Cloth Diaper Advice - Mailbox Mondays 3/21/11

Every Monday, I will answer reader submitted questions, and ask you to add 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.

I didn't receive any submissions this week, but as you all know, I will always answer questions via email.  I thought I'd summarize two emails I received this week, since others may be having the same issues, and see what you all think!

M. has a 6 month old, 22 lb baby who has a pretty high rise.  She was looking for one-size pockets with a high enough rise to cover his crack!  She doesn't have too many commercial diapers, but did recently win a Best Bottom diaper in a giveaway.

The highest rise diapers I have are the Bumgenius 4.0, Flip, Fuzzibunz Perfect Size Medium and Thirsties Duo Diaper Size 2.

I grabbed a few of my diapers to compare and found that the Bumgenius 4.0 unsnapped is a smidge bigger than the Best Bottom unsnapped, by about an inch.  The BG 4.0 and FB medium are about the same size when stretched, but the FB is actually a smidge bigger when folded.  The Thirsties size 2 is very similar to the Bumgenius.

How about you guys?  Have you found a diaper with a nice, high rise?


A. received a few used diaper covers, but they smelled like smoke.  She did a soak and triple rinsed, but they still smelled smoky.  She was looking for a way to get the smell out without damaging the diapers.

That is definitely something to remember to ask, whether you're buying used dipes, or from a WAHM.  Is this a smoke free home and do you have any pets (if you have pet allergies.)  That said, it's something I always forget to ask!!

The two things I thought to try were baking soda or vinegar.  Soak the covers in a tub with water and a generous helping of baking soda, then rinse rinse rinse or do the same with vinegar.  I've heard about people using "oxyvin," or oxyclean and vinegar, to strip really icky diapers.  The oxy clean and vinegar create a chemical reaction (use caution!!) to clean the diapers.

How about you all, have you had to get smoke smell out of diapers?  What worked?

Video Demo of the Dunk & Swish (& Flush) Method

A few readers had asked for a video of my dunk and swish method.  Since I love you guys, I obliged.  I don't like the sound of my voice, and I did my fair share of stammering since I was nervous!  My New York friend says I have an accent, but I think she's the one with the accent, hee hee!

If your baby is breastfed (or on very few solids) there is no need to rinse the diapers first, just throw them in the wash.  I've heard that formula fed baby poop is the same, but I don't have first hand experience with that.

When your baby is older, you can flip the solids into the toilet and flush; anything remaining is usually fine to go in the wash.  However, in that in-between stage (or in my case, when baby has had a lot of fruit or juice!) diapers need a little extra help.  If you don't have a diaper sprayer, you can still dunk and swish without sticking your hands in gross water!

I almost forgot: I can't take credit for this method, I am pretty sure it was one of my readers who suggested I try it, but I can't for the life of me remember who!

Mailbox Mondays 2/7/11 - Cloth Diaper Detergent

 

Every Monday (if I have received a submission)I will answer reader submitted questions in my Mailbox Mondays post, and ask readers to weigh in with their 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.

Naomi says:

hey Maria,

I've got a two questions for ya.

#1: My All Free & Clear detergent has "optical brighteners" in it...how does that effect cloth diapers?

#2: What safe-for-cloth-diaper detergents are available at department and grocery stores? I don't really want to order detergent online (not even really sure why) and we only have one or two 'natural' stores in town and I don't think either has some of detergents I've seen for cloth diapers. (i.e. charlies soap or soap nuts etc.)

I've been using All Free & Clear happily for a year, but want to try something new.

thanks,
Naomi

OK so, I'm reading this.  I'm reading, reading, then I get to this: "I've been using All Free & Clear happily for a year, but want to try something new."

Cue ominous music...

In all seriousness, for the love of Pete, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!  Switching from a detergent that is working well for you could cause a long process of stink, stripping and endless rinsing.  Take it from me, don't do it.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system...optical brighteners are chemicals that bind to the fibers of your laundry.  While they don't actually make your laundry any cleaner, they absorb ultraviolet light, and reflect back blue light, making your laundry appear whiter.  Interestingly, military approved detergents do not contain optical brighteners.  Clothing washed with them could potentially make soldiers visible to night-vision, and therefore vulnerable to attack.  If you buy All Free & Clear in a commissary, it will likely say that it does not contain optical brighteners.  I'm not in the military, so I'm not an expert, but I believe the uniform care instructions may have been relaxed in some branches to allow optical brighteners.

The concern with optical brighteners and cloth diapers is first, that they could potentially cause repelling since they have to bind to the fabric in order to work.  In addition, they could potentially be irritating to skin.

I haven't been able to find any "safe" detergents locally.  However, some that have reportedly been found in grocery stores are: Allen's Naturally, Country Save and Charlie's Soap.  Standard A.K.A. "no-no" detergents that work well for a lot of people include Arm & Hammer Essentials, Arm & Hammer with OxyClean and Tide Original Powder. 

While I haven't personally used these, a few "green" detergents have been used with mixed success, and may be available locally.  They include Ecover, Planet and Seventh Generation.  Generally, "green" or biodegradable detergents will not contain optical brighteners, but check with the company to be sure.

I really think that if a detergent is working of you, keep using it, "rules" be darned.  However, with something like brighteners, it can take long-term use for buildup to cause issues.  I would think after a year of use, you're in the clear, but who knows, right?

Now that I've told you way more than you wanted to hear...

How about the rest of you?  Do you use a standard detergent or one that is known to contain optical brighteners?  Did you have any problems?  How long did you use the detergent before you started having problems?

Mailbox Mondays 1/31/11 - Washing Questions - Not Just Diapers!

 

Every Monday, if I've received a submission, I will answer reader submitted questions.  Questions don't have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with "Mailbox Mondays" in the subject!

Maria says (and no, I'm not talking to myself again!):

Hi, Maria! I'm a Maria, too! And I have a couple questions for you about detergent.

First, I'd love to know if you can recommend a good diaper detergent that is NOT clean-rinsing. I live in an apartment and have to wash my diapers at the shared laundry facility, so using many popular cloth diaper detergents like Rockin' Green or Charlie's is not an option for me!

Second, this one's always puzzled me. If using less than the recommended amount of detergent can get nasty poopy diapers clean, then why don't we do the same for all the rest of our laundry? (BONUS QUESTION!-- exactly how much detergent AM I supposed to use for diapers, anyway? I've heard different opinions on that)

Thanks for your time answering questions! We Marias gotta stick together, don't you know! ;-)

Sincerely,

Maria D.

These are great questions! I will apologize in advance that this will get long!

For those who may be wondering, when you use shared laundry facilities, typical "cloth diaper safe" detergents can pose a problem, because they tend to lift the detergent residue from the machine.

My first rule for diaper washing is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," so if your diapers are clean, stink-free and not repelling, leave your routine alone! That said, it's a good idea to use the same detergent on your clothing and your diapers both, so you can avoid one detergent working against the other.

Some people have great luck with cloth diaper detergents, other people, not so much. Others just don't have them locally available to them and/or prefer to use a less expensive, and more readily available detergent. I think we're all aware of the charts that list the no-no detergents and ingredients, but many people successfully use standard detergents, and I'm one of them.

I use Tide Original HE powder, using about 1/4 the lowest load line for a full load of diapers. Many other cloth diaper users report successfully using Tide Original powder. Powder detergents tend to rinse out more easily, and don't gunk up your machine as much as liquid detergents do.

