How do you know if you have yeast? If you have a prickly looking rash that doesn’t improve or go away within 24 hours of using typical diaper creams, chances are that you have yeast.
*For the first time you should visit your doctor to make sure but after you have it once, you’re likely to recognize it if you get it again.
Yeast is a very stubborn fungus to get rid of and your first step must be to treat the rash. If diagnosed by a doctor they will likely give you a prescription for an antifungal cream. If you have had yeast before and you no longer have a prescription you can use an over the counter cream for athlete’s foot, jock itch and ringworm. The generic name is Clotrimazole which is the same as the brand name Lotrimin. These creams are not safe for cloth diapers so you will need to use disposable diapers, flushable inserts or a fleece liner in your cloth diapers.
Once you’ve tackled the rash, you must treat all of your diapers, cloth wipes and reusable diaper liners (if you use them). There is no getting around this because if you don’t you will reinfect your baby. There are several things people do to treat yeast, but what I do is this:
- Once your diapers are clean of waste, wash them in HOT water, around 125-130 degrees without going over.
- To the water add about 45 drops of grapefruit seed extract and an oxygen bleach such as OxiClean or Biokleen. I use a full scoop when disinfecting.
- Do a second rinse to make sure all of the GSE and oxygen bleach is out of your diapers
You should now be yeast free. Some people also choose to treat towels that have touched their baby’s bare bottom while they were infected.
Tea tree oil is also popular for treating yeast but in my research I have read that it doesn’t kill the spores while grapefruit seed extract does.
Also in my research I was only able to find general information on what to use but no exact amounts. This is what has worked for me though you may find more or less GSE may work for you.
Where do you get GSE?
I got mine on Amazon. I have heard that Sprouts carries it if you have one near you and Whole Foods might carry it. I’ll have to check both of those next time I go. Smaller independent health food stores and vitamin shops might have it too
No Sprouts or Whole Foods near me… I’ll have to order it online. Thanks for the post. Yeast and I are at odds once again and since we are using cloth this time, I just wondering yesterday how to make sure it stays away. Thanks for the timely post!
I have never used jock itch cream for a yeast rash. You need to use the same stuff as monistat for a yeast rash. Jock itch is ringworm. Yeast is candida which needs to be treated with Monistat or something similar…miconozoale nitrate.
That will work too but clotrimazole works just as well as it is an antifungal. My son is prone to yeast rashes and we have treated several with clotrimazole with wonderful results. Clotrimazole can also be used to treat vaginal yeast infections but the package says ringworm, etc on it