Butts Of Fluff

Temporary Vacation

2009-10-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

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.)

Product Review: Kawaii Minky Pocket Diapers

2009-09-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Name: Kawaii

Product: "Minky" Pocket Diapers

Price: $8.95 each

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

Overall rating:

These diapers are pocket diapers with a velcro closure. They are also one size, capable of fitting a baby from 8 pounds to 44 pounds. These diapers also come with two inserts allowing you to double up for nap time as well as double up when your baby is older.

Leaks are minimal, only occuring when the diaper has been on the baby for too long. The outter material is extremely soft, and the inner material is breatheable and gentle on the baby's skin. The inserts are durable and absorbant and easy to remove.

Not only are these diapers inexpensive, they are also adorable, easy to wash and do an amazing job containing large amounts of urine. Even with toddler poop and a few days of diarrhea, I have yet to come across a stain. It is nice to have a good quality diaper that is not paired with an expensive price tag.

My only complaint about these diapers is the lack of a laundry tab as the velcro will often stick to the inside of the diaper during a wash cycle.

Cloth Cloth Cloth, Everywhere is Cloth!

2009-09-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

With the savings of cloth diapers, the great bonus of helping the enviroment and the fun of purchasing cloth diapers, what else can you transition from disposable to cloth?

Baby Wipes

While baby wipes are not as expensive as diapers and the price of cloth vs. disposable is not as large as diapers, it is still a great way to save money and avoid unnecessary waste.

These can be purchased in the same manner as cloth diapers or made by hand as they are general just pieces of flannel material. You can also make your own wipe solution or purchase a premade solution to use. These can be more convenient to use with cloth diapers because instead of tossing out the wipes and putting the diaper in a pail, you put both wipe and diaper in the pail.

Nursing Pads

If you are breastfeeding or plan on breastfeeding, you will probably benefit greatly from cloth nursing pads. Bought in stores (Target sells cloth nursing pads made by Gerber) or bought online (etsy has many handmade nursing pads) or you make your own, this can save you even more money as well as avoiding unnecessary waste.

I have 8 pairs and I wear them like regular disposable nursing pads, except when they need to be changed, I toss them in the diaper pail with the diapers and wash them with the diapers. Once they are cleaned, I place them on the dryer and let them dry overnight.

Panty liners/Pads

These are cutely referred to as "mama cloth". I plan on exploring this option in a few months. Basically, it is a maxi pad shaped piece of flannel that is just as absorbant and durable as a maxi pad. The only difference is once you are done with it, you wash it instead of throw it away. There are many different types (with wings, extra long, extra thin, etc) so there are "starter kits" that include one or two of each. This is another great way to save money and eliminate unneccesary waste. These are hand made and many styles and types can be found on etsy.com.

Tampons

I have only seen a few of these and they are difficult to find, but a great option if you want to, again, save money and eliminate unneccesary waste. These can also be found on etsy.com.

My momma told me.. You'd better shop around..

2009-09-29T13:24:00.001-07:00

(Great song by the way.)

So now that we have covered what cloth diapers are and how to care for them, lets discuss my favorite part:

SHOPPING! Serioulsy, it's addicting once you get started. I find myself browsing cloth diaper auction listings several times a day.

First things first, lets talk money. An honest budget of about $200-$500 is more than enough to get your stash going full force. That is buying all of the diapers new, mostly name brand, and buying the 2-3 day amount that is recommended. That number can be quite shocking at first because really, who has $500 to just go out and spend these days? And if you are considering cloth diapering, I can guess that a main motivator is to save money, not spend it.

So let's bring out the numbers:

1 jumbo box of kirkland signature (Costco) diapers a month ($45) x 2 1/2 years = $1,350

25 pocket cloth diapers ($15 each) x 1= $375

And now class, which is the smaller number? THE CLOTH DIAPERS! Yay! Good job!

