Temporary Vacation

I will be having my baby on Monday, so my attention will not be on this blog, or cloth diapers really. I'm planning on spending the next two weeks using disposables for convenience purposes as I don't want to be doing diaper laundry post c-section with a toddler and a newborn. Feel free to leave comments or email me with questions or suggestions, and when I return, I will answer all messages and emails promptly.
So, I'll see you all in two weeks!

Tutorial: Iron On Laundry Tabs

Laundry tabs are a small detail of a cloth diaper that is often overlooked and are not thought of as a necessity.. until yours lack them. If you have ever washed a load of baby clothes with bibs, then you know the headache of velcro. Like molten lava, everything it touches is nearly ruined. Your small load of laundry turns into a giant ball of velcro attached clothes and bits lint land all over the clothes. Not to mention, the velcro itself is weakened and damaged.
Fear no more my friend, laundry tabs are here!
The rough part of velcro ("hook") attaches to the soft part ("loop"), creating a closure that can be attached and reattached multiple times. Occasionally, you will run across a diaper that does not come with laundry tabs, or, your current laundry tabs are worn down and need to be replaced.
Below is a simple tutorial for iron on laundry tabs. Sewing on laundry tabs can also be done with the same basic steps except when you want to permanently place them on the diaper, you sew them on instead of iron on.
I do NOT recommend stick on laundry tabs, even if they package says they are clothing safe. They have a habit of pulling up after a few washes and making an even bigger mess than before.

How to create your own laundry tabs

Supplies

1 clean test diaper (I recommend doing only one diaper at first, then doing the others if the test diaper is undamaged and holds up in wash and wear)

scissors

iron on velcro (Try to get the "loop" part of the velcro if you can, but you may have to buy a combo pack of "hook" and "loop")

iron
old towel

Step 1

Cut a piece of the "loop" velcro that matches the length of the "hook" velcro. Remove the sticky backing and attach it to the inside of the diaper where you want the laundry tab to be. (If you are replacing an old laundry tab, attach the new tab to above, below, or to the left of the old tab, leaving the old tab on the diaper untouched.)

Step 2

Turn the diaper inside out so you are able to iron onto the cotton/polyester material and NOT the PUL/waterproof material. Your iron should never touch the PUL/waterproof material. If it is not possible to avoid ironing the PUL/waterproof material, then you may only be able to use sew on velcro and not iron on.

Step 3

Once you have the diaper turned inside out and you have insured that you won't be ironing any part of the PUL/waterproof material, lay an old towel over the area that you will be ironing. Put the iron on top of the old towel and apply some pressure. Hold for 60 seconds.

Step 4

Remove the iron and towel and wait 10-15 seconds before touching the velcro. After letting it cool some, turn the diaper right side out and check the positioning of the tab. Reiron if the corners or sides are not securely attached.

Step 5

Allow the tabs to dry for as long as possible, so put the diaper on the bottom of your diaper pile to ensure that it is used last and not right away. Wear and wash like normal. If it is undamaged and you are satisified with the tabs, repeat this process on other diapers as needed.

Special Circumstances

As parents, we are often handed situations that require flexibility and the acceptance of change. From the stomach flu to chicken pox, we must learn to adapt and change our routine to suit our child's needs at the time. Cloth diapering is a routine in itself, but when a sick child is using the cloth diapers, special precautions should be taken to decrease the chances of spreading the illness and increasing the cloth stash when a child is ill and is using multiple diapers a day.

When a child is sick with a contagious illness, it is extremely important that their waste is properly cared for and stored. Keeping the child's diapers in a separate pail to prevent cross contamination between children, as well as washing them separately is always a good idea when a child is sick. Also, wearing gloves while handling the diapers, and washing the diapers daily can further prevent cross contamination. Wash each load in hot water and line dry the diapers to help sanitize them.

Some medications can pass through urine and fecal matter, so it is important to be aware of what medication your child is taking and whether or not it passes through urine and fecal matter, and if so, if it requires special handling (ie, separate pail). Rarely, some medications can cause urine and fecal matter to stain a diaper. You will probably only know with trial and error but a layer of flannel as a barrier between the baby and the diaper can help prevent some stains. If an illness or medication is short term, purchasing cheap department store prefolds can extend your stash temporarily as well as protect your diapers from stains. Using a prefold in an AIO/AI2 and pocket diaper is also a great way to extend your stash.

When a child is vaccinated, their diapers should be handled in the exact manner that a sick/medication diaper is handled as most vaccines pass through urine and fecal matter potentially causing illness. Separate pail, hot daily wash and line drying the diapers can help prevent any cross contamination.