Another standard detergent brand that's been widely used with success is Arm & Hammer with Oxyclean and Arm & Hammer Essentials. I've tried it, but don't care for the liquid variety, and the smell was a little much for me.  I've also heard of several people using Country Save.
For more eco-friendly options, I've heard mixed reviews of Planet, Seventh Generation, Ecos and Ecover detergents. I haven't used any of them myself.

Though Tide is a no-no with the detergent police (and it's not exactly the most "green" option), it seems to be the most common "standard" detergent that cloth diaper washers use with success. I've said before that I'm not a huge fan of the charts, I really think you need to do a little trial and error to find what works for you!

As far as your second question, I do have a water softener and an HE machine (I use HE powder of course) so I use less detergent than others, but I never use more than half of the lowest load line for my largest, most soiled loads of laundry. While most people wouldn't be able to get anything clean with a tablespoon of detergent, I doubt even the hardest water and dirtiest clothing would need a full scoop/capful of detergent.

If you normally use the largest load line for your other laundry, try running them through a rinse cycle with no detergent and check for bubbles. I'm guessing a lot of people would be able to wash their laundry a few times without adding any, thanks to all the detergent residue!  Really, why wouldn't companies recommend using a huge scoop of detergent for regular laundry?  It lines their pockets!

I think it's a great idea to at least try using less detergent, and see if your clothes still get clean. I bet they will. If they do, you've just cut your detergent expense in half, and if they don't, well, at least you tried!

As for your bonus question, the amount of detergent you use is also a trial and error experiment, depending on how hard your water is, what type of washer you're using, and what detergent you choose. 

If you are using a detergent marketed for cloth diapers, use the recommended amount (a little less for soft water.)  If you're using a standard detergent, I'd start with 1/4-1/2 the recommended amount for a typical diaper load (around 15 diapers.)  You want to get them rinsed pretty clean, and I find that if I use too much detergent, I definitely need to do extra rinses.  If you're paying to wash your laundry, you certainly want to minimize rinses, so check your rinse cycle for bubbles, and cut back on the detergent if you're seeing a lot. 

The great experiment really gets complicated when you have stink issues.  You have to figure out of the smell is from detergent residue (usually when they smell clean coming out of the wash, but stink when wet) or not enough detergent (usually when they still smell dirty right out of the wash.)

Bleach is another thing some people don't like, but I find that if I start smelling some ammonia (mostly in the thicker inserts I use at night) a little bleach in with the inserts only knocks it right out!

Is anyone else breaking the detergent "rules" and using a standard detergent successfully?  If so, what do you use?

"What's a disposable diaper?" and My First "Dunk and Swish"

Saturday, my son had one of "those" diapers.  I commented to my husband that the, ahem, "deposit" (which was creeping dangerously close to the outside of the Fuzzibunz perfect size diaper) would never have been contained in a disposable diaper!  It's been a while since I used disposables, but I remember blowouts all too well!

My almost-6-year-old daughter said "what's a disposable diaper?"  I'm a little baffled by the question, since we used disposables on her brother for 4 months, and I'm pretty sure she's seen other people change a diaper and throw it away.  I'm guessing she was just confused by the term "disposable."

In any case, I said "It's a diaper you throw away," and she said "Oh."  It would be pretty cool if someday we looked back at our "throw it away" generation, and didn't understand it!

So that diaper led me to my first "dunk and swish."  In over 15 months of cloth diapering, I've never done that.  But this diaper...let's just say it was a little beyond scraping, but was too much to throw in the washer.  I was asking myself why I hadn't bought a diaper sprayer yet.

After I already had to reach into the potty to fish out a cloth wipe I'd accidentally dropped in, I used a tip someone gave me.  I pulled the insert out, held the ends of the diaper in my hand (firmly) with the inner facing out.  I dunked it in the toilet and flushed (several times.)  I held onto it tightly, but let it kind of get pulled down with the flush.

It really worked quite well and wasn't terribly gross!  I was able to flip it back around with the PUL side out again and carry it to the wet bag (I need to put one in the bathroom!) without dripping.

So now I feel a little more initiated, and more like a real cloth diapering Mom.  Ha ha!

Mailbox Mondays 1/17/11 - Wet Bag/Pail Liners and Washing Natural Fibers

 

Every Monday (if I receive submissions, that is!) I will answer reader submitted questions in my Mailbox Mondays post. Questions don't have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with "Mailbox Mondays" in the subject!

Tamara says:

I have a question! I meant to get it in in time for submission today, but alas, life got in the way. So.....Which side of the pail liner do you put toward the diapers? I have a planet wise pail liner, one side is the shiny PUL and the other side is the fabric. I've always put it in the pail so that the diapers are touching the shiny side. But, I had a friend of mine ask if that was right and it made me wonder..... I investigated and noticed that the tag is on the fabric side and I know that sometimes manufacturers recommend putting a drop of essential oil on the tag so then I was confused. Does that make sense? What do you do? Does it matter? Have I been doing it wrong this whole time?

Diapers do go on the shiny PUL side, so you are doing it correctly! 

Whamies Pail Liners have a patch of fabric at the seam for essential oils, but as far as I know, Planet Wise's tags are just for brand identification and laundering instructions.  If you're having trouble with smell, you might try keeping the pail open a crack.  It seems counterintuitive, but I find that air circulating actually helps with the smell.  Washing every 2-3 days at most helps of course too!

Hope this helps!


Stephanie says:

Hi Maria!

I was wondering if there was any rule of thumb about washing microfiber inserts with natural fibers. If so, do you have any recommendations?

Thanks! :)

--
Stephanie

When you get a new diaper or insert that is made from natural fibers, wash it separately to prep per the manufacturer's instructions.  For example: a hemp product may say to wash and dry it 2-3 times before use.  This will remove the natural oils and get it ready to use.  It will continue to gain absorbency up to 10 washes.

Once you have prepped it, there's no issue washing them with your microfiber products!

The future of Cloth, Part IV of ? Ease of Care and use

This is part 4 of my ramblings on the future of cloth diapering!  See Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 if you missed them!

I want cloth to be easier.  I know that if I just gave away all of my cloth diapers when I was finished with them, I'd still be ahead financially.  However, I'd like for minor repairs on diapers to be easier for people like me.  I can sew a button and so forth, but I don't have a sewing machine, and I'm really rather intimidated by the idea of diaper repair.

I have a post in the works to do a step by step Bumgenius refresher using just a needle, thread and scissors.  I am OK with the Velcro replacement, but I'm thanking my lucky stars that my elastic doesn't need to be replaced!!  With the Bumgenius 4.0, Cottonbabies somewhat acknowledged this by making the elastic slightly more easy to replace.  It still scares me.  My Fuzzibunz "one size" diaper actually came with spare elastic and you can replace it with no sewing and no seam ripping!  I would love to see more diapers like that!!

When thinking about closure tab replacement, I'd love to see the tabs and Velcro strips of diapers (securely) snap or hook on and off.  This way you could swap them out for new as they became worn and swap Velcro for aplix as it suits you and your baby.  I wish I were skilled at photoshop so I could demonstrate exactly what I mean.  I've seen a WAHM diaper who had snaps applied through the Velcro strip on the front of the diaper, so you could secure the snaps or secure the Velcro, but that's not quite what I mean.  I imagine the front of the diaper having say, male snaps.  The Velcro strip would have female snaps on the back, so you could snap it in place.  The snap closure tabs could be removed and replaced with Velcro tabs as you wished.  Then the Velcro could be removed and go back to snaps.