If you are pregnant and considering cloth diapers, start saving and buying now. This will help with the shock value of the initial investment. If your child is in disposables and you plan on transitioning, start slow and cheap (prefolds and covers) and work your way up to larger purchases. What can also help is putting out a jar on the counter after you start your transition to cloth diapering. When a month passes and you don't need to buy disposables, put the amount that you would normally spend in the jar, and use the jar money to purchase more cloth diapers.

Cloth diapers can be difficult to find in stores. Target sells prefolds in their store, but most other cloth diapers (AIO/AI2, hybrid (AI2's with a flushable insert), and pockets) are sold online. Most likely, most of your cloth diapering purchasing will be done online. With that however, I encourage you to shop around.

A big impulse for a first timer is to buy a whole bunch at once. The complete and total excitement is overwhelming and can be dangerous to your wallet (I have personal experience with this.. but that's another entry). The best way to start your diaper shopping is to buy one at a time. Use them a few times and see how you and your baby like them. I was certain that I would be the prefold queen, but when it came down to it, pockets stole my heart. A great way to buy diapers individually is to buy them on either ebay, or one at a time through a major department store such as Target. There are also hand made diapers for sale on etsy.com. Explore and investigate. This trial period money that you are spending will often come back to you, but I will get to that in a minute. Just buy one AIO, one cover/prefold, one pocket, etc. Once you have decided on the style you like, look for deals, reviews and recommendations. A simple google search for "coolababy review" brings up several reviews on that diaper. Diaperswappers.com is also a great place to find reviews on certain brands major and generic, as well as hand made.

Another great way to try out diapers is to look into companies that offer you their diapers for a trial period. If you don't like them, just send them back, often free of charge. I don't have experience with this, but it seems that many people like this option as it gives them the freedom of "trying on" the diapers before buying them.

Personally, I buy all of my diapers on ebay and the "for sale or trade" section of diaperswappers.com. I have gotten some great diapers, and some not so great diapers this way, but I have found that the prices are much much cheaper than buying them from a major department store. Be cautious though, there are fake knock off diapers that are of extremely poor quality and I was a victim of this. Imagine opening up your long awaited diapers, putting them in the washing machine the first time, and very dissapointedly finding them falling apart after only the first wash. It is heart breaking, it really is. A good way to avoid this is:

1) Look where the diapers are coming from and where they are made. Most (not all) fake knock off diapers are from China or Hong Kong. This should be a good clue of their likelihood of being poor quality.

2) Google search the brand name, the ebay/etsy seller or the company.

3) Look at their return policy. Before buying, ask them what they would do if their product fell apart in the washing machine or began to seperate after only a few uses.

4) Buy one. Instead of impulse buying 20 of them, buy only one. Use that one diaper at least three or four times before forming an opinion. Does it hold up well in the washing machine? Are there a lot of leaks? Is it falling apart already?

Once you have decided on a brand that you have tried and liked and read the reviews.. keep shopping. Often you will come across deals, sales and used diapers.

Used diapers? WHAT???

Yes, used. I personally wouldn't recommend buying very used diapers, meaning stains, elastic being worn out, snaps being broken, etc. However, you will often come across diapers that are "gently used", meaning that they were bought, used a couple of times, and the baby or mommy didn't like them. (This is where buying several different types and brands is not a total loss as you can resale the diapers to others making up for much of the cost that you spent on them). Be very careful when buying used diapers. There are people out there that will sell you a broken diaper or a bad diaper. Also, I think it would be smart to avoid buying used diapers until you are more familiar with the prices and quality of different brands. I personally have bought a used diaper for a "great price" only to find out that I paid more than I would have if I had bought it new.

So shop around and don't be afraid to try knock offs, but be sure to investigate their quality by checking reviews and buying one before buying several.

With all brands you should still try before you buy several, even the most expensive, most popular brands. Every baby and every family is different. What may work for 100 other babies may not work for your baby.

