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Questions don’t have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with “Mailbox Mondays” in the subject, or fill out my contact form for readers, which you will always be able to find on my Contact Page.
Paige asks:
What is the best treatment for diaper rash (assuming it is food- or teething- related) in cloth? I used a particular brand of CD-safe cream and my baby screamed- I assume it burns. I’m curious what other moms have had success with.
I’ll begin by saying that I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on the internet. 🙂 If your baby’s rash doesn’t improve within 24 hours and/or concerns you in any way, see your pediatrician. That said, it’s not uncommon for baby to get a bit irritated at times, particularly after consuming acidic foods. When this happens, it’s sometimes best to apply a bit of rash cream preventatively at every change.
I’ve used Grandma El’s, Earth Mama Angel Baby, Motherlove and several CJ’s BUTTer formulas. One of my favorites is the CJ’s spritz o butter because just a quick squirt does the job without rubbing on sensitive skin. In addition to all the popular cloth diaper safe rash creams, many families have success with using unrefined coconut oil. As long as you apply the cream sparingly, any of these are safe to use with cloth diapers. However, if you want to be on the safe side, or want to apply more, consider using a liner.
You might also want to try using a cream with zinc, such as GroVia’s Magic Stick Z. The non-nano zinc oxide can help heal skin.
Lastly, good old air can do a lot of good. If you’re able, let baby go diaperless as often as possible and/or use coverless fitteds, prefolds or flats to allow air to circulate.
Do you have tips for Paige?
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
We love CJs Plus Spritz. It works great on the hard to get rid of rashes
So when you use a fleece liner to protect your diapers from a thicker cream such as Desitin, do those liners need to be washed separately from the rest of your diapers?
You know, I don’t really know the answer to that. I’ve never had to use a cream like that, but I too would be worried about it getting on the diapers in the wash. To be ont he safe side, I’d at least rinse them separately first if you’ve used a thick layer and there is a lot on the liners.