Lastly (I think) I want more diaper companies to recognize that washing needs to be easy.  The only reason I didn't cloth diaper my son from birth was the detergent issue.  Not everyone has "safe" detergents readily available to them.  Shipping them becomes quite costly, and even if they were available locally, the first detergent you buy won't necessarily work for you.  My max price for detergent stockpiling pre-cloth diapers was about $2.99 at most.  So going to $10-$15/bottle was a huge leap.  Not to mention then having $100 worth of detergent that didn't work sitting in my cabinet, or having to "waste" it on regular clothes!

I would love for companies (or someone with lots of time and money) to put diapers to the test in many mainstream detergents.  Truly put them to the test, not just say they are a "no-no" because of some chart made based on ingredients. There are a few companies out there that specifically recommend "regular" detergents, but most say it will damage your diapers and/or void your warranty.  Who wants that?

I have spent a lot of time and money on detergents, followed by battling the stink that ensues.  I firmly believe that the right detergent is one that gets your diapers clean and stink free, doesn't cause them to repel, and doesn't give your baby a rash.  Obvious ingredients to stay away from are bleach, optical brighteners/whiteners or anything that may eat away at the PUL or Elastic.

My other thought was that diaper manufacturers should offer a low cost "sampler" of detergents that they recommend, so you can try them before you purchase.  The problem is that it has taken me several weeks (sometimes months) of using a detergent before it became clear that it wasn't the one for me.

If you didn't cloth diaper all of your children, or didn't start right away, what stopped you?

Mailbox Mondays 12/13/10 Cloth Wipes and Moldy Dipes!

 

It's Mailbox Monday again!  If you have a question you'd like answered in a Mailbox Mondays post, email it to maria at change-diapers.com with "Mailbox Mondays" in the subject!

Ash says:

Hi Maria!

I've been cloth diapering my daughter for about 8 months but I haven't made the switch over to cloth wipes yet. Shocker I know! ha! This week I am finally finishing up the last of the disposable wipes I have and am making the switch to cloth! I'm excited! But I was curious as to how many wipes I should have. I was thinking around the same amount as dipes which is a little over two dozen. I've already bought some and I've made some as well. What do you think is a good amount?

Thanks!

Ash

Hi Ash!  I like to wash every other day, and have enough "stuff" that I don't have to rush with folding/stuffing diapers to use.  So, I'd say a rough estimate would be one wipe for each diaper you'd use during that time, plus a few extra for messy diapers.

I often used 5+ disposable wipes on messy diapers, but it is very rare for me to have to use more than one cloth wipe.  I keep 19 wipes downstairs (where I change most of my diapers) and I don't think I've ever run out.  I just have 4 upstairs, and though I don't change many diapers up there, I often have to dip in to my original "wipes," which were cut and zigzagged burp cloths!

I think 2 dozen wipes would be perfect!  You will love using cloth wipes!

Ash also says:

Hey Maria!

I was wondering if any of your dipes have gotten moldy. I have a couple of pocket dipes, some of which are only a couple months old that look like they have patches of mold on them that have recently showed up. I've been using Soap Nuts for a couple months now and I am wondering if that has something to do with it. Do you have any suggestions on getting rid of it? I just stripped my dipes with blue dawn and have used white vinegar in the rinse a couple times and been using a little oxiclean, but it still seems to be sticking around. Any suggestions would be great!!

Thanks!

Ash

http://www.adventuresofashandrowe.blogspot.com/
 
I haven't had a moldy diaper...yet.  I'm just waiting for the day when I forget one somewhere!
 
Is the mold on the diaper or the insert?  If it's on the insert, I'd suggest washing the inserts only with about 1/4 cup of bleach, then rinse until the water is clean and the bleach smell is gone.
 
If it's on the diaper itself, I'd suggest a soak, then hot wash followed by some sun.  You've already tried vinegar and oxiclean, which would have been my other suggestions, along with perhaps some tea tree oil.  If you've killed the mold, you may just have a little staining, and some old fashioned UV rays would probably take care of that!
 
As far as the soap nuts, it's hard to say.  I was using them with great success for about a month, then suddenly the diapers started coming out of the wash smelling like they hadn't been washed at all.
 
How often to you wash?  I don't recommend much longer than every other day, and you might even want to leave your pail or wet bag open a crack between wash days.

How about you gals? How many cloth wipes do you find is enough? Have you ever fought mold and won?

Rockin Green Funk Rock & Mighty Mighty Marshmallow Classic Rock Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 11/30)

In my opinion, wash routine and detergent are the biggest hurdle in cloth diapering.  My personal motto is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"  If you have a detergent and wash routine that are working for you, stick with it.  After trying many different detergents, I've been using about 1/4 the lowest load line of Tide powder, with an extra rinse.  About once a month, I notice a slight ammonia smell or funk to my inserts, so I wash just the inserts with a dab of bleach, and rinse until the water is clean and the bleach smell is gone.

So why am I messing with it?  I was sucked in by the new Rockin' Green Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer, thinking that maybe by using it, I could eliminate the monthly/semi-monthly bleaching.  I decided to also buy a bag of the mighty mighty marshmallow classic rock detergent to use along with it.  Lucky for you, I bought an extra bag of each to give away to a reader!

I also snagged one of the magnetic measuring scoops that sticks right to the washer!

I don't know if the mighty mighty marshmallow smells exactly like marshmallows, but it smells sweet and yummy!

The Funk Rock package suggests first soaking the diapers overnight in 3T of Rockin' Green, so that's what I did.  I followed that up with a full wash/double rinse, and at least two more full washes/double rinses.

Next, I opened up the funk rock.  The package says to initially use 4T and soak 30-60 minutes.

I soaked for about two hours, then followed with a full wash/double rinse, and two more full wash/double rinses.

After that, the diapers stunk.  Not like ammonia or funk, but like poop.  Like they hadn't been washed.  I did another wash with 2T of Rockin' Green, with more full wash/double rinses.  In all, I had been washing/soaking for a full 24 hours+.  I did at least 8 or more full washes, all with double rinses.  I reviewed a sample of Rockin' Green back in April, and learned that you need to soak and rinse like crazy when first switching.  That the switch can bring all the funk to the surface.
 
To be honest, after a full day of washing (and this was only half of my diapers!) I was ready to throw in the towel.  I was sniffing them after every wash to see if it was getting any better, but it wasn't.
 

So, at the time I'm writing this at 10:40 P.M., my stinky diapers are being washed in Tide.  Hopefully the detergent police don't come after me, but I won't stray again as long as it's working for me!
 
We have mountain spring well water, a water softener and an HE washer.  Even if you have exactly the same, what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.  Unfortunately, that's just how washing goes!  So, even though this didn't work for me, it may work for you.  Who knows, it I'd kept washing for another day (or three) maybe it would have worked out.  Right now, I don't care to find out.  I'm having a moment where I'd like to pretend my laundry room doesn't exist!  I'm having flashbacks to a month of constant washing battling stinkies!