And remember, resale value for "gently used" diapers is pretty high (around 80%, I believe) so don't be afraid to buy a few and resell them.

Great places to buy cloth diapers:

ebay.com

craigslist.com

diaperswappers.com (be careful of price gougers)

etsy.com (hand made, made by work at home moms. Support our sisters!)

Cloth diapers and accessories for low income families:

http://miraclediapers.org/

The Stink Factor

2009-09-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

A very common question that most have about cloth diapers is.. "Doesn't it smell?"

I remember when my daughter would have a poopy disposable diaper and being lazy sometimes, I would just toss it in the kitchen trash instead of taking it outside. Within an hour, the whole kitchen would smell like a sewer. Urine diapers in a trash can for longer than a day can also put off a funky odor. My husband has named this smell "old vagina".. (men..).

Surprisingly though, a cloth diaper pail does not smell like that at all. The only smell that comes out of our pail is a light ammonia scent coming from the bottom of the pail when I'm emptying it out to wash the diapers. So, lets discuss the two types of diaper pails (wet vs. dry) as well as ways to handle the stink if you have one.

Dry Diaper Pail

This can be anything from a bucket to an old kitchen trash can. Lid or no lid? Some use a lid or use a container that is air tight. This can be helpful if you have to keep your pail inside of your house. Be warned though, using a lid can keep the stink factor to an absolute minimum in your house, but once you remove the lid, back away! The diapers sitting in an air tight container can sometimes let off strong smell from being air tight. But, again, this is a good option if you are in an apartment or condo and you don't have access to a garage or patio to keep your pail on. If you do not use a lid, the stink factor is still at a minium but can sometimes put off a very light scent that only a mother would notice. I have a dry pail in our garage with no lid full of soaked toddler pee diapers and I have yet to smell a smell (minus the stench when emptying the bucket).

When putting a diaper in a dry pail, it is important that you get off as much of the poop as you can whether by using the pray and plop method, toilet dunking for you risk takers or using a diaper sprayer. Most of the time, smeared on poop will not be an issue and if you do come across it, just run an extra rinse cycle in the beginning of the wash.

Breastmilk poop is water solluble, so if your baby is exclusively breastfed (no solid milk or formula) then there is no rinsing or pre-bucket treatment required at all.

In the event of a stinky dry pail, try putting a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil on a paper towel and putting it in your pail. This can help with the ammonia smell if you find it to be overpowering. You can also sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom of the pail, or store your pail near an electric outlet with a plug in room air freshner.

In the event of a possible stain when using a dry pail, you may want to consider soaking the diaper in water (toilet) and putting it in the pail wet, or spraying half vinegar/half water on the potential stain. Also, line drying a diaper in the sun (especially if it is a breastmilk stain) will naturally bleach out stains.

Wet Diaper Pail

This is a diaper pail that has a liquid solution (often water with added ingredients) in it. When choosing a wet diaper pail, YOU MUST HAVE A LID THAT IS TIGHT FITTING. Why? Because toddlers and children are curious and clumbsy and going head first into a bucket can be deadly.

When filling a pail with water, remember that as you add diapers to the pail, the water line will go up as you add more diapers. Filling the pail about 1/4 full of water (not hot or cold, just regular tap water) will prevent any spillage. Then add 1/4 a cup of vinegar, or 1/4 a cup of Arm and Hammer baking soda or washing soda, or 3 to 4 drops of tea tree oil or 1/4 a cup of Borax. (I am not clear if you can add ALL of these ingredients together, so if you know, please let me know so I can specify either way!) On a daily basis, empty the water from the pail and refill it with water and the ingredients listed above. Also be sure to not get a diaper pail that is too large causing it to be too heavy.

Do not add detergent, bleach, fabric softener or any other laundry agents as this can cause the diapers to be worn down, non-absorbant and may even cause small holes to form.

