Mailbox Mondays 2/21/11 - Prepping Diapers & Stinky Pails!

 

Every Monday, I will answer reader submitted questions in my Mailbox Mondays post, and ask you to weigh in your opinions.

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.

Julie says:

Hi Maria!!

First off I just want to say I LOVE your blog! It was one of the first cloth diaper related blogs I came across when I was pregnant and looking into cloth diapers. I had a couple of questions for you.

First off, I started my cloth diaper stash with a big purchase so it was easy to just throw all of the items in the wash to prep them all together. Nowadays, I find myself buying one or two diapers or inserts at a time and I would hate to run a laundry load for just a couple of items. Do you have any suggestions for prepping just a couple of diapers or inserts at a time?

Also, my daughter was exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, but now that she is almost 9 months and eating solids, I am finding that her diaper pail is getting MIGHTY stinky. I do try to spray the poopy diapers with my sprayer but that doesn't really seem to be helping. Any other suggestions?

Thanks so so much!

Sincerely,
Julie J.

I really appreciate hearing that you enjoy the blog, and find it helpful!  You really have no idea how warm & fuzzy that makes me feel!

If I get a new diaper that doesn't have special prepping instructions (if it's made of microfiber, microfleece, PUL etc.), I throw it in the wash with my other diapers once, then use it.  Things like organic cotton and hemp usually need to be washed at least three times before using, and will continue to gain absorbency for up to 10 washes. 

The problem is that they need to be washed separately, since the fibers contain natural oils that could be deposited onto your other diapers, and cause them to repel.  Check with the manufacturer/the product packaging, because some companies send natural fiber products partially prepped.  As annoying as it is, and wasteful as it seems, you really do need to wash them separately to protect your other diapers. 

I have heard of people boiling hemp prefolds/inserts to remove the oils faster, but I haven't tried that myself!  I would definitely suggest exercising caution if you try that, and I am not responsible for any burns or fires that may occur, eek!  "Ma'am, what were you doing when the fire started?"  "Errr, well, uhh...I was just...uhh...boiling my...hemp."

As far as your stinky pail goes, my first two suggestions would be to keep the pail open a crack, and to wash more often.  You'd think keeping the pail closed tightly would keep the smell in better, but I find that letting the air circulate means less stink.  Washing no more than every 2-3 days, and washing the liner each time helps quite a bit as well.  Wahmies pail liners have a swatch of fabric at the seam, where you can add a few drops of essential oil to help with the odor.  If yours doesn't have that feature, several WAHMs also make pail powder that you can use to eliminate odors and add scent.

How about you?  How do you prep new diapers when you only have 1 or 2?  How do you combat pail stink?

Babykicks Newborn/Small Hemp Prefold Photo Review

It's no secret that I'm more of a pocket diaper type Mama than a prefold Mama, but I've heard great things about Babykicks hemp prefolds.  I wanted to something to go with a newborn wrap I bought with a gift card (I know, I know...it's an illness!) so I snagged a newborn/small size from sewcraftybaby for $6.59, less a new customer discount, and got free shipping too!
 

Babykicks are hemp and organic cotton, and are 2 layers on the sides and 3 in the middle.
 
Here it is before prepping (washing and drying about 3 times to remove the natural oils and fluff up the fibers.):
 

 
Here it is after prepping (you can see how much fluffier it got):
 


Here it is on my newborn stand in (I know I need some practice with prefolds!):

The prefolds are available in small, medium, large and extra-large and also make great pocket diaper stuffers!

Flip Hook & Loop Closure Diaper Cover and Organic Insert - Photo Review and Giveaway (CLOSED 11/27)

In April, I reviewed a Flip cover with stay-dry insert.  I'm less a'skeered of snaps now than I was then, but I was still happy to learn that Flip Diapers was coming out with a hook and loop (a.k.a. Velcro or Aplix) closure diaper cover!  Right now, they are only available for purchase separately for $13.95, but Cottonbabies plans to sell them packaged with inserts, and in day packs in the future.  Lucky for one of you, I also bought an organic insert ($7.95 retail) to send along to the winner too!
 
The other Flip I bought came with a cardboard "wrapper" so I hadn't planned on taking photos of the hook & loop Flip, since I didn't want to give away an opened item!  I was a little surprised to find that both the diaper cover and the insert came without tags, wrappings or packaging, so I've done a little photo review.  The winner will receive the butternut color cover and organic insert pictured in this review however, we do not have pets (unless you count the kids) and the items were only on my laundry room counter, which is very clean, and my hands were clean as well!
 

