How To Handle a Diaper Blowout

Diaper blowouts are downright nasty, filling your home with bad odors and potentially stained clothes, furniture and baby gear. Of course, your first goal is cleaning up your baby after the blowout.

Depending on your location and the severity of the blowout, you might be inclined to take your child straight to the bathroom for a quick wash or you might be limited to cleaning with baby wipes.

Once your baby is clean, your focus turns to cleaning up anything else that the mess landed on. Let’s look at how to handle a diaper blowout and minimize fallout.

What Causes a Diaper Blowout?

Diaper blowouts are typically caused by several things. First, the mess is typically liquified. As a result, the diaper is less able to contain the mess. Second, the mess is often larger than normal.

A small amount of liquid poop can be managed by a diaper, but larger amounts are more likely to leak out of the top of the diaper or run down your baby’s legs.

Finally, a diaper blowout may be a result of the diaper itself. Some diapers are less absorbent than others. In some cases, the diaper wasn’t put on properly or shifted since it was put on.

Step-by-Step Cleanup Tips

Regardless of the cause of the blowout, your attention will immediately turn to the clean-up chore in front of you.

Here’s how to clean up a big diaper blowout.

• Lay your child on a flat surface that you can easily clean up later. This area will likely get dirty during your clean-up project.
• Remove your child’s dirty clothing carefully. Roll the items in a ball, and place them in a disposable, sealable bag.
• Use wet wipes to clean the mess off of your child. You’ll likely have to clean off the surface that your child is laying on, too. Start at your baby’s front and work your way to the rear.
• If you’re at home and feel inclined, give your child a bath. It’s best to wipe off the mess before putting your child in the water.
• Once your child is clean, put on a diaper and fresh clothes.
• Place your clean baby in a safe area while you focus on cleaning the other dirty areas
• Clean and sanitize any furniture and baby gear that got messy.
• Pre-treat clothing for stains, and then launder them in cold water. Ensure the stains are gone before drying the clothes.

Preventing Diaper Blowouts

The stench and filth of diaper blowouts can quickly ruin your day. More than that, blowouts can leave behind tough stains and ruin clothes and other items.

How can you prevent diaper blowouts?

• Use the right size of diaper.
• Try different brands to see which one works best for your baby’s shape.
• Put the diaper on properly. The back of the diaper should sit higher up than the front of the diaper.
• Check the diaper often.
• Change dirty diapers as soon as possible.

Dealing With Blowout Stains

Stains from diaper blowouts should be dealt with as soon as possible. Doing so prevents the mess from setting into the fibers and drying, which makes the cleaning job much more difficult. You might be inclined to use hot water, but it’s best to use cold water. This is because hot water might cause the stain to set.

Rinse off as much of the mess as possible. Then, pre-treat the stain with a combination of hydrogen peroxide and liquid dish soap. Place the stained item in the washing machine. Run a cold water, high-agitation cycle. After washing the item, carefully inspect the item for lingering stains.

If the stain persists, repeat the process. You could also pre-treat the item with stain lifter spray. Once the stain is gone, place the garment in the dryer as usual.

Maintaining a clean house while raising little ones is stressful and even seemingly impossible at times. Diaper blowouts combine with issues like a lack of time and energy to clean, clutter from kids’ toys and gear, and other things that make your home a mess. If you’re looking for an easier way to enjoy the many benefits of a clean living space, Cleanzen can help. Schedule Boston house cleaning services with us today.