When emptying the water from the bucket, turn your washing machine to spin and pour the water into the washing machine making sure that the diapers stay in the bucket. On wash day, repeat this process. Once the spin cycle is complete, remove the diapers from the pail individually making sure that the velcro is attached to the laundry tabs, the pockets are removed, the AI2's are unsnapped from their cover and the flats/prefolds are unfolded.

A wet diaper system is not recommended if you lack an adequate laundry facility (apartment living, for example). Again, you MUST have a tight and secure lid for your wet diaper pail. It may seem like a pain now, but you will be grateful for that lid knowing that your children are safe.

Wet Diaper Pail in a Washing Machine

This method is used when you don't have the storage for a wet diaper pail, or would rather not mess with the fuss of dumping and pouring. The downside to this is that your washing machine will be constantly full of diapers making spontaneous last minute loads of laundry difficult.

With this method, you copy the formula of a wet diaper pail (1/4 the way full with water, add ingredients for pre-soaking, keep the lid closed, drain and refill the water daily).

If you do have to do a load of laundry, run a spin cycle on the existing diapers in the washing machine and place them in a pail or bag until your laundry is complete. You may also choose to just wash the diapers sitting in the machine.

You must have a top loading washing machine to use this method.

When using a wet pail system (washer or traditional pail) the initial poop removal is not as important. Yes, you should still use the pray and plop method to get most of the poop off, but if there are left overs, you won't need to swish around in your toilet or use a diaper sprayer as the presoaking will take care of that extra step for you.

I encourage you to experiment with each method and see what works best for you. If you have any other presoaking ingredients to add to the list, feel free to let me know and I will make sure to add them!

Hints, Tips and Others

2009-09-28T20:36:00.001-07:00

There were a few shocks and interesting tips that I have come across. Below are some important facts, hints, tips and other information.

Babies that are cloth diapered suffer from diaper rash very rarely. Why? It is because in a disposable diaper, urine sits right on their skin with little to no barrier. In a cloth diaper (especially in AIO/AI2 and pockets) there is a barrier between their skin and the absorbent material. When removing pockets from my daughter's diaper, I found it shocking at first at how soaking wet they were, but the diaper itself was bone dry.

Never use diaper rash cream in a cloth diaper. Well, almost never. There are a few brands that are safe, but most diaper rash creams can cause the diaper to not be absorbent, which is their entire purpose. In the event that your baby has a diaper rash, you may want to consider using disposables until it clears up. You can also cut or purchase pieces of flannel to use as temporary barriers between your baby's skin and the cloth diaper for the duration of the use of the diaper rash cream. This will prevent the cream from touching the cloth diaper, and will allow you to continue to use the cloth diapers. Again though, this should be a very rare occurrence. If you do find that your baby has a rash such as an allergic reaction, try changing the soap that you use to wash them, as well as adding an additional rinse cycle if you haven't already done so. Most allergies are due to the soap, not the material that the diaper is made of.

Cloth diapers must be changed more frequently than disposable diapers. This is due to a couple factors. Cloth is not as absorbent as disposable diapers. I remember going several hours without changing my daughter in disposables. Cloth diapers must be changed every 3-4 hours, if not more often than that. This also explains why cloth diaper babies have less diaper rashes; they aren't sitting in a urine soaked diaper for 6 hours. Always try to put a fresh diaper on your baby before nap time and bed time. It seems that every time I forget to put a fresh diaper on my daughter immediately before she goes to sleep, she wakes up with wet clothes. I have never had a problem with them leaking, but I have run into a few times where she has peed them through and through and they just can't physically hold any more urine.

Cloth diapers may cause your baby to go up in a clothing size. This is especially true with onsies and pants/shorts. Clothes of today are built for disposable diapers, so the butt area is often tight and slim fitting instead of poofy and roomy.

