how to clean an exlposive diaper/nappy leak on SHABBOS??!!

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How to clean an exlposive diaper/nappy leak on SHABBOS??!!

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Flowerfield

Sat, Dec 24 2011, 3:46 pm

It seems my one year old only chooses to do explosive leaky nappies on shabbos AND when Im a niddah (so hubby can't help). Today when I changed her it became apparent it was a bad one as had already gone through her tights...when I started to peel off her clothing it ended up all over her legs etc.. and she was wriggling, kicking trying to escape etc. I ended up with the contents over me and her but BH I think I managed to spare the lounge rug.

Anyway...we use lotion and tissues. I find this a struggle anyway, Im sure I end up sqeezing the tissues against the cream, I find it such a struggle to clean properly especially when they are thrashing about!
I simply couldn't get her clean enough with just tissues and lotion.There wasn't time enough to go fill the bath with warm water from urn.. I had to just rush her upstairs and shower her down with FREEZING cold water. I felt terrible. Are there any suggestions of how to clean up such a mess when the baby is covered in nappy contents??

Im sure she got it in her hair too Crying

Obviously I had to leave that till a proper bath motzai.

Its so hard when hubby cant even help by holding a foot, leg or arm.

What do you do?

honeygold

Sat, Dec 24 2011, 7:15 pm

I use a diaper spray and tissues but in a case of a bad leaky mess I would use some cold water from the bath to clean up the baby. Not fun, but it happens. Also maybe there is something the baby eats on shabbos that doesnt agree with her which causes her to have diarrhea.

Mommy3.5

Sat, Dec 24 2011, 10:07 pm

We use wipes so it is easier. I guess that is not an option.

Flowerfield can you fix your signature? Put the second ticker on its own line. the way you have it now it makes every page you post on very wide, and people need to scroll back and forth to rad your posts. thank you.

shirachadasha

Sat, Dec 24 2011, 11:49 pm

Do you use gloves? When you don't have to focus on keeping your fingers clean, you can get the job done more quickly.

Marion

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 5:19 am

Spray and cloth wipes...absorbs more than tissue and doesn't disintegrate. Or showerhead/sprayer in the tub. Or get DH to deal with it from the beginning, so you don't have to pass her off to each other...

markmywords

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 7:35 am

Wipe her down with pre-ripped dry paper towels. They're larger than tissues, so you can quickly clean the liquid up before it starts dripping all over her and flinging around. Then, you can use the Shabbos diaper spray or a pre-filled spray bottle of water to spritz her before you clean her better.

markmywords

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 7:41 am

If you notice she's leaking through her tights before you open that diaper, wait till you have time to fill the tub and lay out a changing pad on top of towels on the bathroom floor (gasp!) so the only place to get messy will be where it belongs.

Imama

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 8:28 am

Dumb question-- why can't you use wipes or a washcloth?

sped

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 3:46 pm

I just had a Shabbos of six(!) very loose diapers. When I notice that kind of diaper, I change in the bathroom, where it is eay to clean up. I fill up washing cups with warm water (cold water + boiling water from the kettle), pour it over ds and use liquid soap as neccesary. Once they can stand, even holding onto the side of the tub, it is much easier.... I first wipe off as much as possible with tissues and throw them straight into the toilet.
Afterwards, I wash down the tub with the shower head and cold water, and on Motzash, give a proper bath.

Ima'la

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 6:38 pm

Imama wrote:

Dumb question-- why can't you use wipes or a washcloth?

You can't use a wet washcloth on Shabbos b/c of the melacha of sechita. Some poskim hold that the same applies to wipes. Other poskim hold that wipes may be used on Shabbos.

I pull out a bunch of wipes in advance and spread them out and let them dry out - dried out wipes work much better than tissues. I use that with spray - just liquid soap & water (mostly water) mixed in a spray bottle.

Dolly Welsh

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 6:42 pm

What would you do if it was you yourself who had the accident? Would you stay that way until Shabbos was over? Probably not.

Pikuah nefesh. She has her honor, even though she is so little. Defend her honor. She must not be dirty or unattractive to people. Clean her thoroughly and tenderly and don't worry about it.

We can humra ourselves right into the grave. Let's not.

I am BT. I never want any of my non-observant friends and relatives to say or think, "that Dolly Welsh, she lived normally until she got religious. Now, her house has vermin, and stinks. Because she won't clean anything up on Shabbos." That would do the honor of the Torah no good at all. I NEVER do anything that would discourage others from becoming BT. Now there's something you hadn't thought of.

honeygold

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 7:02 pm

Dolly Welsh wrote:

No one said that the child should not be cleaned, of course they should be cleaned as best as possible.However, we do need to take into account hilchos shabbos too and work within that framework. kovod habriyos is not a heter to do as u please because its easier, more effective etc. What you do is try ur best to clean the child in a permissible way and after shabbos u give them a proper bath.

Dolly Welsh

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 7:37 pm

honeygold wrote:

Dolly Welsh wrote:

I get your philosophy, and you are right, but this particular post sounds particularly messy. There is discomfort of the child's irritated skin, and the child's personal shame involved, her reputation, even if she is too young to know or care. We are given Yom Kippur to beseech forgiveness. We do not have to be perfect and sin-free at the child's expense. Naturally if one starts asking a million questions one makes a whole production and has to abide by the answers. Sometimes it is better not to ask and take any possible error on one's self. Fall on a grenade for the child, so to speak.

ra_mom

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 7:44 pm

As soon as you notice what's going on, carry her to the bathroom, lay her on a garbage bag, strip her, put her in the bath, wipe her down, rinse her with running water. (use your hands under the running water, and splash her gently, so it's not as cold when the water actually hits her.)

If you have hot water available in the kitchen, have your dh bring some to the bathroom, mix it with cold water, and rinse her with the warm water.

Once she is clean, wrap up the clothes in the garbage bag, and leave them outside until Shabbos is over, so that the house keeps its fresh smell.

dee's mommy

Sun, Dec 25 2011, 7:52 pm

I use a spray bottle with water and one or two dry wash clothes. (Changes happen in the bathroom) I spray the dirty areas, and then wipe with the dry wash cloth.

kollel wife

Mon, Dec 26 2011, 1:52 pm

I don't know if this idea will be helpful, but here goes.

We shut off our electric breaker to our hot water tank before Shabbos. In the summer I don't use the hot water tap until the morning, (because the water remaining in the tank is too hot, and cold entering it will be cooked.) But in the winter (with all the showers) the water is lukewarm - then we shut the electric and can use that water on Shabbos to wash etc and it's not so freezing cold.

Also you can lay your leg over her ankles to hold her legs still - tricky, but can be learned, and you can still stay clean - you can practice with a wet diaper.

Good Luck.

Flowerfield

Wed, Dec 28 2011, 4:53 pm

Thanks for all the replies, there are some great tips in there!

chocolate chips

Wed, Dec 28 2011, 4:57 pm

I agree with what everyone wrote here. The best thing would be carry him to the bathroom...stick him in the tub...strip him and put dirty clothes in a bowl for after shabbos cleaning.
If dh wants, he can bring a cup of hot water from the shabbos ketle. Mix this with cold and pour cups over his legs until he is clean.
He wont like this. (I remember when my brother was sick once on shabbos...this is what my parents did) Also while you pour water, dh can hold the baby down.

Good luck. I hope this doesnt happen again too soon.

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