Hi,
I just had child #2 and have been reminded of the wonderful stains left on my reusable cotton breast pads by the lanolin nipple cream. I wash them in the machine and line dry them, but the stains remain. Anyone have a trick for making them squeaky clean and bacteria-free? I'm worried that due to the sticky nature of the cream they may be harboring bacteria. I'm thinking something like vinegar and water might do the trick, but am wondering what others have used.
J. try soaking them in a bucket or a bowl with oxy (the powder stuff) I ususally soak them over night. and then was them as normal the next morning. I hope it works. I thas taken stains out of my 3 year olds clothes afte rthey have been washed and dried.
I don't have added advice regarding the stains, but if you line dry them in the sun or put them in the dryer, you don't need to worry about bacteria. Vinegar would probably work as a bacteria-killing agent, as would lemon juice.
Those lanolin based nipple creams are awful and not nearly as effective as the soothing, non-staining nipple cream made by Mother's Love (you can find it at Whole Foods or on-line). It's solid, but melts into your skin immediatly on contact. I tuck a jar of that stuff into every present I give to expecting mom's/dads. It's awesome stuff. And after the intense first couple of months, you can just use your own breast milk. But my daughter is nearly 2 and I still use the nipple cream for when my daughter has little cuts, on diaper rash. Too late for you now, but I put also put it on her bottom right after birth and for the first few days because it kept the miconium from sticking to their delicate skin. I sear by it!
I didn't have any staining problems. I would handwash mine once a week using dreft and let them air dry on the counter.
You don't really need the cream, if you smear a little of your own milk on your nipples afterward, it is so rich & creamy, it'll prevent dryness and avoid the lanolin stains. I never used that cream and I nursed 2 kids a year each by using my own milk.
D.
For socks -so probably would work for the cotton breast pads~! (mother of boys so many years of laundry here-icky laundry) I used laundry soap and a splash of bleach and dishwasher (yes dry dishwasher soap). Someone once said use equal parts and I think that's a bit much especially in the bleach department but you can figure it out and you know the bleach will get the germs out. Just go easy at first until you figure out what works for you.
If you washed them the bacteria should be gone. A stain is just a discoloration of the fabric. It doesn't have anything to do with bacteria.
I had the same problem and I never got rid of the stains. But it is "greasy" substance. So maybe a grease cutting dish detergent would work with a brush, and then air dry? I am interested in what others have to say. Good luck!
Cool water (hot water sets stains), dawn dish soap, oxyclean and an old soft toothbrush. Scrub in all directions and rinse in cold water. Let dry in sunshine if possible (the sun is a natural bleaching agent). If you already washed in hot water the stains will probably remain but will be much lighter in color. The bacteria will be dead from the hot water. The oxy also get rid of bacteria. Good luck.