Babies that are cloth diapered potty train 6 months earlier than babies that use disposable diapers (on average). This is due to a few different factors including how a dirty diaper feels compared to a disposable diaper, and sometimes the process of cleaning a diaper (pray and plop) is showing your baby that his/her poop goes in the toilet, not in the diaper. There are a few other reasons which I'm unsure of, but expect your baby to possibly be ready to potty train a bit earlier than he/she would have if they were in disposables.

A good stash amount is two days worth. I like having two and a half days worth, but of course, the more, the better. If you are considering cloth diapers and you already have your baby in disposables, count how many diapers your baby goes through for the next three days starting tonight at midnight. If your baby goes through 25 diapers in the next three days, then a stash of 20-30 is a good amount for you. If you are considering cloth diapers for your newborn that has not been born yet, try to have at least 30 to start out with. Newborns require frequent diaper changes in the beginning. (If you plan on using prefolds/fitteds/flats and diaper covers, have 30 prefolds/etc. and about 6 or 7 diaper covers).

Keep a stash of disposables. This is helpful if you are going out of town, your baby has a diaper rash, you get behind on laundry day or your Aunt Ruth wants to watch your baby for the day but doesn't want to deal with the "messy, icky, ugly" cloth diapers. I also keep disposables in my diaper bag for convenience purposes. Also, if your child care provider doesn't allow "messy, icky, ugly" cloth diapers, you may want to consider doing both; cloth at home, disposables in day care. Some parents will take in their cloth diapers and show the day care provider how different they are and how easy they are. The day care providers are often shocked at the simplicity and were just simply uninformed about the diapers of today.

Tender Loving Care

2009-09-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

Now that we know WHAT cloth diapers are, how do we know how to care for them?

Well, there are two options.

You can use a diaper service which takes care of all the washing for you, but can be quite expensive, sometimes just as expensive as using disposable diapers. But this is a good option if you want to use cloth diapers for environmental reasons but you don't have access to an adequate laundry facility.

You can also launder the diapers yourself, which seems to be the most common. So, what does that mean?

Well, your baby has a wet diaper. Remove the diaper (if using prefold/fitted/flats, remove only the prefold/fitted/flat) and place it in a pail. I personally use a dry pail system mostly because I don't want a bucket of poopy water just hanging out. Every other day, or every third day, prepare for the daunting task of washing the diapers. It's a terrible process and completely disgusting. Detailed steps are below:

1. Put them in the washing machine.

Done!

Not so bad, huh?

If using AI2's, seperate the liner from the cover. If using prefold, flats or fitteds, remove safety pins and other closures. If using pockets, remove the pockets. When washing a cover, AIO/AI2 or pocket diaper that has a velcro closure, be sure to attach the velcro to the laundry tabs to prevent snagging.

Some diapers say to wash in only cold water, others say to wash in hot. You can seperate them into two seperate pails, or sacrafice the hot wash for the cold and wash them all together. Or, be ultra risky and wash them all in hot. Be warned though, this could potentially ruin some of your diapers if you are washing them against the recommended process. Personally, I wash them all in hot even though some of them say to do otherwise. I would rather have a sanitized diaper that lasts a shorter time period than an unsanitized diaper that lasts a long time.

Many people (myself included) run a rinse/spin cycle without soap before running a regular cycle with soap. Some also run another rinse/spin cycle without soap after the diapers have been washed. Extra cycles in the beginning and end can prevent soap build up and can rinse off urine.

Speaking of soap.. Try to find the cleanest soap you can (hah) that does not have dyes, or softener in it. I use Tide Free in a powder form. NEVER USE FABRIC SOFTENER/DRYER SHEETS. This can cause the diapers to not be absorbent which would ruin them. When measuring out powder soap, use a very small amount, about 1/4 the recommended amount for a cycle. It is recommended to never use bleach as this can wear a diaper down.

Most of the time when a baby has a reaction to a diaper, the diaper has a lot of build up, a lingering smell and/or the diaper loses absorbancy, it is due to the detergent. The laundry detergent you use has a great impact on the effectiveness of the diapers, so it is important that you experiment and investigate.