I just want to be clear that Rockin' Green has worked wonders for so many people, especially the Hard Rock version for those with hard water.  I still wholehearedly recommend trying Rockin' Green if you're having trouble.  It just isn't the right detergent for me!
 
Giveaway: I have another 45/90 load bag of Rockin' Green Classic Rock Mighty Mighty Marshmallow scent and a full-size bag of Funk Rock to give away.  Combined retail value is $26.90.

 
Here's how to enter: All entries go in the form below.  Mandatory entries are name & email address.  Optional bonus entry for following this blog.  Just like last time, you pick GFC, RSS, Email, "like" me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.  I want you to choose what will get you to come back and keep reading!  Especially with 5 days of huge giveaways coming up  with the Merry Fluffy Christmas Event and several more diaper giveaways after that!


I will accept entries until Tuesday, November 30th, 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 love comments, but comments do not count as entries. Feel free to comment about detergent/wash routines, or just to remind yourself that you entered!  Post will be updated daily with the # of entries received.

Please note: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or approved by, nor affiliated with Rockin' Green or any retailer.

# of entries received as of November 30th at Giveaway Close: 197



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

Mailbox Mondays 10/18/10

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.

I'm looking for MM submissions for late October and beyond!

Marah says:

I am so sick of leaks overnight! What is your solution for overnight cloth diapering?

Marah
 
This is a pretty common dilemma, and one that caused me a lot of trouble!  Sometimes, it's as simple as the right fit and the right insert.  I was stuffing my Bumgenius diapers so thick that I had to size up, and was having leg gap issues.
 
Make sure the diaper fits snugly at the legs, and that the inner of the diaper and the insert are all tucked in.  Also make sure no clothing is tucked into the diaper! I've accidentally had my son's shirt stuck in the back of the diaper before!
 
If your diaper fits well, but you don't have enough absorbency (the insert is completely saturated in the morning) try adding a second full size insert, a hemp doubler, or what really worked for me, a Knickernappies Superdo insert.
 
If you still have trouble, bring out the big guns.  Super absorbent fitteds with wool soakers are an awesome combo.  I've had great luck with the Guerilla Fluff utilitarian.  Make sure your wool soaker is well lanolized, and look for soakers designed for night time, since they have extra layers in the wet zone.  I love our Mobums Night Night Wool Soaker. 
 
Now that it's getting cooler, putting your child in fleece pajama pants will give you another layer of wetness protection!  Like wash routines, overnight diapering is annoying since as soon as you figure it out, something changes!  Once I finally had our routine down pat, my son stopped wetting as heavily!
 
Nancy says:
 
Here's a question for Mailbox Mondays: What are the best soaking, washing and drying methods to keep your diapers clean, soft, and absorbent?

Nancy
 
Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all answer for this!  It depends heavily on your water, your machine, how often you wash, how many diapers you wash at a time etc.
 
For me, a cold wash with no detergent, hot wash with a tiny amount of detergent, with an extra rinse works well.
 
I hang my shells to dry and tumble the inserts in the dryer.
 
About every other month, I soak all of my diapers and inserts overnight in RLR, then rinse until the water is clean.  Then, I wash only the inserts with a dab of bleach, then rinse until the water is clean and I don't smell bleach.
 
I spent a lot of time playing with wash routines and detergents.  Right now I am using Tide HE powder, but I use only about 1/4 of the lowest load line for a full load of diapers. 
 
 
How about you gals?  Did you have trouble coming up with an overnight solution?  What have you tried?  What works for you?
 
How about wash routines?  How do you wash & dry?  What detergent do you use?  How many detergents did you go through before you found the right one?  Do you strip your diapers or treat them?  How often?  What do you use?

Mailbox Mondays 9/27/10

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.

Please note: My intent is to get a queue of questions for the next several months, so it may be some time before your submission is posted. If you would like me to email my response so you don't have to wait until your question is posted, let me know!

Carrie Says:

Maria,



What are your thoughts on the detergent debate? I've been reading some manufacturers (like rumparooz) saying use detergents like tide, because they have enzymes, and what seems like most everyone else saying no to tide and other conventional detergents.

Carrie

This is a bit of a hot button issue for me; as I've mentioned before, detergent was the sole reason I waited so long to start cloth diapering my son.  There were no "5 star" detergents available to me locally, and it would have been far to expensive to have one shipped. 

The different "cloth diaper detergent charts" had seemingly conflicting information, and every diaper company had their own ideas.  If your stash consisted of all one brand, it would be simpler, but I don't recommend putting all your "eggs" in one "basket" when it comes to cloth diapers.

So, here's my take:  What good is a "safe" detergent if your diapers stink and/or aren't getting clean?  Use trial and error to find a detergent that works for you, and stick with it.  Obviously stay away from detergents with fabric softeners and optical brighteners, which can build up on your diapers.  If a detergent isn't working for you, if you have buildup or stink, strip and try again.

But what about warranties?  I don't really know, that's a personal decision.  For me, I will use the detergent that gets my diapers clean without damaging them or irritating my son's skin.  If a company decides not to honor their warranty because I used Tide or didn't use Tide, shame on them.  Stink isn't covered under diaper warranties, so what good are warranted diapers washed in "safe" detergent that you can't use?

Ashley says:

What are the most useful type of training pant? The ones on most cloth diaper sites are so expensive, I'm not sure if they're worth the buy.


Thanks, I never see much input on blogs about training, just diapers.

-Ashley
 
I am still several months away from potty training/learning, but rest assured I'll be reviewing trainers soon enough!
 
From what I remember from potty training my daughter (she is 5 1/2 now!) we initially just needed a diaper that we could pull up and down to try to go potty, but she was basically still in diapers.  My plan with my son for that stage is to use any side snapping diapers I have (which isn't too many!) as pull up type diapers.
 
Next was that in-between stage where she wasn't really ready for undies yet, but she didn't always need a diaper either.  That's where the trainers come in.  The Little Beetle Learner is definitely on my "to-try" list.  They are absorbent, but are made from organic cotton, so baby will feel wetness.  They snap off to make accident clean up easy.  I love the idea of a pocket trainer (like the Happy Heinys pocket trainer), where you can use them with as much or as little stuffing as you need based on "where they are" in the learning process. 
 
Encouraging my daughter to use the potty full time wasn't too bad, but I'm hearing that boys take longer and are more stubborn, so we shall see!

Mailbox Mondays 9/20/10

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.

Please note: My intent is to get a queue of questions for the next several months, so it may be some time before your submission is posted. If you would like me to email my response so you don't have to wait until your question is posted, let me know!

Kristina says:

Hi, I am interested in trying out Wool Covers. What can you tell me about them in terms of care and usage. Thanks!



Kristina
 
Wool is fantastic!  I was initially a little afraid of wool, but it was so much easier to take care of than I imagined.  I have Kissaluvs, a Mobums and a Little Beetle cover.  The Mobums review has step by step photos demonstrating how I wash the covers.
 
I rarely have to wash them, you know you need to when they start hanging on to a urine smell (or if they are soiled.)  Otherwise, just air them out between uses. 
 
I use liquid lanolin that I found at my local organic store to lanolize when they don't seem to be as absorbent, but there are any number of lanolizing products out there.  Using a lanolin containing wash (like Eucalan) will greatly reduce the frequency with which you need to lanolize.
 
