip the yeast out of my sons diapers, but it may be wise to repeat this procedure a second time to be absolutely certain  Make sure that you do this to all of your diapers otherwise it will defeat the purpose. 

Yeast Prevention:

Every other wash I treat the diapers by rinsing them, adding tea tree oil, rinse, wash with Cloth Diaper Detergent, rinse, and dry on hot. At least twice a month I substitution the tea tree oil for the grapefruit seed extract to triple check that there won't be any yeast spores. 

It's a lot of work, but the outcome is well worth it. You can beat this yeast monster, I promise! If you have any questions or need encouragement feel free to send me an email and we will get you through it!