Here is a chart of common and not so common detergents (liquid and powder) with ingredients and a rating system to help you decide what is best for you and your family:

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm

Some diapers are a-okay in the dryer, others will fall apart. It all depends on your label and washing instructions. You can also line dry the diapers. This is a great method if you want to further be environmentally friendly and save money. Some diapers that have PUL recommend occasional dryer usage as this can revive worn out PUL making them work better as far as water proofing goes. I would say maybe once a month if you plan on going this route.

Once the diapers are all dry, whether you used the dryer or a clothes line (or a rope, hehe), put them back together. Having pocket diapers or AIO/AI2 already ready to use can be very convenient as stuffing pockets into a diaper while your naked baby is crawling around on the floor is bound to cause a couple pee spots on the carpet (oops...).

All done!

Now that we've gone over how to wash them when they are soiled, lets go over what to do when they are soiled to prepare them for the washing machine.

Of course, into the diaper pail they go, but there are a couple steps before that process if you have a super messy diaper. First things first, breastmilk is water solluable. This means that it dissolves in water. If your baby is only breastfed (no formula or solid foods) then no preperation is required. You just drop it in the pail as is.

If you have a baby on formula and/or solid food, then occasional prep is required. Poop can be a bit less messy in cloth diapers because of the extra fabric. Disposables are often tight fighting and cause the poop to smear and squish. So usually, after you have changed your baby's diaper and it has solid food/formula poop, all you have to do is turn it upside down over the toilet and the poop will just fall into the toilet. I lovingly refer to this as the pray and plop, as you really hope that it all just falls off.

Sometimes, (and of course, all babies are different) you will run across smeary watery poop. This is no fun. This is one of the few "ew" moments of cloth diapers. This is also when a toilet diaper sprayer may come in handy. What I do is remove the pocket inserts and set them aside. I turn the diaper upside down (soiled part out) and dunk it in the toilet a few times. My hands never get dirty or wet. I just dunk and swish a bit getting off what I can. Once that is done, I put the diaper (wetness and all) into a plastic grocery bag and put the whole thing in the diaper pail. This is my method. There are dozens of methods. Some don't mind tossing a smeary poopy diaper into the washing machine, some do. Experiment and see what works best for you.

So what happens when you have a poopy diaper and you are out and about? If possible, do the pray and plop. This is where your wet bag or plastic grocery bag will come in handy as you will have a place to put the soiled diaper.

On paper it sounds a little "ew", and it kind of is, but it's not as bad as it sounds. Rarely do I have to toilet dunk a diaper. I have never had a poop blow out which were common with us in disposables.

Once you get a routine going and get the hang of it, it will all fall into place. I have found washing diapers and line drying them overnight is more efficient as they are clean and dry the next morning as opposed to taking all day to dry. The process is very simple and really.. nothing makes me feel more accomplished than a laundry basket full of clean, dry diapers.

AIO, Pocket, Prefolds, what???

2009-09-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

30 years ago, a cloth diaper was a piece of cotton cloth folded into a cutsie little diaper fashion, fastened with safety pins and waterproofed with rubber diaper covers. They were messy, ugly, and a big pain in the tooshie. Imagine trying to perfectly fold a cloth diaper into a nice little baby shape while your baby that is supposed to be wearing the said diaper is squirming away from you. Imagine doing that while you're out to dinner or away on vacation.

That was Yesterday's cloth diapers. We are in today. 2009, to be exact, and diapers of today are much simplier, cleaner and more attractive looking. But, with that comes options, and almost way way too many! It is very overwhelming at first, especially if you aren't sure which ones you want to use. There are flats, prefolds, fitteds, covers, AIO (all in one's) and pocket diapers. They all have their own pro's and con's. Personally, I have used prefolds and pocket diapers with pockets being my favorite. So, which is better for you? Only you will know.