Some of us were wondering whether the hook & loop would be the "old" Bumgenius 3.0 style, or the "new" Bumgenius 4.0 style.  Fortunately, it is the new style!
 

 
The "new" style laundry tab velcro is actually grippy, instead of just the fuzzy fabric of the 3.0s.  If you haven't had the pleasure of trying the 4.0s, the laundry tabs will touch baby's skin, but they are very soft, and haven't caused my son any irritation.
 


The hook & loop cover has the same, easily wipeable PUL inner as the snap closure Flip.  My snap flip has the same white fabric, but only over the closure snaps, not the rise snaps.  I assume it's to keep the PUL from leaking where it was punctured to attach them.

Here it is on the small setting, folded and stretched:
 


Medium setting folded and stretched:



Large setting folded and stretched:



The organic inserts are made from 100% Oeko-Tex® certified organic cotton.  Cottonbabies sells them for $7.95 each; $6.65 each if you buy 3 or more.  Buying a cover with an organic insert adds just $6 to the cost of the cover alone.

I was surprised by how soft this is!  Granted, it is new and hadn't been washed but wow, it is baby blanket soft!  Since this hasn't been washed/dried/prepped, you can definitely expect it to shrink a bit.  You simply fold the insert along the long or short side to fit inside the insert.
 
Here it is measured along the short side:
 

 
Measured along the long side:
 

 
In the cover on the small setting:
 

In the cover on the large setting:

As you can see, the hook & loop and flip covers are very much the same.  Of course, mine was purchased 7 months ago, so small changes wouldn't surprise me anyway!  One difference is that the Hook & Loop cover stinks!  I noticed a very strong, plastic-y/chemical smell that gave me a headache, as soon as I opened the mailer it came in.  I have never noticed this with any other diapers I've purchased.  My guess is that others begin with the same smell, but they've sat in warehouses and been shipped back and forth enough to air out before I get them!  Hopefully it will do the same before I ship it to the winner!



Here's a side by side of the small organic insert (remember, it hasn't been washed/dried so it will shrink!) compared to the small stay dry insert, and the same for the large.



Hooray for hook and loop!  Now when it Cottonbabies going to come out with newborn versions of their pocket diapers and flip covers?  Hmm?

Giveaway: One winner will receive the Butternut (sorry, boring, but I wanted it to be gender neutral!) Hook & Loop Closure Flip Cover (ARV $13.95) and Organic Insert (ARV $7.95) pictured.  Combined value $21.90 if my brain is working.


Here's how to enter: All entries go in the form below.  Mandatory entries include Your name and email address.  I always email winners, and I do try to look for them before giving up on them!  However, if you want to be sure it's you when I announce the winner, please use a middle or last initial, or nickname, so you'll know it's you.  I do announce names just as you enter them!  I'm offering a single bonus entry for following this blog.  You may choose GFC, RSS feed or email.  If you prefer, you can elect to "like" me on facebook or follow me on twitter instead.  Whatever will bring you back!  :-)


I will accept entries until Saturday, November 27th, 2010 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern.  I will select a winner using random.org's true random number generator and notify him/her by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen. View my giveaway rules page for complete details. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.


I'd love for you to leave a comment (also a great way to just remind yourself that you entered) but comments don't count as giveaway entries.  I will update the post daily with the # of entries received!

# of entries received as of November 27th at Giveaway close: 241



Please note: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, approved by or affiliated with Cottonbabies, Flip or any cloth diaper retailer.

FTC compliance: I paid normal retail prices for all items pictured.  I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

Mailbox Mondays 11/8/10

Every Monday I will answer user submitted questions. They don't have to be about cloth diapering! I'll always answer questions via email, but if you would like your question to be answered in a Mailbox Mondays post, send an email with the subject "Mailbox Mondays" to Maria at change-diapers dot com.

Naomi says:

Hey Maria,

Talk to me(us) about hemp vs. bamboo. Any recommendations of brands for a hemp or bamboo insert?

Overnight diapers for my 3 year old are getting pretty bulky. I usually sandwich a terry hemp doubler between two microfiber inserts in a generic pocket. That usually does the trick, but I've only got two of the hemp guys and when I'm out, I stuff the poor pockets to the gills with microfiber (3 inserts or 2 inserts with a mf towel). While dd doesn't seem to care about the bulk, it gets hard to stuff and when family sees her overnight diaper it is pretty comical.

I don't mind bulk, but am wondering which material to try and get inserts of. I've heard a lot about wool covers, but right now can only afford to stay with my pockets for overnight and just get a couple used inserts.