Wool was my lifesaver (over a super-absorbent fitted) for night time, when my son was a super soaker!
 
Does this answer your questions?  What else do you want to know?  How about my readers?  Do you use wool?

Crystal says:

Maria,



I have been having stink issues with my hemp gDiaper inserts. I have tried just about everything, including stripping multiple times, a little bit of bleach in the wash, I switched to Rockin Green detergent, and I wash at least every 2 days. And I have tried sunning (all day in Florida heat) when I have the time, which I try to find the time at least once a week. The smell isn't ammonia, it's just a funkiness, and it comes out of the washer and dryer smelling this way. We have no rash problems cropping up, just the smell. Any ideas on something else to try?

Thanks,

Crystal
 
What have you been using to strip?  It seems that sometimes adding things make stinkies worse.  I would try running the inserts through several cycles on hot, with water only; no detergent or additives.  See if you are getting any suds or residue in the water.
 
I know you said you already tried bleach, but after you've made certain they are rinsed clean, try 1/4 cup of bleach in the bleach dispenser with only the inserts in the wash.
 
Do you have hard water?  It may be mineral deposits causing the funk.  Try the Rockin' Green hard rock if you haven't already, or try adding calgon water softener.
 
Sorry I wasn't more help, you have tried most of what I would have done already!

Mailbox Mondays 9/13/10

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.

Please note: My intent is to get a queue of questions for the next several months, so it may be some time before your submission is posted. If you would like me to email my response so you don't have to wait until your question is posted, let me know!

Ash says:

Hey Maria!

I have another question for you! And guess what?! It's about washing diapers of course! So I've been using cloth diapers on my daughter for about 4.5 months now and am always curious as to what other Mama's routines are for after they change their baby's diaper. Do you take your sons diapers and just dump them in the diaper pail after changing him or do you rinse them first? What is your routine? And do you ever feel the need to soak the dirty diapers after you get everything off of them to help get the stains out or do you just let them get some sun after washing them?

Oops! I guess it's a couple questions! :)

Thanks again!!

Ash from The Adventures of Ash and Rowe

http://adventuresofashandrowe.blogspot.com/

Hi Ash!  I know everyone seems to do things differently, but here's what I do: If the diaper is just wet, I pull the insert out with the wipe, fold the laundry tabs in (if it's velcro) ball it up and toss it in my hanging wet bag/pail. 

If it's dirty, I flip the poop in the potty and follow the same routine.  If it's really messy (like we've been dealing with after too many blueberries!) I will flip off as much as I can first.  Since I'm not washing every day anymore, I will then either spray the diaper off in my laundry room utility sink, or if I have several, I'll do a rinse & spin in the washer.  I don't like to let diapers sit with poop on them.  A diaper sprayer will take care of it too, but I never got around to getting one, and since I'm through the messy stuff for the most part, I haven't bothered.  When he was still mostly breasfed, I didn't rinse at all!

I don't soak them or add anything to them, aside from when I use RLR every few months.  I don't have any major issues with stains; I find that light stains fade with subsequent washes.

That said, the aftermath of blueberry-gate 2010 left me with some staining!  My first try at sunning my diapers had me sold.  They weren't in direct sun very long, not long enough to completely dry them, yet the stains nearly disappeared!

How about you, readers?  What do you do?

Pamela says:

My very first cloth diaper purchase was a half dozen Bum Genius 3.0 OS diapers which are still my favorites and have fit my son through thick and thin (literally). But, 18 months later, the time has come to repair the laundry tabs and aplix closures. I bought the repair kits, and they have been sitting next to my sewing kit for almost a month - just daring me to give this a try. I'm terrified that I'm going to ruin one of my beloved BGs. Any experience and tips?


Thanks!

Pamela
 
I haven't repaired any of mine, though I have a few that need it!  I think this tutorial on P.S. house is great!  I'm going to have to replace some of them soon.  I did get two replaced under warranty, but the others aren't bad enough yet, and my warranty expires in about 5 or 6 weeks.  I don't have a sewing machine; my Mom has an old and no-so-great one, but I'm thinking it might actually be easier to do it by hand.  Eek!

How about my readers, anyone replaced the velcro on their Bumgenius?

P.S. I'd love to have a guest post with a step by step tutorial for replacing velcro and/or doing a snap conversion.  Shoot me an email if you're interested.  I'd like original material only, which wouldn't be reposted elsewhere.

My $15 disappearing clothesline / The world's cheapest, most effective stain remover

I have been cloth diapering for over 10 months, yet I had never "sunned" a diaper!  I didn't have a clothes line, and I'm pretty sure one critter or another would make off with-or make a home in-anything I laid on my porch or sidewalk!

This retractable clothes line was $14.29 at Lowes, and took my husband less than 5 minutes to put up (I'm sure I could have done it myself too!)

The line is easily removable with a single pin, so you can bring it inside over the winter.

49 feet of clothesline easily retracts into the reel.

There is a simple hook on the other side.

Just pull the line, and hook it on!

You loop the line over the "peg" on the bottom, to keep more from pulling out as you hang your laundry.  I had to loop mine a second time when I hung a soaking wet Superdo on the line!  That thing is heavy!

We don't have too much of an issue with staining, but we had some messy diapers in the wake of Blueberrygate 2010 that led to some stains!  I took pictures of the most stained before and after, but a) decided that was a little disgusting and I didn't want anyone to lose their lunch and b) The results don't seem as impressive in a photo as they did in person!  The first time I used the line, it was fairly late in the day, so the diapers were only hung for maybe two hours.  Even in that time, I could see a big difference! 

I'm finding that diapers and inserts made of natural materials (hemp, bamboo, organic cotton) need a quick tumble in the dryer to soften up, but I am loving line drying!

P.S. I'm on Mom's Misc Adventures today!

Mailbox Mondays 8/30/10

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!

Please note: My intent is to get a queue of questions for the next several months, so it may be some time before your submission is posted. If you would like me to email my response so you don't have to wait until your question is posted, let me know!

 
Kelly says:
 

Detergent question- i'm sure you get tons of these, but i've been wondering... I was using RnG hard rock but still had stinky microfiber so i decided to save myself some $ and use tide. our local stores only have original tide in the HE formula, but I have an older top loader (def. not high efficiency!) Can i still use this on my diapers? If so, any idea how much i should use?

wahm question- I've started getting into buying diapers from wahm on hyenacart. Do you ever do reviews or giveaways of those kinds of diapers? I'm always hesitant to try out a new brand w/o having heard an honest review. :)

Love your blog, thanks! ~Kelly

Check us out at http://www.dariusandkelly.blogspot.com/!

 

First Question:

 

Microfiber just tends to get the stinkies!  If your Rockin' Green is otherwise working for you, try "Rockin' a soak" followed by lots of extra rinses.  If the stink remains, try adding 1/4 cup of bleach to a full load of inserts (not the diapers, just the inserts!)  Once I found a detergent that worked for me, I rarely had any issues.  If I start to get a whiff of the weird microfiber stink, or ammonia, I will do a dab of bleach with the inserts.  It knocks it out before it gets bad; I do this about one per month.

 

As far as Tide goes yes, you can use HE detergent in a regular machine.  Use the same amount you normally would.  You will notice less suds than usual; that's the main difference between HE detergent and regular detergent. 