At times however, an illness or medication is not temporary, and may complicate the cloth diapering process. Children that use a g-tube are often "heavy wetters", so purchasing extra inserts for use in pockets, or doubling up on prefolds can help in containing the urine. Children that are going through chemo therapy must have a separate stash from their siblings as the chemo passes through into the diaper. Once the child is off of the chemo therapy, the diapers must be discarded.

Hospital stays can also present a hurdle. If you know in advance of a hospital stay, ask them if they provide cloth diapers (not many do anymore). If they do not, arrange for the diapers to be picked up and cleaned daily. It is also a good idea to use the same brand and the same type of diaper as weighing a diaper when it's clean and when it's dirty/wet is diagnosing tool that many hospitals use. Also, when admitting the child, inform the hospital as well as the nurses that your child is cloth diapered.

One great advantage of cloth diapering a child with special needs is that you can have them custom made to suit your child. Many work-at-home-moms that make diapers are more than willing to make a diaper specific to your measurements and special circumstances. While an older child that surpasses the weight limit for disposable diapers due to a delay in potting training would have to special order expensive disposable diapers, cloth diapers can be made specifically for this child to accommodate their weight and size. 

Some children spend their entire life in and out of a hospital attached to cords and machines and surrounded by disposable items. Something as simple as a cotton cloth diaper can remind them of home and bring some comfort to their life during difficult times. 

Tutorial: How to Strip a Diaper

How often do you bleach your whites? Once a month? Once a week? Why? Probably to make them extra crisp, extra white, bring them back to their crisp and clean brightness that they once were. I think my favorite thing is folding socks that were just cleaned, bleached and rejuvenated.

Much like bleaching your whites occasionally, it is important to rejuvenate your diapers. Days of urine and not so pleasant poop as well as every other day washing can cause build up to form. This build up can not only cause a slight smell even after being washed, but can also cause the diapers to lose absorbancy.

Below are the simple steps to stripping your diapers:

1. Run a normal rinse/wash/rinse cycle for the diapers. It is very important that the diapers are clean when you begin the stripping process.

2. Turn your water setting to "hot" and start a wash cycle with no detergent. If necessary, turn up your water heater to achieve a hot wash if yours is normally turned down. (Some diaper brands will not hold up well in a very hot wash, so be sure to read the label and if necessary, contact the manufacturer for further instructions. If you can't contact the manufacturer, or you otherwise are weary of washing them in hot water, I would only strip one of the questionable diapers and see how it holds up, and then strip the others if you feel comfortable with the results of the first). 

3. During this wash cycle, some add 2-4 drops of original Dawn detergent to help with the stripping process and/or baking soda, although it is not necessary.

4. Add an extra rinse to the end of the wash cycle. Add about 1/4 of a cup of white vinegar to this rinse cycle.

5. Once this rinse cycle is complete, run 3-4 more rinse cycles, or until there aren't any more soap suds left. 

6. If possible, line dry your diapers in the sun light as this will further assist in removing stains as well as sanitizing the diapers. 

All done!

Repeat this process as often as you feel necessary, which should be about once every month or two. So, how can you prevent having to strip your diapers frequently? A major culprit is the detergent that you use. If you find yourself having to strip them frequently due to smells and/or absorbancy loss, you may want to consider switching detergents. Also, only use 1/4 the recommended detergent amount. The diapers will still be cleaned, but the amount of build up remaining from being washed will be considerably less.

Product Review: Kawaii Diaper Covers

Name: Kawaii

Product: One Size Happy Leak-Free Diaper Cover

Price: $4.50 each

Purchased at: Ebay (But can also be purchased at theluvyourbaby.com)

Overall rating:

These diapers are one size diaper covers with a velcro closure fitting babies 8-36 pounds. With durable stitching and a thick double layer of polyester and a water proof inside, these diapers seem to be leak free and heavy duty.

The colors are all bright neon which may be a selling point for some, or a drawback for others. Occasionally, the prefold will slip down a bit, or bunch up in the middle, making it a necessary habit to periodically check the positioning of the prefold.

For the price, these covers serve their purpose. They are easy on your wallet, gentle on your baby, and hold strong against sopping wet prefolds.

Safety First!

I know that I grazed over safe shopping in a previous entry, but safety is so so important that I figured it deserves it's own entry. 

These tips can be used for anything you are buying online, not just cloth items.

1) Read reviews of the seller, maker and website you are purchasing from. Do this before bidding, not after! On the left side bar there is a list of websites that provide reivews.