Great question!  I've been fortunate in that several of the diapers I've purchased/reviewed came with natural fiber inserts, and they are definitely top notch for nighttime diapering.

In no particular order, first is the insert that came with my Babykicks Bumboo Pocket Diaper.  This is 55% hemp and 45% cotton.  Babykicks also sells Joey Bunz, Joey Bunz Premium (both sized) and doublers separately.  (There should be some in the CSN giveaway in the Merry Fluffy Christmas event!)  

My Amp Duo Diaper came with a 2-layer hemp insert, as well as a bamboo insert.  The inserts look like a smallish prefold that you trifold, and they also come in 3-layer hemp, as well as organic cotton.
 

My Blueberry Minky was one I bought after only cloth diapering for about a month, and it was my first experience with a microfiber/hemp combo.  It's a one size insert that snaps down to different sizes, and a 3-pack retails separately for $19.95.
 

 
These doublers were kind of random.  They were loose in the package with the Blueberry diapers I bought last year.  I believe they are organic cotton and bamboo doublers but I'm not entirely sure.  I use both of them at night.  I have 4 night time diapers in my rotation right now.  My Guerilla Fluff Utilitarian with a Mobums Wool Interlock Night Night Soaker, a Dypes by Dixon Sweet Slumber fleece pocket stuffed with the superdo, and two Bumgenius 3.0 pockets, one stuffed with a microfiber insert and one of the random hemp/cotton doublers, the other stuffed with the loopydo with the second random doubler in between.
 

 
Speaking of which, I wholeheartedly recommend the Knickernappies Superdo and Loopydo inserts.  I purchased these out of utter desperation when my son was soaking every insert I had, and I was creating a monster leg gap by putting 3 inserts in a pocket.  They really are rather pricey at $7.50 for a loopydo and $12.95 for a superdo, but I think they are worth it.  I tried to be cheap and buy the large size for my son's medium diapers, but they are quite bulky folded over.  I love the microfiber/hemp combo because the microfiber whisks the moisture away from my son's skin, and the hemp locks it away. 

OK, I feel like a paper towel commercial.  Really though, if you are looking for a solution for a heavy wetter, I highly recommend them.  The only problem I have with them is that they can become quite stinky.  When I notice that, I wash (inserts only) with about 1/4 cup of bleach, then rinse rinse rinse until the water is clean and the inserts don't smell like bleach anymore!
 
If I had the money to spend, I'd love to have more superdo/loopydo inserts.  I've been wanting to buy some mediums for a while but I've been trying to stick to the budget!

These are just the inserts I own, there are of course lots of other natural fiber inserts/prefolds out there!

So how about the rest of you?  Do you have a favorite natural fiber insert?

Bumgenius Elemental (A.K.A. Organic AIO) Review

I purchased this Bumgenius Elemental, Organic One-Size All-in-One with the $20 Abby's Lane gift certificate I won from Show Your Amor the day after my Birthday.  Happy Birthday me!

The elementals come with snap closures only, and the price is a little steep at $24.95 each.  They are very similar to the Flip or Bumgenius 4.0 in size and shape, but it is certified organic cotton on the inside, and it's an all-in-one style.  Since it's organic cotton, it does need to be "prepped" by washing 5 or more times, to gain maximum absorbency.  I think I may have washed it 3 times before using it the first time, knowing that it would gain absorbency with further washes.

The soaker is sewn in a loop style to dry a bit faster, and wash a bit more thoroughly, but I found it still took quite a while to dry.  While the soaker is all organic cotton, there will still be PUL touching the baby's skin at the front and back (which will serve as a stopper to prevent leaking and wicking.)



The size is very similar to the Bumgenius 4.0, but I prefer the leg elastic style of the 4.0.  The elemental is one-size via the same snap down rise the Bumgenius 3.0 & 4.0 Pocket diapers have.

Measurements are of course a wee bit subjective, since you can eke out a little more or less depending on just how you hold it.

Here is the small setting, folded and stretched:



Medium folded and stretched:



Large folded and stretched:



Here it is on my son, who is in the medium setting, at about 18.5 pounds and 30":

It did fit well, and did not leak (even before it was fully prepped) but I did have to roll the leg elastic in a bit.  My personal preference (which you know if you've been reading for a while!) is a pocket diaper with a stay dry inner and Velcro closure.  However, if you are looking for an easy to use all-in-one with an organic soaker, this may be your ticket!

FTC Compliance: I paid normal retail price for this item, which was purchased using a gift certificate I won.  I was not compensated for this review.