Ammonia Burns, Every Momma's Nightmare

Ammonia burns are terrifying. Burns anywhere on your baby aren't pleasant, but it's even worse when it happens on an area you personally try to protect. The fact that I knew exactly what (luxurious) materials were brushing Bug's bottom made me very proud, so I can imagine the panic that sets in when you see the redness turn into blisters and sores. 

I really feel that in order to effectively combat ammonia burns we need to know what they are and what's causing them. I live in the southwest and have incredibly hard water, so ammonia burns were almost inevitably looming in my uninformed future. 

What Causes Ammonia Burns?
When the urine in your diapers/inserts dries out, it can leave behind uric acid crystals. If we aren't using enough detergent (which is very common since many resources say to use as little as possible) or wait too long between washes, the crystals don't get washed out. 

If you have hard water where you live, the minerals in your water will penetrate the fibers in your diapers, making convenient little pockets for uric acid crystals to hide out in. 

We wash and dry the diapers and put them on baby's bottom as usual, but you will notice the stench of ammonia creeping into your home. As soon as your baby wets their diaper those crystals convert into pure ammonia, right against your lil one's bum! I don't have to tell you that ammonia is some pretty nasty stuff. It's a very caustic (capable of burning) base (as apposed to an acid). 


Does My Baby Have Ammonia Burns? 
Bug's ammonia burns began as redness on his thighs and some bumps on his "package" that turned into sores and blisters. One of the surest ways to know if your baby's rash is an ammonia burn is to smell their diaper right after they pee. 


Diapers will usually smell like urine, but if the smell of ammonia is so strong it makes your eyes water (or even just strong enough that you know it's ammonia), your baby most likely is suffering ammonia burns. Be sure to talk to your baby's doctor to rule out the possibility of a yeast infection! 

The beginning stage.
I thought Bug's diapers were just too tight, but it got much worse.

How Do I Treat My Baby's Burns?
Your doctor can prescribe a cream that will heal the burns, but it will most likely not be cloth safe. I personally don't have the money to spend on sposies while we treat burns, so I did some homework and came up with this cloth safe way to treat Bug's bottom without destroying our stash. 

Coconut oil is a staple in our home. We use it with every change. When dealing with burns I added 1-2 drops of Lavender Essential Oil to a dollop of coconut oil and slathered it onto Bug's bottom generously. I also gave him oatmeal baths every night until he started to heal up enough for me to give him regular baths. I felt horrible putting soap on his open wounds.


How Do I Treat My Diapers? 
This is the tricky part. If you live somewhere with "soft" water, you can use continuous hot washes until the stink is gone. 

1/2  a cup of vinegar in the wash will also help to get those nasty uric acid crystals out of your diapers. ONLY if you have soft water! 

NEVER, EVER under ANY circumstances add vinegar to hard water! The minerals that make the water "hard" will react with the vinegar and make it worse. Bad. Very bad. 

If you are blessed with hard water, as I am, these are the steps I used to get every last little crystal out of my diapers and inserts. Every step is necessary, and I promise that it won't destroy your diapers. 

1. Start with clean diapers and inserts. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Using tongs, SLOWLY add diapers one at a time (about 3 per batch, you don't want the water to boil over) and boil 15-30 mins (anything with PUL or snaps should only go in for 15 mins so nothing melts). Take them out and put them in a bowl or colander.
   
   OR you can turn up your hot water heater, fill the tub with super hot water, and let the diapers soak in there. If you have a super-sized stash, this might be the way to go  ;)
2. Throw them into the washer and wash COLD, NO SOAP
3. Add up to 1/4 cup of bleach to the wash and run it through a HOT wash + extra rinse.
   (DO NOT use vinegar in hard water, EVER! It'll react with the minerals in the water and make everything worse. I promise, the amount of bleach we're using is so diluted it won't hurt the diapers)
4. Run through 2 more HOT washes (without the extra rinse) to make sure the bleach rinses out. 

How Do I Prevent Ammonia Burns? 

• Don't be afraid to use detergent on your diapers!I'd rather use too much and rinse until the water runs clear than use too little and go through ammonia burns again. If your diapers smell at all after being washed, throw them back in with a little more detergent. I look like a fool sniffing my diapers and inserts, but it keeps Bug's little heiny happy. 
  
• Consider a wet pail, or rinsing all diapers before putting them into your dry pail. This will remove some of the urea before it even has a chance to convert into crystals and hide out in your diapers.
• Wash your diapers and pail and/or liner often. Ammonia can build up in the pail without you even noticing it. I throw my pail liner into the wash every time I wash diapers and rinse out the pail.
• Store your diapers somewhere cool and dark. Heat accelerates the creation of uric acid crystals. Leaving your pail topless (ooh la la!) will also help tremendously, and it will actually keep smells at bay. Try it!
• Use a water softener or baking soda in your wash to bond with the minerals in your water in a good way. It distracts them from the awesomeness going on in your diapers.
• Always begin your diaper washing routine with a cold wash. This will rinse away anything yucky in your diapers, including urea. It will also help to keep stains from setting in.
• Strip your diapers. If you live with hard water, this is a must. Eventually mineral build-up will occur, leading to detergent and ammonia build up in your diapers and very unhappy heinies. I strip mine whenever I notice something is a little off with the diapers. Usually it's just a weird smell-- not bad, just weird. My laundry soap rinses away completely clean so I notice any kind of smell.

You can find my diaper washing and stripping routine here. 

Don't feel bad, momma! You knew something was wrong and went on the hunt to make it right. None of us ever want to see our babies in pain, and now that you know how to help your little one everything will be ok! I know, I've been there, and I felt like the worst mom in the world for letting Bug's bottom get so bad before I figured out what was happening and how to fix it. Hang in there!