 

I have an HE machine and soft water, and even using 1/4-1/2 of the LOWEST load line (1) of powdered Tide, I have to do some additional rinses to get it all out.  If you decide to try it, be very conservative in the amount you use.  If you need a bunch of extra rinses, cut it back even more.  If you don't think your diapers are getting clean, add a little extra!

 

Second Question:

 

I love WAHMs!  I have done some reviews of diapers sold on HyenaCart.  Check out my Review Archive Page.  I think there are at least 10+ HyenaCart sellers there however, email me any time if you have a specific seller/product in mind that you'd like me to review.  Not all WAHMs are able or willing to do free or discounted products for reviews, but I will see what I can do for you!

Cloth Diaper Detergent - My Journey and my Opinion

This may be long, but it's very relevant and I want to get my entire story out there.

I've mentioned before that detergent is a hot button issue for me because it was the only thing that prevented me from cloth diapering earlier.  So, I'll start from the beginning.

When I chose the diapers I wanted to try, I knew I wanted to start with just a few to see how it went.  I also knew that I needed a "safe" detergent.  Googling led me to a chart with stars, that rated detergents based on their ingredients.  The one I was looking at rated detergents from 1 to 4 red stars.  None of the "4 star" detergents were available at any of our grocery stores, Target, Wal Mart, or anywhere else I could think to check.

So, I started looking into ordering some.  At the time of my research, there were 4 or 5 detergents that I could order online, that had 4 red stars/thumbs up ratings.  I eliminated the detergents that were reported to give babies burns, as well as those with so-so reviews.

Now, keep in mind that I'm cheap frugal, so my maximum price for detergent was $2.99 for a 32 load bottle, and I'd only pay that much if we desperately needed it.  My "stock up" price was closer to free, or pennies.

A single bottle of the "thumbs up" detergent was about $12, then add shipping.  I could potentially buy a case to bring the price per bottle down a bit, but yikes.  All this for 3 diapers I didn't even know if I'd like?  So, that's where it ended.  I gave up on cloth diapering.  I couldn't make 3 diapers a $75 experiment.

When my son's rashes (clearly caused by disposable diapers since they disappeared when we switched to cloth) were so bad that it hurt to look at, I decided I was going to do this darn it!  One way or another.

My poor husband searched high and low at every store within a 30 mile radius, in at least 3 cities and two states.  He finally found a 4 star/thumbs up detergent at an Organic store we had just discovered.  He bought it and I ordered my diapers.

I googled the chart again (I hadn't bookmarked it) and was shocked to see that the detergent he had bought had only a single red star, not four!  What?!  Had I made a mistake??  It didn't take me too long to figure out that there are two different charts out there that look very much the same, but one uses 1-4 red stars, and the other uses 1-5 stars: red, black or gold.

I was upset.  I had ordered the diapers and was anxiously awaiting their arrival.  It had been 5 years now since my first interest in cloth diapering (before my daughter was born.)  I turned to the ladies in a cloth diaper group I belong to, to get advice and find out what they did.  They all recommended one work-at-home-mom made detergent.  Shipping was included, and while still quite expensive to me, it was cheaper than the alternative, and highly recommended.  I ordered it and just washed the diapers in the Method detergent I had while I was waiting for it to arrive.

That WAHM made detergent worked for a while and stopped working after a few months.  I started using Naturoli Soap nuts (another brand of soap nuts are listed on one chart; no soap nuts are listed on the other.)  They stopped working after a while too.  I used a sample of Rockin' Green that I received, then I began using Tide after seeing it was used successfully by so many Moms.  I figured if it didn't work on the diapers, I could use it on our clothing, and while far more expensive than my standard detergent, it was still inexpensive compared to others.  The amount of money I had already spent on diaper washing items sitting in my laundry room, was just ridiculous.  I cannot keep spending $15-$20 (or more!) on things that don't work.   (side note: I've also been very successfully using a different WAHM detergent for several days recently.)

So, the charts.  How are they made?  Well, there are common "no-nos" for diaper detergent, including optical whiteners/brighteners, fabric softeners, fragrance and enzymes.  These charts were compiled based on experience, right?  Nope!  They were compiled solely based on what ingredients detergents contain.

How does one get listed on this chart?  Beats me.  I suppose you'd have to contact the maker of the chart with a list of your ingredients, proof that you test regularly to ensure PH balance (or whatever else they are looking for.)  Who knows what else.  The little guy loses again.  Rockin' Green is probably the biggest name in WAHM detergent, yet it was JUST listed on the charts.  Even so, if you buy scented Rockin' Green, wave buh-bye to a star (and potentially your warranty.)

Well, they have research to back up the fact that those ingredients would damage diapers, right?  Nope!  In fact, several diaper manufacturers recommend using the standard "no-no" detergents, which contain enzymes.  They say they from their experience they do not damage diapers, and in fact get them clean.

The optical whiteners/brighteners and fabric softeners make sense to me.  They would bind to the fabric of the diapers and potentially cause repelling.  But, worst case, you strip and start over.  Fragrance and enzymes (in  my opinion!) have more to do with the baby's bottom than with the diapers.  Even in my soft water, I am not usually able to smell the detergent after rinsing, and if I've accidentally used too much and can smell it, I rinse again.  My diapers are rinsed clean, and my son's poor sensitive hiney was never bothered by the enzymes in the detergent either.

It is my humble opinion that someone interested in cloth diapering should find the most highly recommended detergent, which is also affordable, available locally, and that they wouldn't mind using on their other laundry, should it not work on the diapers.  Use it.  If it works, sweet.  If it doesn't, well, strip and try again.  You're out a couple bucks, and can use it on your other laundry.

So what is the problem?  Certain diaper manufacturers may not honor their warranty if you have used a detergent that isn't "5 stars" on the chart that they recommend. 

Maybe I'm too analytical, but where is the evidence that fragrance (etc.) will damage a part of the diaper that would otherwise be covered under warranty?

How about a controlled study.  Take 30 identical washing machines, supplied with identical water.  30 brand new, identical diapers, each washed with a different detergent 200 times (or whatever they consider to be the lifetime of the diaper.)  In fact, each diaper should be "soiled" from the same "supply" between each washing, right?  Since the ammonia in urine could affect the results.

Photos and scientific testing should be done after every x number of washes to evaluate the elastic, aplix, laundry tabs, inner lining, waterproof outer, and any other part of the diaper that would be covered under warranty.

Only then should they be "allowed" to void a warranty based on the detergent used (quotes around "allowed" because I know they will do whatever they darn well please).  I would think that the bleach they (the company I am thinking of) say is OK to use once per month, would be much more likely to damage diapers than fragrance.  I was discussing this with my husband and he kept interrupting me, outraged.  He said (the man comes out in him here!) it would be like Ford saying that your warranty was void if you didn't use Shell gasoline.  I said, yeah but if they said that there was an ingredient in Exxon gasoline that would damage your engine...  He said, "Then Exxon should sue them!"  Where's the proof?

So, what do I do?  Spend potentially hundreds of dollars having pricey "safe" detergents shipped to me, hoping they will work?  What if none of them work?  Warranties don't cover staining, repelling, stink or my baby's rash.  Should I just stick with disposables? Or should I find a detergent that works, and stick with it, rules be darned?