Flats

This is the type of diaper that was used 30 years ago. While these diapers have greatly improved since then, they are still the same basic type they were 30 years ago. They are not commonly used today, but some people like to use them because of their history as well as liking the challenge.

Pros: This is the cheapest option of all cloth diapers. These are often available in major department stores making them more accessible than other types. This type of diaper does require a diaper cover, but because you only change out the flat and reuse the diaper cover multiple times throughout the day, there is less laundry and you only need a handful of covers to start.

Cons: This is the most pain in the butt option. A flat is a large piece of material that requires to be folded in a specific pattern and way and then pinned together with either safety pins or a "snappi", which is a rubber like fastener for cloth diapers. When discussing the "messy" Yesterday's Diapers, this is what everyone is referring to. Some do like them and still use them, but because more convenient and efficient options are available now, this type is not very common anymore.

Prefolds

These are already folded flats, hence the name "prefold".

Pros: These are handy to have around for laundry day. They require very little folding and are simple to carry in a diaper bag.

Cons: These can be very hard to find in a store, and even when you do find them, they are of very poor quality. Most people use them as burp rags, so they aren't of quality and absorbancy to be used as an actual prefold. When purchasing these, they often require to be bought online, which means shipping, a waiting period for them to arrive, and the chance that you won't like them when you receive them in the mail. These also require a diaper cover as well as safety pins or a "snappi".

Fitteds

These are prefolds that are already folded and cut into a shape to be worn, much like an hour glass shape.

Pros: This is the most common type of cloth diapers when referring to actual cotton diapers that require a diaper cover. They are already cut into a shape to make them wearable for babies, so all you have to do is put them on, and fasten them with safety pins or a "snappi".

Cons: These are not sold in stores (as far as I know) and require to be purchased online. Again, these require a diaper cover as well as safety pins or a "snappi" though some have a snap closure which eliminates the need for a snappi or safety pins.

Covers

This is what goes over a flat, prefold or fitted cloth diaper to make them water proof.

Pros: Because you will be changing the flat, prefold or fitted that goes inside the cover, you only need a handful of these. They are inexpensive, and can often be OS (one size) meaning that they will fit a newborn to a toddler so you may only have to buy them once or replace them if they wear out. The covers of today can be very attractive with a whole pallete of colors and prints.

Cons: If poop gets on the cover, you have to wash it, so if you only have a few of them and your baby is extra poopy that day.. you're sh*t out of luck.. no pun intended. ;-)

AIO/AI2

This is a very popular diaper that is all-in-one. When the baby soils the diaper, you take it off, and toss it in the diaper pail. There is no folding. The absorbant middle and the water proof outside is sewn together. An all-in-two diaper allows for the absorbant middle to be unsnapped from the waterproof outside.

Pros: This type is extremely convenient. Think, a disposable diaper that you wash. There are no pins, folds, or covers. You just put it on, and toss it in the pail when it is soiled. They come in many colors and prints making them almost a fashion statement. Anything from your favorite sports team to cheetah print. They also can come in OS, so you can use them for your baby's entire diaper lifetime.

Cons: This type can be very expensive, sometimes $20 or more PER DIAPER. Because they are all together, they can take a long time to dry. I have heard that two cycles on medium heat in the dryer can still leave you with damp diapers. All-in-two's can help this problem as they seperate into two pieces allowing for a more thorough and efficient dry.

Hybrids

These diapers have a cloth outside with a disposable inside.

Pros: This type of diaper is perfect if you are wanting to not completely leave the disposable world, but still want to cloth diaper. It is also perfect if you lack an adequate laundry facility.

Cons: This type of diaper can be rather expensive, though, there are always knock off brands and alternatives. You will also still deal with the dilemma of having to buy the liners, running out of the liners at 3 am, etc.

Pockets

This type is like an AIO/AI2, except the center of the diaper is stuffed with a pad like microfiber material.