2) Look for indications and clues of the item being a poor quality imitation of the actual name brand product. If the item is "new", does it come with the usual packaging typical of that brand? Is this seller or website an authorized distributor? If buying used, ask for an actual photo of the actual diaper, not just a stock photo. Location is also an important factor as the majority of poor quality imitation products are from China/Hong Kong, so see where the item is located and where it is shipping from.

3) Ask about their refund or return policy. While not necessary, it is comforting to know that you can return the item if it breaks after the first use, does not fit properly or does not meet your standards. Often, rip off companies will charge you full price for a bad quality item, only for you to be unsatisfied with the item, and only half of your money is refunded, still allowing them to pocket half of what you paid. 

4) If you are buying used, ask why the seller is selling the item, what the condition of the item is, if there are any holes, tears, stains or non-functioning parts. Again, actual photos of the actual item should be requested as some will put up a picture of a brand new item, hiding the condition of the actual item.

5) Avoid using credit cards, sending checks, casheirs checks or other payment methods. Always try to use a trusted online payment source such as Paypal, as if there is fraud involved, you can get a refund as well as file a complaint against the merchant. 

6) Purchase one diaper initially. This is a great way to avoid being broken hearted with $100 worth of diapers only to find that all of them are worthless. 

7) If buying used, compare the retail price to the used price + shipping. Sometimes, sellers will charge a higher price for a used item hoping to catch a naive shopper into thinking they are getting a "great deal" when actually the seller is making a profit.

If you ever question a bid, seller, or website, ASK!! There are hundreds of forums online where you can ask if what they are doing is legal or not. You can even ask in response to this entry and I will get back to you ASAP. No one should ever be scammed out of their hard earned money. Just trust your gut, start small, and don't be afraid to ask questions. 

Tutorial: Replacing Elastic By Hand

You are bound to run into a saggy diaper. Pulling one out of the washing machine for the 600th time to find that the elastic that once was is now non-existent due to day after day after day of use. Or, you could be trying to revive previously used diapers. Or, you could very eagerly have boughten a bundle of diapers for a "great price!" only to find that they were cheaply made and fell apart in the washing machine (totally sucked, by the way).

Either way, you are most likely going to experience Elastic: Gone Bad! Your first instinct will be to toss them in the trash and buy new ones. But wait! There is a solution! Below is a very detailed step by step process of how to repair the elastic, even if you have little sewing knowledge and clumbsy fingers. Good luck, and save the whales diapers!

How to repair the elastic in a cloth diaper by hand

Supplies:

One sewing needle of average size, but not too large

Thread

One small safety pin

One package of elastic or enough to fix the damage (Around 1/8 to 3/8 of an inch wide)

Sharp pair of scissors

The damaged diaper

Total Cost of supplies: About $10, depending if you buy a whole package of elastic or just what you need and if you need to buy scissors (I got mine on clearance for $1).

Step 1

Turn the diaper over so the green (waterproof side) is down, and the soft material is up. Cut a very small slit on the edge of the diaper being careful to avoid cutting any stitching or the green (water proof) material on the diaper. Cut through the layers until you see the green. Do NOT cut the green material.

Step 2

Attach the small safety pin to the end of the elastic.

Step 3

Insert the elastic, safety pin first, into the slit and slowly edge the elastic through the material until it reaches the end of the leg hole. This can take a few minutes, but just keep working with it and be patient. 

Step 4

Repeat step 1 on the other end of the leg hole. Once the slit has been cut, pull the safety pin and the elastic through.

Step 5

Bunch the material up to the desired bunchy-ness.

Step 6

Insert the needle and thread into the diaper and elastic, again, being careful to avoid the green/water proof material. Try to insert the needle giving a little extra elastic and material above the needle to ensure a tight stitch.

Step 7

Sew the elastic to the diaper as best as you can. Remember that this diaper has to survive a light of rubbing baby thighs and aggitation in a washing machine. Once you have sewn the elastic and diaper together, remove the safety pin and trim the excess elastic, leaving a small amount above the stitch.

Step 8

Tuck the remaining elastic into the slit, and sew the closure shut, again, avoiding the green material, as well as ensuring that it is a tight and secure stitch that won't fall apart from use and wash. Tie off the thread and trim away any excess thread.

Step 9

Rebunch the material to the desired bunchy-ness as it most likely has slipped into a looser fit. Once the material is back to the desired bunchy-ness, repeat steps 6 through 8. Congratulations, you have now fixed your diaper saving yourself money and further extending the life of the diaper! (This process can be done on the back elastic of pocket diapers as well.)