I am a strict rule follower, but I chose to be able to cloth diaper my son.  Save his tush, save the earth and save my wallet too.  Unfortunately, that may mean that an issue I've had with a couple of diapers, will not be covered under warranty.  The same problem, if experienced by someone using a "5-star" detergent, would be covered.

There were two diapers that are bad enough to be sent in.  Two packages of "safe" detergent would cost about as much as those diapers.  So, I will enjoy my clean, stain and stink-free diapers, my son's rash-free tush, and all that extra $ in my pocket can buy two new diapers from a different company.

A truly good product will hold up just fine with typical use.  Meaning, average use and washing with a number of detergents that are affordable, and available at any grocery store.  If your product requires delicate handling and pricey detergent, how good is it?

I would love to see fluff on every tush, but if detergent is such a hassle for someone who wants to cloth diaper, it's not going to help our case in persuading people who are on the fence (or on the other side of it!)

Silent *SCREAM* so I don't wake my son.  :-)

Mailbox Mondays 8/9/10

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 change.diapers.change.the.world at gmail dot com!

Ash says:

Hi Maria! Love your blog! You were the first blog I found that I started following when I started blogging. :)


So right now I am exclusive to only one brand of cloth diapers. But I want to get some other brands soon. My question is...When you have more than one brand of diapers, how do you wash them? I know that most brands have different instructions for washing, so do you just keep washing with whatever you find that works, or do you wash each brand separately?

Thank you!


Ash from The Adventures of Ash and Rowe

http://adventuresofashandrowe.blogspot.com/
 
OK let me stop doodling big puffy hearts around Maria + Ash and answer the question.  I love when someone tells me that they enjoy my blog, like my reviews etc.  It makes me feel all warm & fuzzy and happy.
 
This is a very, very timely question given my recent issues with my Rumparooz delamination.  Most of the differences in washing instructions (that I've noticed) have to do with the order of cold rinses/hot washes/cold rinses and when to use the detergent.  Some say it's OK to tumble dry, some recommend hanging to dry. 
 
I always follow initial washing instructions, since some materials need to be washed separately a number of times to remove natural oils (like hemp.)  Some materials (usually organic cottons) need to be washed around 3 times to prep, and up to 10 times to achieve maximum absorbency.
 
Beyond that, I do what works for me.  Cold wash/rinse, hot wash/rinse with the occasional extra rinse.  I do not bleach my diapers, or use additives on them, though I do use an occasional dab of bleach (and/or RLR) on the inserts only, followed by many extra rinses.
 
If I had to keep track of specific washing instructions for each manufacturer and wash separately, I would lose my mind.
 
That brings me to the other issue.  Detergent.  The majority of diaper manufacturers have the same list of "no-nos" including enzymes, brighteners, whiteners, dyes, scents etc.  This issue is a hot button for me since the lack of "safe" affordable, local detergent is the #1 thing that stopped me from CD'ing from day 1 with my son.
 
Rumparooz, Drybees and at least one other (slips my mind right now) diaper company specifically recommend "standard" detergents like Tide, which contain dyes, scents and enzymes that are on the detergent black lists.
 
I stand by the idea that you should use what works for you.  Don't use too much or too little, and rinse them clean. 
 
The problem with that is this: what if you have an issue with one of your diapers while it's under warranty, and your claim is denied because you didn't use the "right" detergent?  Well, I'm not terribly worried for myself, because my choices were disposable diapering, paying outrageous sums to have one specific detergent (that was on all of the "safe" lists) shipped, or to use what worked.
 
Also, warranties don't cover staining, repelling or stink.  If a "safe" detergent isn't getting my diapers clean, what good is it?
 
I really don't like to use this thinking but, plenty of people have used any number of detergents with no issues.  I'm using what works for me and that's that.  There's no way I'm going to wash diapers separately so that some can be clean and stink free and others can be smelly, washed in pricey detergent, but covered under warranty!
 
In conclusion, yadda yadda, I bet you're sorry you asked.  ;-)

Remember that my blabbing shouldn't be taken as expert advice.  Always pay careful attention to the manufacturer's instructions.  I'm not responsible for any damage or diaper injuries, insert other verbiage as you see fit to cover my hiney.  :-)

Bonus question since the first was so long, this is quick.  It's just a snippet of an email since it wasn't a MM submission.

How did you get your comments numbered?

I followed these instructions from Blogger Sentral.  Those are for use with blogger.  I'm sure I could fool around to get them nicer looking, but this was just one of my many HTML "projects" and I was ready to be done by the time I got it working!

Mailbox Mondays 8/2/10

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 change.diapers.change.the.world at gmail dot com!

Before I get started, I wanted to remind you that I'm going to be a regular poster at The Village of Moms.  You may remember my guest post series about cloth diapering.  I'll be posting the first Monday of every month, and today is my first post!  I'll be writing about cloth diapering, baby wearing, "green" and frugal topics, as well as crafts, recipes and more!  I'd love for you to read my first post, which is about Homemade Kool-Aid Scented Play Dough!

The first question is from Stephanie:

I know you answered a question last week about nighttime diapering, but I've got another one.


When it comes to nighttime diapering, I know the words trim and absorbent don't mix. But, I am looking for a solution that is as trim as possible that will work for a 27lb 20 month old. Having a bulky diaper bothers her and she just cant sleep (I wouldn't be able to either). She is not a super wetter, but needs good absorbency to make it through the night.


Thanks!


Stephanie
 
Night time diapering seems to be the biggest conundrum in cloth diapering, second only to wash routines!  The solution for your daughter will really hinge on how heavy of a wetter she is.  A pocket diaper with a Superdo insert is the trimmest you will get (in my opinion) and still get ultra-absorbency. 
 
At this point, my son actually doesn't need that much absorbency anymore.  If your daughter doesn't either, you might try the Loopydo insert instead, adding a hemp doubler if needed.
 
The flip cover with the organic insert is trimmer than others, and has proved a great solution for many babies.
 
Another thing to think about is using a wool soaker over an absorbent fitted.  My experience has been that the more absorbent fitteds are bulkier, but I've recently discovered that hemp fitteds can be very absorbent without the bulk. 
 
I wish there was an easy answer, that I could tell you exactly what to get, but it's really trial and error!
 
The next question is from Amanda:
 
My little one has had a recurring yeast rash in his diaper area for several months now. We brought him back to the Dr last week and she told me to bleach all my diapers and then do an extra rinse before hanging them in the sun to dry. I am terribly afraid of using bleach on my dipes, especially since many of them specifically say on the tags NO BLEACH. Is there something else I can do to make sure there are no nasty yeasties living in his diapers? We use pockets with a variety of inserts-bamboo, hemp, microfiber and plain old cotton prefolds and all of his dipes have Bamboo or organic cotton lining. HELP!


Amanda
 
I'm sorry you're dealing with this!  Not fun for you or baby! 
 
There are other things you can try before you resort to bleach.  Around 3-4 drops (front loader, 4-6 for a top loader) of tea tree oil or grapefruit seed oil along with a hot wash, followed by drying in the sun.  Water temps need to be above 122 degrees to kill the yeast.  If you turn your water heater up to wash, be sure to turn it back down afterward!
 
Boiling water is also a good bet, but only on the prefolds.  You can damage the PUL, snaps and aplix on your pocket diapers.
 