Pros: This type can be customized. Often, each diaper comes with two inserts allowing you to "double up" for nap times and for an older baby. This type drys relatively quickly as the absorbant insert is removed from the diaper for washing and drying. They can also be OS.

Cons: This type can also be expensive, though not as expensive as AIO's, they are a tough on the wallet. These diapers require a bit of maintenance, as after washing and drying them, you have to reinsert the inserts which can be somewhat time consuming if you have a very busy schedule.

Snappis: A "Y" shaped rubber closure used to fasten prefolds, flats and fitteds.

Diaper Sprayer: An attachment that is hooked to a toilet to make getting ultra difficult poop off of a diaper before putting them in the diaper pail. Though sold for $40+, with a trip to the hardware store, they can often be made for much less. Some people swear by them, others dislike them and have never seen a use for them.

Pail: This is the bucket or bin that you will place your diapers in when they are soiled. There are two different types: wet or dry. A wet pail is full of water and a few other added ingredients to prevent staining, odor and begin the washing processs. A dry pail is a simple empty pail with nothing in it.

Wetbag: This is a bag that you place the soiled diapers in when you are not at home. It is not required as sometimes reusing a plastic grocery bag will work fine, but they are handy and can be made in cute attractive prints.

Laundry tabs: This is a piece of hoop velcro (the soft side) that is sewn into a diaper for the purpose of attaching the velcro fasteners to it to prevent snagging while being cleaned and dryed.

Introduction

2009-09-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Sarah. I have a 17 month old daughter and am expecting another little girl in the next two weeks.
First of all, I really want to emphasize the fact that I am very ignorant when it comes to cloth diapers. I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time and everything is purely trial and error. None of my friends and family members cloth diaper, so I'm just now getting used to the opposition. "What?", "Why?", "Ew!", "But what about all the water you're wasting? Doesn't your water bill go up?", "I did it for one day and threw them away, never again!".

What? Cloth diapers. You know, reusable washable diapers.
Why? Three words: One hundred dollars. That's how much I would spend a MONTH to diaper two children. That was my first motivator. Others followed soon after, but the savings is what got me hooked.
Ew! Not really, no. I mean, there are some ew parts which I'll get into later, but mostly it is just as ew as regular diaper changes.
But the water, THE WATER! I wash three loads of diapers a week, on the smallest water level with no dryer use. Maybe an extra bathtub full of water a week, if that? I'm sure that the water usage is hardly comparable to tossing out say.. *calculator*..2,000+ diapers a year? That's not including the boxes/bags that they come in. I'm quite certain that one extra bath tub of water a week is not going to have a major impact on our water bill. Certainly not $100 a month worth.

For those that did it for one day, threw them away and never looked back, I'm sorry you had a bad experience. This may have been twenty years ago, or yesterday, but most likely it was human error that caused them to be faulty. There are some brands that are not of good quality (just like disposables) and you have to read reviews and try out a couple before investing a lot of money in them. But, there are certain people that just simply can't be bothered with cloth diapers. Some just don't like having to even look at poop, let alone worry about cleaning it. (I'm curious what happens in their household during stomach flu season..) Others work full time and the day care that they use does not allow them (mostly due to ignorance of yesterday's vs. today's cloth diapers). A few other reasons is the lack of a suitable laundry facility, water rationing in their region or lack of funds to start up cloth diapering.

But guess what? Almost all of the reasons above can be overcome with some effort and research.

My plan for this blog is to explore the option of cloth diapering, especially when there is almost zero support from family and friends, and you are full of questions and hurdles to overcome. Cloth diapering seems very messy and time consuming at first, but once you start, you will realize that it is not messy (just a little, maybe) and not time consuming. Much less time consuming that going to the store to get diapers, or putting your toddler in a swim diaper so you can go to the store to get diapers because your husband failed to inform you that he used the last diaper (men...).

So, explore with me. I'll post tutorials, reviews, experiences and lots of pictures! Feel free to post comments or questions or suggestions too!