I would definitely not recommend bleaching your diapers on a regular basis, however, 1/4 cup of bleach to a load of diapers will be very effective in killing the yeast, and doing this once will be very unlikely to damage your diapers.  Of course, do not pour bleach directly on the diapers!
 
You will want to use liners in your diapers if you are using a topical cream to treat the yeast.  I don't usually recommend using disposables, but you might want to think about using a few until things are really cleared up.
 
 
As usual, these are my opinions, I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on T.V.  Follow manufacturer's instructions carefully, I'm not responsible for any damage or injuries.  (There, is my tushie covered?)

Mailbox Mondays 7/26/10

 

Here's the second installment of "Mailbox Mondays."  I will always answer any questions you have via email, but if you would like to have your question answered on a Mailbox Mondays post, please email me at change.diapers.change.the.world at gmail dot com and put "Mailbox Mondays" in your subject.  Questions don't have to be diaper related!



I wanted to quickly tell you that I'm going to be a regular writer on The Village of Moms, which is where I guest posted my Cloth 101 posts.  I'll be posting the first Monday of every month!  I'll write about cloth diapering, babywearing, kid's activities and crafts, frugal tips and more.

 

The first question is from Heather.  My answer is long winded as usual, but would you expect any less from me?  :-)

 

I had a question about stripping my micro fiber inserts. I have a horrible time with ammonia stink and have been told I should strip them because I have buildup issues (we have hard water). Every time I wash my diapers I soak them overnight in my washer with a cloth diaper detergent and them I wash them in the morning. My wash routine is like this:

Double rinse and spin

8+ hour soak

Heavy duty wash, heavy soil level, extra rinse

Hang dry in the sun

So what exactly should I do to get rid of my ammonia stink? Strip? Change my wash routine? Any help would be appreciated!

Heather A.

 

Oh Heather, I so feel your pain.  While I do not have hard water, I did battle the stinkies.  I tried so many things, I ran my washer 24/7 for at least two weeks I swear.  The good news is, I doubt we run any risk of ever running our well dry!

 

Wash routines are to me,  the most confusing part of cloth diapering.  If you ask a room full of cloth diaperers this question, you would get twice as many opinions as people in the room!

 

Stink usually comes from buildup as you know, but the hard part is, buildup of what?  It could be a buildup of detergent, a buildup of the minerals from your water, or a buildup of, ahem, "deposits" made in the diaper.

 

I find that the simpler you keep things, the better off you'll be.  Since you have hard water, it's not going to be as simple as most.  I don't know what kind of detergent you are using now, but once you get the stink under control, consider trying Rockin' Green's hard rock detergent, or adding Calgon water softener to the load.  With hard water, your detergent is working so hard to take care of the minerals in your water, there's no oomph left to clean the laundry!

 

Now back to the buildup.  If you run the diapers through with no detergent, do you see any suds?  If so, you may have a detergent buildup.  Try rinsing until there's no suds, without adding any detergent.

 

No suds?  I commonly hear people say to use dish soap to strip diapers (original blue dawn.)  This caused more problems for me.  Lot of people have had luck with soaking diapers with Rockin' Green, then rinsing a ton.

 

What worked for me was RLR.  RLR is a laundry treatment that you can use once a month or so to remove buildup for diapers and other laundry.  (Worked wonders on our towels & sheets too!)  I have an HE washer, well water and a softener, so I did not use a whole packet for a load.  You might need to.  Run a heavy duty wash with a soak, then rinse rinse rinse until you don't see any trace of suds.  Then, I took the diapers out to dry and ran just the inserts through with a dab of bleach, then several extra rinses.  I know a lot of people will not use bleach, but it worked for me!

 

This really took care of things for me, and now if I start smelling some ammonia, I will use a bit of RLR, some extra rinses and a dab of bleach on the inserts.

 

Once you get the current issue taken care of, you of course want to keep it at bay as long as possible.  If you have a top loading washer, use the largest load size, regardless of the actual size of the load you're washing.  Try not to wash more than 20 diapers at a time.  If your issue was detergent buildup, use a little bit less.  If it wasn't, you may need to use a little more.  If you're using a detergent that is formulated for cloth diapers, use the recommended amount, not 1/4 or 1/2 like you often hear.  I've also found that I need to rotate detergents.  One will work fine for a while, then suddenly doesn't anymore.

 

I had such a hard time with this!  I like things organized and I like hard and fast rules (I'm weird.)  So it was hard for me that there wasn't a list to follow that said use this amount of this type of detergent and do this wash cycle and you'll be all set.  It depends so much on your water, your washer etc. 

 

In conclusion, don't fret! Be patient and you will figure things out.

 

 

Next, a question from Alexis:

 

What do you use at night? Do you change in the middle of the night?

 

I'm going to answer these in reverse. 

 

Night time changes

 

Now, at 14 months, my son sleeps 10-12 hours most nights.  When he occasionally wakes, he has a quick "snack" and goes back to bed without a change.  When he was really little, nights went like they do for most parents of young babies.  Sleep a little while, wake up, nurse, change diaper, then the circus routine of getting him back to sleep, then repeat.  Most of the times he woke, his diaper was changed.

 

In between there, he started to sleep a bit longer, and I had to up my night time diapering game.  Then came the tricky time period.  My son wasn't waking as often, and he was starting to drift off to sleep after nursing.  

 

This won't win me any mother of the year awards but neither of my children have been great sleepers.  If my son happened to drift off while nursing, I would at least try to lay him back down.  If he stayed asleep, I would sneak out of the room, crawl into bed and pray he would stay asleep for a while!  I suppose I probably should have woken him to change his diaper but uhhh, not gonna happen.  If I tried to change his diaper first, before nursing him, he would have woken the whole household to express his disapproval.

 

What I use at night

 

During that in-between stage where my son was really drinking quite a bit at night, but not necessarily being changed every time, he was quite the heavy wetter.  I spent a lot of time and money trying different things, and for a while, I really had no choice but to wake him to change his diaper.

 

Right now, I wash every other day and I have 4 diapers specifially for night time use.  I'm still stuffing them the same, though I really don't need as much in them anymore.

 

Two of my "night time" diapers are Bumgenius 3.0s.  Initially, I had them so overstuffed that I had a leg gap that made the diaper useless if he was on his side!  Now, each one has two full size inserts with a hemp doubler in between.

 

The third is a combo of two of my night time diapering desperation purchases.  It's a Dypes by Dixon Sweet Slumber fleece diaper, stuffed with a Knickernappies Superdo insert.  If you are having night time issues, I highly recommend trying a Superdo.  It's incredibly absorbent, but much thinner than multiple inserts (still thick though!)

 

The last one in my night time rotation is again a purchase made during my desperate search for a night solution.  It's a Guerilla Fluff Utilitarian fitted topped with a Mobums night night wool soaker.  My GF diaper has: 3 layers to the diaper, 2 soakers with 3 layers each, a doubler with 2 layers plus a layer of wool and optional zorb added.  That sucker is absorbent!

 

In the thick (har har) of things, I decided to be redundantly redundant and top even the waterproof diapers with a Kissaluvs Wool Lover soaker, and I favored fleece PJ pants also.

 

He may have looked a bit like a snowman, but it was worth it!  Just a few hours in a disposable diaper gives my little guy an awful rash, but I know lots of people who use a single disposable at night.  I won't tell anyone if that's what you decide works best for you.  ;-)  We won't throw you off Fluff Island.